Charlie Becker 2027 NFL Draft: Scouting report for Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver
Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Charlie Becker is eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft. Here’s what you need to know.
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 207 pounds
Year: Junior
Pro Comparison: Alec Pierce
Pros for Charlie Becker
- Hilariously good ball tracking and body control at the catch point
- Strong hands meets a lengthy wingspan to give him a supreme catch radius for throws off his body
- Converted 13 of 17 contested catch opportunities in 2025 — many of them above the rim or back shoulder throws downfield
- Led the Hoosiers in special teams tackles with a killer resume on kick coverage
- Willing and enthusiastic blocker who attacks safeties. Shows good grip strength and foot activity to slide and maintain framing
- Explosive vertical element to his game that will create stress on the perimeter
Cons for Charlie Becker
- Just 45 career targets through first two seasons — sample size is small entering 2027 CFB season
- Primarily a vertical plane target, so more route diversification beyond fades, posts, go’s, corners, and outs will be something to watch for
- High hips will create need for pristine footwork to create snap separation on hard-angled routes
- Over 1/3rd of career targets are contested balls
Background
Charlie Becker was born in Cincinnati, OH and played his high school football at Father Ryan HS (Nashville, TN). There, he was a two-sport athlete and a state champion in both the 110m and 300m hurdles. As a football prospect, he was a 3-star recruit (247 Sports) as a member of the 2024 recruiting class. He garnered offers from programs such as App State, Iowa, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Ole Miss in addition to Indiana.
Becker’s father, Dave, was a former Ohio State Buckeyes player who went on to have a professional baseball career in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
Upon arriving at Indiana in 2024, Becker played predominantly on special teams. It wasn’t until midway through his sophomore season during the Hoosiers’ run to the National Championship that he emerged as a prominent target in the passing game. He has quickly developed a bit of a “big play” reputation thanks to some big catches in clutch moments. None were bigger than a 4th & 5 conversion in the fourth quarter of the National Championship with the game hanging in the balance.
Player Evaluation
Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Charlie Becker is a field-stretcher at wide receiver who projects as an impact starter at the NFL level. Becker’s going to need to stack more volume into his resume to affirm the flashes he put on tape in 2025, but it’s clear this is someone who can change the game in a few different ways. Becker’s got the kind of raw speed and burst to run by defenders downfield. We saw him get behind defenders multiple times throughout the 2025 season before needing to make adjustments to finish the reception.
But there’s also the element of “open when covered”. His targets skew disproportionately towards contested based off the 2025 season but the film review appeared to indicate that was more of a matter of chemistry with Fernando Mendoza and having trust on inside leverage coverage looks to throw to the outside shoulder. That trust and his corresponding catch radius makes him a potential matchup nightmare.
That said, he’ll have to deal with more length and physicality from NFL cornerbacks than he did at times last season. So expanding his game and using last season as a springboard is what we’re looking for now. Becker offered some good snap on his out routes and appears to have strong details in his releases to manipulate defenders before getting to his break points. But more crosses, seams, divides, and basic routes to build off his vertical presence would be a major development for his draft status.
Becker’s got surreal hand strength, body control, and explosive speed. That in and of itself serves as the baseline of a perimeter role in the NFL. He’s cut from the Christian Watson/Alec Pierce mold.
If his game ends up needing time to develop in the NFL, he’s got the right blue-collar resume. He’s a demon on kick coverages. Becker led the Hoosiers in tackles last season on special teams. He’s also an impactful blocker on crack opportunities (Penn State) and when stalk-blocking corners and safeties on the edge. The Hoosiers often put him on the perimeter with reduced splits, further increasing his influence in the run game.
NFL Draft