Michael
Strachan.
Michael
Strachan.
Charleston (WV)· 6'5"· 226 lb· 4.54s 40
"A 6'5", 226-lb Division II jump-ball receiver out of Charleston (WV) with 27 touchdowns across two seasons and a 2020 cancelled by the MEC — a Round-7 developmental X projection where the wingspan and red-zone tape were the argument."Pre-draft read
This X-receiver operates almost exclusively as a boundary player, utilizing a long first step to close short cushions. He excels in vertical routes, deep comebacks, and back-shoulder fades, where he tracks the football, high-points with strong hands, and secures catches through contact. His play strength is evident as a downfield blocker, walling off corners, and after the catch, leaning into defenders.
His route tree is narrow, composed mainly of downfield stems, comebacks, slants, and some dig routes. Mechanical limitations appear on compressed cuts, as he gears down out of breaks, which sacrifices tempo. His release package against press coverage tends to be more push-and-run rather than employing nuanced counter techniques. Lateral agility decreases notably once he moves away from the numbers.
The Shanahan outside zone scheme with its emphasis on play action and receivers who can block and provide a vertical component.
Immediate red zone specialist and developmental vertical X-receiver with the ceiling to become a full-time starter if his route tree expands.
An Air Raid or spread RPO passing system that relies on high-volume, quick-hitting passing concepts and precise route running underneath.
A raw, toolsy vertical X-receiver with exceptional catch radius and red-zone ball skills whose fit hinges on developing a more diverse route tree and handling NFL-caliber press.
Colts draft Mike Strachan WR insane size and athleticism
Game film cut-up of Michael Strachan's Charleston (WV) tape.
Mike Strachan and Tremaine Ross College Highlights
Game film cut-up of Michael Strachan's Charleston (WV) tape.
Draft Room S2 Ep2: Michael Strachan
Game film cut-up of Michael Strachan's Charleston (WV) tape.
This player projects as a developmental X-receiver, offering elite size and red-zone production for teams in search of a contested-catch specialist. His 82¼-inch wingspan creates a significant catch radius, aiding in converting off-target throws on fades and boundary comebacks, providing a clear pathway for his utilization. His 4.54 forty-yard dash at 226 pounds confirms a notable height-weight-speed profile, indicating an ability to stretch the field vertically.
He emerged from Division II Charleston, where he recorded 126 catches, 2,326 yards, and 27 touchdowns during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, earning First-Team All-MEC honors twice. His usage emphasized downfield routes and fades, capitalizing on his natural strengths. The MEC cancelled its 2020 fall season, meaning evaluators were assessing tape that was over a year old, presenting a projection challenge.
Scout consensus placed him as a priority free agent to a late Day 3 pick, with primary concerns centered on the level of competition he faced, a limited route tree, and average short-area agility. The Indianapolis Colts drafted him in the seventh round with pick 229, recognizing him as a developmental prospect with a high catch radius while understanding the inherent risks.
- 01
Catch radius
An 82¼-inch wingspan, 34¼-inch arms, and 10-inch hands create a large strike zone, converting off-target throws into completions on fades and back-shoulders.
- 02
Contested-ball production
27 touchdowns and multiple high-pointed jump balls on tape demonstrate a receiver who utilizes his frame in the red zone and finishes through contact.
- 03
Long-strider vertical speed
A 4.54 forty-yard dash at 226 pounds allows him to quickly close cushions on nine routes and push off corners on go-and-comeback combinations.
- 04
Ball tracking
He locates the football over the shoulder without decelerating, adjusts late to underthrows, and displays quiet hands away from his body.
- 05
Downfield blocking
Uses his length and 226-pound play strength to effectively wall off corners on outside zone and screen plays, sustaining contact, demonstrating a willingness to engage.
- 01
Level of competition
Division II MEC corners rarely challenged his release package or ability to separate against NFL-caliber coverage, making his projection difficult.
- 02
Route tree is narrow
His tape primarily features verticals, comebacks, and fades, with minimal exposure to option routes, which are critical for an NFL X-receiver.
- 03
Change-of-direction is average
A 4.36 shuttle and heavy foot mechanics out of breaks limit separation on curls, digs, and outs against professional corners.
- 04
2020 lost season
The MEC cancelled its fall schedule, forcing scouts to grade tape that was over 15 months old without recent live competition repetitions.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.54sp50
- Vertical
- 35inp50
- Broad jump
- 127inp50
- Three-cone
- 6.96sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.36sp50
- Bench
- 20repp50
| Yr | Team | G | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Charleston (WV) | 11 | 26 | 422 | 3 |
| 2018 | Charleston (WV) | 11 | 48 | 1007 | 8 |
| 2019 | Charleston (WV) | 10 | 78 | 1319 | 19 |
| Career | — | 32 | 152 | 2748 | 30 |
Stats from official school bio. Charleston (WV) is Division II; did not play in 2020 due to COVID-19.
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Small-school (Grambling) receiver with a similar HWS pitch who logged a Day 3 stint as a rotational backup and depth chart body without ever converting size into a stable role.
Tall, long-armed vertical X whose developmental role settled into a backup with special-teams value and rotational deep-target snaps — the healthy upside of the frame bet.
Big-bodied vertical receiver whose catch radius kept him on 53-man rosters for years without ever finishing a season as a real target — a career of practice-squad and gameday-inactive churn.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context. Michael Strachan arrived at Division II Charleston out of Nassau, Bahamas, redshirted in 2016 and caught a single pass in 2017 before an all-conference breakout in 2018 and a record-setting All-MEC First-Team season in 2019 — 126 receptions, 2,326 yards and 27 touchdowns across those two years, with the raw HWS profile that draws scouts to small-school prospects in the first place. He measured 6'5⅜" and 226 pounds at his pro day with 34¼-inch arms, an 82¼-inch wingspan and a 10-inch hand; the workout numbers verified the frame bet — a 4.54 forty, a 35-inch vertical, a 127-inch broad, 6.96 three-cone and 20 bench reps. The MEC cancelled its 2020 fall season, so scouts were grading tape more than 15 months old, and board consensus landed in the priority-free-agent to late-Day-3 tier with level-of-competition and route-tree limitations as the honest flags on a developmental X.
NFL fit — Indianapolis Colts. The Colts spent pick #229 in the seventh round on the size-speed bet, betting on their receiver room and a well-designed play-action offense to accelerate a developmental X behind T.Y. Hilton, Michael Pittman Jr. and Parris Campbell. Strachan flashed as a rookie in limited work, active for late-season games as a red-zone body, but never crossed into a stable role as the Colts churned the position over 2022 and 2023 through various leadership changes. He was released, signed to Carolina's practice squad, and later drifted to Washington on futures deals — a Day 3 developmental profile that never converted level-of-competition risk into a permanent NFL role.
Retrospective. Four years later, Strachan sits as a journeyman size-speed X-receiver with career reception totals in the low double digits and a résumé built on practice-squad churn, camp bodies and gameday inactives across three franchises. The bet the Colts made was cheap and rational at #229 — a small-school HWS flier with red-zone tape and pro-day verification — but the honest scouting read is that the route-tree limitations and level-of-competition gap were the ceiling, and the profile never bent to an NFL role. In the seventh round the cost of the miss is negligible; in the ledger of the class, it is a Day 3 developmental swing that stayed developmental.
Data note: Stats from official school bio. Charleston (WV) is Division II; did not play in 2020 due to COVID-19.