Iowa
Ht. 6-3 Wt. 213
Strengths: McNutt is a tall, long armed receiver that excels when the ball is in the air. He has impressive short area quickness for his size and a high football IQ. The former QB reads the defense well and knows when to sit in zone coverage. He has deceptive speed but won’t time well in the 40. More a long strider that will be defenders vertically if they sleep on him. He’s a savvy route runner and shows solid patience in the development of routes. He has strong hands and is tough to jam at the line of scrimmage with his above-average strength at the position. Also excels as a downfield blocker.
Weaknesses: McNutt is a slow twitch athlete that is high cut and tight in the hips. He rounds off a lot of routes and doesn’t have great burst out of his breaks. He is not going to be a guy that separates on sharp breaking routes. Too often he allows the ball inside on him which results in drops. He struggled mightily with DB’s that could match his physicality.
Bottom Line: McNutt is an intriguing prospect that could present a value in the middle rounds of the 2012 NFL Draft. He’s a big receiver that can win off the line with his overwhelming power and physicality. He’s a guy that is capable of starting in the NFL with a year or two of seasoning but never going to be a star at the position.
Draft Projection: 3-4
