INDIANAPOLIS — Unless you are somehow able to gain access to one of the rooms in which NFL teams meet with draft prospects during the week of the scouting combine, there’s no way to know what’s really discussed. One thing that is almost always happens is a tape-watching expedition in which the NFL people will have play examples dialed up that hopefully show what the prospects can do.
Here at Touchdown Wire, we do not possess the required juice to crash those rooms, but we are able to ask these prospects during their combine media sessions which plays from their college careers best typify their potential.
We’ve already done this with five quarterbacks, six tight ends and seven cornerbacks here at the combine, and now, it’s time to get into the favorite plays of nine receiver prospects of all shapes, sizes, and talents.
The full lineup:
- Washington’s Jalen McMillan and Ja’Lynn Polk
- Alabama’s Jermaine Burton
- Tulane’s Jha’Quan Jackson
- Florida State’s Johnny Wilson
- Pitt’s Bub Means
- Michigan’s Roman Wilson
- South Carolina’s Xavier Legette
- Texas’ Jordan Whittington
Jalen McMillan, Washington
Last season for the Huskies, McMillian caught 45 passes on 63 targets for 553 yards and five touchdowns — a bit of a drop from his 2022 season, when he grabbed 79 footballs on 118 targets for 1,098 yards and five touchdowns, but the tape is still strong. He ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at the combine, but as he told me by way of his favorite concepts in college, he’s highly valuable setting defenders up, getting things done after the catch, and working through contact.
“Probably the way I run the Chief routes and the Cowboy routes. Just getting vertical 10-15 yards, and running a two-way go. I mean, I love determining leverage. There was also a play we ran on third down called Pluto, and you’ve got to run it against man. If you know it’s man, you’ve got a two-way go and you can break in or out, but it’s also based on leverage. You gotta get open on any guy, whether it’s inside or outside.”
“I would say Stanford in 2022… I mean, every game, I ran those routes, so I feel like every game, I could show you that.”
Crossing the face of the defender is a McMillan specialty, so it makes sense that he loves those concepts. Against Stanford in 2022, there was this seven-yard play with 1:52 left in the first quarter, where McMillan caught slot cornerback Jonathan McGill with outside leverage in Cover-1, and turned it inside.
Jalen McMillian's favorite play with Washington: "There was a play we ran on third down called Pluto, and you've got to run it against man. If you know it's man, you've got a two-way go and you can break in or out, but it's also based on leverage. You gotta get open on any guy,… pic.twitter.com/1eUhp4vaTK
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 2, 2024
Jermaine Burton, Alabama
Burton caught 39 passes on 57 targets for the Crimson Tide last season, gaining 798 yards (that’s 20.5 yards per catch, folks), and eight touchdowns. He also caught 11 passes of 20 or more air yards on 21 targets for 484 of those yards and five of those touchdowns. If you’re getting the impression that Burton is a deep threat, you’re on to something. His favorite play and route are right in line. A very fast line.
“It’s a certain play; I have a certain route called Pistol. It’s my favorite. It shows that you have to have a lot of speed on that play, and I love running it because I love running fast, and I love running at defenders.”
Burton said that his best version of Pistol came against Texas, and if we’re looking for routes in which he can use his speed to drive defenders deep, this post/corner against the Longhorns is a pretty decent example. Texas was in Quarters coverage, and safety Jerrin Thompson had an unpleasant experience getting turned around as the route developed.
Jermaine Burton's favorite route at Alabama was called Pistol. "I love running it because I love running fast, and I love running at defenders."
Makes sense. pic.twitter.com/lFuk1sIcl8
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 2, 2024
Jha'Quan Jackson, Tulane
The Green Wave has done some serious things on offense over the last couple of seasons, and Jackson has been a big part of that. Last season, he caught 26 passes o 43 targets for 439 yards and four touchdowns, and he was good for 10 explosive plays from all areas of the field. But Jackson’s biggest play in terms of yardage and importance happened near the end of his previous season.
“I’d probably the 87-yard touchdown pass against USC in the Cotton Bowl. Just my route ability, and my elusiveness, and my versatility. It was Cover-2, and they dropped the end. It was a Lucy route, and it caught them. You can sit down in zone, and you can break it if it’s Cover-2.
The 87-yard touchdown in Tulane’s 46-45 Cotton Bowl win over USC at the end of the 2022 season is a great place to start with Jackson, as he took a quick slant and rambled past multiple defenders, all the way to the house. Jackson knew this was a touchdown at about the Trojans’ 30-yard line.
