PLAYBOOK
NFL 3 PATTERSON It’s true that I didn’t have to read coverages in juco; I just ran my routes. But I’m glad I went there. I had some academic problems in high school, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without Hutchinson.
SCOUTTAKES
WIDE OPEN
4 SAM MONSON PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS His ceiling is huge. Even if he isn’t a polished receiver right away, worst-case scenario is that he can contribute some on day one, with added value as a kick-return threat.
Never heard of WR Cordarrelle Patterson? Understandable. The ex-juco spent just one so-so year at Tennessee (46 catches, 778 yards, 5 TDs) before soaring up draft boards this spring because of his ridiculous physical gifts—gifts that may not translate to the NFL. We asked an anonymous scout for an unfiltered look at the 6'2", 216-pound Patterson, then gathered feedback from other experts, including the former Vol himself. The consensus? There is no consensus.
5 KYLE RICHARDSON NORTHWESTERN (S.C.) HIGH SCHOOL COACH He will be fine in the NFL, and it’ll be at receiver. I coached [Rams TE] Jared Cook, who was the same kind of physical freak with some question marks. It’ll work out with CP too. 1 TODD MCSHAY ESPN DRAFT ANALYST That’s a good way to put it. He has never had to learn how to be a great receiver because he’s been so much better athletically than everyone else.
THE SCOUT Patterson is a wild card. He’s talented, but he was at UT for only two semesters after leaving Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, so he’s really raw as a person and as a player.1 I just don’t know if he can pick up the schemes that you have to as a pro receiver. He was at a juco2 for a reason.3 He played some running back at UT, and he might be a running back at our level when it’s all said and done.4 He has a lot of natural skills,5 but he has so much to learn about the nuances of the pro game.6 He’s got bust written all over him if he’s drafted high.7
2 KC JOYNER ESPN INSIDER His juco footage on YouTube is sick, like watching Randy Moss at Marshall. He had a couple of plays where he cut across the field and into traffic, but his incredible speed allowed him to destroy the pursuit angles and bust loose.
6 PATTERSON I know I have a lot to learn. I can get lazy in and out of breaks. Like on a curl, when I get to 12 yards, my arms sometimes stop moving and I have a hard time coming back to 10 yards. I’ve been working hard on keeping my hands active. 7 MCSHAY He’s so raw. But every time I start to give up on him, there’s a play that draws me back in. It’s one or two things on every tape—and he may disappear the rest of the game—but those things just blow your mind.
HERE’S HOW PATTERSON STACKS UP AGAINST FELLOW FIRST-ROUND WR PROSPECTS TAVON AUSTIN (WVU), KEENAN ALLEN (CAL) AND JUSTIN HUNTER (TENNESSEE). CORDARRELLE PATTERSON
2012 RETURN YARDAGE
2012 YARDS FROM SCRIMMAGE
5
212
772
978
TENNESSEE WR HEIGHT 6'2" WEIGHT 216 BEST 40 TIME 4.42 PROJECTED DRAFT STATUS LIKELY TOP-25 PICK
32
0
1,086
1,932
776
100
200
300
400
500
600
2012 YARDS PER CATCH
CORDARRELLE PATTERSON
ESPN The Magazine 04/15/2013
TAVON AUSTIN
KEENAN ALLEN
700
800
900
1,083
JUSTIN HUNTER
0
11.3
5
10
12.1
14.8
16.9
15
illustration by BRYAN CHRISTIE DESIGN DANIEL SHIREY/USA TODAY SPORTS