Draft Analysis: Trey Palmer

March 6, 2023 /
  • Height: 6’0″
  • Weight: 192 lb
  • College: Nebraska
  • Tape watched: Indiana, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Georgia Southern
  • College Comparison: Mecole Hardman

Pros

  • Speed
    If you weren’t aware of Trey Palmer before the combine, you know his name now. After running the top time (4.33s) for receivers in the 40-yard dash, Palmer elevated his draft stock. His speed is evident on film, as he split safeties and ran by defenders. He has one of the most effortless strides you will see from a football player. There is big play potential every time Palmer steps on the field.
  • Route Running
    Specifically, Trey Palmer is one of the best at snapping out of his route breaks and separating from defenders. He has instant acceleration to his top end speed and commands safety help over the top. He is great at hiding his intentions with subtle head and hip jabs.

Midline

  • Release
    Usually, playing inside of your frame and being compact is a great trait to have. In Palmer’s case, he can be too reserved off the line of scrimmage. Palmer can lose in his release by not committing to a jab or finishing his stem with active hands. Palmer has the ability; he just needs to be more consistent winning off the line of scrimmage.

Cons

  • Aggressiveness
    Palmer could do wonders for his game if he was more aggressive in every aspect of playing wide receiver. From climbing his route stem, to making contested catches, if Trey Palmer unlocks more fight in his game, he will be a complete player.

    Trey Palmer was squeezed to the sideline too often on deep routes. He relied on his pure speed more than working the defender to advantageous positions. His hand strength on contested balls was also lacking at times.
  • Versatility
    To no fault of his own, Palmer ran far from a complete route tree at Nebraska. The nuances he did show looked promising, such as gearing down for zone windows and chasing back shoulders of defenders. I raise personal red flags for receivers that do not play on “money downs” or are subbed off the field sporadically as Palmer was.

Overview

This year’s lightning in a bottle, Trey Palmer did himself a big favor running the fastest 40-yard dash time among receivers at the combine. When you pair his speed with the smoothness of which he runs routes, you start to get excited. Palmer needs to transition to the physicality of the NFL, however. That includes making contested catches and winning at the line of scrimmage, and on the perimeter.