Sterling Shepard, WR, Oklahoma

 

Position: Wide Receiver

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 194 lbs.

Year: Senior

Hometown: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Experience: 4 years, 3 year starter at Oklahoma

 

 

Measurables:

 

40yd dash: 4.48s

Broad jump: 123 inches

Vertical: 41 inches

3-cone: 7.00s

20yd. Shuttle: 4.35s

Bench Press: 20 reps

 

 

Career Notes: 

An instant impact player at Oklahoma, Shepard earned 4 starts his in his freshman campaign as a Sooner, racking up 621 yards on 45 receptions. The performance earned him an Honorable Mention in the conversation for 2012's Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. His production only improved from there, graduating with over 200 receptions and almost 3,500 yards. As a junior, he earned 2014's Disney Sports Spirit Award, gifted to college football's most inspirational individuals. Shepard wore #3 for Oklahoma, the same number his late father wore for the Sooners in the mid-1980s. He was a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team player his junior and senior seasons, also making it as a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award both seasons.

 

Injury Report:

Shepard missed one game in 2014 after suffering a groin injury against Iowa State. A dominant Sooners squad in 2015 meant multiple games were over before the end of the 3rd quarter, keeping him fresh for much of the season.

 

Career Stats:

Games Played: 49

Receptions: 233

Rec. Yards: 3482

Yards Per Rec.: 14.9

TD Rec: 26

 

Analysis:

 

Speed: 4.0/5.0 

Shepard occasionally separated from Big 12 speed, so he can outrun a respectable number of NFL defenders, but don't expect him to burn the field up every single down. He accelerates quickly once the ball is in his hands.

 

Quickness: 4.0/5.0

Though he did not post a top 3-cone time, Shepard's change of direction is first-round quality. Whether coming off of a screen pass, running in the open field after a Post-route, or even cutting in front of a would-be tackler to block in the running game.

 

Route Running: 4.5/5.0

Shepard's Post route and Out route were his deadliest weapons, creating instant separation from isolated cornerbacks. Oklahoma's offensive scheme did well to pit Shepard one-on-one with corners and allow him to out-quick them before the ball was thrown. Shepard's route running is his best trait and the most Week-1-ready aspect of his game.

 

Hands: 3.0/5.0

Shepard's game will not be faded before the catch or after the catch, but he has a habit of playing center field and catching the ball with his body. His drops were not a glaring issue, but when he had to extend his arms for a catch in stride (except on his Out routes), that was when he was most likely to drop the ball. That is not to say that he will drop it every time he has to extend his arms or even half the time--that is just to say if he drops the ball, it will be when he has to extend his catch radius. That said, his ability to locate lofty passes makes him a redzone threat, even at 5'10".

 

YAC Ability: 4.0/5.0

Sometimes Shepard uses physicality to fight for extra yards, sometimes he uses quick hips to elude defenders, and sometimes he does both on the same play. He is first-down minded, constantly setting up his body to turn and run for extra yards on Curls, Hitches, and Outs. Every Post he caught from 10-12 yards looked like it was in stride, he always seemed to get at least two yards after the catch.

 

Blocking: 5.0/5.0

Form and tenacity make him a beneficial piece to any run game. He had multiple touchdown-creating blocks in his time at OU.

 

Overall Grade: 4.08/5.0

 

"Effort" is the abstract word you could use to best describe Shepard's game style, but to think he's all-heart would be a gross misconception. His vision with or without the ball opens up the field for him. Paired with his quickness and power, his eyes make him a big play threat on any down. He was a first-down machine in third and less-than-ten situations. Once he got past the first down marker, he had a creative mindset and he would start running laterally to go for the big play. He does not try to do too much, but he is not just a north-south runner with the ball--and that is okay.

 

If drafted by the Packers:

 

There is no role for him on the team, if you look at the Wide Receiver depth chart with Nelson, Adams, and Cobb, then consider that Ted Thompson invested a third round pick in Ty Montgomery in 2015. However, in May last year when the depth chart featured Nelson, Cobb, and Adams (coming off of a good rookie campaign), it did not seem like the third round was a good time for a new receiver. Ted Thompson finds guys who play football, and when the Packers are on the clock, he picks the best football player. It is feasible that in the second round, Shepard may be available to the Packers, and may well be the best talent on the board. He's a first round-talent in a third round body.