From now until the 2025 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to 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 Illinois wide receiver Zakhari Franklin.
#4 ZAKHARI FRANKLIN, WR, ILLINOIS (rSR) – 6000, 189 lbs.
Measurements
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Zakhari Franklin | 6000/198 | 10 3/8 | 33 | 78 7/8 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
The Good
— Solid size, good length, and elite hand size
— Impressive production over his career
— Good footwork and hand usage vs Press
— Creates space with quickness and agility on short/intermediate levels
— Uses manipulation and physical traits on deeper routes
— Good hands and very good body control
— Repeated showed he could take a hit and hold on to the ball
— Solid speed overall
— Effort to position and maintain as a blocker
The Bad
— Adequate burst to run away from defenders
— Route running effort is inconsistent
— Didn’t win consistently on deep routes
— Physical defenders can push him off his routes
— Didn’t create after the catch or break tackles
— Play strength overall is marginal
— Screens plays were unproductive
— No special teams play
— Older prospect
Bio
— Career: 321 receptions, 4,038 yards, 12.6 YPR, 42 TD, 1 rush, 8 yards
— 2024: 55 receptions, 652 yards, 11.9 YPR, 4 TD
— 6th year senior; redshirted in 2023 while at Ole Miss with undisclosed injury
— Tied for 9th place in receiving touchdowns in FBS history
— One year at Illinois, 1 at Mississippi, 4 years at UTSA
— 63 games; 4 years starter at UTSA; 1 at Illinois
— All Conference-USA first team 2021,2022
— 2022 – Phil Steele All-America Honorable Mention
— Owns UTSA single-season records for receptions, receiving yards, receiving yards per game, and receiving touchdowns
— Majored in finance at UTSA; Graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in multi-disciplinary studies; majored in crop sciences at Illinois
— In high school, played on the basketball and track and field teams
— Birthday October 15, 2000 (24)
Tape Breakdown
Zakhari Franklin is a well-traveled, highly productive wide receiver with solid height and weight. Based on 2022 measurements, he has good length and elite hand size. He aligned primarily outside but was in the slot as well.
Against Press coverage, he displays good footwork, quickness, and hand usage to avoid the game and get off the line of scrimmage. With a free release, he has solid acceleration to the break point. He creates good separation in the short areas with quickness and agility and on intermediate and deep roots with manipulation and solid physicality.
His change of direction is good, and he executes a good hip drop on comeback routes. Against Zone coverage, he is good at finding the soft spot in the defense, giving the quarterback a good target.
His hands are good overall, catching the ball away from his body.
Impressive one-handed catch while holding off the defender.
He has very good body control and adjusts to the ball well. His sideline awareness is very good for toe-tapping receptions.
He did a lot of his work over the middle and can make the catch in traffic and take a hit. In the scramble drill, he is good at working with his quarterback to find space to work. After the catch, he has solid speed and has solid vision to get extra yards that are available.
He consistently showed the ability to take a hit and hold on to the ball.
As a blocker, he displayed good positioning to put himself between the defender and the ball and displayed good effort to maintain.
His burst is adequate, and he doesn’t pull away from defenders. His route running speed is inconsistent. He will run his route at what looks like less than full speed, lacking any urgency to get into his route. He didn’t win consistently on the deep routes. I saw a bobble and a drop on a screen that he let get into his body. His body is thin, and physical defenders can knock him off his route.
At the top of the screen, you can see the defender shove him out of bounds.
After the catch, he has marginal play strength and physicality to break tackles or fight for extra yards. On screens, he was unable to create yards and also had a fumble. As a blocker, his marginal play strength comes into play again. He was not used to run the ball in the games watched, and he has virtually no special teams experience.
While his blocking has improved you can see the aggressive defender put him on his back.
Conclusion
Overall, Franklin has solid size, good length, and elite hand size. He has good quickness and hand usage against the Press and can create space with quickness and agility in the short and intermediate areas, using manipulation and subtle pushes at the breakpoint. Against Zone, he finds the open area, is active in the scramble drill, and has very good body control. His hands are good and can take a hit. His effort as a blocker is good.
Areas to improve include being more consistent as a route runner and playing at full speed from play to play. Adding play strength will benefit him against physical defenders, breaking tackles and as a blocker.
His production has been great throughout his career. However, he isn’t going to blow you away with his speed or even after the catch, but he can get open and make plays. There hasn’t been a lot of chatter about him to this point about him, but I think he can have a role on a team.
He seems to be fairly scheme-diverse, and I think his best fit would be as a slot receiver, someone to work the middle of the field, move the chains, and make some tough catches on the short and intermediate areas. If he can be a returner as well that would be beneficial.
For a player comp, I’ll go with Rashard Higgins. Coming out of college, he had capable hands, could separate, and was creative when creating space. His route running, play strength and blocking all had room for improvement.
Projection: Late Day Three/UDFA
Depot Draft Grade: 6.6 – Fifth Round – (Backup/Special teamer)
Games Watched: 2022 At Texas; 2023 – vs Alabama; 2024 – Vs Kansas, At Nebraska, Vs Michigan State, Vs South Carolina
