Denver Broncos draft Courtland Sutton: Instant grade and analysis
By Joe Romano
The Denver Broncos selected Courtland Sutton in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft. Here is all you need to know about Sutton, including our grade.
Strengths
There is not a receiver in the draft with more number one receiver traits than SMU’s Courtland Sutton. The 6-foot-3 receiver uses every bit of that height. He is built solid too at 218 pounds, which allows him to body smaller defensive backs. Despite poor quarterback play, Sutton was incredibly productive during his time in college. When he returned to school for his fourth season, he was able to increase his draft stock with another strong season. His ability to win in the air is his biggest play strength.
Quarterbacks just need to put the ball near him and he will come down with it using his big catch radius and sure hands. Sutton shows the nuance in some routes to keep defenders at bay using his body. He is the type of receiver a quarterback will love. There are routes across the middle that are easy throws where Sutton can thrive at the next level. Bare minimum he will be a top-flight possession receiver. However the potential is there to be a true number one with continued development.
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Weaknesses
Small school prospects like Sutton have more of an uphill climb entering the NFL than bigger school prospects. For this big bodied receiver, like most his size, the question comes down to speed and agility. The tape shows a sub-par athlete for the position. Athletic testing at the combine showed a strong athlete. The truth is somewhere in the middle. As a long strider, Sutton looks slow on tape but also does not utilize his speed in route running.
There are going to be corners that “out-athlete” him. He does not do his best work when trying to separate. His worst games came against SMU’s top competition, which could scare teams. There will be a learning curve as he develops into a better route runner in the NFL as well. Sutton will need to realize he can’t out physical everyone which may cause him trouble early on.
Grade
Grade: A-