STRENGTHS
Isaiah is an athletically talented multi-dimensional player. He has good size and good speed and is a quick-twitch athlete. He is smart and understands his assignments when blocking or running routes. Isaiah has good eye/hand coordination to catch the ball down the field as good as any receiver in this draft class. Isaiah has the talent to be an excellent blocker. He has a short stride that makes it easy for him to keep his balance and strength when he makes his cuts or needs to separate from a defender. Isaiah is able to break tackles after he catches the ball or when he is used on sweeps across the line of scrimmage. The truth is Isaiah has the potential and football intelligence to be more than just an H-Back/Tight End.
CONCERNS
It’s not about Isaiah’s talents or football IQ. It’s all about trust. Do you trust him to finish his blocks every time? Do you trust him to run his routes with effort every time? Do you trust him to be consistent and play with the same effort in every game? It’s all about trust because Isaiah seems to be more impressed with himself than he is in impressing his teammates and coaches with consistency.
BOTTOM LINE: 3.78
I’ll be honest, I get pissed when I see players with this type of talent not play with consistency. I’ve seen Isaiah on film, go out to make a block, then just before he makes contact beg off. I have also seen him make that same block later in that same game and put a defender on his back springing a teammate for a touchdown. I have seen him on film run a route and then not make his break because a safety pushed him off his route, and then later in that same game, turn that same safety around and make a catch that most players are not able to make. You tell me why he plays like this because I haven’t got a clue. I will say this about Isaiah, there is no reason not to keep him busy. I would use him all over the offense like a Deebo Samuels is used by the 49ers. He has the talent and football IQ and I think if you keep him busy he just might play with more consistency. Use him out of the backfield, outside as a receiver, in the slot, and as an H-back or move receiver. I would make the other team game plan for him but I would never run my offense through him because… I just don’t trust him. He just might, when you don’t expect it, give up the block that gets a QB injured or make the QB double-clutch or throw an interception all because he didn’t give the full effort on the route or the block. Isaiah needs hard coaching and Coaches at the NFL level don’t have time for that anymore, or maybe they do!
