NFL Scouting Report: Laquon Treadwell

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Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell is considered to be one of the best in the nation and a surefire first round pick in the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft should he decide to declare. With many propping Treadwell up as a top 10 selection, I figured I should have a look at his game tape to see what all of the hype was about. Let’s get right down to it.

Strengths: 

Treadwell has one strength that stands out amongst the rest; his hands. He catches the ball with his hands and not his body, making him incredibly reliable. He’s also got incredible size and length, making his catch radius down right deadly. There are very few balls that Treadwell can’t catch.

For this reason, he can make seemingly impossible catches in traffic seem easy and make his quarterback look great. Treadwell is arguably the most reliable receiver in the draft, which is most likely why he is so high on everyone’s draft boards.

Beyond his reliable hands, he is very quick off the line of scrimmage and also very physical, making him almost impossible to press. If Treadwell can take away press coverage from the other team’s playbook he could open up all kinds of opportunities for him and his teammates.

That same physicality and quickness translates very well into the blocking game too. Treadwell is someone who, when motivated, will take on cornerbacks and linebackers in an attempt to create running lanes for his running backs. If he gets emotional or upset, he can go toe-to-toe with even the most physical defensive players.

Weaknesses: 

Treadwell had a surprising amount of weaknesses that I didn’t expect to see when looking at the draft’s best receiver. The most glaring weakness was his route running. When watching tape it was very noticeable that his route tree was not well rounded, while his routes themselves were.

He was often asked to run either screens or routes deep down the field. Rarely was he seen operating in the middle of the field. The majority of his catches through the middle were due to his aforementioned god-like hands rather than true separation. He is easy to read and his routes aren’t crisp enough to shake defenders.

In college, this was remedied by the fact that he was big and was fast enough to get open down field. However, in the NFL where he will be going up against some of the most athletic players in the world, his speed won’t get him open down field.

His speed is average at best and he will need more to get open. He is physical, which will help in jump ball situations, but there’s a chance that he’s not the same deep threat he is/was at Ole Miss. Bottom line, he will need to find new ways to get open if he wants to be successful.

Lastly, Treadwell has a minor problem with playing until the whistle blows. He has improved over the course of his career, but there are still plays where he will either give up on a block early or even times when he will just stand still on the field if he knows the play isn’t coming to his side of the field.

Effort is something that all NFL coaches look for in all their players. In order to reach his full potential, Treadwell will need to make sure that he learns how to give 100% on every play.

NFL Comparison: Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears

Alshon Jeffery is one inch taller and six pounds heavier than Treadwell, but their games are remarkably similar.

Neither is overly athletic but they have incredible hands and know how to go up and get the ball no matter where it is. Separation isn’t their strong suit but somehow they manage to produce despite that fact.

If Treadwell can stay healthy then his production in his first four seasons may end up outdoing Jeffery. But in terms of talent, this is his ceiling.

If Treadwell can’t clean up his routes, and his athleticism is as lackluster as it appears though, he could end up being unable to separate. As good as his hands are, with no ability to create separation, he would be a major disappointment.

Perfect Fit: Cleveland Browns

The Browns have a multitude of small receivers, and talented ones at that. However, Treadwell’s size and catch radius could add a whole different element to the Browns offense.

The only problem is Cleveland will end up having either the first or second pick in the upcoming draft and that may be a bit high, even for the draft’s best receiver.

In reality, the receiver-deprived St. Louis Rams will most likely end up selecting Treadwell.