Caleb Eagans NFL Draft Overview
Position: Wide receiver and kick returner
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 185 pounds
Schools: Texas A&M, East Central, East Texas Baptist
Caleb Eagans 2022 NFL Draft Profile
Caleb Eagans is a rare athlete. In high school he was a four-sport athlete, playing football, basketball, baseball, and running track. However, when it came time to pick a college, the former basketball star assumed he would be playing on the hardwood. Schools saw it differently, as they saw a track star, or a wide receiver and return man. He wound up receiving more offers for track and football than he did basketball. This helped push him to focus on track, and only later walk onto the football team.
When he arrived at Texas A&M it was just after guys like Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans had joined the NFL as first-round picks. Kevin Sumlin was the head coach at the time and he was routinely helping his guys get to the NFL at that point. It made sense Sumlin would draw players from other sports onto the gridiron. While in high school Eagans had been quite an accomplished defensive back, and Sumlin saw him as an offensive weapon due to his elite speed and agility.
The unique athlete had played running back, wide receiver, safety, cornerback, kick returner, and punt returner back in high school. He had racked up over 2,000 yards of offense at the time. Sumlin saw a player who fit a similar mold to Tavon Austin, or Tyreek Hill. Small but explosive, versatile, and valuable in many ways. Unfortunately, it was not long after this that Eagans lost his mother to a battle with cancer, leading him to take some time away from the game.
While this ultimately led to Eagans moving on from Texas A&M following his graduation with his first master’s degree, he obtained another master’s degree as a graduate transfer and spent time at multiple schools. He was again granted a waiver after injuries stopped his 2019 season. In 2020 it was COVID-19 that derailed him but yet gave him another year of eligibility. Now at 25 years old, he has graduated after a college career that saw him avoid most of the attrition many players take on during a D1 college career.
Strengths
- Speed to spare; he clocked between 4.26-4.37 in the 40 during his pro-day and ran an unofficial 4.18 in pre-draft workouts
- Hands; he is regarded as a reliable receiver who does not drop many catchable passes
- Versatility; he could see a role similar to Tyreek Hill with jet sweeps, and other runs mixed in to get him in space
- Intelligence; He graduated with three degrees, including two master’s degrees
- Route running; he runs crisp routes and knows where the quarterback wants him to be on the field
Weaknesses
- Size; Eagans is a smaller receiver who relies on speed and agility
- Lack of playing time; despite a long career Eagans did not see the field much due to the situations he faced in college
- Level of competition; later in college one could question the level of competition he faced
NFL Comparison: Tavon Austin, Tyreek Hill
Teams With Need at Position: Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs
Projection: 5th-6th round
Bottom Line on Caleb Eagans
A unique athlete, and student who only comes around once in a generation. Eagans is a combination of elite speed and intelligence. He fits a new mold of slot receiver that has started to take over the NFL as of late. Receivers who are built like running backs and can be used in the run game at times have come into demand at the pro level. It would not be surprising to see Eagans develop a role within a team where he is seen as one of these hybrid guys who can give a team 10-20 carries a season, as well as operate as a true slot receiver and go out and catch 20-50 passes there as well, while also still adding value in the return game.
The main key to unlocking his value in the NFL is creativity. If he is used in ways opposing teams do not expect, and his team finds ways to get him into space, he could be a valuable piece to a team. It would be exciting to see him add depth in Denver or Philly where both teams need an elite return man and he could add depth at wide receiver. However, it is easy to see him landing in Kansas City as a nearly perfect replacement for Tyreek Hill.
Full Interview With Caleb Eagans on Youtube
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