Andrei Iosivas, WR Princeton: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Iosivas was a recruit from Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii in the class of 2018

Princeton wide receiver Andrei Iosivas is on his way to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. after the completion of his final season. The All-Ivy League football and track star has a lot to gain on the All-Star circuit, but he’s already caught the eyes of scouts looking for small school prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Visit my Twitter account @Sam_Teets33 for more updates and previews of the 2023 NFL Draft Guide.

Andrei Iosivas, WR Princeton: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth-year senior wide receiver from Honolulu, Hawaii

Background: Iosivas was a recruit from Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii in the class of 2018. He did not receive a star or recruit ranking from 247Sports, Rivals, On3.com, or ESPN. Iosivas earned First-Team All-Conference honors in high school. He snagged three touchdowns in the 2017 Honor Bowl and earned MVP honors. Iosivas also lettered in basketball and track and field. He received Most Outstanding Male Performer honors at track and field meets during his final two high school seasons. As a high school senior, Iosivas participated in the Hawaii High School Athletics Association (HHSAA) tournament and took home first place in the 100m, 200m, long jump, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay. He’s also a member of Princeton’s track and field team. Iosivas is a three-time Ivy League champion and First-Team All-Ivy League selection in the heptathlon (2019, 2020, and 2022) who earned All-American honors for his performance at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships where he finished fourth in the heptathlon. He posted the fastest ever 60-meter (6.71) in the NCAA heptathlon at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships. Iosivas was named Ivy League Most Outstanding Field Performer during the 2020 and 2022 indoor seasons. He boasts an impressive array of personal bests across track and field’s many disciplines. Per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Iosivas bench presses 370 lbs. and jumps 39 inches in the vertical. He’s a senior captain of Princeton’s football team this season. Iosivas was born on Oct. 15, 1999 and has a younger sibling.

2021 Production: 10 games, 41 receptions, 703 yards, 5 touchdowns

2020 Production: Season Canceled (COVID-19)

2019 Production: 9 games, 18 receptions, 263 yards, 4 touchdowns

2018 Production: J.V. Team Member

Injuries & Off-Field: 2022 outdoor track season cut short with foot surgery

Awards (Football): 2021 Second-Team All-Ivy League

Pros: Drops are rare, finishes catches through heavy contact, catch radius, experience in the slot and out wide, active hands and arms when facing press, displays willingness to block, good mid-air adjustments, ball tracking is a plus, linear build up speed to threaten defenses vertically, incorporates hesitation moves and varied route speed, outside-in move with an arm-over release to handle press, quickly eats up the defender’s cushion, good understanding of openings in zone, instances of playing to his height and elevating above defenders for the ball, foot speed, acceleration takes defensive backs by surprise on deep routes, long strider who covers ground quickly, uses shoulder fakes to force defensive backs outside before cutting inside, creative working to help his quarterback on extended drop backs

Cons: Lean throughout frame, might not be a true 6'3", arm length is acceptable but not great, needs to sink more at the top of his route, track speed doesn’t fully translate to the field, takes poor angles as a blocker, limited instincts and refinement when blocking, sometimes catches the ball against his pads instead of with his hands, explosiveness off the line varies, release includes false steps when pressed, allows defenders into his pads at the line, play strength, tall frame to target in press, not twitchy or elusive, allows himself to be wedged between the defender and sideline, not a natural separator, foot speed varies, competition level

Overview: Iosivas is unofficially listed at 6'3", 200 lbs. The under-recruited wide receiver has excellent ball tracking skills. He makes good mid-air adjustments to the ball and isn’t distracted at the catch point by defenders in his space. Iosivas has the size and arm length to create a large catch radius for his quarterback. Drops are rare for the All-Ivy League performer, and he finishes catches through contact. Iosivas is experienced deploying from the slot and out wide, but he primarily lines up on the outside. He displays active hands and arms when facing press coverage and uses an outside-in release with an arm-over move to handle press. When corners play off the line of scrimmage, Iosivas has long strides to quickly eats up their cushion, and his linear build up speed is good enough to threaten defenses vertically. He shows a surprising amount of acceleration late on downfield routes. Iosivas incorporates hesitation moves into his routes and uses shoulder fakes to force defensive backs outside before cutting inside. He varies the speed of his routes and has a good understanding of where to find the holes in zone. Generally, Iosivas’ foot speed is a positive trait that helps him at the top of his stem. However, there are reps where his feet don’t fire at full speed. Improved concentration and timing should correct this issue. Iosivas is a willing blocker, but he won’t go out of his way to engage defenders and lacks the physicality to consistently overwhelm the opposition. However, there was a touchdown run against Harvard (2022) where Iosivas drove the corner ten yards downfield. With technical development and experience, the Hawaii native can develop into a reliable blocker. Despite his track background, Iosivas struggles to create separation, especially against press coverage. The All-Conference receiver usually finds greater success at separating on intermediate to deep routes over the middle of the field thanks to his shoulder fakes and some outside-in footwork at the top of his stem, but he generates almost no separation on outside releases. Iosivas has build up speed that allows him to occasionally stack defensive backs, but that speed doesn’t help him when he’s jammed early in the play. There are still plenty of instances where Iosivas avoids contact at the line of scrimmage but fails to pull away from his defender, including on downfield routes, by the time the quarterback needs to throw. Struggling to generate separation against Ivy League competition raises questions about Iosivas’ projection to the next level. His release against press coverage includes false steps, and he’s guilty of allowing defensive backs into his pads. Iosivas’ explosiveness off the line of scrimmage is inconsistent. He has a bad habit of allowing himself to be squeezed by the defender along the sideline. The fifth-year senior has a lean frame that lacks power, and he’s not elusive or twitchy. He needs to sink more at the top of his route. Iosivas sometimes catches the ball against his pads instead of with his hands. He takes poor angles as a blocker and shows limited instincts and refinement in this area.

Overall, Iosivas is a small school prospect with an intriguing athletic profile and good ball tracking skills, but he struggles to consistently generate separation and beat press coverage. The Senior Bowl will give Iosivas an opportunity to raise his draft stock by competing against elite competition, but he currently projects as a mid to late Day 3 selection.

Role & Scheme Fit: Big slot receiver (Y) in an 11 personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Mid Fifth to Mid Sixth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 11-09-22