From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we hope to 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, down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Maryland wide receiver Kaden Prather.
#1 Kaden Prather/WR Maryland – 6034, 204 pounds (Senior)
Measurements
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Kaden Prather 6034/204 9 1/4 31 7/8 77 5/8
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.46 1.53 N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
9’6″ 30 N/A
The Good
– Possesses speed to threaten vertically
– Good explosiveness out of stance vs off coverage
– Effective dig route runner
– Solid YAC ability when caught near line of scrimmage
– Can win contested 1v1 balls down the field
– Great stamina, never comes out of the game
– Decent blocker
The Bad
– Average athletic ability
– Tight hips that prevent him from changing direction quickly
– Limited route tree (hitches, fades, digs)
– Choppy and slow breaks out of out-breakers
– Indecisive on when to break routes at times
– Lacks burst to get open vs press-man coverage
– Does not use creative releases to shake press man corners
– Does not find soft spots vs zone coverage
– Fails to adjust to balls in the air
– Can jump to catch passes down the field, eliminating YAC opportunities
– Average play strength
– Does not play physical down the field
– Shaky hands
– Pigeonholed as a strict X-receiver that takes up space vertically
– Not a red zone threat due to weak intermediate route running and inability to shake press man coverage
Bio
– Started 22 games and appeared in 25 across 2 years at Maryland. Transferred to Maryland from West Virginia after the 2022 season, where he appeared in 20 games
– 2024: 56 receptions for 624 yards and 4 touchdowns
– Named to Phil Steele Preseason Second-Team All-Big Ten
– 2023: 42 receptions for 666 yards and 5 touchdowns. Also had 1 rush for 36 yards
– Named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
– 2022: 52 receptions for 501 yards and 3 touchdowns
– Consensus four-star prospect out of Northwest High School in Maryland
– 13 prospect out of Maryland and the No. 45 wide receiver nationally
– Named a 2019 Washington Post First Team All-Met
– He transferred to Maryland to be closer to home and make it easier for his family to see him play
Tape Breakdown
Kaden Prather put up decent production in a weak Maryland offense with shaky quarterback play. He lined up primarily as an X receiver, and I am confident this will also be his role in the NFL. The best part of his game is his ability to stretch the field vertically to take up space for underneath routes, but he is not out there just to be a decoy. He has a good burst coming out of in-breakers, specifically digs.
His smooth movement toward the middle of the field gives the quarterback an open window to hit, and he can be very helpful in dagger concepts. But the most impressive thing he does is beat cornerbacks deep when running fades and posts, and he is a true deep threat on the field when facing off coverage.
In addition to beating defensive backs with speed, he can also win contested catches down the field and dunk on cornerbacks. While he is not the most physical, he can out-jump shorter corners, using his 6’4″ frame to high-point the ball in the air.
Prather has skills as a vertical threat, but that is all he is and all he will play in the NFL. His limited route tree mostly consisted of hitches, fades, and digs, and when he was asked to run other routes, he did not do a good job. His hips are very tight, and he loses a lot of speed when turning toward the sideline.
His smooth movement goes out the window, and he runs high and stiff, making it easy for defenses to cover him. On the top of the screen, he is not open by any means as the flat defender covers him, but you can see his weak athletic ability and tight hips when he turns toward the sideline.
Against press coverage, Prather struggles to get open due to his non-creative releases and average burst off the line. His explosiveness is positive vs. off-coverage, but when a cornerback is in his face, he looks scared of contact and loses that burst.
When he is jammed at the line, he does not play physical enough to get the defender off him, and he can be easily controlled down the field. His tight hips show up again on this play, where this hinge route is blanketed down the field.
While he has good vertical speed to take the top off the defense, his ball-tracking ability needs work. Ball tracking is the most important skill to have to be a consistent, true deep threat. Prather struggles to adjust to balls that are not perfectly placed, and his hands are shaky when he is on the move.
When Prather is targeted, there are some plays where he leaves his feet before catching the ball, which is a big red flag for a receiver. This completely eliminates YAC opportunities and will hurt his explosive play ability. When he stays on his feet or catches a screen or another short route, he shows decent YAC ability, making the first defender miss and getting upfield.
Prather’s effort as a blocker is inconsistent, but when he shows a good effort, he does a good job of locating his assignments and controlling them down the field. He will need to be a high-effort blocker to maximize his role, but I am confident he can improve on that.
Conclusion
Kaden Prather is a good vertical threat who needs to work on the intermediate and short parts of his route running while also expanding his route tree. He will strictly serve as an X receiver used to take up space while getting a couple of deep targets a game. However, his unrefined route running and lack of burst vs. press coverage limit his ability to be on the field consistently. At his best, my comp for him is Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Projection: Mid-Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 6.6 – 5th Round (Backup/Special Teamer)
Games Watched: at Indiana (2024), vs USC (2024), at Oregon (2024), at Penn State (2024)
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