PROSPECT SUMMARY - CARY ANGELINE

A USC transfer, Cary Angeline had a productive finish to his career at NC State, where he collected 11 touchdown receptions over his final two seasons. The Wolfpack had Angeline split time between serving as an in-line tight end and slot receiver while occasionally getting reps in the backfield. His best traits are his height, length, hands, and ball skills, which lead to some exciting plays in the middle of the field. His hands are soft and he tracks the football well. Angeline is a competitive blocker with good length. When it comes to areas of concern, Angeline is a high athlete that lacks agility, quickness, and speed to truly be dynamic as a receiver. As a blocker, he doesn’t have the balance or functional strength to be more than a positional blocker. Angeline can provide quality depth at the next level, especially for an offense that likes to flex tight ends out to the slot where he has the ability to be a size mismatch in the passing game.

Ideal Role: Depth player with the size and ball skills to challenge the seam and settle in zones.

Scheme Fit: Spread.

FILM EVALUATION

Written by: Joe Marino

Games watched: Wake Forest (2019), Boston College (2019), Clemson (2019), Virginia (2020), Wake Forest (2020), Miami (2020), Pittsburgh (2020)

Best Game Studied: Pittsburgh (2020)

Worst Game Studied: Virginia (2020)

Hands: Angeline has soft and natural hands. He routinely plucks the football away from his frame and greets the football with proper technique. While he has some challenges scooping out low throws, he only had five drops in 90 career targets.

Route Running: Angeline isn’t an overly dynamic route-runner. Despite frequently lining up in the slot, he primarily attacked space and executed a limited route tree. He lacks desirable separation quickness when faced with man coverage. He’s smooth but lacks explosiveness and his high-cut frame makes it challenging for him to snap off dynamic breaks.

Versatility: For North Carolina State, Angeline spent half his time as an in-line tight end and the rest as a slot receiver with a few reps out of the backfield sprinkled in. He has the size and ball skills to challenge the seam and make himself available to his quarterback by settling in space. He will need to get stronger to survive as an in-line blocker in the NFL.

Competitive Toughness: I wouldn’t call Angeline a super physical player, but I don’t question his toughness. He’s high cut and doesn’t have the best contact balance, which leads to some challenges. Whatever Angeline is asked to do on the field, he executes with great effort.

Ball Skills: Angeline has a massive wingspan and he makes good adjustments to the football. He has some really exciting moments on tape where his over-the-shoulder tracking skills shine. He hasn’t proven to be a guy that the quarterback can just throw the ball up to, but he has the length and height to become that if he can add functional strength.

Blocking Skills: Angeline is a willing blocker but he isn’t the most effective. He is tall and lacks ideal contact balance to find consistency with staying square and attached to blocks. He also lacks the functional strength to create push and is more of a positional blocker.

Football IQ: North Carolina State’s willingness to play him in a variety of positions and use him as a blocker and receiver speaks to his football intelligence. He has a natural feel for attacking space as a route-runner and making himself available. There is room for technical growth when it comes to blocking and running routes.

RAC Ability: Angeline is physical and decisive with the ball in his hands, but he isn’t dynamic. He lacks the twitch, quickness, and speed to make defenders miss and break pursuit angles as a ball carrier. He will get the available yards but should not be counted on to create for himself with manufactured touches.

Pass Protection: Angeline is willing and has terrific length, which is an asset for him in pass protection. I’d like to see him become more consistent at finding surface area to fit his hands and using his length to elongate the path of rushers and steer them wider than they want to go to disrupt their rush angle. He has experience helping as an in-line tight end and in the backfield.

Big-Play Ability: Angeline isn’t an explosive big-play threat, but he did average more than 15 yards per reception in college due to his ball skills and size to challenge the seam. He should not be trusted to run away from coverage and separate down the field or produce significant yards after the catch.

Prospect Comparison: Jake McGee (2016 NFL Draft, Carolina Panthers)