Big Ten defensive coordinator weighs in on fall of Trey Palmer in the 2023 NFL Draft

Trey Palmer broke out in his fourth college season at Nebraska after spending his first three at LSU. That’s why, after he fell to the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, one conference coordinator was left scratching their head.

In an article on ESPN+ from Adam Rittenberg, Palmer was labeled as a ‘sleeper pick’ in the piece. As one Big Ten DC put it, he says even the poor Cornhusker offense shouldn’t have accounted for Palmer’s drop considering he was ‘one of the better players’ his team faced last season.

“He can run,” the anonymous coordinator said. “That offense was up and down, especially with the quarterback situation, and there was a lot of turmoil there. But I thought he was one of the better players we saw all year.”

Palmer caught 41 passes for the Tigers in his trio of campaigns in Baton Rouge. Those led to 458 receiving yards and three touchdowns that all came in 2021. Then, after arriving in Lincoln from the transfer portal, he went off for what was by far the lead for the Huskers in receptions (71), yards (1,043), and touchdowns (nine). The 1,043 receiving yards were a school record for the Cornhuskers.

Still, come the draft, he had to wait until the 191st pick to hear his name be called. That’s when he officially became a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

At least in this one coordinator’s mind, there’s no telling what led Palmer to freefall to the back end of the NFL Draft. However, that could end up being to Tampa Bay’s advantage in what could end up being a steal for them down the line if he pans out for them.

What NFL draft analysts are saying about Trey Palmer

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein highlighted the speed and explosiveness of Palmer as a wide receiver prospect. However, he added that he needs to improve other parts of his game.

“Former five-star recruit who made a name for himself at Nebraska after leaving LSU. Palmer’s route running is raw, but coachable,” Zierlein wrote in his scouting report on Palmer. “He’s an athletic mover with good leaping ability. And a quiet engine that can unleash a big second gear to chase the deep throw. Getting Palmer to play to his top speed and with a consistent competitiveness will be the challenge. His ball skills are below average. The athleticism and speed will be tempting on Day 3, but his upside could be limited.”

At the 2023 NFL Combine, Palmer had the top 40-yard dash time by a wide receiver. It was also the fourth-best time overall at 4.33 seconds. The only players ahead of him were Michigan cornerback DJ Turner, Maryland cornerback Jakorian Bennett, and Texas A&M running back Devon Achane.