By: Michael Higgins

School: Houston (Junior)

Position: WR

HT: 5’10

WT: 155 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #55

A 3-star recruiting prospect out of Daytona Beach, Florida, Nathaniel Dell was a top-200 player in the nation and opted to play for Alabama A&M for his freshman season. Unfortunately the year did not go as planned, he redshirted and ultimately transferred to the University of Houston. It was at Houston where he has really found a role for himself, putting his name on the map. During his time in 2021 and 2022 as a Houston Cougar, Dell was a member of the All AAC First Team in both seasons.

Dell is a gadget receiver that is used in a variety of personnels and different schemes. He is the ultimate slot receiver. Dell is heavily involved in pre-snap motion, whether it is moving across the line or taking jet sweeps behind the line and working with the ball in space. Dell is most dangerous when he gets the ball in his hands as quickly as possible. Running him in the flats to get the ball in his hands is something that has remained constant for Houston and Dell. Dell has the ability to make big splash plays on any given snap. He can take the ball, burst through defenses, and take it to the house at any moment. When in the open field, Dell has an elite ability to split defenders, find holes in the defense, and get ahead of the defense. When it comes to his route running, Dell is nothing short of a technician. He does not have a false step at the line of scrimmage and has deceptive feet with quick movements. He stacks corners and leverages them to the outside of his frame where he can then work inside towards his quarterback. Dell does well to not “beat the drum” at the top of his break, he violently drops into his break and gives the defensive back no time to react. On top of being a top weapon in Houston’s offense, he was also the Cougars’ punt returner, where he was extremely successful.

The cons to Nathaniel Dell’s game come together to create a shortlist, but it is worrisome that they are not entirely in his control. The most obvious of these is Dell’s frame. Not even 160 pounds, Dell has the slightest frame of any receiver in recent memory. As so many of the other slighter framed receivers, it is necessary that he puts on weight without taking away from his key elements of speed and elusiveness that make him so special. Due to his frame, Dell is simply not an effective blocker, he gets bullied when attempting to throw his body out there and block. Luckily for him, he is usually the one with the ball in his hands.

Nathaniel Dell will not be able top be the single, main offensive weapon for an NFL team, but he can certainly bring an entirely new dimension to an offense. Teams will be able to get creative with how they use Dell. Teams that use the Shanahan Offense would be able to emphasize all of Dell’s strengths while hiding his weaknesses.

Scheme Fit: Spread Offense Heavy Pre-Snap Motion

Ideal Role: Slot Receiver & Returner

Best Team Fits: HOU, NE, LAC

Player Comparison: Tutu Atwell

Player Grade: 78.7