Kamar Aiken has been around the NFL landscape for four years now and is on his fourth team, the Baltimore Ravens. After going undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, Aiken cycled through the Bills, Bears, and Patriots prior to settling on the Ravens for the 2014 season. After topping even 40% of the offensive snaps just once in the first 13 weeks of the season, Aiken ballooned up to 71% with the injury to Torrey Smith in Week 14. Here is the need-to-know information about Kamar Aiken:
Athleticism
There is a reason Aiken has remained in the NFL for far longer than the average undrafted wide receiver: he has a thick frame and has above-average athleticism. At 6’1″ and 213 pounds, Aiken’s BMI is that of some of the thinner running backs. At the wide receiver position, 28.0 BMI is in the top-15% of all receivers dating back to 1999. Kamar Aiken also checks the speed box as he ran in the mid-4.4s at his Pro Day back in 2011. His agility lags behind the rest of his drills and his 20-yard shuttle looks like that of a defensive tackle at 4.63. Aiken’s vertical and broad jumps both log in above-average historically.
Overall, Kamar Aiken has a size score of 89, excellent especially for an undrafted prospect, and an athleticism score of 62. Here are the comparable prospects for Aiken based on athleticism:
- Hakeem Nicks
- Mike Williams
- Justin Blackmon
- Da’Rick Rogers
- Josh Bellamy
- Paul Williams
- Leron McCoy
- Talman Gardner
- Quincy Morgan
- David Boston
Quite a good list for Aiken considering his draft status. Thickness pays at wide receiver and maintaining good athleticism along with that bulk is key. Aiken passes the athleticism portion with flying colors.
Production
Kamar Aiken had a terrific age-adjusted 18-year-old season at Central Florida, then a down sophomore year. That roller-coaster ride continued with a breakout 20-year-old campaign and finishing on a low note as a senior. His age arc in college in terms of weighted market share looks like a long lost twin to Aaron Dobson. Overall, Aiken’s 15.9 career yards-per-reception is strong and his two strong seasons prop up his tepid finish. Overall, Aiken has a production score of 76 in the projection model. Here are his comparable prospects by production alone:
- Allen Hurns
- Aaron Dobson
- Josh Boyce
- Da’Rick Rogers
- Chris Givens
- A.J. Green
- Torrey Smith
- Austin Collie
- Devin Thomas
- Craig Bragg
- Ashley Lelie
- Koren Robinson
This is another strong list of comparables. Only Allen Hurns and Da’Rick Rogers were undrafted and Rogers was due to off-field issues more than his play. Only Torrey Smith runs circles around Aiken as an athlete from this list.
Going Forward
Pick Kamar Aiken up immediately in dynasty leagues with 25 or more roster spots. ProFootballFocus has Aiken with the third-highest pass rating among Baltimore wide receivers, ahead of Torrey Smith, Marlon Brown, and Jacoby Jones. Besides his optimistic projection model profile, the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver depth is laced with uncertainty heading into the offseason. Torrey Smith is a free agent and Steve Smith will be 36 years old for next season. Aiken is a restricted free agent, so how he finishes the season is critical to his opportunity to stay with the Ravens.
