From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Cincinnati wide receiver Jeff Caldwell.
NO. 9 JEFF CALDWELL/WR/CINCINNATI – 6046, 216 POUNDS (SENIOR)
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Jeff Caldwell 6046/216 9 3/4 32 5/8 N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.31 1.48 DNP DNP
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
11’2″ 42″ DNP
THE GOOD
-Long receiver with great speed to stretch the field vertically
-Flashed a huge catch radius to win outside of his frame
-Strong hands at the catch point to make plays through contract; made several one-handed catches
-Sudden into and out of his breaks, allowing him to create separation; suddenness shows up on in-breaking routes
-Comfortable aligning on the boundary or in the slot
-Nose for the end zone; consistently found pay dirt
-Tough after the catch, able to create yardage with the football in his hands
THE BAD
-Limited route tree despite big-play abilities
-Only one season of experience against NFL-level talent
-Will need to add more play strength to deal with bigger, stronger cornerbacks at the next level
-Allows himself to be bumped off his routes too often when working vertically along the sideline
-Inconsistent in using his size to his advantage, particularly his length
STATS
-2025 stats: 32 receptions for 478 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games with 11 starts
-Appeared in 41 career games in college; spent first three seasons at Lindenwood
-Across three seasons at Lindenwood, hauled in 93 passes for 1,772 yards and 23 touchdowns
-Was named a 2024 Walter Payton Award finalist in his final season at Lindenwood as the top offensive player in FCS
INJURY HISTORY
-No reported injury history
BACKGROUND
-Born on March 5, 2001
-Played at Butler High School in Louisville, Kentucky, alongside current NFL wide receiver Jordan Watkins
-Was initially set on joining the military after high school, until late scholarship offers rolled in
-Chose Lindenwood to follow his brother, Frank
-Spent three seasons at Lindenwood and turned in a 1,000-yard season in 2024, earning FCS honors
-Named to Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List after transferring to Cincinnati; ranked No. 29 overall
-Competed in the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl
-Combine invite
TAPE BREAKDOWN
After a dominant three-year stretch at Lindenwood at the FCS level, which saw him finish as a finalist for the Walter Payton Player of the Year in 2024, wide receiver Jeff Caldwell challenged himself at the FBS level in 2025. He transferred into the Big 12 to play at Cincinnati.
Caldwell didn’t quite put up the production he did at Lindenwood, but Caldwell flashed enough to earn an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl. He also earned a Combine invite and took advantage of it, turning heads with his size, speed, and overall athleticism. This prompted many — including me — to head back to the tape.
Caldwell is a receiver with legitimate vertical speed to take the top off of defenses and create significant splash plays.
Granted, this is a busted coverage against UCF last season in a matchup against the Bearcats, but you can see Caldwell’s operating speed. He doesn’t need much of a runway and can reach top speed in the blink of an eye.
Caldwell showed that at the Combine, too, with his incredible testing numbers. He earned a perfect 10.00u Relative Athletic Score from Kent Lee Plate.
Though he struggles at times to stack and separate against cornerbacks on vertical routes, Caldwell has a wide catch radius and impressive hands.
He gets a nice release here against Bowling Green. Though he doesn’t stack the cornerback working vertically, he shows off his catch radius. His outside arm fires out at the last second to grasp the ball with one hand late in the rep for the highlight-reel catch.
Again, he struggles to stack and separate downfield on vertical routes. But he flashed the ability to win in contested-catch situations multiple times during his lone season at Cincinnati.
He needs to create a bit more separation downfield at the next level. But he showed strong hands at the catch point, which will allow him to battle and make plays at the next level.
Where Caldwell can win right away at the next level, though, is on in-breaking routes.
Caldwell is still refining his game as a route runner. He has a limited route tree, but he consistently creates separation and wins on these types of in-breaking routes.
He hits another gear at the top of his stem, and then is very sudden, like in a phone booth. This allows him to pull away from his defender, creating a passing window for his quarterback.
CONCLUSION
I didn’t have much of a thought on Caldwell going into the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl despite some explosive plays at Cincinnati. I also didn’t come away from the Shrine Bowl very impressed by him. His size stands out, but he didn’t do anything noteworthy during the week in Dallas.
But after his Combine performance, I had to go back and look at the tape more closely. Caldwell feels like a moldable ball of clay. He’s a great athlete who had three strong years at the FCS level at Lindenwood, leading to his breakout 2024 season. He still needs to develop a full route tree and must learn how best to utilize his size. He reminds me of Bryce Ford-Wheaton and should need some time and NFL coaching to round out his game.
NFL Projection: Late Day 3
Steelers Depot Grade: 6.2 (Pure Backup)
Grade Range: 6.0-7.0
Games Watched: Bowling Green (2025), UCF (2025), Arizona (2025), BYU (2025), TCU (2025)
Recommended for you