A.T. Perry  |  Wake Forest 6’3” 195 lbs.  |  10/26/1999 (23)

A.T. Perry was drafted by the New Orleans Saints, becoming the 24th wide receiver and 195th overall player in the 2023 NFL Draft.

COLLEGE PRODUCTION

A former three-star recruit from Florida, Perry was a three-sport athlete in high school who served as the all-country long jump champion. It took him a couple of seasons before he became heavily involved in Wake Forest’s offense. He topped 1,000 receiving yards in his final two seasons consecutively. His 2,662 career receiving yards lands him third all-time in the school’s history. But his 28 career touchdowns are the most in Wake Forest’s history. In 2021, he was named First Team All-ACC, as he hauled in 71 receptions for 1,293 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

FILM 

STRENGTHS

Has the ideal build and frame you would want from your X receiver. Has elite arm length and leaping abilities, giving him a huge advantage in one-on-one situations. Deadly red zone threat who has a knack for playing physically. Great body control. Does a great job at driving back to his throws. Great long speed for someone of his size, and he does a tremendous job evading tackles in the open field. 

WEAKNESSES 

The biggest concern is his hands, as he dropped way too many balls during his collegiate career (17 in 2021 and 2022 according to PFF). Lacks ideal separation when running his routes. Takes too much time executing his change of direction. Doesn’t possess ideal sideline footwork, often reluctant to drag his feet in bounds to secure the catch. 

ATHLETIC TESTING

At the NFL combine, Perry measured in at 6’3” and 195 lbs, which equates to a BMI of 24.8. He ran a solid 4.47 40-yard dash, equating to a 100.4-speed score. Both figures landed him in the 72nd percentile or higher. Perry also displayed a 126 burst score (74th percentile) and a college dominator score of 30.3 percent (55th percentile). 

Perry has ELITE leaping abilities. His 133” broad jump was the sixth-best at the NFL Combine. And he also posted a solid 35” vertical. He produced an above-average college target share (27.3 percent)! His focus drops are his biggest red flag. Athletically, he’s everything you want from a 6’3” receiver, but he needs to work on his acceleration, as he lacks the ideal route-running skills of a pro receiver. 

DRAFT ANALYSIS 

Rapid Reaction to Draft Capital: Excellent

Rapid Reaction to Landing Spot: Good

Perry was selected with the 195th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Saints. 

Derek Carr gets another big-bodied weapon to add to his arsenal. Perry will join Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed in a decent wide receiver room. With uncertainty surrounding Thomas, Perry could slide to the outside and fill that role eventually. For now, he should be penciled in as the team’s WR4, but don’t be surprised if he rises to the WR2 spot at some point early in his career. 

FANTASY INSIGHTS

There’s no need to snag Perry until the fourth round of your rookie drafts. He doesn’t have a ton of fantasy value right now, but he’s worth keeping on your radar. Outside of Olave, there’s no true long-term investment at wide receiver for this team. If you want to put him on your taxi squad and wait it out, that’s totally worth it. 

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