Tanner Connor is an athletic freak of nature. He reportedly has a 40′ vertical and has been timed in the 100m at 10.51 seconds and the 200m at 21.54 seconds. Scored a 39.0 vertical at the Washington pro day, where he stole the show. Overall, Tanner Conner provides some suitable special teams value for the early portion of his career. While there are some routes that he struggles to run, he could be a potential big slot as well but needs to expand his route tree and understand the nuances. 

The Measurables

Tanner Conner

HT: 6026
WT: 230
WING: 7728
ARM: 3178
HAND: 900
DOB: 3/20/1998
Year: Redshirt Senior
High School: Kentridge (Kent, WA)
HS Rating: N/A
Phil Steele: N/A

Pro Day Workout
40: 4.50
BP: 19
VJ: 39.0
BJ: 10-7
SS: 4.41
3C: 7.15
Workout conducted at the University of Washington.

Tanner Conner Complete Scouting Report

For all the speed that he’s reported to have, he does not look like a track athlete. Looks like he’s running slower than he actually is. Reportedly ran a 4.37 forty-yard dash but NFL Scouts had him at 4.50. Seems to maintain his speed well as he weaves through traffic. Change of direction is a little suspect. Struggles to get into his cuts. Has some ability to make plays happen but usually after the catch.

Doesn’t show a lot of body control as a route runner. Struggles to get into his breaks on curl/comeback concepts and get back to the ball. Doesn’t have a great first step to accelerate off of. Takes him a couple of steps to really get up to speed. Has some explosive ability but doesn’t show it all the time. Certainly can go vertical when he needs to.

Doesn’t show a lot of great things at the top of his route. Not very crisp through his cuts. Doesn’t show smoothness during breaks and cuts, looks big and sluggish. Doesn’t create a lot of separation. Ran a very limited route tree at Idaho State. The entire playbook looked very limited. Ran a variety of goes, outs, and other simple routes.

Shows good hand work as a route runner to get his positioning against intense, physical coverage. Has an effective shrug to dip under physical man coverage. Has much to learn, but shows understanding with the route tree he already has. Does not have a great release. Struggles to show the necessary explosion. Struggles to get into his route. You don’t see too many opportunities for Conner to work the sideline, but in the limited reps he looked decent. Flashed the ability to go up, get the ball, and come down in bounds.

Receiver Ability

Very solid, strong hands. A little bit small but flashes the ability to make outstanding catches in very awkward spots. Really struggles to catch consistently through traffic and contact. Suffered 13 drops in college (11.3% of his targets per PFF). Has the explosive ability to get up and track the football. Can corral catches even in difficult spots. Catches well through traffic and through contact. Strong hands. Not particularly good at catching the deep ball through contact. Locates the ball well. Very good at creating good angles to the ball. Has trouble at times locating the ball. Struggled to secure catches deep throughout the Shrine Bowl week. Dangerous red zone target with his length and size. If you can scheme him into a position, he could be very effective.

Strong run blocker. Will lock down a perimeter. Bullies defensive backs, could potentially even be used inline as a run blocker. Don’t see him miss many assignments. Handles the perimeter well.

I was most impressed with how level Tanner Conner is. His understanding of his flaws and his ability to compartmentalize his mistakes is outstanding. Very professional player who has a career at the next level.

Has stayed healthy throughout his career. Was limited in summer training prepping for the 2018 season. Tanner Conner offers a lot of potential and upside. While his role will have to be limited early as he learns a playbook and a team finds his role, Conner has athletic ability and understands a lot about the wide receiver position.

Overall Grade
X Receiver: 74

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