2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: WR Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State

Tylan Wallace has had some injury issues, but he also has a lot of plusses to his game that could make him a Day 3 top value pick.

WR TYLAN WALLACE 

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 193 lbs.
Class: Senior 
School: Oklahoma State

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A four-star recruit out of Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended South Hills High School. Wallace was the 17th wide receiver and the 10th ranked Texas player in the 2017 recruiting cycle. Injuries hampered Wallace’s immense upside in the latter half of his Oklahoma State career, despite still being effective and productive in those seasons.

Had an incredible sophomore year in 2018; he had 86 receptions for 1,491 yards and 12 touchdowns in a season where he was a First Team All- American, All-Big 12, was named the team’s offensive MVP, and was a Biletnikoff Award finalist. 

Named to the Second Team All-Big 12 in 2019. Had a respectable 59 catches for 922 yards and six touchdowns after recovering from his ACL in 2020.

Notables

He tore his ACL after the 2019 games of the 2019 season. He dealt with knee and groin injuries in 2020. Miss the last game of the 2020 season with an undisclosed injury. Went down to the Reese’s Senior Bowl and didn’t practice on Thursday, and failed to play in the game because of an undisclosed injury.

Traits

Average size and lean frame--isn’t imposing. He has average overall athletic ability for a wide receiver. Not a burner and possesses solid acceleration and a good change of direction skills. He does have slightly above average lower body explosive traits that allow him to leap and explode in and out of breaks well. He does an excellent job using tempo up his stem to mask his intentions while showing good footwork up the stem.

He released a lot against off-man coverage and can chew grass well with his acceleration. Physical corners would attempt to outmuscle him in jam situations--Wallace isn’t the strongest in this area. 

Against Tulsa in 2019, had two consecutive plays where cornerback Allie Green IV outmuscled him off the redline. The latter play resulted in a contested-catch interception...however, the next offensive play was a nine route inside the numbers where Wallace stacked Green and used his impressive receiving skills to win for a thirty-yard gain.

Wallace’s best trait, despite not being a burner, is his ability to win vertically. He brings exceptional body control/adjust, balance through contact, and concentration while tracking as a vertical receiving threat.

He makes tough catches away from his frame with strong hands to play through contact. He flashes these strong hands and a lot of physical toughness on deep digs over the middle of the field, high points the ball well, and plays bigger than 5’11.

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He does a good job in 50-50 type of situations and has a natural knack for finding the football through tight coverage--strong at the catch point. He does well on quick stop routes (curls). He sinks his hips and breaks back to the quarterback well while securing the ball and getting upfield quickly. He does a solid job generating yards after the catch with his agility once the ball is in his hands.

Didn’t run every route in the Air Raid offense, but he flashes subtleties throughout his game that suggests he can run a lot of different routes (was smooth, used upper body fakes, footwork isn’t bad)--has polish to his game. He also is a try-hard blocker who plays with a chip on his shoulder. He positions himself well as a blocker and continuously moves his feet to mirror.

Overall, Wallace isn’t the biggest or fastest receiver in the draft, but he can create separation with his athleticism and route-running ability. He does an excellent job as a vertical threat and shows impressive down the field receiving skills. The injury concerns may drop Wallace down the board, but he could be a very nice value for a team on Day 3. 

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