Today we are analyzing Dwayne Eskridge, Western Michigan’s 5’9″ 190 lb. speedy wide receiver who was named First team All-MAC in 2020.
Strengths: Eskridge combines lethal speed and pristine route-running to give cornerbacks nightmares. He is excellent at defeating press, using a wide variety of releases that incorporate savvy footwork and a good use of his hands to discard the cornerback’s jam attempts to get past his defender and then possessing great burst to separate. Eskridge keeps the defender stacked on his hip and creates a lot of separation deep, with elite speed in his favor. His speed and burst also make him extremely dangerous after the catch, where normal pursuit angles do not work on him and he can take any touch to the house for a touchdown. As a result, Eskridge is dangerous on manufactured touches out of the backfield, capable of taking a reverse or a bubble screen for a first down with ease. Eskridge is not limited to downfield shots, as he excels working back to the quarterback and his high-level route-running also translates to routes over the middle of the field, making him a complete receiver who can beat a cornerback running any route anywhere on the field with his crispness, suddenness, and speed. Eskridge’s experience playing as a cornerback two years ago gives him great understanding of his opponent’s position, which he uses to his advantage in defeating them. Eskridge has good hands, and shows an ability to pluck balls out of the air. His tracking and adjusting downfield to throws is impressive. Eskridge is a willing and effective blocker in the run game. He also adds value as a dangerous return man on special teams. Eskridge dominated the Senior Bowl and was unguardable in 1 on 1’s, displaying his tremendous route running and athletic traits.
Weaknesses: While Eskridge has shown that he can extend to secure off-target throws, his lack of height and length still hurt him. He won’t ever be a jump ball receiver, and he does not fare well with disruption at the catch point in these situations, so a quarterback will need to be able to take advantage of the separation he generates to avoid creating a contested catch. After the catch, Eskridge does not possess much contact balance and can be ankle tackled. Eskrdige is 24 years old already, which complicates giving him a long-term second contract if he is successful.
Bottom Line: Eskridge’s playmaking ability translates very well to the NFL, as he has already demonstrated a diverse route tree and an impressive ability to defeat press coverage. Combining elite suddenness, burst, and speed with high-level route running, Eskrdige will be a bonafide big play threat at the next level. Quarterbacks will just have to be aware that he cannot be relied on in jump ball situations, but his level of separation should avoid that itself. Entering his rookie season at age 24 is surely a long-term inconvenience, but Eskridge can be a dynamic playmaker for the entirety of his rookie contract. His Senior Bowl performance confirmed this.
Draft Projection: Mid day 2
Draft Grade: 2.0 (early round 2)
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