Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo came into his own with a breakout 2024 season as a top option for the Hurricanes. Here is a 2025 NFL Draft Early Scouting Report and film analysis on him.
Overview, Film Analysis, and Early 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report of Miami TE Elijah Arroyo
Measurables:
- 6’4”
- 245 lbs
Player Background:
A consensus four-star recruit and Top-10 tight end in the country, Elijah Arroyo picked Miami out of Independence HS in Texas. The 2021 graduate’s career with the Hurricanes has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. He played in all 12 games his freshman season and started one. He snagged five passes for 86 yards and a score. His 2022 season was cut short after five games and 66 receiving yards with a major injury.
Arroyo medically redshirted and continued to battle through injuries the following season. He was only able to get into four games in 2023, catching just one pass for 11 yards in the team’s final game. In 11 games in 2024, he surpassed all of his previous career totals and emerged as a top target. He caught 31 passes for 526 yards and six touchdowns and even threw one pass for seven yards and another TD.
Accolades:
- Second Team All-ACC (2024)
Strengths/Pros:
Arroyo plays with a savviness that makes him a highly effective receiving threat against zone coverage. He swiftly works through soft coverage and finds open space early and often. He’s smooth when driving downfield and has decent lateral movement to act as a safety valve in the short game. His versatility lets him line up as a fullback and be a legitimate blocking and receiving option that deceives defenses.
He corrals the ball well at the catch point and contorts himself well to attack it and secure grabs. Arroyo has a quick hip turn after the catch and he’s a nifty ball carrier when navigating through traffic. His effort is his biggest strength in the blocking game, showing aggression when paving lanes downfield. He has enough power behind his drive to set the edge and works as a decent help blocker. His footwork is solid on the outside and he re-adjusts his base with precision.
Weaknesses/Cons:
Much of what plagues Arroyo as a pass catcher is a slow release and he struggles against man coverage. It can sometimes look like he’s running in sand on his get-off and doesn’t generate much initial explosiveness. He gets jammed too much at the line and hasn’t shown a complete enough route running skillset to counter. He needs to learn how to win against more than soft zone and tighten up his cuts.
While Arroyo is sometimes a serviceable blocker, he doesn’t have the strength, violence, or peripheral awareness to hold up for an extended time. He needs to fire off the line more to make up for the size difference against bigger EDGEs but is routinely too patient. He gets beat by delayed blitzes too much as an extra lineman and doesn’t rotate as much as he should. Multiple injuries in his collegiate career will also be a talking point if any hampering issues come to light.
Potential Team Fits:
NFL Projection:
The vast improvements Arroyo needs to make as an all-around player leave his eventual ceiling still up in the air. At worst, he should be a reliable option who can work the short and intermediate game with occasional blocking success. If he can expand his route tree and become a more vicious blocker, he could be a good starter at the next level. At his current state, however, a TE2 that flashes behind a top-tier starter is the most likely outcome.
Prospect Grade:
- Early 4th Round
Film Exposures:
- 2024 vs. Florida
- 2024 vs. Georgia Tech
- 2024 vs. Syracuse
Main Photo: [Sam Navarro] – USA Today Sports
