Mike Matthews WR Tennessee |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #4 ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.41 seconds (81%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #4 | |
| ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | |
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.41 seconds (81%*) | |
| Overall Rating: |
83.5 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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77% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 122.6 | |
| Hands: |
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58% |
| Short Receiving: |
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73% |
| Intermediate Routes: |
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78% |
| Deep Threat: |
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76% |
| Blocking: |
|
51% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#113
Position rank:
#17 (WR)
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| College Games: 24 College Snaps: 1015 | ||
ESPN RATING: 90/100
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247 RATING: 97/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.1 (100%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Austin Jr. - Notre Dame |
|
93% |
| Jalen McMillan - Washington |
|
90% |
| Terrace Marshall Jr. - LSU |
|
84% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Matthews was a consensus top-50 national recruit out of Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia, where he was a two-way standout at receiver and safety. He earned five-star ratings from ESPN and Rivals, played in both the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl, and chose Tennessee over more than 30 Division I offers, including 11 from SEC programs. His high school production was consistent and impressive: 48 catches for 1,031 yards and nine scores as a junior, with similar numbers as a sophomore, plus meaningful reps on defense.His true freshman season in 2024 was quiet by design. Tennessee had a veteran receiving corps featuring Dont'e Thornton, Bru McCoy, and Squirrel White, so Matthews saw action in just 11 games and finished with seven catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns on limited targets. The real jump came in 2025, when he stepped into the starting lineup from Week 1 alongside Chris Brazzell II and Braylon Staley. Over 13 starts, Matthews posted 53 receptions for 813 yards and four touchdowns, with three 100-yard games. A career-long 62-yard touchdown at Kentucky and a strong five-catch performance against Georgia in the SEC opener stood out as signature moments in an otherwise steady and productive sophomore campaign.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Plus speed on the perimeter that threatens the top of coverage
- Explosive after the catch, turned quick throws into 347 total YAC
- Broke a 62-yard touchdown at Kentucky, one of three 100-yard games
- Went for 118 against Mississippi State in the run of form
- Smooth strider who eats cushion from a wide alignment
- Balanced deep and intermediate production, 813 yards in 2025
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Inconsistent hands, six drops and a low receiving-hands grade
- Poor contested producer, won only three of eight tight windows
- Slight build gets rerouted by physical press coverage
- Wins on traits more than route nuance, detail still developing
Scouting Report: Summary
Speed is the first thing that shows up with Mike Matthews. A wide receiver who stepped into Tennessee's starting lineup in 2025, he posted 813 yards and four scores with plus timed speed that threatens the top of a defense, and his 62-yard touchdown at Kentucky and 118-yard game against Mississippi State captured the big-play range when he gets a clean release.The catch point is where the tape cools. He dropped six passes, won only three of eight contested targets, and his slight build lets physical press corners reroute him and disrupt the timing. He wins on traits more than nuance right now, and the hands and route detail have to tighten for a bigger role. The three 100-yard games say the production is real when the ball arrives cleanly, but the drop reel is what will decide how much a coordinator trusts him.
He fits an offense built on motion and manufactured touches that gets him the ball moving rather than asking him to win contested throws on the boundary. Overall, the speed and after-the-catch juice are a real foundation, and Matthews projects as a rotational vertical weapon with a path to more if the hands become dependable and the route tree fills out, with return work a plausible early bridge to the field.
How other scouting services rate Mike Matthews (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
75.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
14.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.