NFL Draft Profile: Tay Martin, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma State Cowboys

NFL draft profile scouting report for Oklahoma State Wide Receiver, Tay Martin

The NFL Draft Bible | Jan 29, 2022

NFL Draft Profile: Tay Martin, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma State Cowboys /

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Oklahoma State Cowboys

#1
Pos: WR
Ht: 6014
Wt: 188
Hand: 0938
Arm: 3238
Wing: 7738
DOB: 12/14/97
Eligibility: 2022
Houma, LA
Ellender Memorial High School

Tay Martin Oklahoma State University Cowboys

One-Liner:

Tall, older outside receiver with great body control who lacks elite athleticism, release, and production.

Pros:

The NFL continues to place a high value on players with developmental traits. Tay Martin embodies the archetype role of a big-framed receiver that could grow into a consistent red-zone weapon. He shows phenomenal body control, often twisting his body mid-air to make acrobatic receptions. This skill, along with his frame and leaping ability allow Martin to consistently challenge defensive backs along the boundary and the corner of the endzone. He also showcases the willingness to attack balls over the middle of the field, putting his body on the line to haul in a necessary catch. Martin consistently extends for the ball and shows good hands, a surprisingly undervalued quality for a receiver. His successful transition from Washington State to a larger Oklahoma State program speaks to his desire and determination to succeed when challenged.

Cons:

Despite spending five years at the college level, Marin failed to eclipse more than 1,000 yards in any season. While quarterback or scheme can shoulder some of the blame, elite production in college has a strong correlation with NFL success. Even though Martin does have a large frame, his current weight may detract from his ability to be physical with defensive backs at the NFL level. Martin lacks the explosive athleticism that organizations typically gravitate towards. His release isn’t electric, and he may have a challenge beating press coverage at the next level. A majority of Martin’s success in college came from contested catches due to a lack of separation. The balls he could win over weaker defensive backs in college will usually be incomplete or intercepted in the NFL. Like many college receivers transitioning to the NFL, his route running needs refining. Martin is already 24 years old, which NFL organizations will often consider a negative when evaluating a developmental rookie prospect.

Summary:

An outside receiver with a large frame, Tay Martin has a handful of tools at his disposal to develop into a depth contributor on an NFL roster. His supreme body control, prototypical frame, and solid hands are strengths that an organization could build on. He will be limited by his lack of explosive athleticism but could make up for it by improving his release and route running technique. His high school experience on defense could help find him a role on special teams.

Background:

Born on December 14th, 1997 in Houma, Louisiana, Davontavean “Tay” Martin attended Ellender Memorial High School as a multisport athlete in basketball, football, and track. Playing both sides of the ball, Martin was recruited as a wide receiver and was rated a three-star prospect in the 2017 class, per the 247Sports Composite. He was an offensive weapon as a senior in high school, making 45 receptions for 751 yards and eight receiving scores while rushing for 493 yards and five rushing touchdowns. These accomplishments earned Martin an appointment to the 4A All-State first-team that year. As a junior, Martin accumulated 51 catches for 825 yards and seven receiving touchdowns. He committed to Washington State University out of high school and played there through his junior year. During his tenure at Washington State, Martin racked up 143 receptions for 1,615 yards and 18 touchdowns across 36 games. In 2020, he transferred to Oklahoma State but only appeared in eight games. Martin used the extra year of eligibility granted to college players for the COVID-ravaged 2020 season to stay for a fifth year at Oklahoma State. He certainly put it to good use, catching 70 balls for 942 yards and seven touchdowns, leading the team in receiving touchdowns and yardage. Martin plans to play a final game with his Oklahoma State teammates in the Fiesta Bowl on January 1st, 2022.