Trey Palmer 2023 Dynasty Rookie Profile
Position: WR
School: Nebraska
Class: Junior (fourth year)
Date of Birth: April 2, 2001
Height: 6-0 Weight: 192 lbs
Athletic Testing
40-Time: 4.33
Speed Score: 107.7
Vertical:
Broad:
Shuttle:
3-Cone:
Bio
Trey Palmer was a standout in both football and track & field at Kentwood High School in Louisiana. He showed off his speed by winning the 100-meter state title as a senior and the state championships four times in the 200-meter, in which he set the state record as a senior. The winning continued on the football side as well, as he helped his team to a state title in 2018 on the back of his 1,000-yard receiving season. Palmer’s blazing speed caught the eye of college scouts. He was regarded as a five-star recruit and was ranked as the No.20 prospect in the nation by Rivals. The offers came flowing in from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona State, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, and more.
Palmer chose LSU where he joined a wide receiver room headed by Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Terrace Marshall. As a result, he wasn’t involved much during his freshman season, catching just one ball for six yards. He did have a punt return touchdown. It wasn’t much better in 2020 when he caught 10 passes for 108 yards. Again, he continued to be involved on special teams, totaling 249 return yards with a kickoff return for a touchdown. The opportunities opened up a bit for Palmer in 2021, though he was still not a focal point of the offense. He caught 30 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns.
Ahead of the 2022 campaign, Palmer opted to transfer to Nebraska where he would have an opportunity to be the team’s No.1 wide receiver. He took full advantage and pulled down 71 receptions for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns. His 71 receptions were the most by a wide receiver in school history. He also set the Nebraska record for most receiving yards in a single season and his 237-yard performance against Purdue was the most in a single-game in program history. It was enough to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors.
College Stats
Trey Palmer College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference
Positives
+Speed
+Consistently wins vertically
+6 receptions per game
+3.1 yards per team pass attempt
+53% receiving touchdown share
+5 rush attempts in 2022 (75 yards)
+45 career kick/punt returns (2 TDs)
Listen: Trey Palmer Prospect Profile
Negatives
-Slender
-Spent three seasons in a reserve/complimentary role before breaking out in his fourth season after transferring schools
-Age 21 breakout
-Limited experience vs physical defenders
-Ran a limited array of routes
-Mostly played in the slot
-Lacks some agility and quickness to his game
-Doesn’t win enough contested catches
Highlight Reel
Archetype: Speed WR
Best Comparable Player: TBD
Draft Projection: Fourth Round
Bottom Line:
It took a long time, but Trey Palmer finally got his shot in 2022. He took full advantage, showing off his speed to consistently win on his routes down the field. He did so while commanding targets at a high volume. While we have to knock him for not being able to crack the lineup at LSU, we have to consider the studs he played with. Luckily, he was able to show off his skills in the return game while he waited for his chance.
He turned his opportunity into a record-setting season at Nebraska and became a legitimate NFL prospect. With his track speed and ability to win vertically, Palmer projects as a field-stretcher at the next level. He’ll be boxed into a one-dimensional role unless he can develop his route tree, gain more reps on the outside vs physical defenders, and improve his win rate in contested situations. If he can do that, he will become a complimentary weapon who can deliver splash plays. Palmer would be best fit in an offense that relies on chunk plays and vertical passing. He will likely hear his name called some time in the fourth round.
Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, PFN, PFF, TDN
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