Justin Shorter NFL Draft Scouting Report

WR, Florida Gators

Justin Shorter is a redshirt junior wide receiver who originally started his collegiate career at Penn State. Shorter transferred to the Florida program for the 2020 season and quickly carved out a role for himself. 

In Shorter’s three years at Florida, he was a part of coaching changes and QB changes that were volatile. Shorter had his best year in 2022, posting a stat line of 29 catches for 577 yards and two touchdowns. Shorter was a reliable down-the-field target for Anthony Richardson. At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Shorter consistently won down the field in contested situations utilizing his big frame to box out defenders and catch the ball. 

Shorter has shown to consistently win 50/50 jump-ball situations. Shorter is a smooth runner that, against zone with free releases, gets downfield and makes himself available for the quarterback by finding a hole in the defense. On short-to-intermediate routes, Shorter wins by using his body to shield defenders away from the ball and being able to make the catch. Shorter has a large catch radius so the quarterback simply has to put the ball in an area and there is a chance for Shorter to make the catch. 

Transitioning to the NFL, Shorter has the size and traits to potentially transition to the tight end position where he can work the middle of the field and win his one-on-one battles against safeties and linebackers. Once Shorter catches the ball, he also has the ability to break tackles using his size and strength to power through arm tackles and pick up extra yardage.
Shorter’s concerns as a receiver are all about his athletic profile. Shorter is a big receiver who doesn’t appear to have the down-the-field speed to separate vertically from defensive backs in one-on-one situations. Shorter also appears to lack short-area quickness to make defenders miss in space in quick-game situations. Shorter is also inconsistent in his ability to run precise routes, which has to do with his ability to sink his hips and get in and out of breaks. This prevents Shorter from being able to create separation and it results in making every catch a difficult contested catch in man coverage. 

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Big-body possession receiver 
• Consistently win contested-catch situations 
• Red-zone threat

Top Reasons For Concern: 

• Ability to separate  
• Route-running

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 6′ 4”

Weight: 229 lbs

Arm Length: 33 3/4”

Hand Size: 10”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.55s

Vertical Jump: 35.5”

Broad Jump: 10′ 6”

Short-Shuttle: TBD

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: 18 reps

Ideal Role: Possession wide receiver 

Scheme Fit: Spread 

TDN Consensus Grade: 67.50/100 (Seventh-Round Value)

• Sanchez Grade:  67.50/100

Written By: Keith Sanchez 

Exposures: Utah (2022), LSU (2022), Tennessee (2022), Georgia (2022)

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