2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: North Carolina WR Tez Walker

From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on North Carolina WR Tez Walker.

#9 Tez Walker/WR UNC – 6014, 193 lbs. (Junior)

Senior Bowl

Combine

MEASUREMENTS

The Good

– A home run hitter on vertical routes
– Quick accelerator who creates separation on deep routes
– A large frame that he uses well
– Creates a prominent catch radius with his excellent body control
– Able to fight through arm tackles by weak tacklers
– He has a knack for finding soft spots in zone coverage
– Elite YAC ability because of his stride length and speed
– Good sideline awareness
– High touchdown production in a limited number of games
– Can thrive as both a boundary receiver and as a big slot target

The Bad

– Creates limited separation on short and quick-breaking routes
– Doesn’t give his QB options when a play breaks down, often standing flat-footed
– Will need to expand his route tree to not become one-dimensional at the next level
– Needs to work on the ability to start and stop for a quicker change of direction
– Allows the ball into his chest when completing catches
– Inexperienced receiver with only 23 games played
– Gets shoved around in run blocking

Bio

– 22 years old, 23 once he starts the 2024 NFL season
– From Charlotte, North Carolina, three-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class with limited interest from Division I schools
– Played both WR and DB in high school, where he racked up over 1,000 yards at receiver and 6 interceptions with 10 pass deflections
– Initially committed to East Carolina University before switching to North Carolina Central (FCS level), didn’t play in any games because of COVID-19 pandemic
– Transferred to Kent State University for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, didn’t see much play time in 2021, finishing with 5 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown
– Earned first-team All-MAC in 2022, setting the program record with 11 touchdowns and ranked sixth in FBS
– Also finished in the top ranks in FBS for receptions (58) and yards per catch (15.9)
– As a top player in the 2022 transfer portal, committed to North Carolina and teamed up with QB Drake Maye
– Initially denied eligibility for the 2023 season by the NCAA, reinstated after four games
– Named third-team All-ACC and, in only eight games, put up 41 receptions with 700 yards and 7 touchdowns
– Between Kent State and North Carolina, finished his college career with 104 receptions, over 1,700 yards, and 19 touchdowns, averaging almost 17 yards per catch
– Opted out of North Carolina’s bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft

Tape Breakdown

Walker’s winding road to where he is now has been unique. Between three schools, two transfers and a headline-grabbing appeal against the NCAA, it’s been nothing quiet. Throughout it all, he has shown good character and become an example of how to deal with problems that are out of his hands. His head-turning but limited play throughout his three years of collegiate football shows a proven deep threat, but with time and refining of his route tree and footwork, there is potential for more.

The calling card of his game will always be elite speed and separation that he generates off the line of scrimmage. He has great release throughout his tape, and no matter the corner’s speed against him, he always seems to get at least one step ahead of them. At the combine this spring, he should be near the top of the list when they line up for the 40-yard dash.

While his acceleration is the central aspect of this, he shows a good skillset of deterring defensive backs’ press ability by being able to hand fight. Here against Duke, the corner is playing a couple of yards off to respect his speed, but he still gets around him quickly and shows steady hands while tracking the ball to complete the catch.

Against Virginia, Walker shows an underrated part of his game by finding soft spots against a zone-heavy defensive scheme. While he can fly past defenders in man coverage, he is even better against the zone because he constantly finds open areas of the field. In this game against Virginia, he finished with a team-high 11 receptions, 146 yards and a touchdown.

Here, he climbs the seam of the field and splits the zone between the safety and boundary corner. At the same time, his speed carries him toward the back of the end zone overtop of the other safety, who came down to carry him as his assignment initially.

Later in the same game, he layers his route above the crossing tight end in front of him, creating a tough assignment for both linebackers in coverage. In the early stages of his NFL career, he will likely be primarily a deep ball receiver. This can be another aspect of his game to keep him on the field.

When Walker was at Kent State, he was against some opponents with inferior talent compared to players in the ACC, but his tape still shows his ability to both get open and use his excellent catch radius. This catch radius was not on display as much at North Carolina as at Kent State, but much of this can be attributed to a difference in quarterback play. These two skills carried over to UNC and will get him on the field immediately, along with his speed. His great head fake sells the corner, gets him wide open and shows his soft hands with the outstretched catch.

The one thing concerning on film was Walker’s lack of improvisation. At both Kent State and UNC, he was often shown standing and wouldn’t move to get open once a play had broken down and the quarterback was outside the pocket. He left many plays on the field where if he moved just a little, there were large openings because of the defensive breakdown.

One example of this occurs against Virginia on a critical fourth down with the game tied. Drake Maye rolls out to his right with Walker standing near the sideline and his tight end coming towards the field’s right side. Walker’s defender is the one to make a play on the ball, but if he had ran down the field or come toward his quarterback, the pass would’ve been completed because his defender would have stayed with him.

One last note is that Walker has high potential because of his speed and ability to contribute with jet sweeps and screens. Once out in the open field, he has the vision of a running back. Both UNC and Kent State used this yards-after-catch ability at a high clip, putting him in positions to run with the ball.

Conclusion

Walker has made multiple pit stops over his collegiate career and has shown the potential to be a game changer. There will always will be a spot on NFL rosters for players with high speed and a good catch radius. A player comparable to him is Breshad Perriman, who, coming out of Central Florida, had similar traits because of his profound speed and deep ball ability. They both had high potential to become WR1, but they had to round out their game out and not become one-dimensional.

If Walker is willing to put in the work and improve those aspects, there will be many teams who see a potential starter in him.

Projection: Late Day Two-Early Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 8.5 – Future Quality Starter (2nd Round)
Games Watched: Akron (2022), Duke (2023), Virginia (2023)