NFL Draft 2020 Scouting Report: WR Siaosi Mariner, Utah State

2020 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

JUNE 29, 2020

*WR grades can and will change as more information comes in from Pro Day workouts, Wonderlic test results leaked, etc. We will update ratings as new info becomes available.

*WR-B stands for "Big-WR," a classification we use to separate the more physical, downfield/over-the- top, heavy-red-zone-threat-type WRs. Our WR-S/"Small-WRs" are profiled by our computer more as slot and/or possession-type WRs who are typically less physical and rely more on speed/agility to operate underneath the defense and/or use big speed to get open deep...they are not used as weapons in the red zone as much.

Our Quick Hit (QH) scouting reports are a modified/shorter version of our full-scale reports. On these Quick Hits, I look at a lesser amount of tape and write a shorter amount of flowy words – these are usually designed more for sleeper prospects that I want to get more acquainted with and if something really jumps out, I’ll go deeper. It’s just me trying to get in and get out and deliver the pertinent notes to you for your consideration and for review later if they start to make waves in a year or two.

I’ll do a chunk of these pre-Draft and then more after the Draft, going through the players that caught my attention in the draft (because of how high they were taken) or that I stumble across in training camp or the preseason that catch my eye.

Most of my notes on these Quick Hits will be short and sweet bullet points versions of our full- scale reports. Enjoy…

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I did not have this scouting session planned for this summer. In fact, I didn’t know Siaosi Mariner existed during the pre-Draft period in 2020. He did not show up on any lists of note pre-Draft. And with the Pro Days most all getting cancelled, he did not get a chance to do a Pro Day nor did he do a self-Pro Day on YouTube/passed to scouts to consider. He also went by the last name ‘Wilson’ until the 2018 season. Whatever the cause, he was not on any of my prospects for 2020 lists…not even to grade with the computer models outside of watching any of his tape.

Because things like this happen (UDFA prospects falling between the cracks pre-Draft), with my years of experience paying off, I always set time aside post-NFL Draft to go through the NFL rosters looking for players I hadn’t seen/known or computer graded. Looking over the Raiders’ roster I saw a guy with a

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2020 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

JUNE 29, 2020

cool name (Mariner) and it definitely didn’t ring a bell…so, I checked him out to see what there was, to see if he’d be worth looking into or full scale grading.

As soon as I turned on the tape, I was hooked in to find out more. There was definitely something here. Enough that I wanted to spend more time studying.

Mariner spent three ‘nothing’ seasons at Utah (2016-2018)…despite being a four-star recruit out of high school. He was playing in games for Utah every year but limited and seeing low numbers of targeting. In 2018, he was expected to take a bigger step forward. In the Utes opening game, Mariner had a 6 catch, 73 yards, and a TD game and it looked like he was going to take that step. Sadly, he was injured in the next game, missed several weeks, returned in November to more of a backup role, no longer a key starter. A season that started out promising, now wasted.

Mariner graduate-transferred to Utah State and instantly became a team leader and starter. He ended up the team’s clear #1 WR catching 10 of QB Jordan Love’s 20 TD passes in the 2019 season, earning Mariner a 2nd-team All-Conference nod…as well he achieved an All-Academic Conference honor.

Mariner was ignored in the pre-Draft process but did get the attention of Mike Mayock and the Raiders grabbed him (and he nabbed a few of the Utah State players) as a savvy undrafted free agent. He begins his journey 9th of nine WRs on the Raiders’ current depth chart. It’s going to be a tough road ahead, but I think I see something in Mariner…enough that we should keep tabs on him to make the Raiders roster or practice squad…or get poached by another team.

I watched a few of his games from 2019, and have the following notes (random order)…

Game Tape Scouting Notes:

-- Good-to-great ‘hands’ catcher. Catches the ball the way the NFL likes it…he goes and gets it versus waiting on it to come to him.

-- He can make all the catches. His 2019 season was filled with high point grabs, diving catches. He had an array of catch types somewhat because Jordan Love is inaccurate and was just throwing blindly/hopefully to Mariner to bail him out – and he did, a lot.

If Mariner hadn't joined Utah State for 2019, I’m not sure Love would have been a 1st-round prospect because his season might have been a bigger disaster. Mariner was definitely Love’s ‘guy’ in 2019.

-- Great concentration on catches. Tracks the ball well on the run, whether he needs to adjust to it last second and dupes a CB with their back’s to the ball or just having a great poker face body language as the ball is in flight not tipping off to a back-turned-away-from-the-ball CB the ball is incoming. Mariner has a lot of subtle professional maneuvers for a college WR.

