This is part of a series of scouting reports on the undrafted free agents the Pittsburgh Steelers signed following the 2023 NFL Draft. We’ll look at recently signed WR Cody Chrest.
#9 Cody Chrest/WR Sam Houston State – 6002, 193 lbs.
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Cody Chrest | 6002, 193 | 9 1/2 | 30 3/4 | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.38 | 1.46 | 4.12 | 6.77 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’5″ | 38 | 16 |
The Good
— Height/weight speed prospect with A+ athletic testing
— Vertical and jump-ball threat who has shown ability to win contested
— Tracks ball well in the air and able to contort body, good hand/eye coordination to make grabs outside his frame
— Good release package off the line against man
— Size helps him as a blocker, shows willingness to crack safeties
— Shows ability to pluck and catch away from his frame
— Productive college career
— Some versatility to play either side, field/boundary, and a bit of slot work
— Makes catches in traffic and shows toughness to finish
— Minor punt return value
The Bad
— Isn’t as athletic as his testing indicates
— Fails to create separation as a receiver on most of his routes, wins with his tracking and frame
— Made most of plays vertically and a bit limited in the ways he wins
— Will try to make one-handed grab too often
— Not a clean route runner and settles too often when he shouldn’t, didn’t always run correct route and led to miscommunication
— Lacks burst post-catch and isn’t a YAC threat, needs to show more urgency to get upfield and making the grab
Bio
— 2022: 36 receptions, 548 yards (15.2 YPC) 2 TDs
— Sam Houston State career: 131 receptions, 1715 yards (13.1 YPC) 9 TDs in three seasons
— Spent 2016 to 2019 at Harvard, caught 45 passes for 706 yards in 2019
— 10 career PRs for 64 yards
— Helped lead HS to first state title in history
— HS teammates with Steelers’ punter Braden Mann
— Signed with the Colts as a UDFA following the 2022 Draft before being waived earlier in May
Tape Breakdown
Cody Chrest was signed last week as the team’s 89th player on the roster. The Indianapolis Colts signed him as an UDFA following last month’s draft and the Steelers picked him up after Indy waived him. He garnered attention with a great Pro Day workout, running a sub-4.4 with a 38 inch vertical. On tape, he won vertically in jump ball and contested situations, go-routes and backshoulders. His best play was this sensational one-handed touchdown in the back corner of the end zone.
Some more examples of him winning downfield. It’s definitely the best and most recurring trait of Chrest’s game. His initial release package is also impressive with jabs and burst to win off the line.
But winning that way consistently is a hard road to win in the NFL without some rare, George Pickens-like tools. Chrest doesn’t create much separation in his game and doesn’t do much after the catch.
There also seemed to be a lot of miscommunication on his tape. It can be hard to identify if that’s on him or the quarterback but his tape was sloppier on underneath routes.
Conclusion
Overall, Chrest is a vertical, Z-receiver who tracks the ball well and adjusts to it outside his frame. He shows good hands and is a willing blocker, too. But he’s a one-n0te, downfield guy who doesn’t win in a lot of other ways. It doesn’t bode well for his chances to make the roster and he’ll sit at the backend of the wide receiver depth chart throughout the summer, perhaps making an impressive play or two but being quiet overall. With a pretty deep Steelers’ WR room, Chrest will struggle to make the practice squad. His hands are better than Hakeem Butler’s but Butler is by far the more interesting player.
Games Watched: vs Texas A&M (2022), vs Stephen F. Austin (2022), vs Texas A&M-Commerce (2022), vs Tarleton State (2022)
