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Artavis Scott is only a true junior, but his impressive performance for three years at Clemson Tigers as well as his ability to earn his degree meant that he was always going to leave school early to head to the NFL. Right now Scott is considered to be just outside the top 20 wide receivers in the 2017 NFL Draft and predictions seem to have him going anywhere between the 4th and 6th round.
Artavis Scott Stats
| Season | Games | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Yards per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Receptions | Yards | TDs | Yards per Game |
| 2016 | 15 | 76 | 614 | 5 | 70.9 |
| 2015 | 15 | 93 | 901 | 6 | 60.1 |
| 2014 | 13 | 76 | 965 | 8 | 74.2 |
Ht: 5’10”
Weight: 193 lbs.
40 yard dash: 4.67
Right now Scott is considered by most in NFL circles to be a system receiver, and that is a fair assessment. While at Clemson a lot of Scott’s work came behind the line of scrimmage on screens and other similar quick throws. He got the yards the play was designed to get. Scott wasn’t asked to run a large number of routes as the primary receiver and that shows in his route running ability. NFL teams will be concerned with his ability to run precise routes and gain separation in the process.
Scott does have his hands going for him. His film shows a real ability to catch the ball with his hands and not cradle it into his body. He also uses his body to shield the ball from defenders and position himself to run after the catch. As Clemson fans we are all also familiar with his ability to make defenders miss. NFL Scouts have mentioned how he subtly uses his shoulders after the catch to make defenders miss. This could also lead to some big things in the return game which is where Scott is going to probably stick with a team.
Another problem for Scott is his speed. We’ve said before that there isn’t a correlation between a draft prospect’s 40 yard dash time and NFL success, but Scott just doesn’t have the speed you want from a guy that is going to play in the slot and his 40 time backed that up. Scott is more of a shifty slot receiver rather than the burner the NFL is looking for.
The bottom line is that a team will take a chance on Scott, but he’s going to have to get better at playing at his top speed, and maybe improving that top speed, to stick with any team in the NFL. Or become a fantastic return man.