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2020 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

JUNE 29, 2020

-- He has a knack for this and is well studied. Supposedly spends a lot of time studying Jerry Rice…not just talk, but dedicated study.

-- Big stride runner. Doesn’t look like he’s moving as fast but then he’s just beating defenders with good speed.

-- Decent-to-good route running. He doesn’t blow me away with his footwork off the snap or sharp cuts to get away from defenders…but he does seem to get open quite well. His outcomes/abilities in routes might be better than what my eyes are telling me because his outcomes are real.

-- Long arms, nice reach for passes…has a little DeAndre Hopkins vibe in body type/style.

-- Well-liked and respected by coaches and players. Was an instant leader/mentor to a brand new (to him) program in 2019.

Siaosi Mariner, Through the Lens of Our WR Scouting Algorithm:

-- As he got more comfortable at his new/transfer school in 2019, his numbers started jumping…8 TDs his last 7 games in college.

-- Three 100+ yard games his last 5 college games.

-- Faced top CB prospects vs. Wake Forest and San Diego State and had no issues…

8-118-1 vs. WF (his Utah State debut)

7-74-0 vs. SD State

-- Faced LSU and went 2-45-0, but he got dinged up on a diving catch and wasn’t as effective/playing the rest of the game.

-- Posted a 7-113-2 game in their Bowl Game vs. Kent State.

2020 Measurables Estimates:

6’1”/195

9.5”+ hands, 33”+ arms

4.50+ 40-time, 7.0+ three-cone

37”+ vertical

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The Historical WR Prospects to Whom Siaosi Mariner Most Compares Within Our System:

Mike Thomas is a great comp…and a scary one. A great college WR, a real professional knack for the position but not quite the speed/athleticism needed to star in the NFL – but Thomas is grinding away and sticking around (recently signed by the Bengals) and is working his way to being a #3-4 WR for a team down the road. Good news…he’s making it. Bad news…it’s not anything great/’wow’.

I think Mariner might be better equipped than Thomas for the NFL, but it’s not super-obvious. He might be another Mike Thomas, and no one would get to thrilled about that comp. He wishes he was more Sidney Rice (taller)…but he’s more Mike Thomas.

WR Draft Last First College H H W Power Speed Hands Score Yr Strngth Agility Metric Metric Metric 5.347 2020 Mariner Siaosi Utah State 6 1.2 195 3.12 6.56 8.67 3.529 2016 Thomas Mike So Miss 6 1.2 193 7.44 1.73 8.63 4.185 2007 Rice Sidney So Carolina 6 3.5 200 1.19 4.35 7.53 3.727 2017 Dupre Malachi LSU 6 2.4 196 -0.07 2.94 7.89 6.571 2018 Miller Anthony Memphis 5 11.1 201 11.28 6.98 7.98

*A score of 7.0+ is where we start to take a Small-WR prospect more seriously. A score of 8.50+ is where we see a stronger correlation of a Small-WR going on to become NFL good/great/elite. A score of 10.00+ is more rarefied air in our system and indicates a greater probability of becoming an elite NFL Small- WR. All of the WR ratings are based on a 0–10 scale, but a player can score negative, or above a 10.0 in certain instances. Overall WR score = A combination of several on-field performance measures, including refinement for strength of opponents faced. Mixed with all the physical measurement metrics, rated historically in our database. “Power-Strength” = A combination of unique metrics surrounding physical-size profiling, bench press strength, etc. High scorers here project to be more physical, better blockers, and less injury-prone. “Speed-Agility” = A combination of unique metrics surrounding speed, agility, physical size, mixed with some on-field performance metrics. High scorers here project to have a better YAC and show characteristics to be used as deep threats/create separation.

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2020 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT

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“Hands” = A combination of unique metrics surrounding on-field performance in college, considering the strength of opponents played. Furthermore, this data considers some physical profiling for hand size, etc. High scorers here have a better track record of college statistical performance, and overall this projects the combination of performance and physical data for the next level.

2020 NFL Draft Outlook:

Went undrafted in 2020 NFL Draft. Signed by the Las Vegas Raiders.

NFL Outlook:

UDFA WRs have an awful hill to climb to even make it onto a roster, and Mariner is in for that same battle. If the Raiders cut Zay Jones, Mariner has a shot at being a #5-6 WR…a better version of Marcell Ateman or Keelan Doss, but those guys have an early advantage here having booked a season or two with Gruden already.

Mariner needs a few breaks and if he can get some…he might wind up a shock starter/contributor in the NFL sooner-rather-than-later.

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Signature______Date______6/29/2020

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