2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Xavier Restrepo

Last Updated: 3/17/2025

Career Stats

Summary

Xavier Restrepo is a fifth-year senior whose success didn’t come easily. In his first chance to showcase his talent he sustained a season-ending foot injury that forced him out of a majority of his sophomore campaign. This didn’t slow him down, returning as a junior and setting a single-season reception record for the Hurricanes with 85, taking them for over 1,000 yards and 6 touchdowns. He capped his career with a campaign that saw him set a career-high 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning first-team All-ACC and All-American Honors.

Although Restrepo is short in stature, he counters that with a thick and powerful frame. He lacks some high-end athletic traits, but for what he lacks, he makes up for with physicality and effort. Notably he doesn’t shy away as a blocker in the run game, which is ideal for a player projected to play the slot. The physicality is seen from the start, if he can’t get a free release he tends to lean on hand fighting and leaning into defenders to create separation. This was also seen by the play calling as more of his routes were schemed open than him creating the separation — crossers, outs, screens, etc. This required him to attack leverage and misdirection, which he excelled at. We didn’t see him run many quick breaking routes, raising concern in this area. On the flip side, he is a natural zone beater, displaying the IQ and awareness to settle into zones and find the open areas when plays break down. Pairing this with his natural toughness and quickness he exposes defenses in the middle of the field.

He leaves us wanting more when it comes to the speed department of the game. He has a quickness and suddenness to him but is very stiff and lacks the top end speed to pull away from defenders in the secondary. This limits him to a short to intermediate area receiver, with the occasional deep shot tossed in. After the catch he has good vision and enough elusiveness to make a defender miss but is not stringing moves together or breaking huge chunk plays regularly. His physicality shines through here though, as he is willing to lower his shoulder and pick up the tough yards. At the catch point he is inconsistent but has displayed good traits. His body control shines, twisting and bending his body to catch off target and back shoulder throws. We also see a natural ability to go up and fight for the ball in contested situations. Despite his willingness and physicality his lack of length limits him at the catch point especially against lengthier defenders. We have seen him display strong hands in physical type situations, but also a slew of bad drops as well.

Strengths

• Awareness
• Physicality
• Body control
• Quickness

Weaknesses

• Speed
• Consistent hands
• Lack of length

Honors and Awards

• First Team All-American (2024) (consensus)
• First Team All-ACC (2024)
• First Team All-ACC (2023)

Athletic Testing

• 40-yard dash: TBD
• Vertical: TBD
• Broad Jump: TBD
• Three-cone: TBD
• Shuttle: TBD
• Bench: TBD

NFL Role Prediction

• Slot receiver

Fantasy Outlook

Xavier Restrepo can be a plug-and-play slot receiver at the next level, the question will be if his lack of speed or consistency will hinder him. In an offense that creates natural voids he will eat, but in a more stagnant offense he may struggle to earn opportunities. As a slot player he can develop into a safety blanket for his new quarterback or potentially reunite with Cam Ward if a team chooses that route. He will need plenty of red zone opportunities to become anything more than a WR3 with upside for fantasy due to his lack of big play ability.

Player Comparisons

• Khalil Shakir
• Skyy Moore
• Parker Washington