Stedman Bailey 2013 NFL Draft scouting notes

Stedman Bailey | WR | West Virginia, redshirt junior | 5-10, 190 pounds

First Word: Stedman Bailey will play a major role in a high octane offense in Morgantown next year. Led by quarterback Geno Smith and top receiver Tayvon Austin, the West Virginia Mountaineers are going to shred the Big 12 next season. Bailey is going to play a hand in that as well, coming off a season in which he caught over 1,200 yards of passes and 12 touchdowns. He is a mostly an underneath threat with reliable hands and a knack for breaking tackles. Improving on his ability to make plays in traffic will be key for his draft stock.

• Stedman has very reliable hands, catching the ball away from his body.
• Once the ball is in his hands, Stedman is almost like a running back. He is so tough to bring down in the open field, and very quick in and out of cuts. He has great vision as well.
• As an underneath route runner, Stedman excels. He is quick in and out of his cuts and his able to gain separation to get himself the ball in space.
• Stedman is a smart player for the most part. He is able to find holes in zone coverage often, which will make him a dangerous slot man at the next level.

• Stedman needs to get stronger. He isn't able to make a ton of plays in traffic because he is not physical enough. While he has reliable hands, he does not have strong hands so to speak. He gets pushed around by more physical players and struggles to establish position on 50-50 balls.
• Stedman is not very big, which makes one expect elite speed from him. I didn't see it last season. Maybe I just haven't seen enough from him, but in the games I watched, his success mostly came as an underneath route runner. He struggled to beat anyone over the top. Sometimes it was the fault of Geno Smith, but I don't get the feeler that Stedman is a true burner.