Reginald
Virgil.
Reginald
Virgil.
Texas Tech· 6'3"· 187 lb· 4.57s 40
R5 · #143 · Arizona Cardinals"Long-strider Z receiver with reliable ball skills and jet-motion gadget value; a one-year Big 12 riser whose translation hinges on separating in phase against NFL press corners."Pre-draft read
Primarily a Z receiver, also flexes into the slot and takes jet-motion reps. He wins with tempo off the line, stacking corners with his release and using a lean-and-rip technique to clear press coverage. He consistently threatens the deep third on nine-balls and back-shoulder throws, showcasing consistent ball-tracking and body control.
His hands are reliable on contested catches, and he adjusts well to underthrown vertical passes, finishing strong at the sideline. His route tree emphasizes go routes, comebacks, and daggers, though intermediate breaks reveal a gather step that grants defensive cushion. He blocks with effort on the perimeter and provides a change-of-pace rushing threat on jet sweeps, displaying agility after the mesh.
Spread RPO, with a diverse mix of play-action and vertical route concepts to isolate outside receivers on nine-balls and back-shoulders.
Rotational Z-receiver with immediate special teams value and potential to develop into a reliable third option for boundary isolation routes.
A run-heavy West-Coast offense that primarily features short to intermediate routes and requires receivers to consistently win with suddenness out of breaks.
Reginald Virgil's value is maximized in a scheme leveraging his downfield ball skills and gadget-play versatility, allowing him to bypass straight-line separation concerns.
Reggie Virgil — NFL Combine Prospect Breakdown
Combine-week film study of Virgil's release package, ball skills and Texas Tech usage.
2026 Senior Bowl — WR vs DB 1-on-1s (Day 2)
Senior Bowl one-on-one reps where Virgil worked outside corners off the line.
2026 NFL Combine — QB/WR Group 2
Official on-field workouts including Virgil's route and catch drills at the combine.
Reginald Virgil projects as a developmental Z receiver with specialist upside, capable of contributing to vertical passing concepts and manufactured touches. His ability to win at the catch point and adjust to deep throws provides a downfield threat, while his perimeter blocking offers utility in the run game. His 31 1/4-inch arm length suggests he is not an ideal true X receiver, but rather a flanker who can work off the line of scrimmage.
Virgil spent three years at Miami (Ohio) before emerging in 2024 with 41 catches for 816 yards and nine touchdowns. He then transferred to Texas Tech, where he posted 57 receptions for 705 yards and six receiving touchdowns, along with two rushing scores on jet motion. Notably, he had a three-touchdown performance against No. 6 UCF, showcasing his versatility. His clean Senior Bowl week performances from off-the-line releases helped to solidify his evaluation.
Concerns included his straight-line separation against NFL press corners, reflected in his 4.57 forty-yard dash. Evaluators saw him as a one-year Power Five producer with real ball skills and a special-teams floor, leading to a consensus projection as a Day 3 selection. The Arizona Cardinals selected him in the fifth round with the 143rd overall pick, targeting him as a developmental Z with special-teams potential.
- 01
Deep Ball Adjustments
Consistently adjusts to underthrown deep passes, high-points the ball, and excels on back-shoulder throws in tight windows.
- 02
Release Technique
Uses a stutter-and-lean release off the line of scrimmage, effectively disguising vertical stems to gain cushion.
- 03
Gadget Versatility
Offers gadget-back versatility, including two rushing touchdowns on jet motion against No. 6 UCF, showcasing change-of-pace agility.
- 04
Contested Catch Ability
Finishes contested catches, especially on boundary fades and at the sideline, playing larger than his frame.
- 05
Perimeter Blocking
Exhibits sustained effort in perimeter blocking, engaging second-level defenders and squaring up linebackers effectively.
- 01
Straight-Line Speed
Lacks elite straight-line speed; his 4.57 40-yard dash suggests NFL press corners can maintain hip leverage on vertical routes.
- 02
Intermediate Route Nuance
Intermediate route nuance is limited by a gather step on digs and curls, narrowing throwing windows against zone-match coverage.
- 03
Frame Limitations
His 187-pound frame and 31 1/4-inch arm length may limit effectiveness against consistent press-and-jam coverage as a true X.
- 04
Limited P5 Production
Real production is limited to a single season at the Power Five level, hindering his overall evaluation.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 4.57sp50
- Vertical
- 36inp50
- Broad jump
- 127inp50
- Three-cone
- —s
- Shuttle
- —s
- Bench
- —rep
| Yr | Team | G | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Miami (OH) | 6 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| 2023 | Miami (OH) | 12 | 1 | 34 | 1 |
| 2024 | Miami (OH) | 13 | 41 | 816 | 9 |
| 2025 | Texas Tech | 14 | 57 | 705 | 6 |
| Career | — | 45 | 100 | 1583 | 16 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
- Behren MortonQB17%
- Will HammondQB13%
- Mitch GriffisQB6%
#10 of 21 tracked contributors · Production leaned on volume · Offense explosiveness 1.32 (p76) · CFBD — usage x PPA per tracked player
Grinder Z with route effort and real blocking value; role-player ceiling with situational third-down juice.
Long-strider Z who wins vertically and at the catch point; thrives when the scheme lets him play down the sideline.
Body-catching depth Z who lives on special teams and manufactures a handful of vertical shots per season.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Pre-draft context Virgil arrived at Miami (Ohio) as a lightly recruited outside receiver from Apopka, Fla., and spent three seasons in the RedHawks program before finally moving the needle. His 2022 was a rotational freshman year (six games, one catch). 2023 was effectively a redshirt on the stat sheet — one reception for 34 yards across 12 games while the offense funneled targets elsewhere. The breakout came in 2024: 41 catches for 816 yards and nine touchdowns at 19.9 yards per grab, the kind of vertical profile that gets a MAC receiver a Power Five transfer offer. He landed at Texas Tech and posted a full 14-game senior line (57-705-6, plus two rushing scores on jet motion), including a three-touchdown outing against No. 6 UCF in November that put him on Day 3 boards. The 2026 Combine gave him 6-2 5/8, 187, 31 1/4-inch arms and a 4.57 forty with a 36-inch vertical and 10-7 broad — a fine athletic profile without a true separator, which matched the film.
NFL fit — Arizona Cardinals Arizona took Virgil at 143 in the fifth round as a developmental Z behind their veteran perimeter group, with an expectation that special teams would carry the rookie year. The fit is straightforward: the offensive system uses layered vertical concepts and manufactured perimeter touches (jet sweeps, tunnel screens, RPO nows), all of which mirror how Texas Tech deployed him. He is not going to unseat established starters in year one, and the Cardinals' target hierarchy at receiver was already crowded coming out of camp. The realistic runway is a rotational fourth or fifth wideout who gets late-quarter looks on go-balls and back-shoulder concepts, mixed with gunner reps on punt and coverage snaps on kickoff.
Retrospective Too early to grade the pick — he is a rookie whose entire pro career sits in front of him — but the evaluation is coherent with the price. Virgil is a one-year Power Five producer with average NFL speed, real ball skills and a special-teams floor; that is a fifth-round profile, not a top-100 one. The upside case is that the release package and vertical body control that popped in Big 12 tape and at the Senior Bowl scale up under a professional passing-game system. The downside is that press corners ride his hip on stems and he tops out as a coverage-team specialist. Fifth round for a developmental Z with a real signature game (three TDs vs. No. 6 UCF) is a reasonable bet either way.