Amba Etta-Tawo, WR
School: Syracuse | Conference: ACC
College Experience: RS Senior | Age: 23
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 198 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 4th Round or 5th Round
NFL Comparison: Mohammed Sanu
College Statistics
Player Overview
Amba Etta-Tawo has set an example for all graduate transfers. You can do very little at your undergraduate program (Maryland has some serious QB issues) but with a change of scenery, you can become prolific. Etta-Tawo got off to a red-hot start compiling 840 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns through his first 8 games. He cooled off as quarterback play for the Orange went up and down but still put together a very respectable season. Etta-Tawo has good size and has a talent being able to use his body to create space and snatch the ball out of the air and away from defenders. He’s also a good athlete with decent breakaway speed and ability after the catch.
For all Etta-Tawo’s talent and receptions, he does occasionally drop balls he should be catching. If not for his one year of production and this flaw he would be projected to go much earlier in this draft class. He was set to participate in the Senior Bowl but suffered a dislocated finger injury.
Strengths
- Natural receiver and technically sound. He is smooth in and out of his breaks and gets off the LOS with ease. He has soft hands and a very good catch radius. Prototypical size for an outside receiver.
- Very good at attacking the ball at its highest point to win 50/50 balls. Uses his size to box out well. The manner in which he can adjust and right himself to make a catch is very impressive.
- Good athletic ability, he can create separation with his speed and frame and still has some juice to pull away.
- Willing blocker in the run/screen game.
Weaknesses
- Inconsistent hands at times. He will occasionally drop a pass thrown his way.
- Played in a pretty simplistic offense and ran a simple route tree, lots of go, post, and hitch routes.
- 1 year of starter quality production.
Let’s see his work:
Amba Etta-Tawo may have lead the nation in rec yds if Eric Dungey remained healthy. Should go late Day 2/ early Day 3 #seniorbowl #Cuse
— Jeffrey Schmidt (@JeffSchmidt9) January 25, 2017
Amba Etta-Tawo has some of the strongest hands in this class #NFLDraft #seniorbowl pic.twitter.com/Le38nJPkG1
— Alt Football 365 (@Altfootball365) January 5, 2017
ICYMI, former Maryland wideout Amba Etta-Tawo is impressing at the Senior Bowl and has an NFL team's attention https://t.co/KVF4tfK2eL
— TerrapinStationMD (@terpstationmd) January 28, 2017
OU WR Dede Westbrook, CUSE WR Amba Etta-tawo and OK State WR James Washington were the only WRs from P-5 schools in the top 10 of Rec Yds pic.twitter.com/Ofbbj9oDft
— Russell Clay (@RussellJClay) January 28, 2017
Doing Syracuse's Amba Etta-Tawo's evaluation now. This play is really good. pic.twitter.com/kv2jVWzagT
— Riley (@junioraumanac) January 27, 2017
Syracuse WR Amba Etta-Tawo with a bad drop here. Dropped a low but not uncatchable throw a minute later.#seniorbowl pic.twitter.com/jA7MT4556O
— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) January 25, 2017
Bears coaches lining up Syracuse WR Amba Etta-Tawo in the slot quite a bit during team drills.
— Matthew Fairburn (@MatthewFairburn) January 25, 2017
Another day..
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) November 20, 2016
Another Amba Etta-Tawo #MustSeeACC moment @N_GOD_WE_TRUST @CuseFootball pic.twitter.com/MWRfL2VgMH
Play of the day? #Syracuse WR Amba Etta-Tawo makes a one-handed catch...then runs 68 yards for the score! pic.twitter.com/czHKrcRaj8
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) October 22, 2016
Amba Etta-Tawo is the real deal.
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) September 28, 2016
Check out his record-breaking performance for @CuseFootball! pic.twitter.com/faV0dEW5A4
How He Would Fit On The Redskins
Amba Etta-Tawo would provide short and deep threat options for Kirk Cousins if drafted. Again, with the futures of Pierre Garcon and Desean Jackson up in the air, questions about the health of Josh Doctson, and the fact that McCloughan has drafted a WR in almost every one of his drafts I feel confident in saying the Redskins will look to the position group at some point during the draft. If the Redskins want to start looking in the mid rounds Etta-Tawo would be a good prospect to consider. The young man still needs refinement and polish but his natural talent and ability to be prolific are undeniable. In the NFL nothing is a sure thing but I would find some relief in the production Etta-Tawo was able to put up this year in a power 5 conference with a bad quarterback or two. If drafted here’s to the Redskins using him on hitches, screens, and go routes and not the dreaded fade.