2023 NFL Draft Profile: WR Nathaniel “Tank” Dell

Tank Dell has been drawing positive reviews this week from Senior Bowl practices. Let's find out a little more about this receiver out of the University of Houston.

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Feb 1, 2023 3:40 PM EST

In this story:

New York Giants

Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, WR

Height: 5-foot-8
Weight: 163 lbs.
Class: Senior
School: Houston
Arm length: 30⅛”
Wingspan: 72 ¾”
Hand size: 10”

A former three-star recruit from Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida. Dell was the 19th-ranked WR and the 44th-ranked Floridian recruit during the 2020 cycle, per 247 Sports. ESPN had Dell as a five-star recruit. Dell’s story started before the 2020 recruiting cycle when he was in the transfer portal.

Dell originally attended Alabama A&M in 2018 after committing to Florida International University. He played four games with Alabama A&M before redshirting. He never attended FIU but opted to transfer from Alabama A&M to Independence Community College for the 2019 season before transferring to Houston for his final three years of college football.

Notables

Dell caught 108 of 152 passes from quarterback Clayton Tune for 1,399 yards with 17 touchdowns in 2022. He led the NCAA in receiving yards and touchdowns. Dell was the most explosive and reliable weapon on Houston’s spread-attack offense. He ended his college career with 347 targets, 234 catches, 3,354 yards, and an impressive 34 touchdowns.

Dell was a team captain in 2022 and earned First Team All-AAC in 2021 & 2022. The AP had Dell as a Third Team All-American. Sporting News, Walter Camp, Pro Football Focus, and the AFC had Dell as a Second Team All-American. He was also a Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist. Made an immediate impression in the first practice at the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Strengths

Rare burst and explosiveness - difference-making speed
An incredibly gifted athlete with elite change of direction and excellent fluidity
Short-area quickness is off the charts
Acceleration, foot speed, and burst are exceptional for a WR

Huge big-play ability - electric player

Deceptive release versus press - fires feet and uses great timing to get vertical & stack
Route tree isn’t as limited as others suggest
Ran a lot of verticals, curls, outs, and digs, but Dell was also good at extemporizing his routes to find space in voided areas.
Ran a lot of double moves and did so at a solid rate to sell
Understood leverage and how to attack CBs vertically
Excellent feel for when and how to work back to his QB
Worked back to QB well on the sideline and through zones in the middle of the field
Set routes up well up stem to create extra separation in man coverage
Can uncover versus man and zone
Solid overall body control and tracking ability when the ball is in the air
Is dangerous in space - will make defenders look silly
Give him a free release at your own peril
Slippery at the line of scrimmage - miss your jam, and he’ll stack and accelerate.
Very good competitive toughness
Made important catches on fourth down for the Cougars

Tulane, 4th & 1 Q2 6:14 - touchdown reception for one-yard, excellent release
Memphis 4th & 7 Q4 1:37 - conversion extended away from frame and took a big hit

Get him with the right coaching staff, and he could be a huge difference-making asset as an offensive weapon
Excellent return specialist who had a punt return for a touchdown in 2022

Weaknesses

Size and frame are a major concern
Frame suggests injuries could be an issue at the NFL level
Slot receiver - 67% of his snaps in 2022 were in the slot
Could be limited to a specific role (depends on creativity of coaching staff & health)
A small catch radius hindered his upside

Limited catch radius forces QBs to have better accuracy when leading Dell

College contested catch percentage was 41.5%
Displayed ability to come down with contested catches, but that won’t translate as easily in the NFL
Struggled to adjust to balls thrown behind him
Had 20 drops over the last two seasons
Level of competition in the AAC
Will turn 24 during his rookie season

Summary

If I had one adjective to describe Nathanial Dell, it would be FUN. The NFL is centralized around creating explosive offensive plays--Dell does that very well. Dell appears to be shot out of a cannon when accelerating, yet he exercises excellent precision and timing when changing direction. He has good body control when he’s running his route, and his movements are deceptive. He’s difficult to jam, and giving him a free release is dangerous.

I like Dell’s skill set and think he can be a difference-maker in the NFL. However, his frame will turn some teams off, and he’ll be relegated to the slot or as an offensive weapon in the NFL. Names like Percy Harvin, Tavon Austin, and Tutu Atwell are typically associated with Nathaniel “Tank” Dell.

I’m not necessarily in the comparison game, but I can see the similarities. I believe the landing spot is crucial for Dell’s success in the NFL. If he is drafted by a team with a progressive offensive mind that can leverage his strengths effectively, he could be a dangerous weapon for that offense.

Dell is smart as a route runner, understands how/when to get open, can separate against man and zone, and has all the desired athletic traits for a wide receiver. He’s not perfect, but he could be a FUN player in the right situation!

GRADE: 6.5B (more of a late-round two guy than round one, does carry risk)