NFL Draft
4/22/25
4 min read
Elijhah Badger 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Florida Gators WR
Height: 6013 (verified)
Weight: 200lbs (verified)
Year: Redshirt Senior
Scouting Overview
Florida Gators wide receiver Elijhah Badger projects as a developmental talent at the NFL level. Badger has been a productive college receiver across the last three seasons, including time at Arizona State and Florida, but became a prolific downfield weapon this past year with the Gators, averaging over 20.5 yards per reception.
He’s got good speed, adequate size and length, body control to adjust to footballs, and some dynamic movement skills that suggest he’s potentially an attractive complementary receiver at the NFL level.
2025 NFL Combine Results
| Position | Name | School | 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Split | Broad Jump | Vertical Jump | 3-Cone Drill | 20-Yard Shuttle | Bench Press |
| WR | Elijah Badger | Florida | 4.43 | 1.53 | 35.5 |
Positives
- Physically gifted mover with good juice and deceleration ability
- Boasts body control at the catch point to extend back for the football
- Became a downfield target who collected deep crossers with ease in 2024
Negatives
- Consistency lingers as a significant missing link to his game
- Does not offer the kind of run-blocking prowess you’d hope to complement receiving potential
- Will be a 24-year-old rookie in August
Background
Badger is from Folson, CA, and played high school football for Folson HS. He was a hyper-productive prep receiver and a 4-star recruit (247 Sports before leaving high school. He committed to Arizona State as a member of the program’s 2020 recruiting class. Badger would play in one game as a true freshman in 2020 before logging minimal playing time in 2021 across 11 games.
By 2022, he was a productive talent who led the team in receptions (70) while being named Honorable Mention All-PAC 12. He was again an Honorable Mention All-PAC 12 receiver in 2023. Badger was one of the most productive kick returners in FBS (nearly 29 yards per return).
After 2023, he entered the transfer portal as a 4-star transfer (247 Sports) and enrolled at Florida, where his receiving game profile evolved into a downfield threat. He averaged 20.7 yards per reception with 806 yards across 39 receptions. He started 9 of his 12 games with Florida as a redshirt senior.
Tale Of The Tape
Badger is a naturally gifted athlete with all the necessary physical tools to develop into a much more consistent and productive player at the NFL level. An uninspiring passing offense sometimes bogged down his time spent at Arizona State. In contrast, his year in Gainesville allowed him to maximize his downfield ability with DJ Lagway’s big arm.
Short-area acceleration, flexibility, and body control at the catch point, as well as ball-tracking skills to win down the field, are all present. However, they’re irregular enough that Badger can be a somewhat frustrating study despite the prolific downfield role he fulfilled in 2024. With his burst and change of direction ability, Badger has the foundation to be a separator against man coverage. He plays with sufficient play strength on the route stem and when attacking the football down the field.
As a route runner, Badger ran nearly two-thirds of his routes on go’s, posts, crosses, and hitches. The foil from his time at Arizona State tells quite the story, where just one year prior in 2023, Badger ran 11% of his routes as screen patterns behind the line of scrimmage. The difference in the offenses helps contextualize why he’s still irregular and inconsistent as a route runner — much of what he did at Arizona State was cheap work within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage.
Badger had contested catch success this past season, thanks to the room he had to operate in to adjust to the football. He has good leaping ability, and when he’s forced to work back to the football, Badger showcases quick enough recognition to keep himself in position in the post.
The special teams upside makes Badger a great Day 3 play. He’s been prolific as a returner in the past, which should offer him an avenue with the new kickoff rules to make an immediate impact while being developed in the finer details of creating separation.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Badger projects as a developmental pass catcher at the NFL level. He boasts the movement skills, ball skills, and special teams profile to carve out an early role, but he must be more consistent with his route running detail and run blocking if he’s to develop into a starter.
Grade: 70.50/100.00, Fifth Round Value
Big Board Rank: 191
Position Rank: WR21
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