Nathaniel Dell, WR Houston: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Dell was a three-star recruit from Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Fla. and (junior college) Independence Community College in Independence, Kan. in the class of 2020

The Houston Cougars have a dynamic duo on offense between quarterback Clayton Tune and wide receiver Nathaniel Dell. Tune arrived at Houston as a three-star recruit, but Dell took and long and winding path before finding his current team. The veteran wide receiver is a key prospect to watch in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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

Nathaniel Dell, WR Houston: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior slot and outside receiver from Daytona Beach, Fla.

Background: Dell was a three-star recruit from Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Fla. and (junior college) Independence Community College in Independence, Kan. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 162 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 147 for On3.com. Dell was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100. Dell was a high school senior in 2017. He originally committed to Florida International University, but somewhere along the line things fell apart. Instead, he played for Alabama A&M in 2018, recording 12 receptions for 364 yards and three touchdowns. In 2019, he led the Independence C.C. Pirates with 52 receptions for 766 yards and eight touchdowns. Dell transferred to Houston in 2020. His nickname is “Tank.”

2021 Production: 14 games, 90 receptions, 1,329 yards, 12 touchdowns + 13 kick returns, 201 yards

2020 Production: 8 games, 29 receptions, 428 yards, 3 touchdowns + 5 kick returns, 129 yards

2019 Production: 52 receptions, 766 yards, 8 touchdowns

2018 Production: 12 receptions, 364 yards, 3 touchdowns

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a shoulder injury in 2021 but didn’t miss any games

Awards: 2021 First-Team All-American Athletic Conference

Pros: Experienced in the slot and outside, offers special teams upside, elusive in the open field, strings together multiple jukes and cuts, twitchy, feet are always active and quick, quick off the line, acceleration to explode through openings, sells defensive backs on his routes, has the speed to win at all three levels, trusted as a creative playmaker at Houston, varies route tempo, usually snappy at the top of his route’s stem, footwork and speed off the line counter press, easily stacks safeties, flashes instances of high level ball tracking, creates good vertical separation when he turns on the jets, route running skills create separation

Cons: Suffered double-digit drops in 2021, net negative in contested catch situations, lacks the build to play outside in the NFL, would be an outlier at his weight at the next level, slot corners and safeties will try to bump him off his route, catch radius, plenty of schemed touches, not a true burner, corners crowd him downfield on contested catches he has no way to combat them, some instances of not separating quick enough, age, blocking isn’t his strong suit

Overview: Dell is unofficially listed at 5'10", 155 lbs. The Florida native is a playmaker with the ball in his lands. He lacks burner-level speed but can still take the ball to the house on almost any play. Dell strings together multiple jukes, spins, and cuts in the open field to create a continuously growing highlight reel. His experience as an outside receiver shows in how he handles press coverage and some of the deeper routes he’s comfortable running. Dell is a seasoned college football veteran, and it shows in his releases, route running, and vision. However, the former three-star recruit suffers from concentration drops and sometimes lets the ball bounce off of his body instead of corralling it with his hands. Dell is an older prospect with significant size concerns that hurt his projection to the NFL, especially given some of his struggles to catch passes when crowded by larger defenders.

Overall, Dell is an explosive, twitchy playmaker with route running savvy and the speed to win at all three levels. His athletic skill set will entice NFL teams, but he’ll drop in the draft because of his size. Memphis product Calvin Austin didn’t go until the fourth round, and that’s the ceiling for Dell if he shows out in 2022.

Role & Scheme Fit: Slot receiver (Y) and a versatile weapon in an 11 personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Late Fourth to Mid Fifth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 07-10-22