espn.com
Hey all, I'm back with part three (WR27-3) of my 2024 receiver evaluations and rankings on our way to my top 50 receivers. If you want to check out my previous rankings you can find them with the links below:
Mason Tipton, Yale (WR27)
Height: 5’10”; Weight: 179 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 23 years and 7 months
Class: RS Senior
Overall Grade: 2.62/4 (May Have a Future Role)
Comp: Kalif Raymond
- Hands: B+
- Route Running: D+
- Release: D-
- Yards After Catch Potential: B
- Jump Ball/Contested Catch: B
- Body Control/Ball Tracking: A
- Future role: C+
- RAS: B
Strengths
There are a lot of receivers in this draft class that can make ridiculous catches while contorting their bodies and tracking lofted balls, but I didn’t expect a 179 receiver from Yale to be potentially the best out of all of them. Mason Tipton can catch the ball at the very edge of his range while also showing great foot focus around the sidelines. Tipton can finish catches over his shoulders and can follow the ball like a centerfielder at times. Also, Tipton can go low for balls, giving him a bigger catch radius than you’d expect for a player with his frame.
Tipton also plays with great, late hands and consistently uses good hand technique. Tipton has tough hands and can rise up with good timing to attack balls. Honestly, Tipton can make you forget he is a smaller height with the way he can high point a ball.
Mason Tipton didn’t have a lot of opportunities for YAC situations due to a number of his receptions being downfield and requiring him to adjust to off-target throws. However, Tipton has the athleticism to pick up yards with elite acceleration and good vision. Tipton has work to do as a route runner but he has good tempo to his routes and does a good job selling his vertical routes.
Areas of Improvement
Mason Tipton is still a pretty big project as a receiver and needs a lot of work in his route running. Tipton’s route tree is limited and even more limited since he seemed to play almost exclusively from the left side from my watch. It doesn’t sound like a hard transition to adjust to the other side of the field, but as a Green Bay Packers fan, I remember the Packers taking J’Mon Moore with the same issues, and he was never able to develop his route running on both sides. So, it’s a pretty big issue that Tipton will need to show he can overcome.
For the routes Tipton ran on the left side, his cuts were rounded due to not breaking down enough, and could also work to make his cuts at tighter angles to avoid drifting towards safeties and linebackers. Sharper angles could also help Tipton get more separation as he can struggle to get it consistently which impacted his YAC opportunities and he also struggled to get consistent leverage. Tiptons’ routes also lack nuance and he could use head fakes and jab steps to help create separation. Finally, with Tipton’s smaller frame, he really struggles when corners get physical with him and has a hard time disengaging from contact during his route.
Tipton also struggles to get out from press cleanly even against lower competition and usually relies on taking very wide angles to avoid the defender. Tipton can sometimes win with good tempo in his release, but he can get thrown off balance very easily if defenders get their hands on him. Tipton can also be thrown off balance when he gets in a shoving match for 50/50 balls and is limited in his ability to regain good position due to his small frame. Tipton’s small frame also limits him in YAC situations and he didn’t seem like an overly creative player in space that can make defenders miss.
Conclusion
I really want to have Tipton higher since he is a blast if you want to just watch some highlights. However, the realist in me has a hard time looking past the small frame and the limited route tree, press difficulties, and position alignment limitations. Either one of those three can severely hinder a player’s career, and all three together are especially scary.
Due to both having smaller frames but playing much bigger than their size, I have Kalif Raymond as Mason Tipton’s comp. Raymond and Tipton both have great concentration in contested catch situations and can adjust to balls anywhere in their vicinity. Raymond also came from a small school like Tipton and had to prove his game could translate to the NFL. Raymond has been a solid contributor in the NFL and I think Tipton could as well if he develops into a more complete player.
Ainias Smith, Texas A&M (WR28)
Height: 5’9”; Weight: 190 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 22 years and 11 months
Class: Fifth-Year Senior
Overall Grade: 2.62/4 (May Have a Future Role)
Comp: Alex Erickson
- Hands: B+
- Route Running: B-
- Release: C
- Yards After Catch Potential: A-
- Jump Ball/Contested Catch: C+
- Body Control/Ball Tracking: C+
- Future role: C+
- RAS: C+
Strengths
Ainas Smith is one of the most fun players to watch with the ball in his hands. Smith took a bit to get his legs under him after a leg fracture last year but looked like his electric self at the end of the season. Smith is a receiver but has experience taking handoffs and returns providing an interesting chess piece for a creative team.
With the ball, Smith has a quick transition from receiver to runner and incredibly quick feet to make guys miss in space. Smith has great awareness of defenders’ positioning when he catches the ball to move away from them and how to avoid them and break pursuit angles to maximize his opportunities. Smith also has fluid hips to move freely in the open field and great timing with his juke and other moves in space. Smith also has a great center of gravity to withstand more hits than he should be capable of with his frame.
Smith also brings some nice nuance to his route running with good use of head fakes and jab steps. Smith also consistently uses different tempos and quick change in direction at times to his routes to make coverage uneasy for defenders. Smith is also really strong at selling vertical routes before cutting back to the QB and can also consistently get leverage against his defender. Smith also showed really great awareness of knowing when and where to stop/slow down against zone to make this his bread and butter as a slot guy.
