Albert Connell
WR from Texas A & M
6 foot 0
187 pounds
4.53 40 time
ESPN Reports:
Notes: Trinity Valley Community College (Texas) transfer.
Stepped right in and caught 41 passes for 653 yards and
seven
touchdowns in 1995 and 57-872-6 in '96. Also carried the
ball five
times for 32 yards in '95 and 2-66 and one touchdown in
'96.
Positives: Good size and speed. Jumps well. Fine body
control.
Above-average route-running skills. Can get deep at times
and
will make some big plays. Can snatch and pluck the ball and
will
show he can do it at times.
Negatives: Does too much body-catching and drops too many
balls. Is not very strong and, at times, has trouble with
the jam. May have a medical
concern relating to the spinal column.
Summary: Has a good chance to play in the NFL, if he gets a
little stronger, does less
body-catching and uses his hands more.
Sporting News Reports:
If you watched two tapes -- one of the A&M-Colorado game
and the other of Connell's March workout in his
hometown of
Miami -- he'd be a top-10 pick. Connell caught 18
passes for
206 yards against Colorado, a top 25 opponent. At his
workout, he ran a 4.41 40 on grass and caught
everything in
the drills, good and bad throws, with sure hands. But
if you
watch other game tapes, you see drops, body catches and
inconsistent effort. He's a powerful receiver like Lake
Dawson
but much, much faster. Because A&M isn't a school that
lives
by the pass, his routes aren't polished, but he
displays huge
potential.
Sportsline reports:
After catching 41-653-7 in '95, Connell emerged as the team's go-to
receiver this past fall, breaking most of the Aggies
receiving records, catching 57-872-6 on the year. He has a good
combination of size and speed, shows fine body
control and leaping ability, and is a polished route runner. He also shows
a knack for making big plays and has
experience returning kickoffs and punts. However, despite his good size,
he does not appear very strong or physical and
has a tendency to drop easy receptions. Some feel he is the type of player
who could develop into a solid performer on
the next level if he continues to work on his receiving skills and develop
better conditioning habits.
Yesterday began with the Redskins taking Connell in the fourth round. Like
Lang and
Jones, Connell fits into the mix immediately at a
position where Henry Ellard is about to
celebrate his 36th birthday and Michael Westbrook
and Leslie Shepherd have
struggled with injuries.
Despite never having a first-rate quarterback to
throw him the ball, Connell piled up
impressive statistics at Texas A&M and had a
highlight reel of acrobatic catches.
"He's a speed guy," Redskins Coach Norv Turner
said. "He had two plays over 70
yards last season and a number of plays over 30
yards. He made plays."