Sep 28, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Tai Felton (10) warms up before a game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

New York Giants Draft Prospect: WR Tai Felton, Maryland

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Nick Falato | Last updated Jan 26, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Tai Felton's creativity as a playmaker makes him an intriguing WR2 candidate for an offense.

Tai Felton, WR

A former three-star recruit out of Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia, where he was the 28th-ranked recruit in his state and the 155th-graded WR in the 2021 cycle. Felton was named First-Team All-Big Ten in 2024 and Third-Team in 2023.

Felton was honored as a Third Team AP All-American and was Second Team AFCA FBS All-American in 2024. He averaged 12.9 yards per catch in his college career with a 23.3% slot rate – he played 29.3% of his snaps in the slot during the 2024 season. Felton was also a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist in 2024, but that honor was bestowed to Colorado’s Travis Hunter.

Felton forced 26 missed tackles in 2024, ranking him fifth in the FBS. While Felton does possess a little wiggle, he also benefited from Maryland’s quick passing attack that frequently featured him on screens. With that approach, Felton ranked second in targets with 143; San Jose State’s Nick Nash was first in 2024 with 171 targets. Felton will showcase his talents at the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Tai Felton with the TD catch for @TerpsFootball ‍#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/a9eMK8Cy53
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 23, 2024

Summary

Felton combines solid size and speed with quick feet at the breakpoint to create sudden separation. His ability to utilize his long strides OR effectively shorten his strides allows him to disguise his intentions until he declares.

He’s a tough cover for corners before and up until the breakpoint, plus he has a solid overall release package. He does well to quickly win inside on slants when in quick game, while using his hands adequately to gain leverage vs. jams. Felton possesses solid YAC capabilities and is smooth for a player with his build.

That ability to snap routes off quickly is impressive and invaluable but Felton left some to be desired when tracking and locating the football; he seemed to mistime his jumps and fail to secure passes that were on the fringes of his large catch radius. This problem was more evident on passes further down the field. He also had frustrating drops throughout his tape.

Some systems may be more suitable for him. Felton would fit in well with the Philadelphia Eagles due to his ability to successfully uncover outside the numbers in isolation situations. Still, his inability to secure catchable passes in contested situations are a concerning part of his profile.

GRADE: 6.14

This article first appeared on New York Giants on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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