Michael Crabtree

If NFL teams are looking for a big, physical receiver with all the tools, they cannot look past Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree. Crabtree (6' 3" 224 lbs) is one of the nation’s top wide receivers who not only puts crazy numbers but can also be relied upon to make the big play. He is talented in many different ways and is one of the premier players in college football.

Crabtree has benefited from the type of system that Tech runs but that’s shouldn’t be something to be held against him. Sure, in the Red Raiders system the passing game is king and wide receivers are bound to get a lot of yards and a lot of touchdowns but Crabtree is not a product of the Red Raiders system. He is much more than that.

First and foremost, Crabtree is big, physical receiver who can out-jump defenders for the ball and muscle his way in to make the catch. And if you are looking for speed, Crabtree has plenty of it and he can get past most cornerbacks for the long touchdown play. However, he lacks the ideal quickness that you see in some receivers but more than makes up for it with his speed.

If you have seen him play at all, you will notice that he rarely drops passes and has some of the surest hands in college football. Crabtree has large hands and uses them to catch the ball away from his body which is ideal. This trait is highly valued in the NFL.

When it comes to running routes Crabtree is very good at this. He runs clean and crisp routes and makes his cuts and breaks well. He should be able to pick up an NFL system quickly meaning that he won’t need a lot of time to adjust to the NFL although, like any college player making their transition to the NFL, there will definitely be a learning curve.

With NFL physique and NFL ready skills, Crabtree could easily be a top ten pick in the NFL draft and could step in and start on any NFL team right away. If he chooses to come out (he is draft eligible sophomre) he will be one of the most sought after players in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Scouting Report by Bryan Dietzler