Oklahoma State standout Tylan Wallace will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, throwing a potential wrench in the 2020 NFL Draft receiver class.
The 6-foot, 185-pound junior wide receiver was putting together a strong season, having already amounted 53 catches, 903 yards and eight touchdowns through eight games prior to the injury.
Statistics aside, Wallace offers an intriguing skill-set and was in legitimate position to potentially squeeze himself in the 1st round should he decide to declare.
Wallace is an explosive athlete that possesses the straight-line speed to open up the top of the defense. He has juice coming off of the snap and can gain separation quickly when he’s going vertical.
He’s asked to line up both inside and outside on both sides of the alignment, and Wallace displays the skill to contribute from both the slot and potentially the outside at the next level.
Wallace has a big catch radius for a player his size and has impressive leaping ability. He tracks the ball well in the air and can climb the ladder and attack it at its highest point when it comes his way. He has strong overall hands and it generally takes heavy contact for him not to secure it when targeted.
He predominantly runs a handful of routes, but he has tremendous fluidity and quickness while doing so. Wallace can create throwing windows with his explosion out of his breaks, and his smooth hips and athletic traits should allow him to grow into a more-refined route runner early into his NFL career.
Wallace is a play-maker after the catch that plays much bigger than his size.
Tylan Wallace is a GROWN MANpic.twitter.com/rdaT85Slx9
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 26, 2019
Don’t expect to see him trucking NFL linebackers consistently at the next level, but he’s tough and isn’t afraid to put his body on the line to help his team find success.
The knee injury could have implications on the rest of the 2020 NFL Draft receiver group.
Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb are undoubtedly at the top of his class, but Wallace’s production, skill and his likely Combine numbers very well could have driven him into first round discussion.
Should he decide to enter the 2020 NFL Draft, Wallace should still end up being selected in the top 50-75 picks assuming his rehab for the knee is on schedule come Combine medical evaluations.
If Wallace decides to run it back for his senior season, he could end up being one of the top receivers drafted in next year’s class, with potential WR1 billing if he maintains his level of speed post-recovery.