Eagles Draft Profile: South Alabama TE Wes Saxton
Nov 22, 2014; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks safety T.J. Gurley (20) breaks up a pass intended for South Alabama Jaguars tight end Wes Saxton (13) in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Film Study
It was tough to find tape that highlighted South Alabama tight end Wes Saxton individually since Draft Breakdown didn’t have a video of him yet. But thanks to a YouTube user named CollegeFBDude, there were three games from the 2013 season and one game from this past season that he had uploaded which focused on Saxton.
Saxton lined up all over the field throughout his college career, but what’s most impressive is his ability in the slot. He moves and runs like a wide receiver but has the size and toughness of a tight end. Now it’s time to see how Saxton performed on the field against a multitude of opponents, starting against Western Kentucky in 2013.
1) On this first play, Saxton shows his impressive speed by starting in the slot and sprinting right down the middle of the field for a big gain.
2) Once again, Saxton shows off his speed on this play. But instead of lining up in the slot, he’s a bit closer to the offensive line like an in-line tight end but a step behind the line of scrimmage. He starts the play looking as he’s going to block and then takes off down the sideline for another deep catch.
3) In this next game against Kent State, Saxton lines up as an in-line tight end and then shows his quickness by running a drag route across the field and catching the ball then running for a first down.
4) Saxton lines up in the slot and fakes as if he’s going to head up the field but cuts back inside and catches the ball then runs for a first down.
5) Here’s a fluky play that didn’t gain many yards but the concentration Saxton shows on this play to follow the ball after it was tipped by a defensive lineman is impressive. He tips it up in the air and goes up and catches it himself.
Next: Film Study (continued)