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Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Maryland WR Tai Felton 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ryan Roberts | Last updated Jan 24, 2025 4:30 PM ET

Tai Felton, wide receiver

6-0.5, 181 pounds

Maryland

Tai Felton career statistics

YEAR	RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YARDS	TOUCHDOWNS
2021	5	51	0
2022	23	309	2
2023	48	723	6
2024	96	1,124	9
CAREER TOTALS	172	2,207	17

Pros:

Route tempo
Felton plays with a nice top gear, but what makes him dangerous is that he understands how to control his speed. He shows tremendous route tempo, both accelerating and decelerating throughout his routes with a clear understanding of how to attack leverage. This allows Felton to create some easy separation at multiple levels of the field.

Smoothness
Whether it is as a route runner or after the catch, Felton is an extremely smooth mover. Felton boasts a very sleek frame, and has a loose lower half despite being a bit leggy. As he finds soft spots in the zone, Felton is able to find and work to it with impressive patience, never looking rushed.

Downfield acceleration
Felton has very nice long speed, but one of his best attributes is his ability to locate the football and accelerate to the spot. He is one of those players that certainly coasts to top speed well, and does a nice job of finishing plays. There is an easiness to how he attacks vertically.

Aren’t many wide receivers in the 2025 NFL Draft class than Maryland’s Tai Felton (#10)… modern Z with wiry frame (6007v, 181). A lot of outside verticals, deep overs, and screens on his film.

96 receptions for 1,124 yards and 9 TDs in 2024. Expected to run in the 4.3s. pic.twitter.com/9sU5oLldDB
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) January 21, 2025

Cons:

Play strength
With his sleek frame, and minimal weight, play strength is going to continue being the major hindrance to Felton's game. He doesn't consistently play through contact well, and get knocked off of his sight line. Winning with the football in the air is never going to be one of Felton's strengths.

Route precision
There is so much upside as a route runner, but yet, it is an inconsistent area for Felton. He needs a lot more attention to his process, and staying cleaner getting in and out of breaks. Felton can also telegraph his routes too much, allowing for defensive backs to stay attached through his breaks.

Alignment versatility
The lack of play strength is going to limit the alignment upside for a player like Felton. He profiles as a pure Z receiver, who will best utilized when used off of the line of scrimmage. His impact consistently getting off the line will be hit or miss, and ability to play through contact may limit him to make many plays in the middle of the field. Felton is a very role-specific player.

Player Evaluation:

In what is a pretty underwhelming wide receiver group for the 2025 NFL Draft, Felton has a chance to rise following a huge final season with Maryland. Felton is an incredibly smooth pass catcher who brings big time speed and acceleration to the table. We have seen Felton utilized on multiple levels of the field as a receiver, as well as in the screen game.

With the lack of play strength and precision as a route runner, Felton is a player who will need to fit a specific Z role on the next level. As he gains mass to his frame, he has the ability to develop into a solid starter. His speed should, at worst, find a sticking point as a rotational receiver on a team.

Player Comparison:

Chris Olave (New Orleans Saints)

Like Olave, Felton is a bit of a glider that can get up to top speed quickly. His lack of play strength and physicality could prevent him from being a top option for a passing offense, but his skill set should find a role. His speed, and route running upside should make him a hot commodity come April.