Draft Analysis: Xavier Restrepo
- Height: 5’10”
- Weight: 209 lb
- College: Miami
- Tape watched: Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Louisville, Florida
- NFL Comparison: Parker Washington
Pros
- Route Running
Restrepo has fantastic tempo in his approach to route running. He has great burst in and out of his cuts. Restrepo attacks zone coverage with a variety of patience and tenacity. He maximizes throwing lanes with the way he manipulates spacing.
Xavier Restrepo was utilized in a complete, NFL-style route tree. He has plenty of choice routes depending on the coverage he identifies. Restrepo has a great sense of balance in his routes. He has a small but very sturdy frame that handles rerouting from defenders well.
- Hands
Restrepo has reliable hands. He can catch the ball outside of his immediate catch radius. He has great awareness on the sidelines. His catch radius is limited, however, making it difficult to find him in tight windows.
- Release
A compact frame and low center of gravity helps Restrepo avoid defender contact at the line of scrimmage. When he dips his shoulder, he is almost impossible to get a clean press on. He has calculated and quick footwork. Restrepo has meaningful route stems that work against the defender’s leverage.
Midline
- YAC
Restrepo is adequate post-catch. He is a hard runner that can slip arm tackles. There are instances he has shown off breakaway speed, but he is commonly tackled after first contact. He has forced a respectable 25 tackles over the last two season, but his YAC% per catch is below average.
- Blocking
Xavier Restrepo is a grind-it-out type of player. He takes his job seriously and gives great effort on every play. His approach to the blocking game is no different. While undersized, he uses that leverage to get under and inside the pads of opposing DB’s. He has a strong drive phase and generally has good form to wall-off defenders.
Cons
- Measurables
Short and stocky, Restrepo lacks height and catch-radius. He has short arms that could limit the types of NFL throws in close coverage that he can convert. He did not participate in speed and agility drills at the combine, likely avoiding deficiencies.
- Versatility
With over a 90% slot rate in college, Restrepo will be confined to the slot in the NFL. This hurts his draft stock and limits his available teams and roles.
Restrepo appears to be the type of player to accept a role on special teams, meaning he could contribute to teams immediately.
Overview
Xavier Restrepo is a defined route runner with great hands. Bill Belichick and Sean McVay covet these types of slot receivers. Xavier Restrepo has major Julian Edelman vibes.
His reliability in the middle of the field should see to Restrepo’s role increasing over time. The small but fierce receiver out of Miami will look to bring back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to a team in April.