Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 185 pounds
School: Clemson Tigers
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.58 seconds
Bench press: 7 reps
Vertical jump: 35 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 8 inches
Three-cone drill: 6.80 seconds (third best among wide receivers)
20-yard shuttle: 4.19 seconds
60-yard shuttle: 11.39 seconds (best among wide receivers)
Hunter. Renfrow 2019 NFL Draft Profile
After spending four years with the Clemson Tigers, wide receiver Hunter Renfrow is officially entering the NFL Draft. A dual-sport player coming out of high school, Renfrow eschewed scholarships from lower-level schools to attend Clemson as a walk-on. At the time, Renfrow weighed just 155 pounds, so the 23-year old actually bulked up throughout his collegiate tenure.
After redshirting in 2014, Renfrow cultivated enough mass to play the next four seasons with the Tigers. While he never lit the world on fire, he still managed to put up some solid numbers throughout the duration of his collegiate tenure. While at Clemson, Renfrow recorded 186 receptions for 2,133 yards and 15 touchdowns. Renfrow played his best in big moments, as evidenced in the 2016 and 2017 National Championship Games.
Although Clemson lost the National Championship in 2016, Renfrow finished his night with seven receptions for 88 yards and two touchdowns. He was even better in 2017’s championship game, recording 10 receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns. On top of his impressive stat line, Renfrow caught the game-winning touchdown pass to seal Clemson’s victory. He continued his clutch play when he led the South team in receptions during this year’s Senior Bowl.
On top of being an impressive slot receiver, Renfrow adds versatility as a punt returner. Devin Hester he’s not, but the 5’10” receiver has a history of returning punts and can immediately contribute on special teams.
Strengths
- Soft hands, never drops passes
- Fundamentally sound route runner who does the little things right
- Impressive quickness and good lateral agility
- Fantastic instincts in the open field allow him to rack up yards after the catch
- Advanced ability to find open holes in zone coverage
- Special teams history gives him chance to contribute in punting game
Weaknesses
- Undersized by NFL standards
- Lined up outside at Clemson, but projects as purely a slot receiver in the NFL
- Not a burner and won’t beat defenses over the top
- Despite having great hands, catch radius is somewhat limited
- Gives everything when blocking, but tends to get overpowered by larger defenders
NFL Comparison: Danny Amendola
Teams With Need at Position: New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles
Projection: Fifth to sixth round
Bottom Line
Hunter Renfrow isn’t the fastest, biggest, or strongest wide receiver in the 2019 NFL Draft. However, Renfrow takes what athletic ability he has and gets the absolute most out of it. His hands are unparalleled and he possesses the natural quickness and smarts to succeed as a slot receiver at the next level. He has a knack for playing his best in the biggest moments and served as a reliable safety net for every quarterback he’s played with.
His somewhat underwhelming size and athleticism will cause him to probably be a Day Three selection. However, players like Wes Welker and Danny Amendola have proven that players like Renfrow can succeed and thrive in the right offense. He’s fundamentally polished, so he should be able to contribute in a minor role as a rookie, provided he picks up the offense. Even if he’s not ready to contribute as a rookie, his history as a punt returner should give him a role in 2019. Renfrow has the chance to be one of the steals of the draft if he lands in the right offense.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
