EverydayImRusselin":265tf1wg said:
Thanks for the insight. Who would you compare him to in the NFL outside of the Hawks?
I think he compares almost identically to Antonio Brown (2010) out of Central Michigan.
Both physically and skill set wise, they are remarkably similar. Brown is an outstanding route runner and was so even in college. In today's NFL -- if we talking quality of route running and the subtle skills a WR can use to get open outside of physical attributes -- they are virtual clones.
Both weighed in an under 190 lbs. Both in the low 4.5 range. Abbrederis' explosion/agility scores are superior by a pretty solid margin. He is also 3 inches taller, but neither with incredible length (31" arms).
Both players with exceptional ball skills and strong hands.
Really, they are very very similar types of prospects. Brown went in the 6th round. He was also the second half of a double dip into the WR pool by Pittsburgh that year. If he were redrafted, he'd be a first round pick quite easily. Like Abbrederis, he fell because of generic 'upside' limitations that drop good players far below their real quality every single year. And the fact he played in a small school conference suppressed his stock by a couple rounds on top of that.
Abbrederis could easily be Antonio Brown. Or a player very close to it.
Something else to consider, is that Abbrederis is a very accomplished punt returner. A role that is currently unfilled for Seattle.
Other players who similarly exhibit a strong ability to use subtle/savvy tricks to get open: Deion Branch, Brian Hartline, Wes Welker and Larry Fitzgerald. I didn't necessarily compare Abbrederis to those guys, because I didn't find them similar in other aspects like Brown. Welker is much quicker and is a slot guy. But Welker's toolbag to get separation at the very last moment is something that I see Abbrederis learning to do and expect he will master it in the same way.
Fitzgerald is a masterful route runner, but he also has physical tools that Abbrederis will never have. However if I limit the comparison to just the ability to run routes in a way to gain advantage over defenders -- then Abbrederis and Fitz match very well.
Ultimately I see Antonio Brown when I see Abbrederis. That's no chopped liver.