Tulane WR Jha'Quan Jackson's favorite college play is easy to guess — his 87-yard touchdown against USC in the 2022 Cotton Bowl.
"Just my route ability, and my elusiveness, and my versatility. It was Cover-2, and they dropped the end. It was a Lucy route (slant), and it caught… pic.twitter.com/RvrhKuk9kZ
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 3, 2024
Johnny Wilson, Florida State
There are a lot of tight ends now and through pro football history standing 6-foot-7 or taller; the list of 6-foot-7 receivers is much smaller. In fact, there’s been nobody in the NFL playing receiver at that height or taller since Ifeanyi Momah in 2017. The 6-foot-8 Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael is the most notable of course, but there’s not much else to talk about in that domain.
Five such receivers; 55 such tight ends. That’s quite the ratio.
At 6-foot-7 and 237 pounds, Florida State’s Johnny Wilson now faces the prospect of being moved to tight end depending on which NFL team selects him, and he’s of the strong belief that he’s a receiver at the next level. So, I asked him for a play that shows people his ultimate intent.
“If you go look at the Louisville game, the tape speaks for itself. I feel like every week, I showed what I can do. Just look at the Clemson game; they had an elite defense, but I was able to create separation and make some plays against them.”
This 41-yard catch up the numbers against Clemson was a nice Exhibit A in Wilson’s case for himself — he burned up the numbers against cornerback Sheridan Jones’ press coverage, established the leverage he wanted, and took the ball in as safety C.J. Mickens was converging.
Florida State WR Johnny Wilson was eager to point out plays showing that he's not an automatic switch to TE. Against Clemson, "I was able to create separation and make some plays against them."
This 41-yarder up the numbers with CB and S converging is a good Exhibit A. pic.twitter.com/Bcunx4iHDD
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 3, 2024
Although… I have to say that this 19-yard catch against Louisville, where Wilson pushed cornerback Jarvis Brownlee into a different area code off the line is kinda tight-endy in a really good way. Maybe he’d settle for a hybrid role?
Johnny Wilson pushing Jarvis Brownlee out of the damn octagon and making the catch. Wilson is an absolute dawg against press coverage. pic.twitter.com/6rPuvXMbdf
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 3, 2024
Bub Means, Pitt
When you catch just 50% of your passes but you have just two drops in a season, it’s safe to say that the issue resides more with the quarterback than the receiver. That was true last season for Pitt’s Bub Means, who put up a lot of strong tape for the Panthers despite catching just 41 of his 82 targets for 718 yards and six touchdowns. It’s a reason Means is a bit underrated in this draft class; it’s also why he has a very good chance of being a later-round breakout guy in the NFL. When I asked the high-energy Means about his favorite college play, he went chapter and verse.
“I’m gonna call the whole play. Strong right — they’re going to give you some kind of protection — Pontiac. If you ask the coaches, they’ll tell you we scored a lot of touchdowns on that. It’s going to be out of a different formation, but if you go watch Virginia Tech, the 75-yard touchdown.”
Strong Right Pontiac had Means running a deep post from the left side against Virginia Tech, while receiver Kenny Johnson hit it underneath from the right side to keep cornerback Mansoor Delane from rolling deep with Means in Cover-1.
Pitt WR Bub Means is a big fan of Strong Right Pontiac, where he hits the deep post. Against Virginia Tech, he got a 75-yard touchdown as Kenny Johnson went with the intermediate crosser to keep CB Mansoor Delane from rolling deep with Means in Cover-1.
"If you ask the coaches,… pic.twitter.com/axP2P7TCsG
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 3, 2024
Means credits tape study for his big plays.
“Yeah, I watch film. I study film, To be good at this game, you have to be a student of the game. You always have to want to watch film and get better. I watch tendencies. Every cornerback is going to play a little different, so you have to watch his tendencies and how he plays certain guys.
“And then, I want to watch basically the whole defense. Like, where the safety is. Is he going to roll down? Stuff like that, so I can make my gave a little easier.”
More consistent quarterback play would also help;
Ja'Lynn Polk, Washington
Rome Odunze was obviously the alpha in the Huskies’ receiver corps last season, but Polk wasn’t far behind, catching 69 passes on 108 targets for 1,159 yards and five touchdowns. Polk had 19 explosive plays last season on everything from quick flat routes to go routes 40 yards downfield, so the completeness of his game shows up. His favorite play shows his deep speed, his route acumen, and his toughness.
