The career stats of Josh Palmer at Tennessee don’t leap off the page. His best overall season was 2020, with 33 catches for 475 yards and four touchdowns. In 2019, he had one more catch but 18 fewer yards. Back in 2018, he had 484 yards on 21 yards per catch.
In his look at 10 2021 NFL Draft prospects he thinks will have better pro than college careers, USA TODAY’s Michael-Middlehurst-Schwartz had this to say about Palmer.
With potentially six of the top seven wide receivers in this year’s draft coming from the Southeastern Conference, it’s easy to understand why Palmer didn’t garner much national attention during a season in which he posted just 33 catches for 475 yards. Yet it was clear that Tennessee’s lackluster aerial attack was attributable primarily to coaching and the play of the Volunteers’ quarterbacks rather than Palmer. The 6-1, 210-pound target turned heads at the Senior Bowl with his determined route-running and physical play. As a potential third- or fourth-round pick, Palmer could be a starting receiver who satisfies the role of making tough catches in traffic and handling other unglamorous but important work.
Being down the depth chart early in his career, and Tennessee’s quarterback woes, held Palmer down. He was a chain mover though, with 69 of 99 career catches going for first downs (69.6 percent). 16 of his catches went for 25 or more yards. The knocks on him are attached to speed and burst; in routes and after the catch. A 4.52 40 at his Pro Day confirms that concern about lack of speed.
Player Profiler’s comp for Palmer is not too inspiring-Jacoby Jones. But Pro Football Focus’ fantasy football account has a better-sounding comp for the former Volunteer.
RELATED: Green Packers 2021 Mock Draft: Round 1-3
Jordy Nelson was a second-round pick in 2008 by the Green Bay Packers, out of Kansas State. In four of the five seasons he played from 2011-2016, he topped 1,200 yards with double-digit touchdowns three times. This year, maybe in the same round or a little later, the Packers could very easily have Palmer on their radar as a weapon for Aaron Rodgers.
