When the Tennessee Titans finally drafted a receiver in the seventh-round out of UT-Martin, Colton Dowell, it almost felt like head coach Mike Vrabel was trolling us.
However, the more we learn about the small-school wideout, the easier it is to see why the Titans FINALLY pulled the trigger on a wide receiver with Dowell.
Based on Relative Athletic Score, Dowell is one of the more athletic wide receivers to ever be drafted. His RAS of 9.78 ranked 67th out of 3,062 receivers to be measured since 1987.
Of course, expecting anything out of a seventh-round receiver is never a good idea, but at least there’s a shred of hope with Dowell.
We aren’t the only ones liking what we’ve been learning about Dowell, who adds size (6-foot-3) as well as speed to Tennessee’s group. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein recently tweeted this:
“I have to write up every player who is drafted who I didn’t have draft profiles on and I just finished Colton Dowell from Tenn-Martin who was taken by the Titans,” Zierlein wrote on Twitter.
“He has good size, ran well, tested with elite explosiveness and was productive. Super pissed I missed out on him.”
To get an idea of just how under-the-radar Dowell was, we couldn’t find any detailed scouting reports from before the draft. We did, however, find two that were done after, one of which comes from Zierlein.
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
Overview
Dowell’s blend of size, speed and ball skills creates an opportunity for him to compete for a roster spot within two years. While his route tree was a little limited, he can get off of press coverage with good wiggle and burst, has the deep speed to get past cornerbacks and is an above-average ball-tracker when bringing throws in. He’s tough during contested catches, but he might need to play more physically through route contact on the next level. Dowell’s value as a gunner on punt teams will give him a leg up on the competition for a WR5/6 spot early on.
Strengths
- Plus size/speed combination outside and explosive leaper.
- Posted 112 yards receiving against Tennessee in 2022.
- Has the footwork and acceleration to outrun press coverage upon release.
- Steadies and adjusts positioning during ball-tracking phase.
- Above-average contested-catch toughness.
Weaknesses
- Might need additional physicality through the route.
- Slow to gear down and open up on comebacks.
- Too much stutter-stepping after making short catches.
CBS Sports
Summary:
Colton Dowell was a four-time All-OVC performer (two first team, two second team) at UT-Martin. His final season was his best, as he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 67 receptions.
Strengths:
- Adjusts to the football well
- Good overall athleticism for bigger-bodied receiver
- Above-average route-runner
- Excellent hands to make some of the tougher catches look routine. Proper hand technique as well. Can win low or above the rim.
Weaknesses:
-
Needs to be a bit more violent at the top of his route vs. handsy defensive backs.
-
Not overly elusive runner after the catch.
More on Colton Dowell
