Nyck Harbor WR South Carolina | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Nyck Harbor WR South Carolina
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Updated: 05/08/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 time: 4.24 seconds (99%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Age: 19.10 DOB: 07/05/2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | |
Last Updated: 05/08/2025 | |
Draft Year: 2026 | |
40 time: 4.24 seconds (99%*) | |
Age: 19.10 DOB: 07/05/2005 | |
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Overall Rating: | 87.2 / 100 | |
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Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
Defense Rating: |
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75% |
Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
QB Rating When targeted: | 92.0 | |
Hands: |
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68% |
Short Receiving: |
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70% |
Intermediate Routes: |
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81% |
Deep Threat: |
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83% |
Blocking: |
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68% |
DRAFT PROJECTION:
1st - Late
Overall Rank:
#30
Position rank:
#6
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College Games: 25 College Snaps: 941 | ||
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Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
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Savion Williams - TCU |
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68% |
Dont'e Thornton Jr. - Tennessee |
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64% |
Bryce Ford-Wheaton - West Virginia |
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64% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Nyck Harbor enters his junior season at South Carolina with one of the most electrifying athletic profiles we've seen in decades. The former track star turned wide receiver brings a rare combination of world-class speed and imposing physicality that has NFL evaluators already circling his name for the 2026 draft. Harbor's journey from Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington D.C. to South Carolina was paved with elite two-sport accomplishments, including back-to-back appearances as Bruce Feldman's #1 "Freak" in college football. The son of former U.S. Men's National Soccer Team member Azuka Jeanard Harbor, Nyckoles brings generational athleticism to the gridiron.Harbor's development arc shows the trajectory of a player transitioning from raw athletic marvel to polished football prospect. After joining South Carolina as a five-star recruit, he steadily increased his production from 12 catches as a freshman to 26 receptions for 376 yards and three touchdowns in his sophomore campaign. His recent decision to forgo the 2025 track season to focus exclusively on football development could be the catalyst for a breakout junior year. For the first time in his college career, Harbor is participating in spring football practices rather than competing in track, giving him the opportunity to refine the technical aspects of his game. As he told reporters, "It's going to do wonders. I usually come back in July or August and try to ramp everything back up. I'm just smooth sailing. It's really just going off of last year. I'm excited to do it." This commitment to football development could pay massive dividends as Harbor looks to establish himself as one of the premier pass-catching talents in college football.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Superman level size-speed combination that simply doesn't exist elsewhere in this class – combines a 4.24 forty (est) with a 6'5" frame that creates nightmarish matchup problems at every level of the field.
- Demonstrates exceptional vertical receiving ability with the acceleration to stack defenders and the length to make contested catches over smaller defensive backs who can't match his catch radius.
- Runs angry after the catch, transforming into a freight train with the ball in his hands – broke first contact regularly as a sophomore and shows surprising lateral agility for his size when navigating traffic.
- Positional versatility as a potential "move" tight end – could add 10-15 pounds to his frame and become a Vernon Davis-type mismatch nightmare who's too fast for linebackers and too physical for defensive backs.
- Deep ball tracking improved noticeably in the latter half of his sophomore season, showing natural instincts to adjust to the ball in flight that could become a major weapon with more refinement.
- Shows flashes of dominance as a blocker, particularly when engaged and motivated – can completely erase cornerbacks from plays and spring explosive runs with his physicality on the perimeter.
- Accelerates through his breaks on intermediate routes with rare fluidity for a receiver his size, creating separation at the top of routes that smaller receivers struggle to match.
- Displays impressive hand strength at the catch point, rarely allowing defenders to dislodge the ball once he's secured it – hands became significantly more reliable after his contact lens adjustment midway through 2024.
- Red zone weapon who can physically dominate smaller defenders on slants, fades, and back-shoulder throws – possesses the tools to become a touchdown machine at the next level if he develops consistency.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Production remains well below what his athletic profile suggests – just 38 catches for 571 yards and 4 TDs in two seasons raises red flags about his ability to translate freakish athleticism into consistent on-field production.
- Route tree remains somewhat limited through his sophomore season – relied heavily on vertical routes and simple in-breaking patterns rather than demonstrating mastery of a complete route package.
- Can get too upright in his stance and out of breaks, creating unnecessary surface area for defenders to jam him at the line and disrupt timing patterns - a technical flaw that spring practice could help address.
- Concentration drops appeared occasionally when working across the middle in 2024, suggesting he may need time to fully acclimate to traffic over the middle at the NFL level.
- Hand technique against press coverage needs refinement – sometimes allows defenders to control his chest and delay his release rather than using his length advantage effectively against physical corners.
- Still learning the subtleties of leverage manipulation and setting up defenders – tends to rely on overwhelming physical traits rather than technical nuance in his route stems, something scouts will watch for improvement on in 2025.
Scouting Report: Summary
The NFL is getting a unicorn in Harbor - a vertical weapon with a rare blend of size and track speed that defensive coordinators must account for on every snap. When lined up as an X-receiver, his ability to stack defenders and win downfield creates instant mismatch opportunities. The tape shows a player whose ceiling comparison most resembles a more explosive version of DK Metcalf – imposing on the boundary with the juice to become a complete receiving threat.The 2025 season looms as make-or-break for Harbor's draft positioning. Scouts will monitor whether his full-time commitment to football translates to on-field production that matches his otherworldly physical traits. The elephant in the room remains his modest career numbers – 38 catches for 571 yards and 4 TDs simply doesn't align with what his athleticism suggests is possible. Vertical passing schemes will maximize his deep ball tracking and contested catch abilities, while his improved vision with contacts should help him exploit coverage holes on intermediate routes where he showed significant improvement late in 2024.
With dedication to route refinement and technical consistency through his first-ever spring practices, Harbor enters 2025 with tantalizing upside. His physical toolbox sits among the elite, but his production must catch up. The verdict on Harbor ultimately hinges on one critical question: Can he translate freakish measurables into consistent game-changing production against SEC competition? If the junior campaign delivers the numbers to match the talent, expect a rapid rise up draft boards as the rare size-speed specimen who finally put everything together.
How other scouting services rate Nyck Harbor (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
43.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
7.0
*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.