Brandon LaFell Scouting Report

LaFell emerged as one of the most prolific receivers in LSU history and he was one of the most dangerous offensive players in the entire SEC over the past three seasons; an impressive fact considering LSU has never exactly employed a fun-and-gun type of offense. He hauled in 50 passes for 656 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore in 2007. LaFell truly erupted as a junior, making 63 catches for 929 yards and eight scores while being named a First Team All-SEC performer by the Associated Press. The Tiger offense struggled as a whole in 2009, and although LaFell's numbers were not as gaudy, he continued to develop into a major red-zone force. He found the endzone 11 times in the process of catching 57 passes for 792 yards. LaFell played in all 40 LSU games dating back to the start of his sophomore season, making 32 starts (including all 13 as a senior). He is extremely durable, and although he sustained a leg injury in the final regular-season game against Arkansas, he played in the Capital One Bowl against Penn State (in which he sustained a minor knee injury). LaFell has impressive size at 6'3' and 206 pounds, which is why--along with great hands--he is such a dangerous red-zone target. He can also run under 4.5 in the 40-yard-dash, and his breakaway speed (when he gets past a defender in the open field) is especially worrisome for defenses. He ran a 4.59 at the combine but improved that slightly at LSU's pro day thanks to a healthier knee, running a 4.55. LaFell is unafraid to go over the middle or leave his feet to make a catch, so he is prone to the occasional spectacular grab. His route-running is sometimes called into question, but that is something he can easily improve on as he heads into the NFL. LaFell pulled his name out of last year's draft, and that appears to be a great decision at the moment. He would not have been a first-rounder in the 2009 NFL Draft, and while he probably won't be a first-rounder this time around, anything less than a second-round selection would be very surprising.