There’s seemingly always one player each NFL Draft cycle that is easy to root for and easy to get behind. This year, that player is Tylan Wallace. If you ask the occasional NFL Draft fan – or even NFL Draft analyst – who one of their favorite WRs in this class is, there’s a pretty solid chance that Wallace’s name will come up in the conversation.

Wallace was a steady producer throughout his time at Oklahoma State, and he came back strong after an ACL tear cut his season short in 2019. He’s a smart and savvy route-runner that displays a high football IQ and has incredible contested catch ability given his size.

Will these traits be enough to lead into significant NFL Draft capital? Or are there aspects of Wallace’s game that could force him to slide down NFL Draft boards a bit?

These questions are answered here in our scouting profile on Tylan Wallace:

Check out the rest of our 2021 NFL Draft prospect profiles

Tylan Wallace (WR – Oklahoma State)

Vital Statistics

Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 194 lbs.
Arms: 30 3/8
Hands: 9 3/8
40-Yard Dash: 4.48
Vertical Jump: 33
Broad Jump: 112
Bench: 11 Reps
Short Shuttle: 4.25
3-Cone Drill: 6.97

College Statistics

Check out Tylan Wallace’s detailed college stats here

Skills Legend

Skills Chart

Skills Breakdown (out of 100)

Route Running (76): Route-running savant. He has a phenomenal understanding of how to freeze DBs with his footwork at the top of his break and then snap his hips. Diverse route-tree and lined up on either side of the field. Able to control his momentum extremely well and throttle down from full speed.

Athleticism/Agility (74): Wallace is a solid athlete, but not a spectacular one. He has good burst and short-area quickness in and out of his breaks, but he struggles to get off the line of scrimmage. He’s not going to beat any NFL DBs deep downfield but will have to win with route-running savvy and winning at the catch point.

Hands (81): Phenomenal hands and catches nearly everything thrown his way. He has great concentration and can go up and highpoint the ball surprisingly well for someone his size.

Contested Catch Ability (78): Fantastic in contested catch situations. He plays with the mentality that the ball is his, and he’s coming down with it, no matter what. He might struggle against bigger DBs to go up above them but has a great vertical leap to compensate for his size.

Run After Catch Ability (72): Due to his lack of elite athleticism, Wallace isn’t going to break away for big plays after the catch. He’ll be routinely open and can pick up chunk gains due to the amount of separation he’ll have, but he won’t be outrunning defenders in the open field.

Release (71): This is one area that Wallace needs to improve on the most. He lacks the strength to stand up to press coverage, and he’s often re-routed out of bounds. He lacks the elite burst necessary to sidestep defenders in press, and he is unable to create enough acceleration to separate when a DB’s right on his hip. He’s excellent in Cover 3 or off-man coverage, but NFL defenses are going to understand how to eliminate him from the game, and they’ll do it repeatedly. He’d be best moving into the slot at the next level to ensure separation, but acceleration or burst might be a concern there as well.

Deep Ball Tracking (76): Outstanding at tracking the ball deep downfield. The throws weren’t always the most accurate, but he consistently showed the ability to slow down or accelerate to put himself in the best position to reel in the catch.

Speed (74): He’s not going to wow people at his Pro Day in the 40-yard dash, but he has more than enough speed to be a decent player in the NFL. However, the concern is whether or not his 40-time will affect his Draft stock.

Video Evaluation

Tylan Wallace Good At Football #NFLDraft2021 pic.twitter.com/hbimPiUf6W

– Ray G ???? (@RayGQue) January 14, 2021

Tylan Wallace is FEARLESS on the football field! pic.twitter.com/DsRnSW5xBt

– Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) January 22, 2021

They Said It

Projected Draft Range

Wallace’s Pro Day wasn’t outstanding, but it certainly didn’t hurt his overall projection to the NFL either. Wallace most likely doesn’t project as a WR1 or WR2 for an NFL team, but he can be a fantastic WR3 or depth piece for a roster for a long time. This most likely puts Wallace off the board in round 3, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him go off the board much earlier than that either.

Ideal Fantasy Landing Spot

The Indianapolis Colts will need to dip into the WR pool at some point during the NFL Draft. It could very well happen in the first two rounds, but Wallace could be sitting there in the third round if they choose to wait a bit. Bringing in Wallace to complement Michael Pittman Jr. and the long-term replacement for Ty Hilton could work out nicely.

Fantasy Comparison

Tajae Sharpe stands two inches taller than Wallace, but they’re the same weight. Sharpe was a bit slower than Wallace at his NFL Combine as he ran a 4.55 40-yard dash, but the rest of the testing numbers match up almost identically.

Check out our complete list of 2021 NFL Draft profiles here

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Kyle Yates is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Kyle, check out his archive and follow him @KyleYNFL.