Every year during the early stages of the offseason, certain names begin to pick up steam as potential risers from the ranks of undrafted free agents. Very few (if any) have ever received the level of hype that Titans UDFA and former Miami receiver Xavier Restrepo is currently being showered with.
After spending the entire 2025 NFL Draft cycle being talked about as a potential late day two/early day three prospect, the deafening silence for Restrepo on draft day came as a shock.
Why did Xavier Restrepo go undrafted?
Typically, when a prospect has a fall as dramatic as Restrepo’s, the cause is either an undisclosed medical red flag or a major character concern. In his case, it was neither. A catastrophic 40-yard dash at his pro day caused all 32 NFL teams to pass up drafting him.
After opting not to test at the NFL Combine, Restrepo waited until Miami’s pro day to showcase his athletic testing numbers. After running a disastrous 4.83 second 40-yard dash, his draft stock began to plummet. Justified or not, NFL organizations put an immense amount of weight behind athletic testing (especially 40 times).
In a now deleted post-pro day post on X (formerly twitter), Restrepo said,
""Don’t usually do this but I feel like it’s necessary due to the circumstances. During warm ups yesterday before the 40, my right hamstring tightened up on me and prohibited me to opening up and running my fastest. The reason I still ran is because for 2 straight weeks I consistently hit 4.53-4.58 laser in training and thought I could still pull it off. I did everything just because it’s in my blood to compete. With that being said, I am now focusing on getting back to 100% healthy and getting ready to play football! Ready to let God take over.""Xavier Restrepo on X
Once again, justified or not, this response was also sure to rub some NFL front offices the wrong way.
Restrepo was one of the biggest steals of the 2025 NFL Draft
While his less-than-ideal 40 time prevented teams across the league from drafting Restrepo, his film more than delivers on the hype. On his tape, it is abundantly clear that he isn’t a field-stretching vertical threat receiver. The questions regarding his long speed are valid, but that’s not where he makes his money.
Restrepo makes up for what he lacks in top-end athleticism with his nuance and tempo as a route runner. Despite not being the twitchiest athlete, he possesses deceptive burst at the top of his stems. His ability to rapidly change gears in order to gain advantageous leverage against defensive backs gives him a solid floor as a separator at the NFL level.
In addition to being a developed and nuanced separator, Restrepo also has exceptional body control and an uncanny feel for beating zone coverage. Compounded with his already established connection with new Titans quarterback Cam Ward, his ability to feel out zone coverages and know where to settle in open space makes him a safety valve for Tennessee's new franchise quarterback.
What role will Restrepo play?
In a receiver room as crowded as Tennessee’s, it’s important to project what role Restrepo will play when identifying his path to making the 53-man roster. Sitting at 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds, he plays in a compact traditional slot receiver frame. Compounded with his athletic limitations and his time primarily spent in that role at Miami, he projects as another option at slot receiver behind Tyler Lockett.
How does Restrepo fit into the Titans’ 53-man roster plans?
Much like any other UDFA, Restrepo will have to fight to claim one of the last remaining spots on Tennessee’s initial 53-man roster. While the Titans typically have a trend of only keeping six receivers, this season seems like the year Tennessee could break that habit. Currently, the only projected locks at receiver to make the roster are Calvin Ridley, Lockett, Elic Ayomanor, Bryce Oliver, and Chimere Dike. Seemingly, this leaves only one or two open spots left for receivers on the final 53.
In the beginning stages of free agency, Tennessee also signed former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Van Jefferson to a one-year contract worth $2 million. While calling him a lock to make the roster seems over-ambitious, it would be unlikely for the Titans to trim him from the final-53 after signing him only a few months prior. This leaves the fabled seventh wide receiver spot to be fought out between Restrepo, James Proche, Jha'Quan Jackson, and Treylon Burks.
While there would be very little contest to calling Restrepo the best receiver of the group, the issue boils down to special teams. When divvying up final depth spots on a 53-man roster, the ability to contribute on special teams is often a deciding factor.
Regardless of receiving talent, Proche has built a reputation as a special teams ace. Compounded with Restrepo’s lack of special teams experience at Miami, it leaves him with an uphill battle to fight.
Be cautiously optimistic
While the tape gives reason to be excited about Restrepo, fans should still be wary of ever placing this sheer amount of expectations on an undrafted free agent. The idea of re-igniting the Miami connection between Ward and Restrepo is enticing and reason for fans to be excited, but cautious optimism is always best this early in the offseason.