Isabella is a lot more talented than Beasley. He actually could line up on the perimeter and catch deep passes.
You know, like the ones that everyone talked about Beasley could do and yet I still have a bag of uneaten dicks in the corner to show for it.
Where would this guy go in the draft?
NAME: Andy Isabella
SCHOOL: Massachusetts
CONFERENCE: Independent
POSITION: Wide Receiver
CLASS: Senior
JERSEY: No. 5
RECRUITMENT RATING: 3-star
HT: 5'’10"
WT: 190
D.O.B.: Not Available
Route Running – Quick accelerator off the line and tempers his route stems effectively to produce desired space and create separation in the shallow areas of the field. Does not have a great deal of counters for quick footed or overly physical defenders, is a slot option only as a result.
Hands – Sticky hands do well to pluck the football when it is put up above the numbers. Does not have a great deal of strength in hands in contested situations but soft hands effortlessly tuck the ball away with quickness before turning up the field.
Contested Catch Ability – Size is a massive barrier. Lack of catch radius is a problem when his passer is looking to slot a throw into a tight window. Does have have the physical play strength to box out defenders and work for real estate. Limited high point skills due to frame.
Run After Catch Ability – Short area quickness is accentuated in the shorter areas of the field, where he can start/stop and force a poor angle from the first arriving defender in pursuit. Does not have a great deal of extension skills to stave off contact or contact balance to run through lateral contact.
Football IQ – Crafty route runner, ability to create space and find soft spots in the defense are plus qualities that should provide a pathway to NFL success. Wins his routes with his feet and with understanding leverage.
Vertical Receiving – Has gotten behind the secondary against off coverage thanks to effective feet to set up a false step. Does not have the length to open his strides and eat up space vs. trail man coverage when facing physical defenders. Tracks the ball well to stay in stride.
Change of Direction Skills – Jitterbug skills flash immediately when working through the top of route stems to gear down and get into a cut with quickness and efficient angles. Has short area ability to slide against potential collisions in route release to stay on schedule. Slippery vs. the first tackler.
Speed – Step frequency is very rapid, although short area acceleration is more impressive than second gear. That said, is a former high school sprinter, ran sub-10.90 in 100m dash. Play speed is effective, particularly in the middle of the field with more space to account for.
Competitive Toughness – Fun player who leaves it on the field. Motor and effort are admirable, even in disadvantageous situations against bigger defenders. Physical play strength, however, is almost non-existent. Lack of length and thickness in the lower half stand out.
Blocking Ability – Is not going to offer any upside as a blocker in stack formations or as a slot receiver trying to block in the D-gap. Effort isn’t an issue and can be tenacious mirroring but lacks push or punch to set a block effectively. [HR][/HR]
BEST TRAIT – COD Skills
WORST TRAIT – Contested Catch Ability
BEST FILM – South Florida (2018)
WORST FILM – Tennessee (2017)
RED FLAGS – Size/Durability
Andy Isabella is a player who has a much more prominent pathway to NFL success after the rule changes in recent seasons. A diminutive, non-physical player, Isabella wins with quickness and thrives in space. His best role would be as a slot/depth option on a team that looks to space the field and isolate their athletes one on one. Passing systems like the ones in KC and SF come to mind as specific favorable fits.
