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 NCAA Scouting – Player Profile:
Eddie Royal, WR
by Jody Jamieson
20/3/2008
Eddie Royal really put himself on the map at the Senior Bowl a couple of months back, when he really impressed a lot of scouts with his catching and general playmaking abilities. It’ll be interesting to see how much of a boost in his Draft ranking these showings will have. Despite not being mentioned among the top receivers coming out of college in 08, Royal is firmly on the radar now as a project who will probably go in the third round, and at a push, someone might take a shot on him in the second.
 Royal may be one of those interesting prospects who could turn into a superstar in the right system with the right coaching. Time will tell on him, but if he doesn’t turn into a solid receiver, he is likely to be a danger as a kick/punt returner. I am very much part of the Eddie Royal fan club and believe he will be a good receiver in the NFL.
What we like about Royal
nfl.com describes his speed as “mercurial” which is an excellent piece of praise. What he lacks a bit in his ability to get off the line when jammed, he makes up for with wonderful agility. He can be such a major threat in the open field, which could make him a very dangerous in the return game. Should put up a high YAC average. Will likely create a lot of separation in man coverage.
Question marks about Royal
Royal can tend to struggle up against physical corner looking to jam him at the line. He is currently listed at 182 lbs, and could probably do to put on a few more pounds to cope with press coverage cornerbacks. Was inconsistent at VT, but some of that may be put down to rather inconsistent quarterback play during his college career. Has had a few injury problems in college which may put one or two teams off.
Highlight of his College Career
This past November, Royal had a career game against Virginia, with 147 receiving yards and a touchdown in a 33-21 victory. His touchdown was on a 39 yard pass from Sean Glennon with just 12 seconds remaining in the first half to give VT a 20-14 half time lead. The Hokies never surrendered the lead in the second half in a big victory.
Other Snippets
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Various combine stats: 4.39 sec 40 yard dash; 36″ vertical leap; 11.66 sec 60 yard shuffle.
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On top of all the measurable stats, despite comments about his size, he completed the most bench reps of any wideout at the Combine, with 24.
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Royal finished his college career as the all time ACC leader in punt return yards.
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Team such as San Fransisco, Chicago and Philadelphia may take a chance on him if they don’t address the WR position in the first couple of rounds.
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