Auden Tate Scouting Report

Photo from Joe Rondone, Democrat

Written by Christian Lysek

Florida State WR Auden Tate Scouting Report:

Auden Tate is yet another enigma in this draft class. On film, he looks to have great upside, especially as a red zone threat. At the combine, however, he was one of the worst athletes in attendance. While his athleticism is a question mark, he is still worth a pick in the 100-150 range of selections. Here’s why:

Measurables: 6’4-7/8’’, 228 lbs, 33-3/4’’ arms, 9-3/8’’ hands

Year (Age): True Junior (21)

Career stats by year: 

						Receiving				Rushing				Scrimmage
Year	School	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Plays	Yds	Avg	TD
*2015	Florida State	ACC	FR	WR										0	0		0
*2016	Florida State	ACC	SO	WR	10	25	409	16.4	6	0	0		0	25	409	16.4	6
*2017	Florida State	ACC	JR	WR	12	40	548	13.7	10	0	0		0	40	548	13.7	10
Career	Florida State					65	957	14.7	16	0	0		0	65	957	14.7	16

Drop Rate: 3%

Combine: 

40-yard Dash: 4.68 seconds

Vertical Jump: 31 inches

Broad Jump: 112 inches

Tape Evaluation:

Strengths: Auden Tate certainly looks the part. He might be the tallest wide receiver in the class, he has basketball-like arms, and his frame is packed with good muscle. Tate has great hands, almost never dropping passes, no matter what contact he is playing through. Tate is one of the best receivers in the class at catch 50-50 balls, especially ones he must jump for. He has the strength to box out defenders and the timing to leap at the right moment for the ball. He is one of those players that is “always open” because his contested catch skills are that good. That strength also aids him in his route running, as he can bully defenders out of the way and make plays. He also isn’t a half bad blocker, though he isn’t as dominant as his size suggests he should be. 

Weaknesses: Tate is a limited athlete at in shows on field. As his 4.68 second 40 time would indicate, Tate is not fast. He struggles to create any separation downfield, relying solely on size. This applies to his route running as well, as he is not fast enough in and out of his breaks to burn corners. As a result, almost every catch Tate has is either schemed open or contested. Tate also struggles with picking up yards after the catch because he lacks the agility to juke defenders. Because of the lack of athletic traits, Tate’s is a one-dimensional player at this point, even those that one-dimension is special.

Pro Comparison: Plaxico Burress

Plaxico Burress enjoyed a stellar career for the Steelers and Giants, amassing 553 catches, 8,499 receiving yards, 64 touchdowns, and a Super Bowl ring over 13 seasons. He never won with speed or by picking up yards after the catch, but rather by using his big frame to box out defenders and make contested catches. He is definitely an outlier considering how poor his athletic testing went, but ultimately, he overcame it to have a productive career. I doubt Auden Tate will reach quite the same level of production as Burress, but their playing styles are eerily similar, so it would not shock me.

 Teams that Fit: The Giants haven’t been able to find a consistent red zone threat at wide receiver, so drafting Tate, who compliments OBJ’s explosiveness, would make sense. With Rob Gronkowski’s future being an enigma, the Patriots would be wise to find another red zone threat in case leaves or gets hurt. Auden Tate fits the bill, especially now that they have a hole at receiver after trading Brandin Cooks. The Ravens need more wide receivers to boost an anemic offense, and picking up Tate would give the Joe Flacco a contested catch threat, something he has had in a very long time.

Where he should go: Late 3^rd, Early 4^th Round

Where he (probably) will go: Late 3^rd, Early 4^th Round 

Conclusion:

Auden Tate lacks the athleticism to be a WR1, but his size, strength and hands will make him a valuable red zone and contested catch threat. He is sort of a one trick pony, but his trick is a damn good one to have.

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Combine Results courtesy of MockDraftable.com, Drop Percentage courtesy of Pro Football Focus, Career Statistics courtesy of sports-reference.com/cfb, Date of Birth courtesy of Scout Hub