Draft Analysis: Nick Nash

Height: 6’2″
Weight: 203 lbs.
College: San Jose State
Tape watched: Oregon State, Nevada, Air Force
NFL Comparison: Tyler Boyd

Pros

Intangibles

Nash does the little things at the position very well. There are nuances of receiver that can’t be taught, and Nash understands them. Things like the flow of defenses, leverage, and tempo are examples.

Great feel for space and patience by Nash.

Contested Catches

A 50% catch rate on 38 contested targets is impressive from Nash. He was trusted in all situations to come down with the football. Nash shows great poise at the catch point and is skilled at high pointing the football. It is worth noting that his contested targets are somewhat inflated due to his separation issues.

Route Running

Nick Nash ran just about every route in the tree at San Jose State. Slot fades, whip routes, choice routes, you name it, and Nash has tape of it. Nash showed route running IQ by breaking back to the quarterback at the catch point. He uses his body to shield defenders from throws on slants and posts. For a 6’2″ receiver, Nash was able to effectively sink his hips and change direction with minimal steps.

One thing he can work on is keeping his eyes downfield on deeper routes. He had instances of running into moving safeties and taking himself out of plays.

Midline

Blocking

Nash brings quite a bit of power behind his hands in the blocking game. He has the ability to use leverage and keep a wide base. His play-to-play effort on blocks can improve, but overall, Nick Nash should be impactful in the NFL, especially in a slot receiver role.

Hands

The occasional focus drop showed up in Nash’s tape, but for the most part, he displayed trustworthy hands. Catching the ball outside of his frame isn’t his calling card, but he high points the ball well and can rip the ball down from defenders. With 9th percentile hand size in the NFL, there will always be questions.

Release

Proactive hands and a good burst off the line help Nash create and maintain momentum. He can become too upright at times and lose leverage to physical corners.

Great release, but an example of how Nash can miss deeper defenders and run into them without a plan.

Cons

Measurables

The positives in Nick Nash’s measurables start and end with his height, weight, and broad jump. Looking past that, he is average or much worse in every other area such as his 40-yard dash (4.57s), his vertical (34 inches), and his short shuttle (4.37s). While combine drills are far from career success indicators, they do tell an important story of the challenges Nash will face against NFL competition. Can he separate at the next level?

Breakout Age

At 23 years old, Nash will be one of the older players not just in his receiver class, but the entire draft class. His improvement each year at receiver is promising, however.

Versatility

93.3% of Nick Nash’s 2024 Triple Crown production came from the slot. With his size and measurables, a limited NFL role in the slot is going to be an uphill battle for playing time. A major question mark heading into the draft will be if an NFL team can bring Nash in at every receiver position.

Overview

New to the position as a converted quarterback, Nick Nash finally rose to the scene in his 6th season at San Jose State. The 2024 Triple Crown Winner dominated the Mountain West Conference. Nash’s final season totals are as follows: 104 catches, 1,382 yards, and 16 touchdowns. Nash succeeded in every way imaginable at the position. Contested receptions, route running, runs after the catch, and even run blocking. While Nash’s measurables raise major questions about his ability to hang with NFL talent, his hard work and play-style lend itself to sticking on a roster for a long career.