Scouting Report

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When watching certain players it is easy to see what their role will be in the NFL. It is obvious when watching TuTu Atwell. He is going to be a downfield receiving threats that is used either for go routes or just on little tip passes. Track speed is what I think of when watching Atwell play. He is so damn fast, he looks like he can be an olympic sprinter. Jaelon Darden, D’Wayne Eskridge, and Jaylen Waddle are all guys that could potentially break the John Ross 40 yard dash record, Atwell on the other hand looks like he could break the olympic record he is that fast. 

Back when Randy Moss was playing he was either doing three routes, a go, post, or a wide receiver screen. For Atwell, it is pretty much the same thing. He is a downfield target that gains separation through his speed. If he can develop his route tree a little more, he will find a way on to the field for whatever team he gets drafted by. His pure athleticism should make an offensive coordinator happy to have him. While he wasn’t used on special teams at Louisville, I believe he’d be a phenomenal punt returner. He is also good in situations where he can get pop passes and turn the corner on the defense. He should be used a lot with pre-snap motions in the red zone. Atwell could be a premiere gadget player if put in the right system.

While being really good at three routes is a good thing, it’s even better to be able to run any route. The lack of versatility in Atwell’s route tree concerns me. Another big concern regarding Atwell is his weight. The last receiver to come out of the draft playing under 170 lbs. was Marquise Brown and even he struggles against more physical defensive backs. Thankfully, Brown was able to put on a good amount of muscle last offseason and Atwell will have to as well. Another problem with these track stars playing receiver is health. When running that fast, pulled hamstrings happen more often than not. While it’s important to be speedy, Atwell needs to make sure he learns to preserve his speed.

While Atwell’s grade isn’t very high, I’m confident he will find a role for an NFL team that is similar to Phillip Dorsett’s. There will be specific packages for him and he will be a team’s big play guy.