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Sobo's Take:
The 2007 season was a complete disappointment for the highly touted
Louisville Cardinals. Lackluster play by top wide receiver Mario Urrutia
was one of the reasons as to why.
Long, lumbering, and once considered a top receiving prospect; the former
Cardinal struggled through injuries and only racked up 35 catches, 501 yards,
and 3 touchdowns. Hampered by “turf toe” this past season, the receiver never
displayed the dominance or speed he did in previous campaigns.
Despite this, Urrutia put his name in with the NFL draft advisory committee,
who graded him as a potential third or fourth round prospect. The junior was
pleased enough with the grade that he decided to declare for the draft early, a
decision also motivated by personal factors.
At almost 6-feet 6-inches tall and weighing 231 pounds, Urrutia can be an
imposing target. At this point, however, all areas of his game need polish.
Urrutia is a long strider who lacks burst off the line of scrimmage and in his
cuts during routes. His case was helped recently by running a 4.53 second forty
yard dash, which is very good for a pass catcher of this stature. While he
possesses some of the largest hands in this class, they're also erratic.
What this Urrutia brings to the position is physicality. This can be seen
when fighting for balls in the air, shielding off defenders, and even blocking.
Urrutia is a potential monster red zone target for a team who is willing to
spend a mid rounder to develop his game for future years.
Here is more insight on Urrutia from Scout.com analysts:
Adam Caplan, Senior NFL Analyst: University of
Louisville WR Mario Urrutia had a personal workout for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
last Friday. He's scheduled to visit the Cleveland Browns on Thursday and will
work out for the Atlanta Falcons this weekend.
Tom Marino, ex-NFL Scout: Other then his physical stature, I
didn't see much that I liked about this player's game. He drops far too
many catch able balls, wasn't tough inside, was a very stiff route runner, and
lacks the speed to separate on vertical routes. Urrutia wasn't a confident
catcher and showed little in the way of route quickness. Somebody is going to
draft this player, but I don't see much that I liked about this player's game.
Chris Steuber, Scout Draft Analyst: The 6-foot-6, 220-pound
Urrutia can be a big-play wide receiver who can stretch the field, but he lacks
focus and drops catchable passes. Battling injuries this past season caused him
to miss four games, and he managed just 35 receptions for 501 yards (14.3 YPC)
and three touchdowns. Urrutia would have benefited staying at Louisville for his
senior season to continue his growth as a player, but with his intentions of
entering the draft, he's no better than a fourth-round pick.