NFL draft evaluator: BYU's Mitch Mathews


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The 2016 NFL Draft is just a few short months away. In a weekly analysis, I will break down the strengths and weaknesses of one BYU football player who is hoping for a shot at the pros. This week will be a discussion about Cougar wide receiver Mitch Mathews.

STRENGTHS

Height — As the old saying goes, you can't coach height. By the end of a collegiate athlete's career, they are as tall as they are going to be. Fortunately for Mathews, he is tall. Like, really tall. He is listed in BYU's media guide at 6-foot-6. While former Ute receiver Steve Smith and Wes Welker proved that shorter guys can be productive at the NFL level, coaches in the pros still love tall wide receivers that can create mismatches. Quarterbacks also love guys that have a big catching radius. Mathews is good at using his height to his advantage and often hauled in balls that were thrown over the top of shorter defensive backs. His height will get some attention from scouts.

Jumping ability — Mathews has terrific jumping ability. He is said to have a 37-inch vertical. Here's an example of his leaping ability on the basketball court:

Mathews can throw down, with ease, dunks during which he put the ball through his legs. BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum took full advantage of having a wide receiver with Mathews' height and jumping ability. Throughout the season, Mangum routinely threw the ball up where he knew only Mathews could get it. Mathews' catch radius is huge and I can envision him as a red-zone threat where quarterbacks would throw jump balls to him on fade routes in the end zone.

Hands — Mathews has big hands and catches the ball very well. Throughout his career at the Y., he was one of the most sure-handed receivers on the team. When you watch film of him, he does a good job of catching the ball out in front of him and using his hands rather than letting the ball get in too deeply into his body.

Matthews' ability to catch the ball, coupled with his height and jumping ability, could be particularly effective in red-zone situations.

WEAKNESSES

Speed — Mathews has just enough speed to be effective as a collegiate wide receiver. In the NFL, the requisite speed to produce is much faster. According to cbssports.com, Mathews runs a 4.7 40-yard dash. That 40 time is average in the NFL — if he were a tight end. However, his frame seemingly prohibits a position change — he is much too thin to play tight end. Whether Mathews ever tried to put on weight or not during his time as a Cougar, I'm not sure. But it would be very surprising if he were able to put on the requisite muscle to play tight end at the next level. The only position Mathews is cut out for is wide receiver and he would be slow compared to his colleagues in the pros.

Physicality — As mentioned, Mathews is a more slightly-built wide receiver. He excelled during games when opposing defenses played zone or gave him space at the line of scrimmage. When playing elite defenses that were physical and could play man-press, Mathews was ineffective. Against the three best defenses BYU faced in 2015 (Michigan, Missouri and Utah), Mathews compiled a total of six catches for 32 yards. All three of those defenses were able to keep Mathews in check by bumping him off of his routes and being physical. Mathews does not have the strength to beat good corners who muscle him up.

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CONCLUSION

NFL.com currently does not list Mathews as a prospective draft pick. I tend to agree, and would be surprised if he gets drafted. However, it would not surprise me if a team gave him a chance — and he could be effective as a situational receiver akin to former NFL receiver Plaxico Burress.


Dylan Cannon is a regular KSL.com contributor and can be reached at DylanCannon86@gmail.com or via twitter @DylanCannon11.

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