Kayshon Boutte NFL Draft Scouting Report

WR, LSU Tigers

Kayshon Boutte has been a part of the 2023 NFL Draft conversation since he burst onto the scene his freshman year after breaking the SEC single-game receiving record against Ole Miss (308 receiving yards). Boutte started his sophomore year leading the nation in touchdown catches before a season-ending injury and then had a junior year where he was healthy but there was a significant lack of production which could be attributed to coaching and QB changes. The one thing that has remained consistent with Boutte throughout his career is his natural athleticism and playmaking ability with the ball in his hands. 

Boutte’s best trait is his run-after-the-catch ability, and LSU found many different ways to get him the football. Boutte lined up as an outside receiver to catch a quick screen, lined up in the slot to get free releases and uncover quickly, and was sent in motion to receive a jet sweep handoff. With the ball in his hands, Boutte has shown to be a dangerous weapon. He has the ability to be elusive to make defenders miss in space, use his natural lower-body strength to run through arm tackles or use his speed to simply run away from defenders—easily putting space between him and defenders, turning a short pass into an explosive play 

Another plus trait is his speed. Lined up on the outside, Boutte has the speed to run past defensive backs and become an instant vertical threat. Boutte’s speed provides him with other opportunities running routes. Because of his speed, Boutte receives a lot of off-coverage in which he can run a simple drag route to get the ball in his hands and utilize his run-after-catch ability to turn a simple play into a big gain for the offense. Boutte is able to threaten defensive backs vertically and snap off routes, running curls, hitches, and comebacks quickly to make himself available to the quarterback. 

Boutte’s improvements as a player are centered around the details of playing the receiver position. When lined up as an outside receiver, Boutte needs to speed up his cadence and foot-fire in his release. Oftentimes, Boutte releases too slow and defensive backs are able to get hands on him to significantly alter his route stem. Boutte also needs to improve his catch radius. In closely-contested situations, Boutte appears to struggle to come down with the football with defenders contesting the catch. Boutte needs to work on extending away from his frame and catching the football to give himself a wider catch radius and be a more reliable receiver in tightly-contested situations. Boutte also has focus drops that occur throughout the season. On occasion, Boutte will be open on an underneath route and he will lose focus of the football, preparing to run with the football before actually securing the pass, and will drop it. All of these are things that Boutte has the ability to move on from, but he needs to focus and continuously work at them. 

Boutte’s traits to be a vertical threat and a viable run-after-catch option are easily translatable to the NFL. But for Boutte to reach his upside as a receiver prospect who can be a true No. 1 in the NFL, he will need to focus on the details of playing the receiver position and execute consistently.

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Big-play ability 
• Versatile alignment
• Vertical threat receiver 

Top Reasons For Concern:

• Focus drops of the football 
• Limited catch radius   
• Improve his release package 

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 5′ 11”

Weight: 195 lbs

Arm Length: 31 3/8”

Hand Size: 9 1/2”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.50s

Vertical Jump: 29”

Broad Jump: 9′ 10”

Short-Shuttle: 4.25s

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: TBD

Ideal Role: Starting Z or slot receiver  

Scheme Fit: Spread system 

TDN Consensus Grade: 83.00/100 (Second-Round Value)

• Sanchez Grade: 83.00/100

Written By: Keith Sanchez 

Exposures:  Florida State (2022), Tennessee (2022), Florida (2022), Georgia (2022)

Kayshon Boutte NFL Draft Scouting Report. Add him to your big board here.