Nathaniel Dell Complete NFL Draft Profile (Upside Tied to Explosiveness)

Houston wide receiver Nathaniel Dell is eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft following his standout college career. A third-team All-American, Dell provided one explosive play after another with the Cougars on offense as well as special teams. He could hear his name called as early as the third round in April.

Here's everything you need to know about Nathaniel Dell heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.

Nathaniel Dell Draft Stock & Mock Draft Projections

Mock draft sources accurate as of 4/23: Walter Football, Sporting News, CBS Sports, Pro Football Network, ESPN.

Projected Draft Round: Round 3 (1), Round 4 (2), Round 5 (1), Round 6 (1)
Projected Team: Commander (2), Bills (1), Panthers (1), Saints (1)

Nathaniel Dell Scouting Report

Dell signed with Alabama A&M out of high school, but was limited with an injury and then moved on to Independence Community College. He garnered interest from Houston after a great campaign and ended up logging 428 yards and 3 touchdowns on 29 receptions in his first Cougars season (2020).

The Florida native stepped up in 2021 with 1,329 yards and 12 touchdowns on 90 receptions, which earned him first-team All-AAC honors. As if that wasn't enough, Dell racked up 1,398 yards and 17 touchdowns on 109 receptions in 2022. His efforts led to him being named a third-team all-American.

Highlighted strengths of Dell's game center around his explosiveness. He can burn defenders deep along the outside, beat defenders after the catch in the slot and make defenders miss in kick/punt returns. Dell's rapid footwork and precise route-running skills make him stick out at the WR position.

Dell is not a prospect without flaws, though, as his frame (5-foot-8, 165 pounds) rightfully makes people wonder if he can take on the physicality the NFL brings. He doesn't have a large wingspan, either, which limits his catch radius. Nonetheless, Dell is a player that can simply electrify an offense.

Nathaniel Dell NFL Draft Prediction

Dell may be limited to the slot position at the NFL level considering his best routes come when he can snap or change direction on a dime. His limited catch radius wouldn't give him a great chance against larger cornerbacks, anyways. That obviously makes where Dell lands a vital part of his improvement.

The Commanders line up as a preferable landing spot for a number of reasons. Washington got little from the punt return game last year as Dax Milne logged 7.8 yards per return. At the very worst, Dell would be able to immediately take over that role and give the specials teams unit a needed spark.

Dell is a player capable of developing into more than just a special teams star as his shiftiness would give Washington an intriguing slot option. Pairing him with Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel would be exciting. He's a mid-round selection that wouldn't cost major draft capital, either.

Prediction: Washington Commanders (Round 3, 97 overall)

Check out more NFL Draft content from The Duel:

Nathaniel Dell NFL Combine Results

Nathaniel Dell Houston Stats

Nathaniel Dell Houston Highlights

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.