Efton Chism III has garnered some attention after his strong Shrine Bowl performance and striking similarities to former EWU WR Cooper Kupp. Here is a 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report and film analysis on him.
Overview, Film Analysis, And 2025 Scouting Report Of Eastern Washington WR Efton Chism III
Measurables:
- 5’11”
- 200 lbs
Player Background:
Efton Chism III graduated from Monroe HS in Washington as a part of the 2020 recruiting class, grading out as a three-star recruit. He returned punts and saw some limited time at receiver in the brief COVID-19 2020 season. In said time he caught 22 passes, racking up 264 yards and a score. He elevated himself to the forefront of the team’s offense in 2021, with over 730 yards and nine TDs to his name.
2022 was the sole season he didn’t increase his production, dropping down to just 558 yards and six scores. Chism III turned in a fantastic 2023 campaign and established himself as a top FCS weapon. In that year he caught 83 passes for 927 yards and eight TDs for the Eagles. His final season in 2024 was also his best, setting career-highs in receptions (120), yards (1,311), and TDs (13).
Accolades:
- Third Team All-Big Sky (2021)
- Freshman All-American (2021)
- Third Team All-Big Sky (2022)
- First Team All-Big Sky (2023)
- Third Team All-American (2023)
- First Team All-Big Sky (2024)
- First Team All-American (2024)
Strengths/Pros:
Chism III has all the traits of a prototypical slot wideout and, more importantly, knows how to use them. He flashes great footwork on quick routes, generating early space and accelerating away from DBs in off-man and zone. He’s a very smart route runner, working into space against zone alignments and taking advantage of DBs weaknesses in man. He easily operates through multi-cut routes and is extremely slippery when attacking DBs on an island. His stop-and-go skills are elite, manipulating DBs’ blind spots at the top of his routes
His footwork when driving downfield in his routes is sharp and he rarely telegraphs his cuts. Chism III has strong hands at all points and contorts his body smoothly when adjusting to balls away from his frame. He transitions to a ball carrier fluidly after securing the ball and is a savvy mover who dips through traffic well. He’s a compact mover with the ball, planting his feet forcefully and rarely wasting movement. His willingness to block is noticeable on tape, getting down and dirty in the run/screen game and laying pretty decent hits as a lead blocker.
Weaknesses/Cons:
As is with most players of his archetype, physicality, and top-end athleticism are two things Chism III struggles with. His vertical speed isn’t fantastic and won’t consistently separate when running downfield routes. He’s creative in the short game but won’t straight-up beat defenders on deeper shots. His hips also drift too much when cutting vertically, preventing him from optimizing his momentum creation.
Chism III is a bit stiff in some regards, with his routes getting too choppy at times. He’ll occasionally extend his footwork too much and become predictable and longer-developing in his stems. On the physicality front, he gets brushed off his routes way too easily by more contact-driven DBs. He’s fine at the catch point but will sometimes struggle to get open if faced with scrappier defenders. He needs to become a more comfortable route runner in traffic and has to work on creating more on extended or broken plays.
Potential Team Fits:
NFL Projection:
Chism III’s scouting report unironically reads exactly how one would expect it to. He’s a nifty slot receiver with strong hands, a desire for contact, and solid short-to-intermediate route running. He’s almost certainly a slot-only player at the next level, but the path for him to become a decent contributor is very possible. He’ll likely get selected in the later rounds or sign as an undrafted free agent and will have to prove himself to earn a spot on a roster. If he can separate himself from the slew of similarly built depth slot WRs, he could work his way into a set role as a reliable safety valve option.
Prospect Grade:
- Early To Mid 5th Round
Film Exposures:
- 2024 vs. Sacramento State
- 2024 vs. Montana State
- 2024 vs. Nevada
Main Photo: [Jerome Miron] – USA Today Sports
