Will Bond break into the first round?
Do the New York Giants need to add another wide receiver? It’s possible, considering they haven’t added much to their offensive skill positions compared to last year.
On the flip side, they have more pressing needs and the value needs to be right.
We can strongly suspect that the Giants want to have a strong vertical element in their offense, so could they have their eye on Isaiah Bond out of Texas? Bond is one of the premier speed threats in the draft, though he somehow managed to disappoint while turning in a 4.3-second 40-yard dash.
Could the fact that Bond is fast, but not quite as fast as people were expecting, drop him to a good value for the Giants?
Prospect: Isaiah Bond (7)
Games Watched: vs. Michigan (2024), vs. Oklahoma (2024), vs. Georgia (2024), vs. Texas A&M (2024)
Measurables
Kent Lee Platte | RAS.football
Strengths
Best traits
- Athleticism
- Long speed
- Run after catch
- Ball skills
Isaiah Bond is an undersized but highly athletic wide receiver prospect.
Bond is one of the fastest players in this year’s draft, hitting a top speed of 24.17 mph in the 40-yard dash. That speed shows itself on the field, as there are few defenders who are able to keep up with him once he hits his stride. That speed also makes Bond a dangerous receiver after the catch, and he has the ability to turn a short pass into a long gain if he catches the ball in stride. It also allows him to be a true vertical threat out of the slot, and a true weapon against the seams between coverage zones.
He has solid ball skills down the field, generally doing a good job of locating and tracking the ball in the air, as well as making adjustments at the catch point.
Bond’s athleticism forces defenses to account for him on every play, and he shows an understanding of that fact. Bond does a good job of playing hard even when he isn’t in the progression. He does a good job of pressing his stems into defenders to draw coverage and help clearing voids for his teammates. Likewise, runs his routes the same if he’s in a misdirection role as when the ball could be coming his way.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Size
- Play strength
- Blocking
Bond’s primary weakness is his size. He’s definitely undersized for an NFL receiver at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, with 30-inch arms and 8 ½ inch hands, and he also lacks play strength compared to some of his stouter peers.
While that size can be accounted for with alignment and scheme, it will definitely be a factor in his evaluation. Bond can have issues releasing against press coverage, and be bullied at the catch point by bigger defensive backs if they’re able to stay in phase with him. He was often protected through alignment in the Texas offense, frequently playing out of the slot, in bunch sets, or being put in pre-snap motion.
Teams will want to scheme similar ways to get him the ball in space, and limit defense’s opportunities to man up against Bond.
Also, there are few players for whom a 4.39-second 40-yard dash is a disappointment, but Bond is one of them. He has elite long speed, however it’s a bit of the “build up” variety for how fast he is in the open field. That can show itself in his burst off the line of scrimmage or out of his breaks.
Finally, Bond should not be asked to block. He’s willing, but lacks the size, play strength, or technique to do so effectively.
Game Tape
(Bond is the Texas wide receiver wearing number 7.)
Projection
Isaiah Bond projects as a starting receiver with scheme diversity at the NFL level.
Bond was largely limited to being a decoy in Texas’ scheme and was a low-volume receiver, seeing few targets in any game. However he ran his routes well enough that NFL teams should have confidence that he can take on an expanded role at the next level. He’s skilled enough that he should be able to play in any scheme, and teams with catch-and-run or aggressive vertical philosophies can use him.
He may be a bit limited in his alignment, however Bond should be a threat at all three levels of the field. If his future team uses him as more than a gadget player and gets him the ball in-stride, they should be rewarded.
Does he fit the Giants?
Probably not, due to value and similar talents already on the roster.
Final Word: A Day 2 talent