Eli Heidenreich WR Navy |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #22 ROLE: Multi-Role Receiver | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.44 seconds (73%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #22 | |
| ROLE: Multi-Role Receiver | |
| Last Updated: 03/23/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.44 seconds (73%*) | |
| Overall Rating: | 79.8 / 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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74% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 115.6 | |
| Hands: |
|
76% |
| Short Receiving: |
|
88% |
| Intermediate Routes: |
|
90% |
| Deep Threat: |
|
91% |
| Blocking: |
|
58% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
UDFA
Overall Rank:
#250
Position rank:
#39 (WR)
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| College Games: 37 College Snaps: 1685 | ||
| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tylan Wallace - Oklahoma State |
|
86% |
| Jermaine Burton - Alabama |
|
81% |
| KeAndre Lambert-Smith - Auburn |
|
81% |
Drafted: ROUND: 7 - Pick Number: 230 (PIT)
Draft Profile: Bio
Under legendary head coach Bob Palko at Mt. Lebanon High School outside Pittsburgh, Eli Heidenreich developed into a two-sport standout who earned Second-Team All-Conference in baseball as a junior while simultaneously becoming one of Western Pennsylvania's most dynamic offensive weapons. His three-year football arc told the story of a player who kept finding another gear: an honorable mention as a sophomore, second-team as a junior, and then a senior season for the ages. In 2021, he put up 54 catches for 1,325 yards and 28 touchdowns while also leading the team with 60 tackles and four interceptions on defense, powering Mt. Lebanon to a perfect 15-0 record, the WPIAL title, and the program's first-ever Pennsylvania 6A State Championship. That performance earned him Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 6A Player of the Year, First-Team All-State honors, a spot on the Fab 22, and selection to the prestigious Big 33 game between Ohio and Pennsylvania all-stars.When it came time to pick a college, Heidenreich followed his heart and his family legacy. His grandfather Chris served in the Korean War, and that sense of duty stuck with Eli from a young age. He committed to the Naval Academy alongside Mt. Lebanon teammate Alex Tecza, the two inseparable since childhood. After redshirting in 2022, Heidenreich carved out a role in 2023, starting four games and leading the team in receiving with 19 catches for 382 yards and four touchdowns while chipping in 214 rushing yards. His 2024 breakout saw him start all 13 games, rushing for 444 yards and hauling in 39 catches for 671 yards and six receiving touchdowns, tying the Navy single-season record. By the time the regular season ended, he had caught a 52-yard touchdown from Blake Horvath to beat Army, pushing his career receiving total past 1,000 yards.
Heidenreich's senior year in 2025 was a full coronation. He torched Air Force for 243 yards and three touchdowns on just eight catches, setting the program's single-game receiving yardage record and breaking the all-time career touchdown receptions mark in the process. Against South Florida, he hauled in five catches for 146 yards to surpass Rob Taylor's Navy all-time receiving yards record that had stood since 1967. Then, with the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy on the line, Heidenreich delivered again: recovering a fumble at the goal line, then catching the game-winning touchdown from Horvath on fourth-and-goal against Army in a 17-16 nail-biter. He finished his career with 109 receptions for 1,994 yards and 16 receiving touchdowns, plus 169 carries for 1,157 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. A Second-Team All-AAC wide receiver, Doak Walker Award watch list member, and East-West Shrine Bowl participant, he will commission as a United States Marine upon graduation with a degree in Cyber Operations.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Tracks the deep ball with outstanding body control, adjusting mid-stride to pull in throws over his shoulder like a natural receiver despite playing the "snipe" position.
- Averaged over 18 yards per catch across his entire college career, and that number holds up whether you watch the tape against Tulsa or against Notre Dame.
- Compact, powerful frame plays bigger than his listed size; consistently falls forward on carries and absorbs contact from bigger defenders without going down easy.
- Genuine dual-threat ability is not a gimmick here. He carried the ball nearly 170 times in college and averaged 6.8 yards per attempt with a decisive, north-south running style.
- Creates separation on crossing routes with quick feet and an understanding of leverage that belies his limited route tree; defenders struggle to stay attached when he changes direction.
- Willing and tough as a lead blocker in Navy's Wing-T scheme, sticking his face into defensive linemen without hesitation despite giving up significant weight in those matchups.
- Ball security is outstanding: just one fumble across 1,138 offensive snaps over three seasons, and his drop rate stayed remarkably low throughout his career.
- The intangible makeup is off the charts. A team captain, Naval Academy graduate, and future Marine officer who delivered in the biggest moments, including that fourth-and-goal catch against Army.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- The route tree is a real concern. Most of his production came on slants, posts, go routes, and screens, and NFL defensive backs will sit on those concepts all day.
- Pass protection was essentially nonexistent in his college film. He rarely picked up blitzers, and when he did, the technique was raw and unreliable.
- Open-field elusiveness is lacking; he runs through contact well but does not make defenders miss one-on-one with wiggle or shake, limiting his yards-after-catch upside.
- The Wing-T scheme created a ton of manufactured touches and schemed-open looks, which makes it difficult to separate his talent from the offense's design on many plays.
- Competition level in the AAC is a legitimate question mark, and his production dipped noticeably against the best defenses he faced, like the 20-yard receiving day against Notre Dame.
Scouting Report: Summary
The first thing you notice when you flip on Heidenreich's tape is that he does not look like a gimmick player. Yes, he lined up in Navy's "snipe" role in a Wing-T offense, and yes, most of his touches were schemed. But the ball skills are legitimate, and that consistently showed up at the East-West Shrine Bowl when he lined up as a running back and won 1-on-1 receiving drills against defensive backs who had no idea what to do with his combination of size and soft hands. The speed is real, even if it may not translate to the same home-run ability against NFL closing speed. What will translate is his feel for finding space, his toughness after the catch, and his comfort catching the football in traffic.The biggest challenge for Heidenreich at the next level is that his skill set does not fit neatly into one box. He is not a pure running back, not a pure wide receiver, and not a fullback, despite dominating that position's grading category. He is a tweener in the truest sense, and the NFL can be unkind to tweeners. His pass protection needs serious development, his route tree requires significant expansion, and there will be a legitimate adjustment period as he learns to operate in a pro-style offense after spending his entire college career in one of football's most unique systems. The transition from the Wing-T to any NFL scheme is a steep climb, and there is no sugarcoating that reality.
That said, there is a real pathway for Heidenreich as a third-down back who catches the ball out of the backfield, contributes on special teams, and provides offensive coordinators with a Swiss-army-knife piece they can move around the formation. Think of the role Danny Woodhead carved out, or the way James White became Tom Brady's security blanket on third downs. Heidenreich has the hands, the toughness, and the football character to fill a similar niche. He is not going to be a feature back or a number-one receiver, but a creative offensive staff could find 20 to 25 touches a game for this kid between carries, receptions, and return work. His floor is a special teams contributor and spot-duty offensive weapon. His ceiling, in the right system, is a dependable third-down back who makes a roster for a decade based on reliability and versatility.
Eli Heidenreich percentiles vs other Wide Receivers (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Eli Heidenreich (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
242.8
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
45.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.