Cleveland Browns Draft Profile: Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State

How would Tylan Wallace fit with the Cleveland Browns?

Next up in this series of Cleveland Browns 2021 NFL Draft profiles is Oklahoma State wide receiver Tylan Wallace whose production makes him an attractive target for Baker Mayfield.

Over 37 games as a Cowboy, Wallace hauled in 205 passes for 3,434 yards and 26 touchdowns, averaging 16.8 yards per catch. He dropped just 17 of 340 career targets and is a very good blocker.

He measured in at 5-11 and 196 pounds at his pro day, so while he’s not the biggest guy, he isn’t small to where his size should be an issue. Cleveland is in desperate need of boundary receivers who are any sort of threat downfield, and that’s exactly what Wallace was in college.

Positives

Winning vertically

Wallace shows good burst off the line and a great ability to stack cornerbacks to get the advantage quickly. He isn’t a burner, yet he still ends up with a significant amount of separation down the field. There is more to being a deep threat than just pure speed, and Wallace does the little things well.

Ball skills

Wallace tracks the ball extremely well downfield, and he shows fantastic ball skills especially in contested situations. His body control and footwork are excellent; there are plays in his highlight reel that make you ask how he possibly got his foot down.

Oftentimes, contested catches can be somewhat of a negative for players, because when they are advertised as a selling point, it could mean that the receiver isn’t generating much separation. That’s not the case with Wallace on the boundary.

Negatives

Athleticism

Calling Wallace’s pro-day athletic testing disappointing is an understatement. His best unofficial 40-yard dash was 4.48 seconds, which is fine; Donovan Peoples-Jones ran a similar time and was able to get open down the field as a rookie.

However, Peoples-Jones has the benefit of elite explosion; Wallace does not. His jumps of 33 inches in the vertical and 112 inches in the broad were both very poor numbers, which is a problem. Wallace’s agility testing was acceptable, but it certainly does not make up for his poor jumps.

Limited route tree

For a player with the small route tree that Wallace ran in college, explosion is a must if that player wants to be taken high. Wallace lined up almost exclusively on the right side of the formation and just run streaks and curls for the most part, with the occasional screen thrown in for good measure.

That obviously won’t fly in the NFL, and his average agility times mean he may never be able to create separation at a high level with his route running. It could certainly happen, but there’s not much indicating that it is likely to.

Draft stock

PFF mock draft simulator average draft position: 78.6

NFL Mock Draft Database average: 75

Based on his tape and production, Wallace could have easily been a late-round two-early round three pick. But his athletic testing will tank his stock considerably.

Given the depth of this receiver class, he’d be fortunate to be a mid-fourth-rounder at this point. If the Browns haven’t addressed the position yet, Wallace could make some sense at pick No.132, but the team will likely opt for a player with more athleticism.

It’s a shame because Wallace’s tape is genuinely fun and impressive, but unless Cleveland feels that they are getting a big steal at some point on Day 3, Wallace will probably not be a Brown.