“It would have to be Michigan State, last year. Going across the middle on that deep safety — going up there and sacrificing my body to go make a play for the team. That was a standard setting play for me, and the year I was able to have.”
Washington WR Ja'Lynn Polk's favorite college play: "It would have to be Michigan State, last year. Going across the middle on that deep safety — going up there and sacrificing my body to go make a play for the team."
Definitely a sacrifice. Ouch! pic.twitter.com/J66KfPMEmL
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 3, 2024
Roman Wilson, Michigan
Wilson was a star of the 2024 Senior Bowl, but that wasn’t his first blip on the radar. He came into Mobile having caught 48 passes on 67 targets for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns for the national champs, so his rise had been on a more gradual slope.
When asked his favorite play, Wilson went straight to the Rose Bowl, on the way to Michigan’s natty, and walked through the whole concept.
“Yeah — I draw this play out a lot when teams ask me. It’s basically two posts with a deep cross. It’s kind of a shot play, but it has checkdowns in it. It’s my favorite play. Kind of a deep mesh. The Alabama game, when I caught that deep cross.”
An excellent example of the deep speed that allowed Wilson to catch 12 passes of 20 air yards or more last season on 18 targets for 311 yards and six touchdowns.
Michigan WR Roman Wilson's favorite college concept: "I draw this play out a lot when teams ask me. It's basically two posts with a deep cross. It's kind of a shot play, but it has checkdowns in it. It's my favorite play. Kind of a deep mesh. The Alabama game, when I caught that… pic.twitter.com/0V106hwOsQ
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 3, 2024
Xavier Legette, South Carolina
Another Senior Bowl standout, Legette is a height/weight/speed guy whose tape shows impressive nuance. He can also just take off like a shot on any route; you don’t land 17 explosive plays in a season by just showing up and being big and running fast. Legette finished his 2023 season with 71 catches on 97 targets for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns, and his top play happened against one particular defense that couldn’t stop him for anything — Legette caught five passes on five targets against Mississippi State for 189 yards and two touchdowns.
“The one where I had that drag route that I took 76 yards [for a touchdown]. I was just able to beat the defense — there were four defenders with great angles on me, and I was able to slip right past their man coverage.”
This was Cover-1 (check), Legette did have four guys with eyes on him as he crossed the field and started his burst up the field (check), and none of that mattered, because he just outran everybody to the end zone (check). Legette ran a 4.39 40-yard dash here at 6-foot-1 and 221 pounds, which is nice. Breaking away from an entire defense, and the objects in the rear-view becoming further away as the play develops, is even nicer.
South Carolina WR Xavier Legette's favorite play was the 76-yard drag route TD vs. Mississippi State. "I was just able to beat the defense — there were four defenders with great angles on me, and I was able to slip right past their man coverage."
With authority. pic.twitter.com/PGuhKHcGQs
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 3, 2024
Jordan Whittington, Texas
Teams at all levels love unselfish receivers who are aware of everything on the field, not just when they’re getting targets. If Whittington chopped it up with NFL teams the way he explained his favorite plays to me, he certainly impressed some potential suitors. Now, Whittington was productive enough, with 41 catches on 55 targets for 494 yards and a touchdown last season, but this is where we get a bit into intangibles, and what they mean.
“I’ll give you two plays, and neither one was me getting the ball. There was one where TCU intercepted the ball, I missed the first tackle, got back up, stripped the ball, and we got the ball back.”
Texas WR Jordan Whittington's other favorite college play where he didn't catch the ball came against TCU, when Quinn Ewers threw an interception, and Whittington took it from there.
"I missed the first tackle, got back up, stripped the ball, and we got the ball back." pic.twitter.com/E2VFgTCNfn
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 3, 2024
“Another one the year before — We needed a run to win the game, and Roschon [Johnson] gets stopped in front of the line, and I drag him forward to get the first down. I think those are just testimonies to my mentality, the way I play, and the way I work. And that’s not going to change. That’s how I am — not just in football, but in life. If you’re looking for a guy who will do whatever it takes, I’m probably the guy.”
Texas WR Jordan Wittington had two favorite plays in his college career, and he wasn't a target on either one. The first was against Iowa State in 2022.
"We needed a run to win the game, and Roschon [Johnson] gets stopped in front of the line, and I drag him forward to get the… pic.twitter.com/vVEyL4y7IF
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 3, 2024
