Dez
Fitzpatrick.
Dez
Fitzpatrick.
Louisville· 6'1"· 208 lb· 4.43s 40
"A 6'1"/208 Louisville boundary receiver with four years of ACC production (2,589 yards, 21 TDs) and Senior Bowl stock — a Round-4 backside-X projection where the frame and body-control catches outran modest separation quickness."Pre-draft read
Operating as a big-slot or backside-X boundary receiver, he leverages build-up speed, body control, and late-play understanding. Primarily an X-receiver, he stretches Cover 3 shells and runs effective comeback and dig routes. His release lacks suddenness; physical press corners can redirect him, but he effectively stacks defenders on verticals with hand fighting and long strides.
His distinguishing catching ability features adept adjustments on back-shoulder throws and quiet framing on contested targets. He is a willing and impactful perimeter blocker. Limitations include diminished separation on short-area routes (option, whip, Texas concepts).
A run-heavy play-action based offense utilizing vertical passing concepts, often from 12 or 21 personnel.
A Year 1 rotational boundary WR who can contribute on special teams, with a ceiling as a reliable WR3/WR4.
An Air Raid or spread offense that relies on short-area quickness, option routes and extensive YAC production.
Fitzpatrick fits best as a perimeter blocker and vertical threat in a scheme that values physicality and late-play contested catches over short-area separation.
Dez Fitzpatrick Senior Bowl Highlights
Mobile week reps — releases vs. Power Five corners, contested reps and the stock-moving practices that pushed him to Round 4.
Louisville WR Dez Fitzpatrick: Touchdown Machine
Career red-zone and vertical scoring cutup at Louisville — body control on fades and back-shoulder throws.
Louisville WR Dez Fitzpatrick Makes One-Hand Helmet Catch
Signature catch-radius rep — full-extension one-hand grab that became a Cardinals highlight staple.
This prospect presented as a stable, albeit modestly ceilinged, receiver. His four years as a starter, accumulating 2,589 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns, culminating in a senior-year captaincy, formed a clean resumé for a Day 3 receiver. A strong Senior Bowl showing elevated his projection from a depth grade to a firm Day 3 selection.
His role at Louisville primarily involved stretching the field from the X-receiver position and winning contested catches, often in situations against inconsistent quarterback play that inflated target-share numbers beyond actual open-window separation. He consistently demonstrated reliability through three different coaching regimes. His pro day measurements confirmed above-average, but not elite, athletic traits.
Evaluators consistently noted concerns regarding his modest short-area separation and an average release package against press coverage. Despite these flags and the context of unstable quarterback play at his college, he was generally projected as a Day 3 pick. He was ultimately selected in the fourth round, an outcome that accurately priced him as a boundary receiver depth piece.
- 01
Contested-catch ability
Demonstrated consistent execution on back-shoulder throws and 50/50 balls in tight coverage, becoming a trusted target in critical situations.
- 02
Durability and production
Maintained a starting role for four seasons, accumulating significant receiving yards and touchdowns through multiple coaching changes.
- 03
Senior Bowl performance
Showed clean releases against advanced defensive backs and made above-the-rim catches, solidifying his draft stock during the practice week.
- 04
Physical frame and reach
Possesses a 6'1", 208-pound build with functional arm length, making him an effective target for fade and back-shoulder throws.
- 05
Vertical route effectiveness
Exhibits build-up speed with a 4.43 forty, enabling him to stack defenders on vertical stems and win at the top of deep routes.
- 01
Limited short-area separation
Struggles to create consistent space on quick-breaking routes; NFL corners can recover against his option, whip, and quick-game stems.
- 02
Press release vulnerability
Lacks suddenness off the line of scrimmage and is susceptible to being re-routed by physical defensive backs, as observed at the Senior Bowl.
- 03
Inconsistent hands technique
Shows a tendency to body-catch, which can lead to drops when his body position is compromised, despite frequently securing catches.
- 04
Contextualized production
Louisville's variable quarterback play often led to production on extended or late plays rather than through consistent open-window separation.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.43sp50
- Vertical
- 35inp50
- Broad jump
- —in
- Three-cone
- 7.09sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.26sp50
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Louisville | 13 | 45 | 699 | 9 |
| 2018 | Louisville | 12 | 31 | 422 | 3 |
| 2019 | Louisville | 13 | 35 | 635 | 6 |
| 2020 | Louisville | 11 | 43 | 833 | 3 |
| Career | — | 49 | 154 | 2589 | 21 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Rotational WR4/WR5 boundary body who bounces around 53-man/practice squad lines and cashes real snaps in a good week.
The best-case big-slot/X hybrid — long, quiet hands, real deep-ball body control; a genuine WR3 for a decade in the right offense.
Size/frame profile as the whole argument, minimal separation, career ceiling as a red-zone-only depth piece.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Bust. 3 catches for 41 yards across two seasons, cut by Tennessee in 2023. Practice-squad only through 2024, out of the league by 2025.
**Pre-draft context.** Dez Fitzpatrick arrived at Louisville as a three-star Farmington Hills, Michigan recruit and became a rare four-year starter through multiple coaching changes. He caught 156 balls for 2,589 yards and 21 touchdowns across his Cardinals career, was voted a team captain as a senior, and left Louisville as one of the most decorated boundary receivers in program history despite unstable quarterback play. His Senior Bowl week in Mobile is what moved the pre-draft grade — clean releases, real catch-radius reps, and enough separation at the top of vertical stems to draw Day 2 buzz. At his March pro day he measured 6'1", 208 pounds and ran a 4.43 forty with a 35-inch vertical, a 7.09 three-cone and a 4.26 shuttle — a 8.59 RAS that quieted concerns about long speed while confirming average change-of-direction traits.
**NFL fit — Tennessee Titans.** The Tennessee organization took Fitzpatrick at 109 to add a physical boundary body to an A.J. Brown/Julio Jones room that needed cheap depth behind two alpha X profiles. The fit made sense on paper — the offensive system ran a lot of 11 personnel and the Titans wanted a WR3/WR4 who could win contested throws — but the roster reality was tight. He was waived at the initial cutdown, re-signed to the practice squad, and finished his rookie year with four catches for 78 yards and a touchdown across limited game-day elevations.
**Retrospective.** The Titans traded A.J. Brown after 2021, but Fitzpatrick never converted the opportunity into a stable role. Tennessee waived him during the 2022 season and he bounced through Pittsburgh and Arizona practice squads, occasionally activated for a game-day role but never fully carving out a WR5 spot. Viewed against the pick, 109 delivered a rotational Day 3 outcome without the depth-piece stability that similar profiles have found elsewhere — a fair "boundary body" bet that never quite locked into a roster.