Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
HEIGHT: 6’1″
WEIGHT: 191
POSITIVES
— Moments of impressive burst, both as a route-runner and ball-carrier.
— Smooth, gliding mover who can maintain his pace while changing angles.
— Consistent hands when the ball is within his frame.
— Navigates traffic at the line of scrimmage and over the middle fairly well.
— Brings energy as a blocker.
— Was regularly used as Nebraska’s motion and “gadget” weapon.
NEGATIVES
— Thin build. Hurts him as a blocker and when CBs get physical.
— Long speed is not threatening. Not going to generate many explosive plays.
— Can be stiff as a route-runner on routes that require sharp breaks. Needs more free-flowing routes and concepts.
— Catches well within his frame, but is not one to make tough or acrobatic catches.
2021 STATISTICS
12 G, 46 REC, 898 YDS (19.5 AVG), 5 TD
NOTES
— 2-star recruit in 2016.
— Started career at Montana. Transferred to Nebraska in 2021.
— 2019 first-team All-Big Sky.
— 2021 honorable mention All-Big Ten.
OVERALL
Samori Toure is a slot-only type of receiver with the ease of movement in space and blocking energy to stick as a depth player.
At 6’1″ and 191 pounds, Toure is tall enough to play receiver in the NFL, but he is rail thin for the position. Nebraska often tried to mask that issue by keeping him in the slot for most of his snaps, as well as moving him around with motions and hiding him in stack/bunch sets. His NFL team will likely need to do the same.
Toure’s blocking could also take a hit in the NFL due to his light frame and middling play strength. He brings plenty of energy, which is a good start, but he was hit-or-miss with finishing blocks at the college level.
Toure does offer some nice receiving skills. Though his top speed is uninspiring, he does well to get to a comfortable cruising speed and maintains that speed as he weaves through zones. Toure is much more effective weaving in and out of zones to find space than he is trying to snap off defenders in man coverage, in part because his route running can get stiff and clunky.
As far as catching the ball goes, Toure will not dazzle with stellar receptions, but he brings the ball in consistently when given clean looks and is comfortable looking for the ball over the middle of the field. Toure’s yards-after-catch ability is nothing special, but he does show the occasional burst to separate in the underneath area.
Toure is a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. His blocking effort, smooth movement in space and consistent hands give him a nice floor to work with. Toure also has a clear role as an underneath target out of the slot who can occasionally be used as a motion or gadget weapon.
With that said, Toure does not have the speed, strength or sharp route running to be a core piece of any offense right now. He projects best as a backup slot who can provide competent play in a pinch.
GRADE: 6.1 (High-level Developmental Prospect – 5th Round)
PRO COMPARISON: Isaiah Ford
Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen
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