Draft Profile: Andy Isabella
Draft Profile: Andy Isabella
With the Senior Bowl behind us and the NFL scouting combine coming up soon, few players have as much to gain as wide receiver Andy Isabella from Massachusetts. For those of you unfamiliar with Andy Isabella, American football, or the world outside of your parents’ basement, allow me to explain who this is, and why he could be the next Super Bowl MVP.
Standing at a towering 5’9’’, Andy Isabella has created instant offense for his team at the University of Massachusetts. Even for a small school, Isabella put up video game-like numbers with 231 catches for over 3500 yards and 30 touchdowns. He has been a monster in the slot, capable of gaining yards after the catch and having a nose for the endzone. I know what you’re thinking, 5’9’’ isn’t exactly towering is it? A question to which I have two responses; (1. At the time of writing this article I stand at 5’7’’, so that’s pretty tall in my book. 2. There’s this new thing called sarcasm.) Now, where was I, oh yeah; Isabella has shown superior speed and quickness to get good separation from defenders wherever he lines up. He is Julian Edelman part 2: electric boogaloo.
Is this statistical output sustainable for Andy Isabella? The University of Massachusetts isn’t exactly a football powerhouse; he put up those numbers there, but what if he played in a tougher conference? These are valid questions. Fortunately, most of these concerns can be alleviated by Isabella’s performance in the Senior Bowl. In college football’s top senior showcase, Isabella recorded 7 receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown. It seemed like he was in on every play as I watched the game. He was fun to watch; not just because I like watching vertically challenged athletes to succeed, but because of the potential he has to be an electric NFL receiver.
Now that we know his stats, let’s look at his actual abilities that made those stats. First, and probably his greatest asset, he’s got raw speed. To say he’s fast is an understatement. Andy Isabella is faster than a speeding bullet; No, Andy Isabella is faster than a runaway train. No, well…whatever simile you want to use, that guy is fast. And it’s not just that he’s fast, he has the quickness to go along with his speed. He can shift and change direction without slowing down at all. When given the opportunity, he runs great routes too; he is able to get behind the defense on deep routes or create separation from his coverage by making quick hitches to come back to the ball. A unique skill that he has is the ability to improvise on routes when the quarterback is flushed from the pocket. With the edge rushing skills in the NFL, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where Isabella makes most of his money.
Obviously, Andy Isabella isn’t perfect. He has his shortcomings just like any player not named Tom Brady. I think we’ve well established that he’s slightly diminutive by NFL standards, which has an obvious effect on his catch radius. While playing against bigger and stronger secondaries, it is possible that he could get jammed up at the line of scrimmage. He has been known to use his body to secure catches instead of trusting his hands. These are also valid points, but these are skills that can be worked on, or coached against. There is a lot of upside with this receiver.
Where will Isabella go in the draft? Receivers that are predominantly lined up in the slot haven’t really been necessities on draft day. Julian Edelman was a seventh rounder, and he was just named Super Bowl MVP. With that being said, the NFL is a passing league, and receivers in the slot have been game breakers in the last couple years. Andy Isabella can be just that, a game breaker. I believe he has fourth-round value, but a GM can look like a genius picking him up in the second or third round. With all that being said, look for Isabella to absolutely own the NFL combine.
-By: Nick Selko