Miami (FL) WR Xavier Restrepo 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Xavier Restrepo, WR

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 165 pounds
Age: 22 years old (April 22nd, 2002)

Miami (FL)

Pros

• Fluid athlete
  Xavier Restrepo is the epitome of what you envision from an effective NFL slot receiver. He's well-built with good height, length, and bulk on his frame. Unlike smaller slot receivers, Restrepo is more capable of withstanding contact at the catch point and falling forward when hit. He's not the quickest or fastest athlete, but he's silky smooth through his routes and wastes zero energy getting to his spot. He plays more athletic than he is on paper and his technical refinement is a big reason why he consistently creates separation.
  
  
• Reliability
  The numbers of Restrepo's career don't lie. His last two seasons at Miami show a player who routinely wins from the slot, creates a little after the catch, and is a short and intermediate threat with a terrific drop rate. In fact, it's hard to find a better drop rate than his 4.3% career mark. His drops have come on deeper routes as he struggles to track the ball downfield, but that's not a big concern considering his inevitable NFL role. Instead, teams love to see his dominance over the middle of the field, where he caught 30 of 41 targets between 0 and 19 yards in 2024.
  
  
• Easy projection
  There's not much to question about who Restrepo is or what he does best. He'll be an effective slot threat who punishes zone coverages and frustrates man defenses. He's a highly-intelligent, tough-nosed, and instinctive player with enough juice to make a clutch play when it's needed.

Cons

• Explosiveness
  While you know the positives of what you're getting with Restrepo, he's also confined to winning in those ways. He offers a simple skill set that is valuable but not impossible to replace or augment. Restrepo's lack of deep speed, high-end acceleration, length, and physicality at the catch point show on contested catch opportunities downfield. Plus, he doesn't have the power or burst to get away from defenders.
  
  
• Versatility
  This goes back to his lack of high-end physical traits, but Restrepo won't be lined up outside of the slot too often. He's competitive and can win in short area situations, but defenses don't respect his viability beyond getting a quick two feet or separation. Corners sit on his deeper routes when he's an outside receiver, and that doesn't get easier for Restrepo to battle at the NFL level.
  
  
• Creativity
  Without high-end power or speed to erase tackling angles, it's not a surprise Restrepo's lack of production after the catch is mediocre. His 2024 yards after the catch numbers were better than ever before, but some of that was skewed by a couple of plays. In general, his game is predicated on predictable wins out of repeatable designs.

Player Evaluation

There's nothing wrong with a player who will provide spark plays in key moments and serve as a safety valve. Xavier Restrepo is easy to love but will frustrate opposing teams as he converts first downs and catches almost everything throws his way. His value is a little difficult to project because he doesn't have a high floor or role beyond being a slot specialist. Generally, he'll be taken after riskier prospects but outproduce them, but he'll also be someone you're fine with replacing if he gets injured and sees any sort of drop off in athleticism.

Player Comp: Cedrick Wilson Jr.

A to Z Rankings:

A to Z Big Board Ranking: #17 wide receiver, #106 overall

A to Z Draft Grade: 6.31

Draft projection: Late Day 2