When catching the ball, Smith has reliable hands with a low drop rate this year of just 1.9% on 78 targets per PFF. Smith also isn’t afraid to do the dirty work of a slot guy by making tough catches through some hard hits. Smith also showed some good awareness around the sidelines which isn’t always there for slot guys. Finally, you wouldn’t expect it from someone with Smith’s frame, but he was a very willing and surprisingly effective blocker.
Areas of Improvement
I kept referencing Smith as a slot guy and that’s because that’s where it seems he will be limited to in the NFL. Smith played nearly all of his snaps from the slot and struggled against press the rare times he faced it needing to rely on running sideways around guys rather than truly beating it. Smith has quick feet to give him a chance but he lacks upper body technique with arm counters at this time.
Also, though Smith’s hands were reliable and he got a good grade, his hand technique seemed inconsistent at times and there were too many times that he settled for body catches. These body catches and Smith not extending his arms enough also led to some missed opportunities in tight situations. Also, with Smith’s size, he obviously won’t be making catches over players.
Smith doesn’t seem confident attacking the ball away from his frame and seems to have a hard time finding balls that are slightly off-target. Smith’s catch radius seems limited between his short arms and ball tracking issues. Smith got a fair amount of his production on shorter patterns so it was a bit hard at times to assess his downfield tracking skills, but he seemed to struggle with this for a fair amount of the year.
Speaking of short patterns, Smith got a lot of his production on shorter patterns with 66% of his receptions this year coming from less than 10 yards from the line of scrimmage per PFF. This was in part due to Smith being a reliable target against soft zone coverage and knowing where to settle. It’s good that Smith could win in this way, but he will need to show he can win in other ways in the NFL.
This lack of versatility as a route runner also showed with what seemed to be a limited route tree with Ainas Smith primarily running outs, slants, drags, and hitches on my watch. Also, while Smith runs with good tempo, his routes at times seem a bit too slow developing to be true targets for the QB. Also, Smith’s routes and cuts can lack precision with a tendency to route his cuts and he could really benefit from breaking down more to make them sharper and more explosive to create some more suddenness and more separation. Smith can also be moved off his route too easily by physical coverage and wasn’t overly effective in deeper routes, with some struggles to get consistent separation.
Conclusion
Smith seems like he can become a fun YAC guy who can win with a good IQ against zone coverage, but I have trouble seeing too much potential after that. I think Smith’s movement in space and ability to help in returns and even take some carries will excite a team, but he needs to improve his game as a receiver to be more than a high-IQ gadget player. Due to both providing some nice versatility as returners and good IQs, I have Alex Erickson as Smith’s comp.
Both Alex Erickson and Smith know how to beat zone coverage but weren’t able to be great threats downfield. Also, both Erickson and Smith showed good awareness in open space and fluid movement as well. Both Erickson and Smith also had a limited catch radius but pretty reliable hands as well. I think if a team doesn’t go in with too high of expectations for Smith, he could become a very reliable role player for a team.
Xavier Weaver, Colorado (WR29)
Height: 6’0”; Weight: 169 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 23 years and 8 months
Class: Fifth-Year Senior
Overall Grade: 2.58/4 (Needs Improvement to Contribute)
Comp: Quez Watkins
- Hands: B
- Route Running: B
- Release: C-
- Yards After Catch Potential: B-
- Jump Ball/Contested Catch: C-
- Body Control/Ball Tracking: B+
- Future role: C+
- RAS: B-
Strengths
Xavier Weaver went under the radar due to a lot of other players and coaches at Colorado taking the spotlight. However, Weaver is absolutely a capable player with some really solid route running. Weaver has great change in direction ability in his cuts and does a great job breaking down in his cuts that he can sometimes stop on a dime.
Weaver also brings good deception to his routes with good uses of head fakes and jab steps. Weaver also does a good job selling shallow and deep routes and then bursting past his defender. Weaver can run routes with good tempo and also has a good eye for finding openings in the defense.
When Weaver is targeted, he has good body adjustment skills to catch balls away from his frame. Weaver also shows good foot awareness around the sidelines to keep his feet in bounds. When Weaver is targeted deep, he showed solid ball tracking skills and the ability to finish catches over his shoulders.
Weaver also brings some nice ability with the ball in his hands with a very quick transition from receiver to runner and has nice quick movements immediately after making the catch to avoid tacklers. Weaver can use his change of direction skills to weave, if you will, around defenders. Weaver also showed good vision in the open field to break pursuit angles and move around openings.
As a pass catcher, Weaver is dependable and can be trusted on short patterns and deep down the field. Weaver brings good hand technique while not being afraid to absorb hits in the process. Weaver has special teams experience that could keep him active on game day.
Areas of Improvement
My biggest concern with Weaver is his release skills. There were times when Weaver tried to use his shifty feet to shake off defenders but didn’t have a plan to win and struggled to clear them. Also, physical defenders gave Weaver a lot of trouble and moved him way off his route at times.
