2021 draft. Round 7 pick 242 Patriots select WR Tre Nixon

UCF

Not much on Nixon.

SUMMARY: Tre Nixon had a productive prep career at Viera High School (50 miles outside of Orlando) and set school records for receiving yards (1,243) and touchdown catches (18) as a senior. A four-star recruit, he signed with Ole Miss (over Alabama and Georgia) and spent two years in Oxford before transferring closer to home at UCF. Nixon started 27 consecutive games before a broken left collarbone in the 2020 season opener sidelined him for six games, disrupting his senior season. Nixon is a savvy pass-catcher who works towards the void and wins with body position in coverage. Though he is a smooth strider, he doesn’t play loose, and his game lacks explosive elements. He can climb the ladder and secure throws away from his body, but 13 drops over the last three seasons is a concerning number. Overall, Nixon’s speed is more build-up than instant, but he tempos his routes and attacks the catch point with attitude, which could earn him an NFL roster spot.
 
Clearly a fast guy. Small, dogged player, very coachable with a big heart? Yep, that's a Patriot WR alright!

Outlook​

Nixon is your classic vertical deep threat. He has NFL speed and soft hands, can get off of defenders at the line, and though he’s not the most physical guy, he is physical enough to make catches while well-covered. The ball just seems to find his hands no matter the circumstances. The only knock on him might be his size, which might end up getting him classified as a project to be turned into a slot guy. However, he was eminently coachable at UCF and showed us something coming back from the broken collarbone in the first game of a pandemic season — when he could have easily just opted out — to return to a team that needed him. The unfortunate thing is that there are a lot of 6-foot tall, 190-pound receivers that come out every year, so how will he make himself stand out above the crowd?

Projection: Late Day Three
 

NFL Draft results 2021: Why the Patriots selected UCF wide receiver Tre Nixon​

Related: Patriots draft UCF WR Tre Nixon at No. 242
By Keagan Stiefel May 1, 2021, 7:10pm EDT
Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The New England Patriots selected a wide receiver to cap off their contributions to the 2021 NFL Draft.
They did so by selecting Central Florida wide receiver Tre Nixon with the 242nd overall pick.
Here is your first look at why they made that choice.

A speed option at the wide receiver position​

Even though the Patriots made several upgrades to the wide receiver position throughout free agency, there is still a noticeable lack of speed at the position. The selection of Tre Nixon changes that. Prior to his addition, the fastest receiver on the roster was Nelson Agholor who ran a 4.47 coming out of college. Nixon edges him out at 4.43.

A valuable camp body​

Not only will Nixon be able to push for a roster spot in training camp by showing off that tremendous speed, but he will serve as a solid body to give the defensive backs some work. That alone will make him more than worth the draft pick, found value in the late rounds.

Competition for the under performers​

It’s no secret that N’Keal Harry has underperformed. There is some hope that with each WR addition, Harry can step up his game to the level many (including the Patriots) believe he can play at.
Nixon certainly won’t look as intimidating as a first round pick, but another body on the roster to commandeer some reps is a positive for competition. A small positive but that’s about what you get from a seventh round pick.
 

NFL Draft results 2021: Why the Patriots selected UCF wide receiver Tre Nixon​

Related: Patriots draft UCF WR Tre Nixon at No. 242
By Keagan Stiefel May 1, 2021, 7:10pm EDT
Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The New England Patriots selected a wide receiver to cap off their contributions to the 2021 NFL Draft.
They did so by selecting Central Florida wide receiver Tre Nixon with the 242nd overall pick.
Here is your first look at why they made that choice.

A speed option at the wide receiver position​

Even though the Patriots made several upgrades to the wide receiver position throughout free agency, there is still a noticeable lack of speed at the position. The selection of Tre Nixon changes that. Prior to his addition, the fastest receiver on the roster was Nelson Agholor who ran a 4.47 coming out of college. Nixon edges him out at 4.43.

A valuable camp body​

Not only will Nixon be able to push for a roster spot in training camp by showing off that tremendous speed, but he will serve as a solid body to give the defensive backs some work. That alone will make him more than worth the draft pick, found value in the late rounds.

Competition for the under performers​

It’s no secret that N’Keal Harry has underperformed. There is some hope that with each WR addition, Harry can step up his game to the level many (including the Patriots) believe he can play at.
Nixon certainly won’t look as intimidating as a first round pick, but another body on the roster to commandeer some reps is a positive for competition. A small positive but that’s about what you get from a seventh round pick.

A slightly faster Deion Branch. That's not a slight to Deion, it's a nod to how much more competitive the passing game has become.
 
A slightly faster Deion Branch. That's not a slight to Deion, it's a nod to how much more competitive the passing game has become.
Deion Branch. A successful second round pick, at the WR position. Another notch in the GM belt for Belichick.

If Nixon makes the team and contributes at anything near the Branch level, that's a big win.
 
Deion Branch. A successful second round pick, at the WR position. Another notch in the GM belt for Belichick.

If Nixon makes the team and contributes at anything near the Branch level, that's a big win.

What I meant is the competition is much sharper now than in Deion's day. Deion wouldn't be Deion today.
 
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