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Receivers of the 2013 NFL Draft: Robert Woods

Robert Woods, WR USC 6'1 201lb

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via media.247sports.com




I love Robert Woods. He is that powerful, quick, explosive (prototypical on film) athlete that coaches love. He had one of the best receiving seasons in the country last year and followed that up with a good performance this year. Woods is one of the fastest athletes on film. His combine numbers don’t show it but he has edge speed second only to Tavon Austin and Cordarrele Patterson.


Physical Composite: 24/30


Height: (4) 6’1

Weight: (4) 201

Speed: (8) 4.49s

Vertical: (4)

Broad Jump: (4)


Robert Woods was very average at the combine. He isn’t the biggest guy. However it should be noted that Woods put on approximately 10 pounds and was running injured. Its my expectation that he runs a 4.3 at his pro day and that is not at all unreasonable. His jumps were average again jumping is just a baseline in physical grades. However I fully expect Woods to beat his leaps at his pro-day (if he chooses to jump again). Woods has a wiry frame. However he is very and has decent length. Robert Woods is a decent sized athlete but I fully expect him to shine at his pro day and show us that he is as fast and as explosive as he is on film.


Film Composite: 65/70


Route Running: 24/24

(0:26, 1:27, 5:39, 9:22

Release/Shed: 6 (3:26, 5:12, 10:18)

Fluidity: 6

Play Recognition: 6 (6:40, 12:11

Breaks: 6 (0:26, 12:11, 12:43


Robert Woods is exactly what you look for when you watch film. He narrowly edges DeAndre Hopkins in terms of route running because I like the way he sheds and his fluidity slightly more. Also he is more explosive in and out of his breaks whereas Hopkins is extremely good at turning defenders around by constantly shifting in and out of leverages. His shed and release are outstanding. He has the quickest and most powerful arms I’ve seen on film. His release off the line against corners is smooth and effortless. His ability to shed in the open field (usually in the slot) is top notch as well. Its this reason that Woods can play slot and out wide. Woods and Hopkins are similar in their fluidity. They keep defenders guessing and keep their stride as efficient as possible while setting up their breaks. Woods comes out of a pro-style offense and its apparent that he understands his pre-snap and hot reads. Woods is exactly what you would expect with his breaks. It can be defined with one word, separation. His explosive and quick breaks get him open, his fluidity and use of leverage ensure that defenders can’t recover. Against Oregon, Woods was wide open many times, the pass rush (Dion Jordan tore it up that game and that was apparent to everyone) negated it however.




Catching: 8

Consistency: 6 (2:31)

Mechanic: 2 (0:09, 8:57, 10:08, 12:43, 13:58)


Woods catches bigger than he is at times. However he body catches way too often. He drops more than I would like to see as well. Its really a shame when you consider that Woods displays some of the best hands on film when he uses them. Natural box out, extension, clean securement, looks it in, everything is there its just that he ignores his mitts at times.


Body Control: (2:39, 4:38, 8:57, 9:22)


Really good body control. Has a knack for keeping feet in bounds and looping around defenders. Not anything like DeAndre Hopkins with insane body control but definitely excellent in its own right.


Blocking: 4.5/5


Strength: 1

Technique: 1.5

Willingness: 2


The video doesn’t show Robert Woods’ blocking. The only way to view it is to watch whole USC games. I’ve seen a lot of Woods’ snaps and (like most receivers coming out of pro-style offenses) he needs to work on his technique. Generally most of his problems stem from being to aggressive. He has pretty good footwork, uses his hands and arms to engage defenders, stays lows but sometimes he comes to defender too hard and doesn’t give himself time to recover.


Play Making Ability: 24/26


Deep Threat: 8.5 (5:31, 5:39, 9:22, 13:58)

Red Zone Presence: 7.5 (6:40, 10:18, 11:00, 13:25)

YAC: 8 (0:09, 3:20, 3:36, 6:12, 8:22, 12:49)


Robert Woods can beat you deep, he can juke and run around you and he must be accounted for in the red zone. He shares the red-zone and deep threat qualities of outside receivers. His pure speed and ability to shed and run precise breaks, combined with his knowledge of leverage and route recognition make him a nightmare deep.

Overall: 89


Robert Woods compares very favorably to Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers. Both are on the smaller side. However the similarities in their games are undeniable. There are stories of Smith breaking and fracturing the forearms of high school defenders with his rip moves and Woods shows (the stories might be exaggerated) a similar ability. It’s the trait that really allows him to work out wide despite being small in stature, just like Smith. His stride is fluid and powerful, runs and moves about the field like a player much larger (Ala DeAndre Hopkins). His Route Recognition is what allows him to have that slot role. Woods understands coverage concepts and possesses traits found in slot receivers as well. He also has terrific cuts and breaks which are essential to any receivers’ skills. Woods needs to work on his hands though, particularly in using them. He has a good mechanic, he just needs to improve his focus with repetition. His body control and blocking are both good but could use improvement. Robert Woods is also play maker. He plays big in the red zone, can hook up on fades, slants, and back shoulder timing plays because of his shedding ability similar to Quinton Patton. His ability to get behind defenders and his understanding of leverage is what really sets Robert Woods apart deep. Fantastic after catch can be counted on to get three yards on third and short or to take a crossing route 20 yards. Overall Robert Woods is my fourth rated prospect. He needs repetitions. However Woods is refined, fast, and has pedigree. Thanks for the read again and feedback is appreciated!



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