Colorado State Rams wide receiver Tory Horton has been a fixture at the college football level for the better part of four years. Now, his 2025 NFL Draft scouting report will come into the spotlight. Where does Horton rank entering the 2025 cycle?
Tory Horton’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’1 7/8″
- Weight: 187 pounds
- Position: Wide Receiver
- School: Colorado State
- Current Year: Redshirt Senior
When he joined the Nevada Wolf Pack as a three-star recruit in 2020, Horton was a little-heralded playmaking threat from Washington Union High School in Fresno, California. But if there’s one thing Horton has done, year in and year out, it’s prove himself a cut above.
As a true freshman, a five-touchdown campaign first caught the national eye. Then, in 2021, Horton amassed 52 receptions for 659 yards and five more scores. He transferred to Colorado State after that season and became the Rams’ premier pass-catching threat.
In 2022, Horton logged 71 catches and eight scores, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark for the first time with a figure of 1,131. In 2023, he upped the ante, registering 96 catches for 1,136 yards and eight more TDs. He nearly met Michael Gallup’s school single-season reception record of 100.
Heading into 2024, Horton is royalty in Fort Collins — but he’s not stopping now. The eyes of NFL evaluators are fixed upon him, and with one more strong year, he has a chance to earn early-round capital on the all-star circuit.
Horton’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- Sports a lean and wiry frame with elite proportional length and playmaking reach.
- Has the long-strider explosiveness to stack vertically and stretch the field laterally.
- Flashes impressive foot speed and short-area energy for his size off the line.
- Possesses enough lateral fluidity and twitch to sidestep tackling threats in RAC.
- Has a working release package with split and diamond technique, and can offset.
- Relatively nuanced separator who flashes good tempo and angle freedom on cuts.
- Can use his field awareness and spatial IQ to glide into open intermediate zones.
- Sure-handed receiver who can secure passes over the middle even through contact.
- Has very consistent hand technique and proactively extends past his frame to convert.
- Can make high-difficulty adjustments and muscle through contested catches to the whistle.
- Able to gather RAC passes in-stride and reset his feet to traverse the open field.
- Can supplement first and second-level releases with prying physicality and strong hands.
- Has grating, stubborn fortitude against solo tackles and can keep his legs churning.
- Has wiry strength and palpable energy as a blocker and can use his length to outreach.
- Brings the alignment versatility to be used outside, in the slot, or off motions.
Weaknesses
- Has room to add more mass to his frame to supplement length and box-out ability.
- Long speed on the vertical plane, while solid, is visibly non-elite.
- Despite baseline explosiveness, isn’t always able to channel high-end burst on breaks.
- Overall lack of elite dynamic traits puts a slight cap on his ultimate potential.
- Taller frame does inhibit transition freedom and hip fluidity on cuts and redirections.
- Tall frame and hip stiffness can impact viability on multi-layered route transitions.
- Visibly lacks elite hip sink and stopping ability, needing extra steps to decelerate.
- At times, struggles to manage his pad level, which can impact presses and diversions.
- Is occasionally late to get his head around and track the ball on seams and fades.
- Lighter, leaner, less-leveraged frame does not lend itself well to contact balance.
- May be an older NFL rookie as a redshirt senior.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Entering the 2025 NFL Draft, Horton grades out as a fringe top-100 prospect, who could command mid-to-late Day 2 capital. Some elements of Horton’s profile are not dissimilar to current Green Bay Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks, who’s carved out a respectable role.
Like Wicks, Horton is a good-not-great size-speed athlete who has two physical traits, in particular, working in his favor — his lively lateral twitch and energy and elite proportional length.
With his length, Horton has both impressive playmaking range and weight-defying hand strength at the catch point. With his lateral twitch, he can offset defenders on releases, reposition himself, and add value in the RAC phase.
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There are minor limitations that come with Horton’s profile. While he has good explosiveness and speed, neither trait is elite, and his tall, high-hipped frame can impact his viability on sharp and multi-layered route transitions.
Nevertheless, Horton is a nuanced, experienced receiver whose experience shows in his composure as a catcher, but also in his spatial awareness, release package, and zone IQ when bending through coverage looks.
With his well-rounded profile, Horton can be a quality WR3 in an NFL offense, with alignment versatility, chain-mover and RAC value, run-blocking utility, and an underrated dynamic and punt-return element.