2023 NFL Draft Profile: Fresno State WR Nikko Remigio
The versatile Bulldogs wide receiver made waves in his one year at Fresno State. Can he do the same as a NFL Draft pick?
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Dangerous with the ball in his hands.
It seems like, every year, the Mountain West has at least one prospect who only spent a year in the conference but made it a memorable one. This year, Nikko Remigio headlines that list.
A native of Orange, California, Remigio committed to Cal out of high school and spent four years with the Golden Bears as a wide receiver and return specialist before transferring to Fresno State ahead of the 2022 season. It didn’t take much time to endear himself to the Red Wave on both fronts and he finished second in the Mountain West with 116.6 all-purpose yards per game, good enough to earn a pair of second-team all-conference nods.
Fans in the Central Valley had their eyes opened to what Remigio can do in a strong offense, but will NFL war rooms buy in during this year’s NFL Draft?
Measurables (taken from Dane Brugler)
Height – 5′ 9″
Weight – 187 pounds
40-yard time – 4.56 seconds
10-yard split time – 1.57 seconds
Arm length – 29 3/4″
Hand size – 8 1/2″
Wingspan – 71 5/8″
Vertical jump – 36″
Broad jump – 10′ and 1″ (or 121″)
Shuttle time – 4.33 seconds
3-cone drill time – 7.20 seconds
Bench press – 19 reps
Highlights
Strengths
Want a pass catcher who can also contribute on special teams? That’s a feature which could separate Remigio from other prospects: Between 2021 and 2022, he scored three times on kicks and punts, averaging 25.7 yards per return on the former and 12.6 yards on the latter. He’s also remarkably sure-handed since he had a drop rate of only 6% on 250 career targets, including a 3.9% in his lone year with the Bulldogs.
As you might expect from someone who’s been reliable on multiple fronts, Remigio also gets high marks for his quickness and agility. The Draft Network’s Bradley Weissman remarks that he has “crisp lateral cuts to create separation” while NFL Draft Buzz praises his “smoothness and balance”.
Weaknesses
Fairly or not, Remigio may get dinged by the fact that, according to Pro Football Focus, 90.4% of his collegiate snaps came from the slot. Without the 4.4 40-yard speed of other potential late-round prospects like Tre’Shaun Harrison or Demario Douglas, NFL teams may be inclined to pass on him.
Because the slot is his likely role no matter whether he is drafted or not, Remigio will also need to ensure his toughness is enough to beat press coverage at the line of scrimmage. Weissman is confident in his ability to create after the catch, but that won’t mean much if he can’t get the ball in the first place.
NFL Comparison
Ray-Ray McCloud
Draft Prediction
Remigio’s ceiling as a NFL prospect is pretty well defined, so whether he’s selected or not may depend on just how much teams value what he can bring to the table on special teams. I don’t think he’ll get drafted, but I also think he won’t linger long in the open market as an undrafted free agent.
