Christian Kirk Scouting Report

Photo from Alex Parker, TexAg

Written by Christian Lysek

Texas A&M WR Christian Kirk Scouting Report:

Much like Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk exploded onto the College Football scene as a freshman, recording 1008 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Kirk’s production plateaued, culminating in a disappointing 2017 year where he only caught 4 touchdown passes. Despite this, Kirk is worth a late Day 2 pick. Here’s why:

Measurables: 5’10-3/4’’, 201 lbs, 30-3/8’’ arms, 9-7/8’’ hands

Year (Age): Three Year 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	Texas A&M	SEC	FR	WR	13	80	1009	12.6	7	11	54	4.9	0	91	1063	11.7	7
*2016	Texas A&M	SEC	SO	WR	13	83	928	11.2	9	8	35	4.4	0	91	963	10.6	9
*2017	Texas A&M	SEC	JR	WR	13	71	919	12.9	10	4	31	7.8	0	75	950	12.7	10
Career	Texas A&M					234	2856	12.2	26	23	120	5.2	0	257	2976	11.6	26

Drop Rate: 3.6%

Pro Day: 

40-yard Dash: 4.47 seconds

Vertical Jump: 35-1/2 inches

Broad Jump: 115 inches

3-cone Drill: 7.09 seconds

20-yard Shuttle: 4.45 seconds

60-yard Shuttle: 12.03 seconds

Bench Press: 20 reps

Tape Evaluation:

Strengths: Christian Kirk is an offensive chess piece to move around and win with. As a receiver, Kirk excels at running routes, making sharp cuts at the top of his route and creating separation with his acceleration. Kirk has a strong set of hands as he rarely drops the ball and is a good safety valve for a quarterback. On poorly thrown passes, Kirk displays excellent body control and concentration to haul in ugly ducklings. When the ball is in his hands, Kirk uses his speed to pull away from defenders, resulting in chunk plays and long touchdowns. Because of that speed and explosiveness, Kirk can make an impact on jet sweeps, screens, and special teams. Letting Kirk get the ball in space is a death sentence for defenses, making him an asset for a creative offensive coordinator.

Weaknesses: Christian Kirk size, along with his inability to win above the rim, is likely to contain him to the slot. While he will still be a valuable contributor there, it does negate some of his value. When the ball is in his hands, Kirk is fast, but not as agile as I expected. He doesn’t have much wiggle to make tackles miss and is too often swarmed by a defense because he can’t shake a defender. Kirk gives effort as a blocker, but his size limits his effectiveness.

Pro Comparison: Randall Cobb

Randall Cobb has been a valuable slot receiver and return man for the Packers the past several seasons. Cobb has a strong set of hands and explosive speed that can change the tide of a game. He is just a complimentary receiver, but his production is undeniable. Kirk will probably see himself in a similar role as Cobb come fall. 

 Teams that Fit: The Raiders need some juice in their offense, and old white dudes Eric Decker and Jordy Nelson are unlikely to provide it. Kirk would give the Raiders a much younger WR2 for Derek Carr. The Jets also need an offensive spark, and a wide receiver lineup of Kirk, Robby Anderson, and Quincy Enunwa would be underrated but effective. The Falcons lost their slot receiver in Taylor Gabriel, so drafting Kirk to replace Gabriel’s explosive playmaking is a no brainer.

Where he should go: 3^rd Round

Where he (probably) will go: 3^rd Round

Conclusion:

Kirk is the consolation prize for teams that miss out on DJ more. He will primarily work out of the slot, but his strong hands and playmaking would be a welcome addition to NFL teams.

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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