There’s seemingly always one player who enters the NFL Draft each year who’s talented but doesn’t have the proper body type to play in the NFL. The conversation then moves to whether or not they’re an outlier and if they’ll able to make it at the next level.
Chatarius “Tutu” Atwell is a slight player, but he’s absolutely electric with the ball in his hands. He certainly has his fans and believers in the draft community that are willing to back him up and say that he has what it takes to make it in today’s NFL.
Does he actually have what it takes to thrive in today’s game? Or has the hype gotten a little out of control?
These questions are answered here in our scouting profile on Tutu Atwell:
Check out the rest of our 2021 NFL Draft prospect profiles 
Chatarius Atwell (WR – Louisville)
Vital Statistics
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 155 lbs.
40-Yard Dash: 4.42
Vertical Jump: 33
Broad Jump: 117
Short Shuttle: 4.14
3-Cone Drill: 6.89
College Statistics
Check out Chatarius Atwell’s detailed college stats here
Skills Legend
| 80+ | Generational Talent |
| 79 | Top-10 Skill |
| 78 | First-Round Skill |
| 77 | Second-Round Skill |
| 76 | Third-Round Skill |
| 75 | Fourth-Round Skill |
| 74 | Fifth-Round Skill |
| 73 | Sixth-Round Skill |
| 72 | Seventh-Round Skill |
| 71- | UDFA |
Skills Chart
Skills Breakdown (out of 100)
Route Running (72): Atwell’s a fun and exciting gadget-type player. He’s able to run a diverse route tree but lacks refinement at the top of his routes. Typically doesn’t have to do much with his routes, though, because he’s being given schemed touches behind the line of scrimmage.
Athleticism/Agility (79): Has springs in his feet. Explosive off the line of scrimmage and moves at a different speed than everyone else on the field. An explosive play waiting to happen.
Hands (77): Solid hands as a receiver. He won’t come up with any jaw-dropping receptions but has solid enough hands to not be a liability on the field.
Contested Catch Ability (64): Due to his size, this is not going to be his strong suit or how he should be utilized in the NFL. He’ll need the schemed touches to be effective, rather than being someone who can go over the middle of the field and reel in the tough grab.
Run After Catch Ability (77.5): Good speed after the catch and able to make defenses pay if there’s a breakdown in coverage. Not overly creative and has trouble throttling down his momentum, but when he’s given an opening when he can show off his long speed, he’s gone.
Release (63): Fantastic first step off the line of scrimmage, but won’t be asked to line up on the line of scrimmage ever in the NFL. He’ll constantly be put in motion due to his size limitations. If a defender can get their hands on him in the first 5 yards, he’s eliminated from the play.
Deep Ball Tracking (73): The QB play was subpar downfield, but Atwell showed a good proficiency in locating the ball in the air and making adjustments. The frequency of which he’ll be asked to track a ball downfield will be minimal, so this is not a crucial trait.
Speed (80): Might be one of the fastest players in this entire draft in the 40-yard dash. Tremendous long speed when he’s able to build up a head of steam. Lacks the shiftiness side to side, but tremendous long speed.
Video Evaluation
College football’s best on offense
Best Slot Receiver: Tutu Atwell, Louisville ????
(via @PFF_Cam)pic.twitter.com/CqQvuOk5Rv
– PFF Draft (@PFF_College) December 16, 2019
Tutu Atwell can do it all, just get the ball in his hands ???? pic.twitter.com/97GZCXwrT3
– PFF Draft (@PFF_College) February 5, 2021
They Said It
Projected Draft Range
Atwell has his fans in the NFL Draft community, but it’s doubtful that we see him go off the board within the top-75 picks.
Ideal Fantasy Landing Spot
Atwell’s going to have to thrive as a schemed touches player – such as Tavon Austin or Cordarrelle Patterson – rather than a full-time role slot player. With this in mind, it’s improbable that he ever gets the workload necessary for reliable fantasy production.
Fantasy Comparison
Check out our complete list of 2021 NFL Draft profiles here
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Kyle Yates is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Kyle, check out his archive and follow him @KyleYNFL.
