Oct 19, 2013; Champaign, IL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Jared Abbrederis (4) is tackled by Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Zane Petty (21) in the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowksi-USA TODAY Sports
Wisconsin’s Jared Abbrederis has been a solid, under the radar wide receiver in the Big Ten since he arrived in Madison four years ago. When the Badgers played Ohio State, he put on a 10 catch 207 yard display where he showed off just about everything he has been doing for Wisconsin in one game. Abbrederis was going up against a far more physically gifted opponent in Bradley Roby, but Abbrederis showed off a terrific amount of technique and savvy at the position in addition to the physical gifts he does have and really had a great game even if the Badgers as a team fell short.
Going to the NFL, Abbrederis has great quickness, decent size and above average speed but really needs to fill out his frame in terms of strength. Whatever he lacks in physical talent, he makes up for in outstanding technique and confidence in the amount of experience has playing the position. He has the ability to catch the ball, but he really does a great job of putting himself in position to make it easier for the quarterback to get him the football. Abbrederis projects as a third day pick due to the amount of talent at the position in this draft, but he probably warrants an early third day pick.
Vitals & Build
Abbrederis is listed at 6’2” 190lbs and looks really lean and relatively average in terms of his build. His strength is relatively average, but his speed is pretty solid. Abbrederis is quick, has good body control, and really can make quick moves and adjustments. He does have the frame to add a solid amount of weight as he goes forward and needs every bit of strength he can get. Abbrederis could use another fifteen to twenty pounds added to this listed weight.
Route Running & Technique
Abbrederis has a pretty good stance that allows his momentum to go forward. Occasionally, he will take a false step when he comes off of the line of scrimmage, but he has definitely shown he can come out cleanly.
Abbrederis really does a nice job running his routes. He has great feet, can sink into cuts without wasted movement, allowing him to create separation. Abbrederis has been a player who runs the same route a number of different ways. He likes to use shake moves, hesitate, and does a great job using his hands to help him keep opponents out of his body and using them to help gain space when he makes cuts. Abbrederis really does a nice job of keeping opponents off balance and not quite sure when he is really making his cut and when he is just showing them a fake. He sells routes well and can make opponents look bad with double moves.
Abbrederis excels working outside of the hashes and with routes that ask him to play out wide. He is not unwilling to go over the middle, but he looks less comfortable. Wisconsin has used him both in the slot and out wide in their offense looking to get him in position to make plays and give them better opportunities to move the football.
Hands
Abbrederis is a confident hands catcher. He is extremely comfortable making plays and has a wide catch radius that allows him to make catches out in front of him and he has shown a real ability to go up and get the ball out of the air. He has shown the ability to concentrate and adjust on the football, showing the ability to make catches when contested and while being hit. Abbrederis does a really nice job when it comes to taking advantage of his body and shielding opponents from making plays on the football.
The one area that could be improved upon his Abbrederis’s hand and arm strength. Abbrederis has shown the ability to go up and get the football, but there are too many times when opponents are able to rip it from him. He is doing the difficult part and tracking passes and making the plays well, but just needs more strength to cash in more of them. There are some hidden yards he could have had if he was better in that respect.
Run After Catch
Abbrederis is a solid run after catch threat. He has more speed than some might expect and seems to surprise opponents with what he can do. Abbrederis is competitive as a runner and not afraid to go out and make a play, using a nice stiff arm to help him more yards by keeping the opponent out of his body and unable to make the tackle. More strength would certainly help him get more bang for his buck in situations when he can run with the ball in his hands. Whether it is a deep pass or a shallow drag, Abbrederis can get some yardage and fight to get to the sticks or the end zone.
Blocking
Abbrederis is a pretty decent blocker. The effort is largely there and he is willing to get into the mix with defenders. He tends to get a good angle to the play and get between the ball carrier and the opponent. At times, Abbrederis will get on the correct shoulder and protect the integrity of the running lane really well, but there are definitely times when he is worried about being overmatched physically and makes sure to get in the way and whatever happens, happens. For the most part, Abbrederis will get there and do a decent job, but there are examples where he gets caught out of position, gets out muscled, or does not bring a ton of effort.
One thing he does really well is mixing up how he comes off of the line of scrimmage to make it so opponents do not know if he is going to run route of set up a block. Many receivers will telegraph their intent by coming off of the line slower and more aware of defenders than they would when running a route. Abbrederis mixes it up, taking off from the line and different speeds and intensities while going for passes and blocks, which helps him set up defenders to get them in a good position and allow him to make the block.
System Fit
Abbrederis might be best suited to play in a more vertical scheme as a complementary receiver that can come in, move the chains, extend drives and make some plays. That said, his quickness is suited to be a horizontal scheme as well. He might start out as a third or fourth receiver depending on the team that picks him, but Abbrederis has certainly shown he could be a solid #2 option for some teams. Much of that will depend on his physical development and added strength he is able to add at the next level.
Special Teams
Another indication of his quickness and ability make shifty moves, Abbrederis has returned punts for four years. It seems unlikely that he would do that in the NFL, but it would not be a surprise if at some point in his career if he ended up back there.
NFL Comparison
Abbrederis has a similar game to Marvin Jones of the Cincinnati Bengals. Coming out of Cal, Jones was somewhat overlooked because he was overshadowed by Keenan Allen, one of the best receivers in the country. Jones has similar physical ability to Abbrederis and might not qualify as one of the top 10 most gifted athletes on the Bengals roster. Nevertheless, he is one of the leaders in catches because he just understands and how to get open and catch the football despite only being a fifth round pick.
Draft Projection
Physically, Jared Abbrederis is not the tallest or strongest guy. He has a track background so he should run well in testing, but it can be difficult for it to all show up on the field. When it comes right down to it, Abbrederis understands how to play the position and demonstrates a terrific amount of technique that makes it so he can beat physically superior players. If he can keep adding strength and fill out that frame, Abbrederis has the potential to become a really nice player in the NFL and a good #2 receiving option. Because of the sheer amount of receiving talent, Abbrederis warrants an early third day pick but just projects as the type of guy who might get overlooked for his physical gifts and just sticks around for a decade in the league because he just understands how to get open and catch the football.
Some of the film used for this scouting breakdown was provided by the good folks at draftbreakdown.com