Slot Receiver Nfl Draft 2020
Donovan Peoples-Jones never quite blossomed into the superstar that comes with the expectation of being a five-star recruit, but the Michigan Wolverines wide receiver still enters the 2020 NFL Draft as a prospect oozing with promise and potential. Here at Maize n Brew, we are going to be profiling Michigan’s draft prospects leading up the event on April 23-25.
Here’s a look at Peoples-Jones’ background and what he brings to the table as a prospect.
Info
The 2020 NFL Draft class is stacked with talent at wide receiver. Over the past 10 years, six receivers have been taken in the first round of the draft just one time. This year, there could be as many as seven WRs taken on Thursday night, and plenty more will follow in the early rounds of the draft.
- Jalen McCleskey is an athletic and versatile wide receiver prospect entering the 2020 NFL Draft.McCleskey played for Oklahoma State prior to making the move to Tulane University where he played.
- The Seattle Seahawks made their seventh, and for now final, pick in the 2020 NFL draft at the tail end of the sixth round, selecting Florida slot receiver Freddie Swain.
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 212 pounds
School: Michigan
Position: Wide Receiver
Projected: 2nd-3rd round
Combine Results: 4.48 40-yard dash, 44.5 vertical jump, 139.0 broad jump
Player Comparison:Cordarrelle Patterson
Strengths
- One of the most impressive athletes at the position in this draft class, traits and tools galore. Really nice blend of size, athleticism and hands.
- Track speed. He was the all-city 100-meter dash champion in Detroit coming out of Cass Tech high school.
- Body control and sideline awareness improved greatly from freshman to junior seasons.
- Catch radius is pretty impressive and he knows how to track the football.
- Footwork is a plus aspect of his game, does a good job of getting in and out of breaks working out of the slot.
- Has some RAC ability in the open field, though takes more strides than one would think given his athletic traits. Invites contact from smaller ballcarriers.
- Competitive player who puts the work in, as evidenced by improvements made to his game from high school to NFL Draft process.
- Brings extra value on special teams as a returner. Had a pair of punt return touchdowns at Michigan.
- A willing blocker and participant in the run game.
Weaknesses
- Never quite became a featured option at Michigan. Some of that on inconsistencies in own performances, injuries, and quarterback play that struggled at times. There was not one factor that outshined everything else in this regard.
- As good as he is in and out of his breaks, there’s still not quite the twitch or juice to his game in the shorter areas of the field. He had a lot of free releases in college coming out of the slot.
- Despite his big frame, did not show as much as you would have hoped to see from an outside receiver. NFL teams are questioning whether or not he has the ability to beat press coverages, but should be given more of a chance to do so at the next level.
- He takes some long strides to get going. He’s more athletic than he is explosive.
Overview
One of the first things that gets brought up when Peoples-Jones is discussed is how he never quite fulfilled his potential at Michigan. A lot of people seem to take that as calling him a bust, but this is a skilled talent that still has his best football ahead of him. Coming out of high school, DPJ was a track star that played football. His freshman season at Michigan was filled with ups and downs, but he took off his second year with Jim McElwain as his position coach at wide receiver. Injuries and a new offense caused him to start slow this past season, but he still was able to fight through it.
Slot Receiver Nfl Draft 2020 Round 2
This is a player that is going to stick in the league and it would not be a surprise to see him as a better pro than a college player. At the very least, this might be a guy that you can run some gadget plays for in addition to being a good returner, a la Cordarrelle Patterson. Until he proves he can beat press coverage, it might be a case where he is a big slot receiver at the next level. His ceiling depends on the system he winds up in and the player development program, but might be a player like Marvin Jones of the Detroit Lions as a high-end No. 2 wide receiver.
To get a better look at the Detroit Lions fifth-round pick, wide receiver Quintez Cephus, let’s take a look at how draft analysts evaluated him in their 2020 NFL Draft guides and website profiles.
The Athletic
“A three-year starter at Wisconsin, Cephus was the go-to receiver in head coach Paul Chryst’s pro-style scheme, lining up both inside and outside. A
basketball-first athlete the first 18 years of his life, he took a winding road to this point in his career, including a 22-month absence from the field at Wisconsin (broken leg and off-field issues, including his expulsion after the sexual assault charges), returning in 2019 to lead the team in receiving. Cephus is a good-sized athlete with the catch radius and toughness that translates well to the pro game. Although he doesn’t labor in/out of his breaks, his patterns lack nuance and he must adopt more attention to detail. Overall, Cephus needs to better coordinate the athleticism within his routes, but his hardwood background is apparent with his body control and ball skills, displaying NFL impact potential if he adds polish.”
NFL.com
“After missing all of 2018, Cephus got right back into the swing of things culminating with memorable games against Ohio State and Oregon. Size and body positioning create workable windows in tight quarters and his ball skills build trust with the quarterback. He’s a build-up runner who lacks suddenness to uncover and may need to be motioned, bunched, and lined in the slot to help with early separation. Teams know he can catch it but will need to see him get open. Cephus is a possession receiver with the profile of a capable WR3/4.”
Pro Football Focus
“Cephus has a lot of traits that make you think his game can translate to the NFL. He’s one of the best receivers at handling press coverage in the entire draft class and proved as much in his matchup with the Ohio State cornerbacks this season. Cephus has tremendous ball skills with numerous highlight reel catches on his tape. Unfortunately, Cephus is just so far below average athletically for the position that it’s difficult to see him consistently separating in the NFL. It would be one thing if he was an overly physical, imposing receiver with his athleticism, but at only a shade over 200 pounds, it’s unlikely Cephus will be imposing his will on NFL cornerbacks.”
Nfl Draft 2020 Date And Time
The Draft Network
“Quintez Cephus is one of the more undervalued receivers in the class of 2020. Cephus can win from the outside, he can win from the slot and if he played in about 100 other offenses in college football he’d have had drastically better production. Significant off-field allegations (since cleared) kept him off the field in 2018 but Cephus bounced back with a strong 2019 campaign, showing effective releases, strong hands and an assertive mentality with the ball in the air. Potential starter.
Draft Wire
“Cephus made a name for himself as a well-rounded pass-catcher at Wisconsin. His ability to track the ball and use body control in the air makes him a nice target for quarterbacks. He is a projected slot receiver at the next level with some ability to play outside.”