Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos wide receiver Will Sheppard (14) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

New York Giants Draft Prospect: WR Will Sheppard, Colorado/Vanderbilt

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Patricia Traina | Last updated Mar 19, 2025 8:00 AM ET

If Colorado receiver Will Sheppard can iron out some of his game's inconsistencies, he could become a viable outside option for a team.

Will Sheppard, WR

A former three-star recruit out of Mandeville High School in Mandeville, Louisiana, where he was the 17th player in his state and the 73rd wide receiver prospect during the 2020 recruiting cycle.

Sheppard attended Vanderbilt University for four seasons before transferring to Colorado after 2023. He was a four-star recruit in the transfer portal, the 76th overall player, and the 15th graded wide receiver, per 247 Sports.

Sheppard is primarily an outside wide receiver, aligning in the slot just 11.2% of the time through his five collegiate seasons. He had a 1.65 yards per route run with 19 career drops – an 8.7% drop rate. He saw 115 contested catch opportunities in college, and he secured 38.3% of them.

His catch rate was significantly better with Shedeur Sanders throwing him the ball in 2024; on average, his college catch rate was 56.2%, but that percentage rose to 69.6% in 2024.

Sheppard was a Third-Team All-SEC selection in 2022 and a Midseason All-American selection (third team) in 2023, finishing as a midseason First-Team All-SEC selection that same season. Sheppard attended the East-West Shrine Bowl but was a combine snub.

Strengths

The Colorado WRs have been impressive all week at the Shrine Bowl.

Wonderful back shoulder catch from Will Sheppard: pic.twitter.com/qWpBBS1zDl
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) January 31, 2025

Weaknesses

Summary

Will Sheppard is a long-striding, smart receiver who understands how to run routes and work against zone coverage. He lacks high-end athletic traits, which hinders his overall upside. His inconsistent hands are also a source of frustration.

Despite his lack of true verticality, Sheppard won on the vertical plane through deceptive and savvy means of creating separation. He also did a solid job adjusting to back shoulder throws and securing passes in contested catch situations.

Sheppard has a solid array of smooth releases that can stack vs. press. His understanding and processing as a receiver can take him so far, even with a capped ceiling. Still, he’ll be a red zone threat who can continue to hone in on his strengths better to situate himself as a young receiver in the NFL.

GRADE: 6.12

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

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