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Khalil Shakir NFL Draft Profile
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Khalil Shakir Scouting ReportShakir possesses the explosiveness to gear up quickly after catches and cuts. He has great twitch and suddenness as an athlete. Moreover, the Boise State WR also has more than enough speed to threaten defensive backs in space and stretch the field. Shakir possesses good change-of-direction ability, as well as exceptional hip sink capacity. That suddenness, hip sink, and burst out of breaks affords him high potential after the catch. Shakir has good stop-and-start ability. He can halt momentum and levy quick cuts and spins. Additionally, his hip sink insulates his potential as a route runner. He accelerates out of breaks and explodes upfield. His ability to carry his speed through his breaks makes him hard to match at times. And after the catch, Shakir is a slippery runner. He can sneak through lanes and manipulate the open field fairly well. Shakir’s operational strengths is his work at the catch point. At the catch, Shakir shows off absurd instincts. The Boise State WR can track the ball and make challenging adjustments with little strain. He’s able to control and contort his body with rare, natural comfort in the air. And his near-elite coordination ties it all together. Shakir actively guides the ball in with his hands and positions himself to maximize his reach. He can make acrobatic catches even amidst contact. Shakir also shows promise as a route runner. He has a smooth style, and can effectively stack cuts and roll his hips on routes. He’s shown he can speed up his feet into stems and surge into the open field. Moreover, Shakir can set up defenders and divert course with his suddenness as an athlete. He can threaten outside and generate displacement on routes and has shown to actively use deception. Shakir also has great zone awareness. He sneaks past defenders and exploits blind spots, and he can also pry defenders off of him and leap up for grabs in the red zone. He can corral contested throws in stride with his strong hands and focus. He has smooth throttle control nearing the catch point. He can actively slow up and adjust for off-target throws. He also has the versatility to line up in the slot, out wide, or be used in motion and take carries out of the backfield. |
Areas for ImprovementShakir’s frame is lighter, slightly high-cut, and sports below-average length. That length can impact his ability to compete against more physical backs. It also impacts his catch radius. As much as his body control can compensate, he doesn’t quite have the reach other receivers have. Additionally, while Shakir is a good athlete, he’s not elite. His short-range burst and elusiveness, while solid, isn’t elite, and he needs a bit of a runway to accelerate. Shakir still has plenty of room to develop his route-running ability. He sometimes rounds off his routes and doesn’t always play with maximum suddenness. That tendency to round off breaks can give defenders more time to close in. Furthermore, Shakir can employ greater deception into his stems. He doesn’t always use head fakes or tease his speed downfield. Overall, Shakir can expand his route tree and be a more precise route runner. He has the tools, but he doesn’t always use them efficiently. Shakir is prone to the occasional focus drop, especially when he’s threatened with immediate contact. He also has trouble fighting through contact at the route stem, and he’s easy to bring down with his lighter frame. Shakir’s projection against press falls into question as well. He doesn’t have an expansive release package, and his subpar length doesn’t translate well. Shakir is a decent blocker, he can have trouble sustaining blocks in the run game. Additionally, when he gets catches behind the line of scrimmage, he can freeze up at times, and try to be too creative. |
Khalil Shakir Career at SchoolShakir’s career at Boise State has been illustrious would be an understatement. He finished his career fifth in team history in total receptions, fourth in total receiving yards, and ninth in total receiving touchdowns. Shakir’s first year didn’t have that kind of production — but the flashes were there. Shakir immediately saw the field as a rotational receiver, collecting 170 yards and a touchdown on 16 catches. The Boise State WR also ran for 70 yards and a score on 14 carries. The breakout came the following year, in 2019. As a mere true sophomore, Shakir earned All-Mountain West honorable mention recognition, hauling in 872 yards and 6 scores on 63 catches. From that point onward, Shakir was the focal point of Boise State’s offense. In a seven-game 2020 season, he tacked on 52 catches for 719 yards and 6 touchdowns, and also ran for 148 yards on 17 carries. And 2021, despite the high bar to clear, was his best year yet. Shakir played in 12 games, catching 77 passes for 1,117 receiving yards, finding the end zone 7 times. |
Khalil Shakir NFL Draft Player ProfileShakir brings a lot to the table. Before the catch, he has the smooth athleticism, explosiveness, and hip sink to find separation. In zone, he has great blind spot awareness, which he uses to masterfully exploit defensive backs. At the catch, Shakir’s phenomenal, instinctive acrobatic ability is well-advertised. After the catch, he’s a slippery runner with some elusiveness in the open field. Khalil is a great athlete, he’s not quantifiably elite to the point that he can create solely with his athleticism. He also has room to develop as a route runner if he wants to maximize his physical traits. On top of that, his subpar length complicates his NFL projection. NFL defenders may more easily outmuscle him at the catch point, and his lacking experience against press could be a problem. Shakir has some appeal as a versatile slot receiver. He has enough RAC ability to be an asset with the ball in his hands. If he can channel his burst and hip sink and refine his route-running ability, he can be a menacing separator. His skill set is worth a Day 2 or early Day 3 pick. At the very least, he’s a great player to have in the rotation, and he can be a starting slot receiver who doubles as a playmaker at the catch point.
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