Andrew Armstrong, WR, Arkansas
Size:
Height: 6036
Weight: 202
Arm: 32 ⅛”
Hand: 9 ⅝”
Accomplishments:
First-Team All-SEC (2024)
“Andrew Armstrong is an ideal X receiver who can make acrobatic catches down the field with top-tier body control and timing.”
Strengths:
Physicality
Hands-catching
Ball skills
Catch to attack
Vertical route tree
Concerns:
Deceleration
Burst
Quick twitch
Film Analysis:
Andrew Armstrong was a two-year letter-winner in football at Bishop Dunne High School and caught 30 passes for 450 yards and seven touchdowns in his career. He committed to East Texas A&M where he’d redshirt his freshman season in 2019 and have to miss the 2020 season due to COVID-19. He finally got on the field in 2021, but broke out as a redshirt junior, catching 62 balls for 1,020 yards and 13 touchdowns. He’d use that performance as a springboard to transfer to Arkansas and continue his success. Over the last two seasons, Armstrong compiled 134 receptions for 1,904 yards, and six touchdowns, then declared for the draft as a 24-year-old receiver.
With the prototypical “X” receiver frame, Armstrong looks the part on the outside and could even add a little more weight onto his frame. He has an underrated release package that can put corners on their heels and help him stack vertically. He uses his hands through the stem to give himself space to operate and flashes the ability to manipulate corners with speed dilation and intention. He isn’t always quick out of releases or breaks, with his frame limiting his lateral quickness, but he has a great vertical route tree and runs it effectively. He struggles to decelerate at close to top speed and adds too many steps when he’s sinking his hips. Quickening up his footwork will greatly improve his effectiveness in the short area. At the top of routes, he sells vertical routes with his body language and can break inside or outside to create separation.
His hands are where he shines. Always attacking the ball in the air, timing it well, and having a fantastic catch radius to snag inaccurate passes. His ball skills, tracking, and hand timing round out his downfield impact as he routinely hauls in catches down the sidelines with body control and timing. He needs to clean up his routes and add more to his tree to become a more complete receiver. There are too many extra steps and rounded breaks on film to create the separation needed at the next level, but sometimes that doesn’t matter when you have hands like his.
After the catch, Armstrong has a quick catch-to-attack approach and finds space efficiently. He makes more guys miss than you’d think, but it’s not a hallmark of his game. He’s a punisher in the run game and he looks to finish to the ground when the opportunity presents itself.
Armstrong’s floor as a run blocker, combined with his prowess as a vertical receiver as an X, gives him an inside path to a role on an NFL team. Cleaning up his routes and learning to improve his footwork could see him get even better.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Tennessee (2024), Ole Miss (2024), Texas (2024), Texas A&M (2024)
