Nathaniel "Tank" Dell 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the Houston WR

Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, Houston: 5’8″, 165 pounds.

Nathaniel “Tank” Dell was a top-200 JUCO recruit in 2020. After showing flashes as a freshman (29-428-3) in eight games, Dell jumped onto the scene in 2021, with 90 catches for 1329 yards and 12 touchdowns.

His numbers were even better as a junior (109-1398-17) and he made the AAC’s first-team in back-to-back years as one of the premier play-makers in that conference.

Nathaniel "Tank" Dell scout report: Strengths

Nathaniel "Tank" Dell - Tulsa v Houston

+ Consistently is a vertical threat off the ball, with the way he runs with his pads over his knees and keeps his head down.

+ When defenders try to challenge him at the line, you see the elusiveness and active hands to leave them behind in the dust. At times he would take half a step back and side-swipe the guy’s reach before running by him.

+ Understands how to open up the post for himself by the way he stems off the snap and then can burn corners quickly when isolated with them.

+ Has that final gear to separate from defenders when his quarterback has let the ball fly, and then tracks it exceptionally well over his head.

+ You can feel the gravity this guy has when you see safeties in two-high looks just continue to gain ground when Dell pushes vertically from the slot.

+ Yet, his speed to run away from his man or clear the hook-defenders working across the field can get him lost or get somebody else open behind him.

+ So impressive with the way he can stop on a dime and make DBs overrun the break point, along with an effective swipe-through to avoid being tugged.

+ Seemed to constantly be open on curl routes because of how scared DBs were about his deep speed, as well as beating them across their face on slant routes with hard jab-steps.

+ Is aware of late coverage rotations and how to delay his approach ever so slightly in order to not run himself into defenders replacing teammates in their assignments.

+ Shows a good feel for soft-spots and when to slow down when entering those versus zone shells.

+ Plucks the ball out of the air at full extension and doesn’t allow the catch to slow him down.

+ Has a couple of really impressive catches on tape, where he has to elevate for the ball and a defender’s swiping through the catch point, but he still secures the ball (hauled in seven of 13 attempts in contested situations).

+ Can quickly pull away from the pursuit if you just flip it out to him on a bubble screen and your safety better take a conservative angle towards the sideline.

+ So sudden with the ball in his hands that he makes people miss without losing much speed. He is able to put on the breaks against guys who overpursue, incorporate dead-legs, etc.

+ And he can stack those moves on top of each other to navigate around multiple defenders (forced 19 missed tackles last year).

+ Was responsible for 71 first downs this past season, moving the chains much more consistently than guys typically labeled as deep threats. He scored a touchdown in each of his final ten games, including the game-winner on his final collegiate snap versus Louisiana in the Independence Bowl.

+ May not impose his will on anybody, but Dell does look for work as a blocker once one of his teammates catches the ball or the run bounces out his way.

+ Basically cooked everybody to put in front of him at the Senior Bowl, because of the way he could scare them with his juice off the ball, the way he incorporated head- and shoulder-nods and his ability to stop on a dime.

Nathaniel "Tank" Dell scout report: Weaknesses

Nathaniel "Tank" Dell - 2021 American Conference Championship - Houston v Cincinnati

– Does feature a fairly slender frame and didn’t really have to prove himself against press-coverage, being able to take advantage of all of those three releases, where defenders were put at his mercy (currently there are no starting WRs in the NFL below 170 pounds).

– Overdoes it with releases against off-man defenders, with hop-steps and excessive steps, that cost him time.

– Allows the ball to get into his body and pins it against his chest on routine catches when he could extend for it (dropped 21 passes over the past two seasons combined in part because of that).

– Will get overwhelmed by bigger slot defenders in the run game, who run right through his chest. You see him straight-up bounce backwards as guys attack him.

Nathaniel "Tank" Dell scout report: Grade

Nathaniel "Tank" Dell - Houston v Navy

If your team misses out on Boston College’s Zay Flowers in the first round, I think Tank Dell is a slighter, but very exciting option later on day two.

He’s so sudden with or without the ball, he has a legit extra gear to blow past fast defensive backs. He tracks the ball exceptionally well, staying focused even if the flight of the ball leads him back into contact.

Unlike Flowers, I don’t believe you want Tank to extensively play on the line as much of the intrigue with him is based on the threat he presents as you move him along the formation. You either let him create issues in the structure of the defense (as he uses that momentum to his advantage) or you put the ball in his hands in creative ways, thanks to the way he can make people look silly on the run.

The slender build will be a hold-up for some teams, but if he just works on always catching the ball away from his frame, I think he brings plenty of juice to pretty much any offense.

Grade: Third round.

You might like other 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR), Ohio; Zay Flowers (WR), Boston; Jordan Addison (WR), USC; Jalin Hyatt (WR), Tennessee; Jordan Addison (WR), USC; Quentin Johnston (WR), TCU; Zach Charbonnet (RB), UCLA; Bijan Robinson (RB), Texas.

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