Matt Waldman’s RSP Film Room examines the body control, hand strength, and separation skills of Wake Forest wide receiver Sage Surratt, and how the Deamon Deacons tailor the scheme to Surratt’s strengths.

Donte Moncrief captured the imagination of draftniks thanks to his frame and above-the-rim game at Ole Miss. I was never a fan because he had difficulty winning the ball against tight coverage when it mattered most for projecting NFL success.

Sage Surratt reminds me of what I believe fans, analysts, and scouts saw in glimpses with Moncrief’s game. Surratt is a well-built receiver with upper body strength that he applies well as a ball-winner at the catch point in traffic and tight coverage. It’s these situations where Moncrief falters too often.

Surratt knows how to attack the football, and it shows up repeatedly on his film with techniques that many pro receivers fail to apply as astutely in similar situations. It’s a promising sign when a receiver this young is as thorough and exact with his hands and maximizes his space.

This is especially important for Surratt because he lacks quick-twitch separation skills with specific types of footwork that are common among many split ends. Due to his combination of strengths and weaknesses as a technician and athlete, Surratt has specific ways he wins in the vertical game.

Wake Forest understands Surratt’s game enough that it uses him at split end and in the slot to leverage his strengths and minimize his flaws. In this RSP Film Room, I examine 13 plays from 3 of Surratt’s 2019 performances and highlight what works, what doesn’t, and how the Deamon Deacons (and future NFL team) will apply his skills.

Surratt isn’t an all-around stud, but there are studly things he can do that could make him a productive NFL contributor in a starting lineup.

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