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The Carolina Panthers have a gem in undrafted free agent wide receiver Keyarris Garrett out of Tulsa. Could he crack the 53-man roster?
The Carolina Panthers didn’t have a big 2016 draft class, but they wound up with some really good players including after the draft when they picked up Tulsa wide receiver Keyarris Garrett.
Garrett led the country in receiving yards this past season with 1,588 — more than 200 greater than Josh Doctson, who was the next highest on the list. He also finished last season with 96 catches, eight of which went for touchdowns.
With those numbers and a 6-4, 220 pound frame, why in the world didn’t he get drafted?
Here’s what I wrote about him in my scouting report prior to the draft:
“In terms of his overall game, I see a poor man’s Brandon Marshall/Martavis Bryant hybrid. The size/speed combination is there. The hands and playmaking ability are there. The route tree and blocking skills need development. There’s no question Keyarris Garrett can catch passes, but the NFL isn’t a game of backyard football — you have to be willing to get better and better.
He’ll be 23 when drafted, so how much will NFL teams take that into account? Injuries play a role in this as well.
In the end, I think with his age, injury history, and the fact that he played in a relatively vanilla offense at Tulsa, he will get picked sometime on day three of the draft, but he has potential to be a really nice find.”
As you can see there, it’s not just a matter of what he did on the field — teams take everything into account. That includes age and injury history, as well as some concerns with his ability to run a complicated route tree. Does that mean he’ll never become a good NFL receiver?
I don’t think so. In fact, I see quite the opposite. I see a receiver prospect coming off of the best season of his life, getting ready for his first NFL camp with a huge chip on his shoulder. Not to mention, Carolina’s group of wide receivers isn’t stacked so high that he will get lost in the shuffle — there’s legitimate opportunity for competition here.
I love Garrett’s ability especially with the prospect of Cam Newton throwing him the ball. He also has the benefit of Carolina WRs coach Ricky Proehl having taken a real liking to him prior to the draft…
I still think this guy reminds me of Brandon Marshall. It’s been 10 years, so I don’t recall what Marshall’s scouting report was coming out of UCF in terms of his route running ability, but the guy just looks like Marshall did as a rookie, down to even the small details, like his facemask choice…
The fact that there were 34 receivers drafted this year and Keyarris Garrett wasn’t one of them is a complete joke. He’s certainly a good enough prospect to have been drafted, regardless of injury history or age. The Panthers got a steal, and the idea of putting him in a lineup that already features the 6-5 twin towers of Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess is exciting to say the least.
The Panthers scored a really nice find after the draft getting this kid.
The Carolina Panthers have a gem in undrafted free agent wide receiver Keyarris Garrett out of Tulsa. Could he crack the 53-man roster?
The Carolina Panthers didn’t have a big 2016 draft class, but they wound up with some really good players including after the draft when they picked up Tulsa wide receiver Keyarris Garrett.
Garrett led the country in receiving yards this past season with 1,588 — more than 200 greater than Josh Doctson, who was the next highest on the list. He also finished last season with 96 catches, eight of which went for touchdowns.
With those numbers and a 6-4, 220 pound frame, why in the world didn’t he get drafted?
Here’s what I wrote about him in my scouting report prior to the draft:
“In terms of his overall game, I see a poor man’s Brandon Marshall/Martavis Bryant hybrid. The size/speed combination is there. The hands and playmaking ability are there. The route tree and blocking skills need development. There’s no question Keyarris Garrett can catch passes, but the NFL isn’t a game of backyard football — you have to be willing to get better and better.
He’ll be 23 when drafted, so how much will NFL teams take that into account? Injuries play a role in this as well.
In the end, I think with his age, injury history, and the fact that he played in a relatively vanilla offense at Tulsa, he will get picked sometime on day three of the draft, but he has potential to be a really nice find.”
As you can see there, it’s not just a matter of what he did on the field — teams take everything into account. That includes age and injury history, as well as some concerns with his ability to run a complicated route tree. Does that mean he’ll never become a good NFL receiver?
I don’t think so. In fact, I see quite the opposite. I see a receiver prospect coming off of the best season of his life, getting ready for his first NFL camp with a huge chip on his shoulder. Not to mention, Carolina’s group of wide receivers isn’t stacked so high that he will get lost in the shuffle — there’s legitimate opportunity for competition here.
I love Garrett’s ability especially with the prospect of Cam Newton throwing him the ball. He also has the benefit of Carolina WRs coach Ricky Proehl having taken a real liking to him prior to the draft…
I still think this guy reminds me of Brandon Marshall. It’s been 10 years, so I don’t recall what Marshall’s scouting report was coming out of UCF in terms of his route running ability, but the guy just looks like Marshall did as a rookie, down to even the small details, like his facemask choice…
The fact that there were 34 receivers drafted this year and Keyarris Garrett wasn’t one of them is a complete joke. He’s certainly a good enough prospect to have been drafted, regardless of injury history or age. The Panthers got a steal, and the idea of putting him in a lineup that already features the 6-5 twin towers of Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess is exciting to say the least.
The Panthers scored a really nice find after the draft getting this kid.
