Draft Analysis: Treylon Burks

Height: 6’3″
Weight: 225 lbs
College: Arkansas
Tape watched: Texas A&M, Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn
NFL Comparison: AJ Brown

Pros

Hands
Treylon Burks is a vacuum on the football field. A superb hand-catcher, Burks is able to make plays outside of his frame. Double catches are not an issue. He rarely lets balls into his chest or forearms. As a bigger bodied receiver, he wins a lot of contested catches.

This is where Burks shines. Contested, highpoint opportunities.

Catch Radius
An extension of his exceptional hands (no pun intended), Burks optimizes his 6’3″ frame and long wingspan. He is able to make plays on a variety of passes that the average receiver cannot. He should figure in as a serious redzone threat and make an impact to the vertical passing game of any NFL franchise.

RAC
I believe Burks’ ability to run after the catch will be a huge part of his game at the next level. He moves through traffic similarly to Ceedee Lamb with the ball while carrying about 20-25 more pounds on his frame. He moves well laterally for his size and cuts through defensive holes like Lamb. He possesses great ball carrier vision and has a great stiff arm with his lanky arms.

Midline

Route Running
For Burks, his route running falls in the midline, with the arrow mostly pointing upwards in a positive fashion. Most times Burks shows great patience and football IQ against zone coverages. He knows where to set up and how the defense flows towards the offensive plays. There are other times where you would like to see him maximize his athleticism, but he ends up too patient or slow to spots. He relies on his body hesitation often. He shows a great change in direction and pace when making route cuts. Back shoulder throws will be a major positive for Burks with the right quarterback in the NFL.

A clean release off the line keeps the DB’s hands off of Burks and the subtle arm throw at the top while he snaps down creates separation.

Release
When he is on, he is untouchable. Burks hesitation and change of pace is a huge strength of his. He can accelerate exceptionally well in a small space, which is a great skill for releasing in press coverage. There are times when Burks fails to move the corner with simple jab steps, but his range and ball skills bails him out in tight coverage. Nuancing his bag of tricks at the line of scrimmage will be a must at the NFL level.

Cons

Blocking
By far the biggest weakness on tape, Burks has the ability to drastically improve his blocking game. Burks’ technique and desire are less than ideal at times. Often times he takes the play off or is caught watching the play.

Poor effort and technique here from Burks. The running back has a lane to the outside if Burks just gets in the way here.

I will always give credit and show pancakes. This is promising stuff from Treylon Burks. Not only does he square to the defender, he gets his hands inside, and gets a huge drive on this block. Textbook.

Effort
When plays broke down in college, Burks was caught up watching from the backside. Scramble drills could help Burks get the ball in space on plays that breakdown in the NFL. With his traits, this could become a major strength of his to get the ball in nonconventional ways.

Overview

Treylon Burks was a star receiver in one of the most run heavy offenses in the SEC. With the 3rd lowest passing yards at Arkansas in 2021, Burks nearly put up HALF of the receiving yards. He caught 11 touchdowns and almost averaged ten yards per carry on the ground for over 100 yards. Burks possesses great in-air traits with his soft hands and aggressive high-point ability. He may be underrated in his ability to make plays happen in the open field as well. Refined release packages, consistent route work, and details in the blocking game could elevate Treylon Burks into a top 32 receiver in the NFL.