Zay Vegetation, Boston Faculty: 5’9”, 180 kilos.
A 3-star recruit in 2019, Zay Vegetation carried the ball greater than he stuck it as a real freshman (22 vs. 27) for simply over 500 yards and 4 touchdowns general.
Whilst he did nonetheless become involved on some sweep and end-around performs, he did basically focal point on doing injury during the air from 12 months two on. He hauled in 178 passes for two,715 yards and 27 TDs over the 3 resulting seasons. Vegetation earned first-team All-ACC accolades within the latter and now leaves Boston Faculty as their all-time chief in receiving yards (3056).
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Zay Vegetation merits a ton of credit score for sticking with a BC program that went 3-9 and had extremely inconsistent quarterback play right through Vegetation’ time there.
Zay Vegetation scout document: Strengths
Zay Vegetation – Clemson v Boston Faculty
+ Displays nice acceleration off the road and that further juice to tug clear of safeties when matched up with them down the submit. You noticed him run clear of top-tier athletes like Clemson’s Andrew Sales space in 2021, even though the ball wasn’t relatively there for him in that matchup.
+ Ran a number of submit routes and deep crossers, the place he may run clear of whoever ended up being matched up with him. Getting him matched up with a security as #3 in journeys is a recipe for failure, as a result of the best way he can put them on their heels with a vertical stem after which hit some other equipment as he flattens around the box.
+ You obviously see that defensive coordinators circle this man at the whiteboard, while you watch DBs bracket him vertically with leverage from either side. There are such a large amount of performs the place he’s used as a decoy, opening up house beneath – his conditioning/stamina should be off the charts.
+ Additionally has some just right moments the usage of head-nods and frame leans to arrange and switch round defenders as a route-technician.
+ Extraordinarily shifty out of his stance to keep away from jams in press and scale back the near-shoulder, not to be impeded in his direction stem.
+ Does an ideal process of actually pushing the nook vertically after which growing separation as he sits down to damage again at the ladder (deep curls and comebacks), the place he steadily makes guys overrun that time.
+ Bends off the both foot with none lengthen and will consume on the ones easy-access throws on slants or pace outs after striking his head down for a few steps, to get corners in back-up mode.
+ Was once open repeatedly, however the quarterback both didn’t have sufficient time or may position the ball the place it had to be.
+ Displays some lovely spectacular past due changes to the ball within the air.
+ Makes a large number of difficult catches the place he has to dive for low balls on comebacks and deep outs.
+ For a man of his peak, he does an ideal of positioning his frame and attacking the ball within the air, leading to a contested catch charge of 58.3% remaining 12 months.
+ Placed on 11 kilos because the finish of the season and appears muscular at 183 lbs.
+ As soon as he catches the ball deep down the sphere, he can put at the breaks and make safeties glance silly in the event that they fee in on him.
+ Can stick his foot within the floor and juke round defenders out within the residences off brief completions to show them into lengthy positive aspects.
+ But additionally swipes down the fingers of defenders achieving out for himself and has the power in his decrease frame to dance off hits, when he’s catching the ball at the run.
+ Doesn’t cheat you with any loss of effort as a blocker, throwing his frame into defenders and discovering tactics to wall them off.
+ Handiest took phase in a single Shrine Bowl observe, however it simply appeared other to the remainder of the crowd, gliding by way of and breaking a powerful team of DBs.
Zay Vegetation scout document: Weaknesses
Zay Vegetation – NFL Mix
– Tends of short of to overcome his guy briefly at the direction and as a result of that permits defenders to re-enter the image with the best way he makes the wreck later down the sphere.
– There’s a loss of manipulation previous to and a few over the top steps on the wreck level vs. off-coverage, seeking to arrange routes as opposed to DBs who’re ready to stick sq. to him as he runs himself into touch.
– His restricted catch radius does display up from time to time, when it seems like he’ll sky for prime passes, however he’s handiest simply ready to get his finger-tips on them (handiest 29 and ¼-inch fingers).
– Had 9 drops and 4 fumbles in 2022.
Zay Vegetation scout document: Grade
Zay Vegetation – Duke v Boston Faculty
Zay Vegetation has some lovely insane quick-twitch to overcome defenders in any path. I really imagine he can play in and out, win on all 3 ranges and he has the rate to tug clear of any one prior to or after the ball will get into his palms.
Vegetation has already flashed some extremely spectacular moments of leaving defenders in the back of within the mud as a route-runner. If he can do this extra steadily, he’s going to be a particularly difficult duvet on the subsequent degree.
Now, together with his peak and arm period being within the bottom-eighth percentile, there are some barriers in the case of catch radius and talent to defend the ball together with his frame. However as he continues to paintings on his craft, defenders aren’t going so to put palms on him and he can strike concern within the hearts of opposing coaches (if he in fact has anyone that may ship him the ball as it should be).
Grade: Best-15 general.
You may like different 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reviews: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR), Ohio; Noah Sewell (LB), Oregon; Drew Sanders (LB), Arkansas; Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA; Bijan Robinson (RB), Texas.
Be happy to go over to halilsrealfootballtalk.com for all my draft breakdowns and take a look at my YouTtube channel for much more NFL content material!
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