Weaver also needs to improve in contested catch situations. Defenders were easily able to break these passes up at times due to Weaver consistently losing the physicality battle. Weaver needs to do a better job attacking balls but his thinner frame makes it very difficult to make catches through defenders.
Weaver also seemed to struggle with getting consistent leverage against defenders and especially struggled stacking his defenders. Also, Weaver seemed to rely on body catches too often and at times struggled to finish tougher catches away from his frame. It also felt like a fair amount of Weaver’s production came on crossers, and he will need to show a bit more versatility in the NFL.
Finally, though Weaver is solid with the ball in his hands, he has what I consider adequate speed and he doesn’t seem like he picks up enough speed to break off big gains. Weaver can also do a better job following his blocks as he sometimes tries to improvise on his own too often. Weaver also doesn’t have great contact balance due to his thinner frame
Conclusion
I think Weaver could be a serious sleeper candidate and earn a role with a team. I don’t think Weaver will ever be a top or even 2nd best receiver on a team, but he can certainly be a helpful part of an offense. Due to both being helpful pieces with solid bases but limited upside, I have Quez Watkins as Weaver’s comp.
Quez Watkins is more of a slot guy now, but I think Xavier Weaver would benefit from moving primarily to the slot like Watkins did. Watkins and Weaver struggle with press, and this would allow them to win more consistently with their quickness and use this quickness in more YAC opportunities. Watkins and Weaver both rely a bit too much on body catching, but both were pretty reliable and capable of being a 3rd to 4th receiving option on a team.
Anthony Gould, Oregon State (WR30)
Height: 5’8”; Weight: 174 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 23 years and 0 months
Class: RS Senior
Overall Grade: 2.58/4 (May Have a Future Role)
Comp: Tutu Atwell
- Hands: C+
- Route Running: B
- Release: B-
- Yards After Catch Potential: C+
- Jump Ball/Contested Catch: C+
- Body Control/Ball Tracking: C+
- Future role: C+
- RAS: B+
Strengths
Anthony Gould, out of Oregon State, had a slow start to his career, helping primarily on special teams before being a more contributing part of the offense these past few years. Gould earned his playing time with his route running and showing the capability of handling a diverse route tree. In Gould’s cuts, he does a good job breaking down to make them more concise and explosive and also does a good job selling his vertical routes when breaking short. Gould is also consistent at getting leverage against defenders and good awareness against zone and also breaks back to the QB to make himself an easier target.
Gould also has surprisingly solid release skills for a player his size, with quick feet to send the defender back and create early separation. Gould’s quickness and timing keep him clean which was vital with him playing so many outside snaps. Though Gould’s stature likely will push him inside, this versatility is nice to see.
When the ball is in the air, Gould showed some nice ability to adjust to misplaced balls and seemed to have a decent eye tracking the ball downfield. Gould also showed some nice awareness to keep his feet in around the sidelines, adding to the potential of playing some snaps outside. Finally, Gould is a willing and surprisingly decently effective blocker for his size.
Areas of Improvement
Where I would really like to see Gould take a step forward is with his hands. Gould’s too reliant on body catches, and this also shows in his contested catch opportunities. Gould doesn’t extend his arms out enough which gives him pretty little chance to consistently win with his limited size and stature. Gould’s willing to go up for balls but isn’t able to consistently finish these catches or go up and through defenders due to his size and frame as well.
Gould also seems to have a limited catch radius and will often let defenders dictate the physical battle. Also, though Gould can adjust to misplaced balls, he sometimes struggles to finish these catches. Also, it feels Gould’s ball tracking ability can sometimes be iffy and lead to balls sneaking up on him leading to some of his body catches.
When Gould does have the ball in his hands, he has decent speed but isn’t very dynamic to pick up extra yards. Also, though Gould’s release is solid, when defenders do get him square he can have a hard time disengaging from them. Part of the issue is that Gould’s lower body does the heavy lifting. Even though Gould has smaller arms he could still benefit from using arm counters more in his release.
Also, Gould’s route running is very good, but he seems to run his routes at one speed too often and could benefit from using more tempo in his routes. Gould can get separation on his cuts, but defenders close the gaps too quickly for someone with his speed. Part of the issue is Gould not having enough conviction in his jab steps and head fakes to fool defenders and in general he seems to rush some of his routes and occasionally have more rounded cuts. Finally, Gould can struggle to get more physical press corners off of him in coverage.
Conclusion
Gould will likely earn a role with a team thanks to his special teams skills, but he needs to find a way to continue to grow as a route runner and receiver to be more than that. I feel Gould’s route running and release can get there with some NFL coaching, but his hands will need work and hard work to get there to overcome his frame. Due to both having size limitations and solid release skills to earn outside snaps, I have Tutu Atwell as Gould’s comp.
Like Gould, Tutu Atwell had an extreme outlier of a frame, which honestly is such an outlier that Gould still has nearly 20 pounds on him. Both Gould and Atwell struggle with contested catch opportunities due to their smaller frame but have good speed and solid route running to give them a chance. I don’t expect Gould to go in the 2nd round like Atwell was and I don’t think Gould will even be a day 2 guy. However, I think a team could get a competent contributor on special teams and potentially on day 3 if they add Gould.
