NFL Draft Profile: Justin Shorter, Wide Receiver, Florida Gators
Justin Shorter
Florida Gators
#4
Pos: WR
Ht: 6036
Wt: 229
Hand: 1000
Arm: 3368
Wing: 8238
40: 4.55
DOB: 4/17/2000
Hometown: Monmouth Junction, NJ
High School: South Brunswick
Eligibility: 2023
One Liner:
Shorter is a tall, well-built late day three selection who could go undrafted because of his inability to create separation and lack of quick-twitch speed.
Evaluation:
Shorter showed improvement from 2020 to 2021. He eliminated drops from his game and displayed better ball tracking, which previously caused several drops in Florida’s 2020 bowl game against Oklahoma. Shorter is an experienced special teams player, and he’ll need to maximize his impact on those reps to stick on an NFL roster. The New Jersey native displays quick footwork when facing press coverage, which often leads to him getting past the defensive back. Shorter should focus on using his large frame and long arms to be more physically imposing in these situations, activating his upper body instead of just relying on his footwork. He’s strong enough to absorb and battle through press coverage. Shorter displays quick cuts on short routes that generate open targets for his quarterback thanks to his foot speed. He offers some build-up speed to threaten defenses vertically. Unfortunately, Shorter lacks high-end change of direction skills and struggles to generate separation against man coverage. He’s also easy for defenders to stick with in zone coverages. Shorter lacks the speed and burst to stack defenders vertically consistently. He presents a large target for physical corners in press coverage. Shorter has the physical tools to be a powerful blocker, but he takes poor angles to defenders and lacks the aggression and effort to sustain blocks. His intermediate routes are rounded instead of snappy. Shorter often waits for the ball to come to him instead of playing to his arm length and expanding his catch radius. This leads to him winning fewer than fifty percent of his contested catch attempts despite having height and length advantages.
Grade:
7th Round
Background:
Shorter was a five-star recruit from South Brunswick High School in Monmouth Junction, N.J. in the class of 2018. He was the No. 8 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 18 for Rivals, and No. 7 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 8th in the nation with a 91 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, Shorter led his team to a 12-1 record and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Group 5 State Championship. He also won a state title with South Brunswick in 2015. In 2017, Shorter produced 36 receptions for 522 yards and seven touchdowns along with 32 carries for 322 rushing yards and four touchdowns. As a high school junior, he totaled 45 receptions for 718 yards and six touchdowns. His sophomore season included 31 receptions for 582 yards and eight scores. Shorter played some defense, finishing his high school career with seven interceptions. He also participated in track and field. Shorter was selected to the Under Armour All-America Game. He earned his bachelor's degree in Education Sciences in the spring of 2022. Shorter made the 2020 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll and 2021 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. He transferred from Penn State to Florida ahead of the 2020 season.
