2013 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee

by Cory J. Bonini on February 28, 2013 @ 16:53:17 PDT

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Tennessee junior wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson brings a unique skill set to the 2013 NFL Draft, one that could make him the first receiver chosen in April.

Patterson has just one season of NCAA FBS (D-1) experience after dominating at Hutchinson Community College (Kansas). He made the most of his time with the Volunteers, racking up 46 catches for 778 yards (16.9 per catch) and scored five touchdowns as a receiver. He was the first NCAA player since 2008 to record a touchdown in four different ways in the same season.

Dynamic playmaker

Strengths

Dynamic, electric playmaker in the open field - gains a lot of yardage after the catch
Eye-popping agility and body control
Field vision to locate cutback lanes
Above-average hands
All-around athlete with well-built frame (6-foot-2, 216 pounds)
Explosive special teams return man
Difficult to tackle in space
Smooth coming out of his breaks - consistently gains separation
Immeasurable upside

Weaknesses

Limited experience
Concentration lapses that can be found in his hands and blocking
Relied too much on sheer athleticism
Likes to get "too cute" when trying to make something out of nothing - a lot of lateral yardage and wasted energy
Takes too many steps in his routes
Too much hand fighting downfield - will get flagged in the NFL
Allows his emotions to get the best of him at times

Expected draft placement

Patterson may not be an immediate contributor as a rookie, and digesting an NFL playbook could pose a problem for him. However, his upside and talent is just far too great to pass up in the first round. He should go as high as the Buffalo Bills (No. 8) or Miami Dolphins (No. 12) but likely won't fall past the Minnesota Vikings at No. 23. The Carolina Panthers (No. 14), Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 17) and St. Louis Rams (No. 16, No. 22) all could be options, as well.

About Cory J. Bonini

Cory is KFFL's General Manager. In late 2002, he joined the KFFL staff as a research analyst and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1996. A member of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, as well as Fantasy Sports Writers Association, Bonini has been featured in print, on radio and on scores of websites. Bonini co-hosted Big Lead Sports on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio from 2011 to 2012.

Bonini was recognized with the 2010 Best Article in Print Award from the FSWA and was a finalist for the same award in 2011. In '11, he finished first overall in the FSWA NFL experts challenge that featured 60 of the industry's best competitors. Follow @CoryKFFL