Over the last decade, the Oklahoma State Cowboys have put several top wide receiver prospects into the NFL. The list includes James Washington, Justin Blackmon, and Dez Bryant. In 2018, Tylan Wallace broke onto the scene for Oklahoma State after an extraordinary season. If he’s able to bounce back from an ACL injury, Tylan Wallace could become the next great Oklahoma State receiver.
In this article, we’ll examine Tylan Wallace’s background and look at how he found his way to Oklahoma State. Next, we’ll turn on the game film and breakdown his mechanics as we look at strengths and weaknesses. Finally, We’ll look at his 2021 NFL Draft stock and provide an early prediction on where his draft stock ends up.
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The Background
Tylan Wallace attended South Hills High School in Fort Worth, Texas. He ranks among the top fifteen high school receiver in the state of Texas for receiving yards. Following his senior year of high school, he participated in the Under Armour All-America Game. Out of high school, Wallace was a consensus top 25 recruit in the state. ESPN ranked Wallace 74th in their ESPN 300 rankings. Prior to selecting Oklahoma State, Tylan Wallace had offers from Michigan, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame. Wallace signed his letter of intent in February of 2017, and enrolled later that year in June.
In his freshman season of 2017, Wallace played a small role on offense, finishing with 7 receptions for 118 yards. However, he was a contributor on special teams as the punt returner.
2018 was a breakout season for Tylan Wallace at Oklahoma State. In 13 games for the Cowboys, he finished with 86 receptions for 1,491 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Additionally, he led the nation with 63 receptions of 10 yards or more. As a result, Wallace was a Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Semifinalist, First-Team Big-12 and All-American. To top things off, Tylan Wallace was a Biletnikoff Award Finalist as the nation’s outstanding receiver.
During the 2019 season, Wallace suffered a season ending injury after tearing his ACL. However, in nine games of action, he accumulated 53 receptions for 903 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. For the second straight season, Tylan Wallace averaged over 17 yards per reception.
What I Like About Tylan Wallace
With all of our scouting reports, we like to include some game film to provide context. Below, I have several clips that highlight what Tylan Wallace does so well for Oklahoma State. He wears number 2 for the Cowboys, but I’ll do my best to point him out.
Quickness Across Middle Of Field
Below, you’ll find Tylan Wallace at the bottom of the screen. At the snap, Wallace does a good job of navigating through traffic and breaking through to the second level. Once he’s out in space, his quickness pops as he sprints towards the open space across the field. While this ball does fall incomplete, it still does a nice job of showing his speed and acceleration.
Run Blocking Ability
Once again, Wallace is at the bottom of the screen. On this designed run, Tylan Wallace does a very nice job of squaring up the defender and delivering a fantastic first punch. This move knocks the defender off balance and Wallace is able to establish leverage. Once engaged, I would have liked to see him maintain that leverage and steer the defender away from the ball, but nonetheless, it’s a terrific effort.
Route Running
I just wanted to take a minute to appreciate what Tylan Wallace does here at the bottom of the screen for Oklahoma State. Once the ball is snapped, he explodes off the line of scrimmage as he displays his quickness. Once he’s five yards into his route, he makes a subtle cut to the outside, which forces the defender to open his hips and face away from Wallace. With the defender pointed away from him, Tylan Wallace sinks his hips and executes solid cut to create separation at the top of the route. This is one of those plays that you put on the screen in the wide receiver room for others to learn from.
What I Dislike About Tylan Wallace
On the previous page, I highlighted several strengths in Tylan Wallace’s abilities for Oklahoma State. As is the case with our scouting reports, I’ve also provided some clips to spotlight weaknesses below. Let’s take a look.
High Motor and Ability To Stay Engaged
Wallace is on the bottom of your screen and runs a pretty solid route. However, once the quarterback gets into trouble, Tylan Wallace seems to give up on the play. Even after the quarterback is able to get the ball to the running back in the flat, Wallace seems unengaged until the back runs directly at Wallace.
Route Running To The Whistle
You’ll hear the term ‘play until the whistle’ in football. On the play below, Tylan Wallace does a poor job of that. He’s on the bottom of the screen running a crossing route across the middle of the field. However, once he crosses the hash mark, and with the quarterback’s eyes downfield, Wallace runs a lazy route. You’ll notice that he has open field between him and the quarterback. Even as the quarterback works across the field and towards the far side of the field, Tylan Wallace isn’t there.
The Competition
In my opinion, Tylan Wallace is a mid-second to late-third round draft pick. He’s been able to put up monster numbers at Oklahoma State, such as two years of 17 yards per reception. However, there are others that project better to the NFL style of play.
While he likely won’t be a top wide receiver in the 2021 NFL Draft, there are still very talented prospects that he has to compete with within the receiver class. Justyn Ross from Clemson had to withdraw from the 2020 season due to a spinal issue. If he’s able to return to football, he could be right there with Wallace for a spot in the second to third round.
Additionally, you have to look at Chatarius Atwell as someone that could leapfrog Tylan Wallace in draft stock. Atwell is a dynamic slot receiver for the University of Louisville. Depending on a team’s needs of an inside or outside receiver, they both could be competing against one another to be drafted first in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Verdict
Oklahoma State wide receiver Tylan Wallace is incredibly talented. He has the explosiveness off the line of scrimmage that NFL scouts like to see. Additionally, he is a crisp route runner that makes change of direction look simple. He’s a raw blocker in space, but possesses a buildable foundation for NFL coaches.
However, I would like to see him play until the whistle and remain engaged throughout a play. Even when he’s tasked with being a decoy receiver on the far side of the field, I’d like to see him do it with more conviction and passion.
Be sure to follow NFL Draft Lounge for more coverage on the 2021 NFL Draft. You can also follow us on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
