From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Miami (FL) WR CJ Daniels.

No. 7 CJ Daniels/WR/Miami (FL) – 6020, 202 pounds (R-Senior – 6th year)
MEASUREMENTS

Player
Ht/Wt
Hand Size
Arm Length
Wingspan

CJ Daniels
6020/202
9 1/4″
31 3/4″
78 3/4″

40-Yard Dash
10-Yard Dash
Short Shuttle
3-Cone

4.62
1.61
4.27
7.03

Broad Jump
Vertical
Bench Press

10’3″
34 1/2″
N/A

The Good

– Good size
– Solid in contested catch situations
– Flashes hands late to mislead DBs in coverage
– Very good hands; capable of spectacular catches
– Good ball tracking; adjusts well to the ball in the air
– Willing and able blocker; high effort
– Crafty route runner
– Precise routes

The Bad

– Lacks long speed or burst to consistently separate
– Just adequate after the catch with no breakaway capability
– Clunky footwork; wastes movement and loses speed at the top of the route stem trying to create separation
– Extensive injury history

Stats

– Career: 198 receptions, 2,996 yards, 29 total TDs in 66 games
– 2025: 50 receptions, 557 yards, 7 TDs in 13 games
– Career snaps: 2,854 (2,338 wide, 492 slot)
– 2025 snaps: 597 (497 wide, 88 slot)
– PFF: 908 YAC (4.6 avg.), 9 drops (4.3 percent drop rate), 62.3 contested catch rate, 31 missed tackles forced, 10 penalties
– PFF’s No. 136th-ranked WR in 2025

Injury History

– Missed 3 games with a lower-leg injury in 2025
– Missed 2 games with a leg and foot injury in 2024
– Missed 9 games with various undisclosed injuries (including knee) in 2022

Bio

– 24 years old
– Originally a three-star prospect out of Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia
– Earned first starts as RS-freshman at Liberty in 2021
– Spent four years at Liberty, one at LSU, before finishing final year at Miami (FL)
– Mother has battled epilepsy for decades, leading Daniels to be the VP of Angels of Epilepsy non-profit
– Mother’s health struggles forced him to grow up fast and be a caregiver at a young age

Tape Breakdown

Let’s start this thing off with a bang. He made maybe the best catch in all of football (including the NFL) last year against Notre Dame. Here are two angles of him elevating, using his entire wingspan, and snatching the ball out of the air with one hand for a deep touchdown in double coverage. Also, pay close attention to how his crafty route running got him open.

That crafty route running can help him, or completely take him out of the play. He doesn’t have elite speed or quickness, so he often needs craftiness to get open. Against press coverage, he does well with his release and steam. When he has a cushion against a DB, he wastes time trying to get a bite.

Other than his occasionally sloppy footwork on his fakes, he runs precise routes. If you want him on a five-yard hitch, he will be right on the five-yard mark. He also breaks routes flat and doesn’t drift off the mark.

He catches everything that comes his way, and part of that is his ability to track the ball and adjust to it in the air. He could one day carve out a niche as a back-shoulder artist like George Pickens was early in his career.

Limited athleticism holds him back after the catch, but he has good contact balance and can spin off of contact to force missed tackles.

Daniels is a committed blocker who does whatever it takes for his team. He can motion in-line and lead block through a hole, transition into a blocker deep down field, or dig out a linebacker on a screen.

Conclusion

Daniels is a well-kept secret in this draft class. His position’s primary job is to catch the football, and Daniels does that well. He relies on crafty route running and contested-catch skills to make plays. He might find himself in the good graces of his future quarterback due to running precise routes and adjusting to balls in the air. The only question is whether he can contribute on special teams. He doesn’t have the athletic profile to be an impact player there, which hampers his chance of making a roster and developing further on offense.

He has a similar question and upside to Allen Lazard when he first entered the NFL.

NFL Projection: Late Day 3
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 6.5MED (Pure Backup)
Grade Range: 6.2-7.2
Games Watched: at Notre Dame (2025), at Indiana (2025), at Texas A&M (2025), vs. Florida (2025)