I was surprised Xavier Restrepo wasn’t even drafted. All of those great receivers they’ve had at the University of Miami – Michael Irvin, Santana Moss, Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne – and Restrepo caught more passes than all of them.
He ended his career there with an even 200 catches, along with a pair of 1,000-yard seasons. He was Cam Ward’s go-to guy last year, finishing with 69 catches for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he was actually even busier the previous season, catching 85 balls. (Though in 2023, he averaged 3.5 fewer yards per catch.)
But the testing numbers were awful, lowlighted by a 4.85 in the 40 – a time you might associated more with a lineman. (I can’t recall ever hearing about a wide receiver running in the 4.8 range.) He’s also just under 5-foot-10.
I have watched the highlight clips. There are a couple of cool plays where he pivots away from the defenders in an unexpected way – not going where you might expect. But the lack of enough giddyap is apparent. To me, he looks like a fun college player.
Ultimately, 32 teams didn’t think he was worth drafting, and this isn’t an off-the-radar receiver who played at Wyoming A&M or who was miscast in a run-dominated offense. Everybody got a good look at Restrepo. If anybody thought there was a decent chance he might make their roster, he would have been drafted.
The Titans, of course, used the first pick of the draft on Ward, so they spent more time looking at Restrepo than other teams. They decided to sign him, but only after using two fourth-round picks on wide receivers (Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor).
Brian Callahan concedes that the 40 time was the driver in Restrepo not being pick.
"Yeah, it matters," the coach said. "But I think you see the football player and you see this speed that he plays with when he plays. I wouldn't have thought that would have been the time that he ran. But that's how you go from a potential draft pick to being an undrafted free agent at the end of the day. And he's got a lot to prove and I'm excited to see him do it.”
His college quarterback might have put in a good word for him.
"I was real excited when (the Titans) signed X," Ward said. "He is one of the most underrated players that was in the draft this year. I think every time he steps on the field, he remembers everything, and he is going to continue to prove it.
"He was one of the best route runners in college football last year, he is first-team All-conference, he is All-American, he never lost in man coverage. He is a back-to-back 1,000-yard receiver, so why wouldn't you push for him?"
If Restrepo somehow develops into something viable, he’ll be beating some long odds. With undrafted wide receivers, there’s Rod Smith, Wes Welker and Adam Thielen, but not much else.
In the last 15 years, only 17 wide receivers who weren’t drafted have gone on to post top-40 numbers (PPR leagues) at some point in their careers. Some have done it multiple times, but just 17 guys. In the chart below, you’re seeing the best season by each of those 17 games.
| UNDRAFTED RECEIVERS WITH TOP-40 SEASONS (last 15 yrs) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Yr | Rec | Yds | TD | PPR | Rk |
| 2011 | Victor Cruz, NYG | 2 | 82 | 1,536 | 9 | 289.9 | 3 |
| 2018 | Adam Thielen, Min. | 5 | 113 | 1,373 | 9 | 309.3 | 7 |
| 2016 | Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 6 | 94 | 1,128 | 7 | 253.8 | 8 |
| 2017 | Robby Anderson, NYJ | 2 | 63 | 941 | 7 | 200.0 | 18 |
| 2024 | Jakobi Meyers, L.V. | 6 | 87 | 1,027 | 4 | 218.0 | 19 |
| 2016 | Tyrell Williams, S.D. | 2 | 69 | 1,059 | 7 | 216.9 | 19 |
| 2015 | Allen Hurns, Jac. | 2 | 64 | 1,031 | 10 | 227.1 | 19 |
| 2018 | Adam Humphries, T.B. | 4 | 76 | 816 | 5 | 188.7 | 24 |
| 2020 | Cole Beasley, Buff. | 9 | 82 | 967 | 4 | 207.7 | 27 |
| 2017 | Jermaine Kearse, NYJ | 6 | 65 | 810 | 5 | 176.0 | 28 |
| 2015 | Kamar Aiken, Balt. | 3 | 75 | 944 | 5 | 199.4 | 29 |
| 2021 | Kendrick Bourne, N.E. | 5 | 55 | 800 | 5 | 182.8 | 32 |
| 2016 | Willie Snead, N.O. | 3 | 72 | 895 | 4 | 192.0 | 32 |
| 2013 | Rod Streater, Oak. | 2 | 60 | 888 | 4 | 174.5 | 33 |
| 2022 | Allen Lazard, G.B. | 5 | 60 | 788 | 6 | 174.8 | 34 |
| 2016 | Cameron Meredith, Chi. | 2 | 66 | 888 | 4 | 183.5 | 38 |
| 2011 | David Nelson, Buff. | 2 | 61 | 658 | 5 | 156.8 | 39 |
The odds get even longer if you’re hoping that Restrepo is not only getting a role of some not, but that it’s going to happen this year. In the 32-team era, only five undrafted receivers (in 23 years) have finished with top-50 numbers. Only 13 have at least made the top 80.
| BEST UNDRAFTED RECEIVERS (rookie yrs) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | No | Yds | TD | PPR | Rk |
| 2011 | Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 51 | 788 | 4 | 153.6 | 42 |
| 2010 | Anthony Armstrong, Was. | 44 | 871 | 3 | 149.1 | 43 |
| 2017 | Keelan Cole, Jac. | 42 | 748 | 3 | 134.8 | 48 |
| 2013 | Marlon Brown, Balt. | 49 | 524 | 7 | 145.2 | 48 |
| 2014 | Allen Hurns, Jac. | 51 | 677 | 6 | 154.7 | 49 |
| 2008 | Davone Bess, Mia. | 54 | 554 | 1 | 116.7 | 58 |
| 2003 | Dane Looker, St.L. | 47 | 495 | 3 | 115.1 | 59 |
| 2012 | Rod Streater, Oak. | 39 | 584 | 3 | 117.4 | 64 |
| 2019 | Steven Sims, Was. | 34 | 310 | 6 | 109.5 | 66 |
| 2016 | Robby Anderson, NYJ | 42 | 587 | 2 | 116.9 | 68 |
| 2013 | Kenbrell Thompkins, N.E. | 32 | 466 | 4 | 102.6 | 68 |
| 2014 | Taylor Gabriel, Cle. | 36 | 621 | 1 | 105.1 | 72 |
| 2010 | Blair White, Ind. | 36 | 355 | 5 | 101.5 | 72 |
| 2022 | Rashid Shaheed, N.O. | 28 | 488 | 3 | 100.5 | 74 |
| 2018 | Robert Foster, Buff. | 27 | 541 | 3 | 99.1 | 76 |
| 2024 | KaVontae Turpin, Dall. | 31 | 420 | 4 | 106.2 | 77 |
| 2019 | Preston Williams, Mia. | 32 | 428 | 3 | 92.8 | 77 |
| 2006 | Hank Baskett, Phil. | 22 | 464 | 2 | 80.4 | 80 |
—Ian Allan