Position: Wide Receiver
Height/Weight: 6'2/216 lbs.
Age: 22
Drafted By: Minnesota Vikings
Background:
Cordarrelle Patterson is a highly coveted wide receiver out of the University of Tennessee entering this year's NFL early and foregoing his senior year of college. His long, hard to say just by reading is pronounced CORE-dare-uhl. This name makes him especially noticeable to coaches and scouts everywhere. Patterson was born on March 17th, 1991 in Rock Hill, South Carolina and attended Northwestern High School. From there, he spent two years at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas and played receiver as well as a running back and kick returner. Patterson broke a dozen school records including career receiving yards and touchdowns. He was also rated a 5-star prospect and the number 1 wide receiver prospect in JUCO, or the community college football division. After catching the eyes of scouts and recruiters, he committed to attend the University of Tennessee for his junior year. He started 12 out of 12 games on offense for the Volunteers and proved he could more than compete at the Division I level. Here Patterson continued to show his athletic and playmaking ability. Instead of staying his junior year at UT, he decided to enter the NFL Draft and for good reason.
Strengths:
Standing at 6'2 and running a speedy 4.42 40-yard dash, Patterson is definitely a glamorous prospect that NFL teams can't wait to get their hands on. His height makes for a perfect target in the red zone (20 yards away from the end zone) where he can rise above small defenders and his long speed shows he can stretch the field for those big plays. Patterson's first strength is obviously his freakish athleticism. During his college career, Patterson was able to use his blazing speed to separate from defensive backs and free run in the open field for the deep pass. Every team wants to draft a playmaker who can be counted on to score touchdowns for them, and Patterson is one of those few players. His second strength is his versatility. Within only his first year at Tennessee, Patterson played wide receiver, running back, punt returner, and kick returner. Not to mention he was equally dangerous at every position. To prove his versatility, Patterson set a school record for all-purpose yards, and is the first NCAA players in four years to score at least one touchdown in four different positions. NFL offensive coordinators love versatile players like him because he keeps opponent defenses on their toes. He can make plays wherever teams place him and his athletic ability forces defenses to focus their play calling to stop him.
Weaknesses:
Cordarrelle Patterson catches the ball with his body instead of using his hands way too often. Sometimes this is a good tactic in order to protect the ball from defenders, but he does it even when unnecessary. This could reveal that his hands aren't very good, meaning he might drop many passes in the future. This worries scouts and coaches because no matter how fast, quick, and athletic he is, he will not be able to make plays without the ball in his hands. Luckily for him, coaches can work with him on using his hands more often to improve his catching. Something else questionable about him is his intelligence. The Wonderlic is a 50-question 12-minute test on common knowledge taken during the NFL Combine. On this test, Patterson scored an 11. Now, football players aren't particularly known for their intelligence, but that doesn't change the fact that an 11 is a terrible score. A lack of intelligence could result in teams having to use simpler plays to run for Patterson. Many football players have succeeded without being a genius, but breaking down an offense so that a player can memorize and remember all these plays is not good for offenses and teams as a whole.
Overview:
In all, Cordarrelle Patterson is a great prospect that has all the physical skills to succeed in the NFL. His speed, height, and overall athletic stature can carry him into a successful career that will both excite and worry NFL coaches. What is even scarier about his is that he hasn't reached his full potential while playing at a high level of football. Even in his first year of Division I football, he was able to line up in any position and still make plays. Even with his lack of experience, Patterson will be a player that makes an immediate impact on the offense.
Games Viewed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOXSDNMCp-8
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