2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Tory Horton

Last Updated: 04/18/2025

Career Stats 

Summary 

From a three-star recruit to a two-time First-Team Mountain West player, Tory Horton has ascended into one of the better college players in this class. After two pedestrian seasons at Nevada, Horton transferred to Colorado State, where he exploded for back-to-back 1,100 receiving yard seasons and back-to-back first-team honors. As a senior, he suffered a season-ending knee injury six games into the season. At the NFL Combine, he silenced the doubters by running an impressive 4.41 40-yard dash only a few months after this injury.

Horton has a tall and lean frame with room to add some weight, which he needs to do to become an every-down player at the next level. His fiery attitude translates throughout his game – he is hardly taken down easily and is always chattering after the whistle. He lacks an expansive release package, and his lack of strength is evident in press situations. As a sudden and explosive athlete, I have few concerns that he can’t develop this at the next level. To this point, we have not seen an expansive route tree from Horton, but what we have seen is solid. He is a smooth operator who displays tempo control and manipulative skills – excelling at crossing routes and long developing routes, where his long stride gives him an advantage. Pairing this with subtle body leans and movements, he creates separation easily in the deep portions of the field. 

At the catch point, Horton is a bit inconsistent. He has strong hands and a lengthy build that allows him to catch outside his frame easily. Catching on the run is a strong suit for him, hauling in targets with little need to slow down. On the other hand, he lacks an urgency at the attack point, letting the ball into his body often or failing to go up to take it away from defenders. We also see him struggle to track the ball over defenders, and he’s had some concentration drops. 

After the catch may be Horton’s best trait. He has displayed an immense amount of suddenness and acceleration skill to quickly eat up yards. If he gets the ball in open space, good luck holding him to a modest gain. He also displays the ability to stop on a dime and change direction, forcing defenders to be left grasping for air. These traits allow him to be a menace in the screen game and on crossing routes. We have also seen him excel in the punt return game, where his speed and sudden movements make him a big play waiting to happen.  

Strengths 

• Suddenness with the ball in his hands 
• Fluidity 
• Ferocity 
• Speed 

Weaknesses 

• Limited route tree
• Physicality 
• Inconsistent technique at the catch point 

Honors and Awards 

• First-Team All-Mountain West Conference (2023)
• First-Team All-Mountain West Conference (2022) 

 Athletic Testing 

• 40-yard dash: 4.41
• Vertical: 37.5”
• Broad Jump: N/A
• Three-cone: N/A
• Shuttle: N/A
• Bench: N/A

NFL Role Prediction

• Z wide receiver  

Fantasy Outlook 

Tory Horton has proven the ability to be the guy in a passing attack at the college level, but at the next level, he feels more like a secondary option at best. This is not the worst thing, playing a Z role would be perfect for him, where the off coverages and motions can help him overcome a lack of a release package. If he can be a running mate to an alpha receiver, there could be some WR2/3 type upside, but there is a chance he is relegated to special teams or a team’s third or fourth receiver, which wouldn’t breed much fantasy success.  

Player Comparisons 

• Darnell Mooney  
• Rashid Shaheed
• Trey Palmer