Trey Palmer NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Nebraska WR
HEIGHT: 6'0"
WEIGHT: 192
HAND: 9 5/8"
ARM: 31 7/8"
WINGSPAN:
40-YARD DASH: 4.33
3-CONE: N/A
SHUTTLE: N/A
VERTICAL: N/A
BROAD: N/A
POSITIVES
— Elite speed. Will be a field-tilter in the NFL.
— Very good acceleration and burst. Flies off the line of scrimmage; explodes out of breaks well.
— Above-average route-runner (on a limited route tree). Snappy, quick, explosive.
— Very good YAC potential. Can generate explosive plays with speed and quickness.
— Showed good kick and punt return ability while at LSU in 2020 and 2021.
NEGATIVES
— Below-average play strength, both as a route-runner and at the catch point.
— Poor ability to play the ball in the air. Struggles to time his jumps and/or fight through contact.
— Route tree may be limited to avoid intermediate routes over the middle due to strength and ball-skill deficiencies.
2022 STATISTICS
— 12 G, 71 REC, 1,043 YDS (14.7 AVG), 9 TD
NOTES
— DOB: April 2, 2001
— 4-star recruit who went to LSU in 2019; transferred to Nebraska in 2022
— 11 career starts, all in 2022
— 2022 third-team All-Big Ten (coaches)
OVERALL
Trey Palmer is a burner who excels when given space to operate, both before and after the catch.
Field-stretching is Palmer's calling card. As his 4.33 40-yard dash suggests, Palmer screams off the line of scrimmage with ease and quickly gets to his top speed. Palmer's final gear is enough to outrace most cornerbacks and makes him a threat to take the top off defenses at any time. Though not the most refined or full route-runner yet, Palmer does display great explosiveness and the ability to separate on vertical routes, like posts and deep corners.
Palmer is effective with the ball in his hands, too. While he doesn't have the size or strength to bounce off many tacklers, he sure can make them miss. Palmer has devastating stop-start athletic ability as well as the short-area burst to outrace second-level defenders to the sideline as he tries to pop explosive plays. All of that also extends to kick and punt return duties, which Palmer handled well at LSU before moving on to Nebraska.
Palmer's shortcomings are related to strength and ball skills. At 192 pounds, Palmer is a little on the skinny side and, in turn, can struggle to fight for the ball in traffic. Likewise, Palmer has a poor understanding of how to play the ball in the air. He often mistimes his approach to the ball and does not have the strength to finish those situations. In turn, Palmer may struggle with routes that place him over the intermediate middle area of the field, where traffic is aplenty and tough catches are necessary.
Palmer has the tools to develop into a quality field-stretching receiver. Palmer's speed, quickness and flashes of dangerous YAC ability give him a clear role as a vertical receiver and cheap YAC generator via screens and underneath crossers. That said, Palmer's lack of strength and ball skills severely limit his potential and make him more of a role player than a game-changer.
GRADE: 6.7 (Potential Role Player/Round 4)
OVERALL RANK: 116
POSITION RANK: WR17
PRO COMPARISON: Nelson Agholor
Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen
