Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4 players receive contracts from rookie tryouts
By Dylan Grimm
Spencer Schnell, WR, Illinois State
Spencer Schnell is a smaller slot style receiver who played at the FCS level and was productive for a good team in Illinois State. Schnell is also the son of the late Buffalo Bills wide receiver Dave Schnell.
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Schnell is only 5’8 and 180 pounds and has very short arms and hands compared to the NFL average. His size played a big reason into why he went undrafted and was a late camp invite. Schnell makes his money playing out of the slot and using his football IQ to put himself in favorable situations to give his quarterback an option at all times.
Similar to other slot wide receivers in Wes Welker, Cole Beasley, and Julian Edelman, Schnell is not the fastest, tallest, strongest or most athletic but he makes tough catches when they are needed most and that is large in part to excellent hand eye coordination and ball skills. Outside of his lack of size Schnell does not provide much in terms of a deep pass threat due to his lack of down-field speed that has him struggling to separate from defenders at the next level.
In his senior year at Illinois State Schnell totaled 65 catches, 872 yards and nine touchdowns. If Schnell cannot hang at wide receiver he still has a chance to make the roster as a return specialist since he was a proven punt returner at the FCS level as well.