2021 NFL Draft: Profiling Oklahoma State WR Tylan Wallace
The 2021 NFL draft class is stacked with stellar wide receivers with Ja'Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith at the forefront of the pack. However, one wide receiver who isn't getting nearly enough hype in the lead-up to this year's NFL draft on April 29th is Oklahoma State's, Tylan Wallace.
Wallace spent four years playing receiver for the Oklahoma Cowboys in the NCAA, tallying 3,434 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns. During that time, he earned a reputation for having an extremely reliable set of hands. He is the highest-graded pass catcher in his alignment (right WR) in all of college football, according to Pro Football Focus.
2021 NFL Draft: Profiling Oklahoma State WR Tylan Wallace
Tylan Wallace attended Fort Worth South Hills High School, where he and his identical twin brother, Tracin, were stand-out athletes. Tylan Wallace finished his high school career with182 catches for 3,760 yards and 48 TDs. His performance for Fort Worth saw him take the field in the 2017 Under Armour All-American Game.
The twin brothers joined Oklahoma State together. Unfortunately, Tracin suffered two ACL tears in back-to-back seasons in 2015 and 2016 whilst still in high school. He struggled for fitness and form in college and was forced to retire from the game altogether in 2018. That left brother Tylan to carry the mantle for the family.
As mentioned, Tylan Wallace mostly operated as a Z receiver on the right side of the field whilst playing for the Cowboys. Wallace's ability as a pass-catcher is unquestionable, and he has made a highlight-reel of impressive catches in the Cowboys' orange. He has an uncanny ability to attack 50/50 balls in the air, out-jumping covering defenders to haul in catches, and trucking over cornerbacks for extra yards.
Wallace is also a superb route runner, particularly on slants. His catch-per-game stats might not back that up, but that is only due to the scheme the Cowboys run in Oklahoma. Make no mistake, Wallace makes good runs in short areas and tight coverage. When targeted as a late bet on run-pass option-routes, his excellent hands saw him rein in the vast majority of his targets, often for plenty of YAC, too.
In fact, only two receivers entering the 2021 NFL draft have 200+ career receptions and over 15 yards per reception during their time in college football. One of them is the Alabama Crimson Tide's Devonta Smith, who most analysts believe will be the first wideout selected in the 2021 NFL draft. The other is the Cowboys' Tylan Wallace, who is not projected to be picked until late in the second-round or third-round.
Why is Tylan Wallace not rated higher among NFL draft prospects?
The only real negative that has been thrown at Wallace is that he potentially lacks the electric pace of an elite NFL WR, which is probably why his stock in the 2021 NFL draft is floundering slightly.
Recent reports, however, tell a different story: Tylan Wallace ran a 4.39 at the Exos' combine, proving that he has plenty of space to back up his raw power.
NFL teams holding out until the second-round or third-round of the NFL draft before drafting a receiver could do a lot worse than Tylan Wallace. That's unless Wallace's stock begins to rise en route to the NFL draft later next month.