Christian Kirk

Christian Kirk 

• #3 WR

 • Soph.

 • Texas A&M

 • Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ

 • Height: 5’11”

 • Weight: 200 lbs.

Statistics: 2015: 80/1009/7 Career: 80/1009/7

Christian Kirk had a really good freshman season at Texas A&M. He put up great receiving stats but when I started watching his game he stood out more and more for his versatility. Kirk had 726 return yards and 2 touchdowns. Here you can view his highlights from the first 4 games last season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evm_olij-x4 His ability as a kick returner is really on display as there are a couple times when he makes something out of nothing and then also of course the big returns where he hits the hole and is off to the races. Kirk really makes a living through jet sweeps, screens and hitches. He needs to work on his routes as well as catching the football at the high point.

Kirk is playing in the SEC which allows him to get good exposure. He also is going to get to go up against the best talent in the NCAA which gives us a good measuring stick. However, the majority of his games in which he went over 100 receiving yards were outside of the SEC. 6/106/1 against Arizona State, 6/120/0 against Nevada and 9/122/2 against Western Carolina. The only SEC team in which he scored against was Arkansas 8/173/2. Here is his Arkansas game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvH6wSvgB9Y Yes, it’s the tape from arguably his biggest/best game but I think it’s a good synopsis of what he could be as a player. A lot of what Kirk does is self-created after the catch. He catches the ball on screens, slants, and other short routes and then makes defenders miss.

Kirk is an intriguing prospect and one that should stay on the radar. College Football 24/7 has Kirk on their list of 10 WRs to watch in 2016. He is a playmaker that showed he could do it as a freshman in the SEC. Kirk is explosive in the open field and shows good vision to see the big play whether it is on a quick screen or a kick return. He’s quicker than he is fast and when I watch him on tape I find it hard to believe he doesn’t get caught from behind on some of these big plays (there are some instances where he does get caught). He can break tackles with power and with decent agility.

Kirk looks like he has the potential to be a good PPR slot guy as a lot of the routes he runs bode well for that type of player and he just seems to get 6,7,8 catches every game. However, I think he needs to still develop the necessary skills to be a well- rounded NFL WR. I hope that Kirk also works on developing his route tree. Here is his interview from the postgame this spring. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxAlju3LaEQ The interesting part for me is right off the bat when his says the new twist for him is that he will be working from the outside some this year. I hope that this is a hint at the growth and development he has worked on going into his second year and not just that he is going to be flexed outside to catch more screen passes. His shirt says Deep Threat so hopefully we will get to see some extended routes in 2016. This is definitely something to watch for this season.

NFL comp = Percy Harvin