10-20-2014, 01:42 PM
What's up guys. This will be the first in a hopefully long and comprehensive breakdown of top prospects on the Jaguars radar for the 2015 NFL Draft. Now this is my first time looking at a non-QB prospect, so cut me some slack. I will do my best to make something entertaining and informative for your reading pleasure.
Ready? I'm ready.
Devin Funchess is a 6'5, 232 pound Junior at Michigan. He played tight end his first two years before switching to wide receiver this year, but I'm looking at him exclusively as a tight end. Why? Because I think good tight end prospects are rarer, I think Funchess' game suits him better as a tight end, and, well, because the Jags are pretty set on wide receivers right now.
The Michigan Wolverines are currently in somewhat of a fluid state. They are 3-4 and looking for reasons to be optimistic, but Funchess has been one of the best parts of their season. In this game, they went against Notre Dame, a school that consistently puts talent in the NFL, so this was a good test for the titular (always wanted to use that word) prospect.
Here's the chart. A little different than the one I used for QBs, but the jist is the same. O's stand for drops.
L C R Total
No Gain --- --- --- ---
0-10 4-6, O 1-2 2-2 7-9, O
11-19 0-1 --- 1-1 1-2
20-30 --- --- --- ---
31+ --- --- 1-2 1-2
Total 4-7, O 1-2 4-5 9-13, O
Overall on the day, Funchess had 9 catches for 107 yards, averaging 11.9 yards a catch, with a long of 33 and one drop.
Not a bad stat line, and one that probably would have increased if he had finished the game (he left early with an injury)
Strengths: Funchess displays a good knowledge of the route tree - I saw him run hitches, drag, outs, screens, 9s, hitch n gos... He can line up in-line, in slot, out wide, good versatility... He's a hands catcher, which is rare but not necessarily crucial for TEs... He shows good breaks in and out of cuts (specifically accelerating in outs and flipping hips on hitches)... His physical traits make him a height mismatch for corners and a speed mismatch for linebackers... I was also very impressed by his downfield blocking, he was consistently able to find a man and square up with him effectively.
Weaknesses: Inconsistent on third down... Not the best catching in traffic... Doesn't show acceleration in the open field - he can maintain his level of separation but not extend it.
Grading: (10 is the perfect TE prospect, 0 is a Pee Wee kid )
1. Hands - 7.5 (shows good hands downfield and short, but not the best over the middle)
2. Blocking - 8.5 (wasn't asked to do too much but his technique and recognition were excellent)
3. Athleticism - 7 (can only maintain, not create separation, good at shedding tackles)
4. Route-Running - 9 (ran a wide variety of routes well and completely)
5. Toughness - 7 (was injured to finish the game, and could have showed more killer instinct across the middle)
So that's a 39 / 50, which translates to a grade of 78 out of 100 for today's game. (I think my grading will improve as I get more experience; I'm trying to have a 'big board' of grades available for the end of the season) It wasn't the most dominant performance I've seen from a tight end, but I was especially impressed by his blocking and route-running, which are two of the more important traits for tight ends. When more videos become available on draftbreakdown, I will make two more write-ups on this guy.
Overall, I wasn't impressed or discouraged by his performance. Funchess looks like a guy who the defense has to account for, who can make plays in the receiving and running game, and who uses speed (but not acceleration) to good effect. I'll have a much more complete picture in two games' time, but for now I would put him as a mid to late first round prospect. Thanks for reading.
(Here's the link to the video: draftbreakdown.com/devin-funchess-vs-notre-dame-2014 )
Ready? I'm ready.
Devin Funchess is a 6'5, 232 pound Junior at Michigan. He played tight end his first two years before switching to wide receiver this year, but I'm looking at him exclusively as a tight end. Why? Because I think good tight end prospects are rarer, I think Funchess' game suits him better as a tight end, and, well, because the Jags are pretty set on wide receivers right now.
The Michigan Wolverines are currently in somewhat of a fluid state. They are 3-4 and looking for reasons to be optimistic, but Funchess has been one of the best parts of their season. In this game, they went against Notre Dame, a school that consistently puts talent in the NFL, so this was a good test for the titular (always wanted to use that word) prospect.
Here's the chart. A little different than the one I used for QBs, but the jist is the same. O's stand for drops.
L C R Total
No Gain --- --- --- ---
0-10 4-6, O 1-2 2-2 7-9, O
11-19 0-1 --- 1-1 1-2
20-30 --- --- --- ---
31+ --- --- 1-2 1-2
Total 4-7, O 1-2 4-5 9-13, O
Overall on the day, Funchess had 9 catches for 107 yards, averaging 11.9 yards a catch, with a long of 33 and one drop.
Not a bad stat line, and one that probably would have increased if he had finished the game (he left early with an injury)
Strengths: Funchess displays a good knowledge of the route tree - I saw him run hitches, drag, outs, screens, 9s, hitch n gos... He can line up in-line, in slot, out wide, good versatility... He's a hands catcher, which is rare but not necessarily crucial for TEs... He shows good breaks in and out of cuts (specifically accelerating in outs and flipping hips on hitches)... His physical traits make him a height mismatch for corners and a speed mismatch for linebackers... I was also very impressed by his downfield blocking, he was consistently able to find a man and square up with him effectively.
Weaknesses: Inconsistent on third down... Not the best catching in traffic... Doesn't show acceleration in the open field - he can maintain his level of separation but not extend it.
Grading: (10 is the perfect TE prospect, 0 is a Pee Wee kid )
1. Hands - 7.5 (shows good hands downfield and short, but not the best over the middle)
2. Blocking - 8.5 (wasn't asked to do too much but his technique and recognition were excellent)
3. Athleticism - 7 (can only maintain, not create separation, good at shedding tackles)
4. Route-Running - 9 (ran a wide variety of routes well and completely)
5. Toughness - 7 (was injured to finish the game, and could have showed more killer instinct across the middle)
So that's a 39 / 50, which translates to a grade of 78 out of 100 for today's game. (I think my grading will improve as I get more experience; I'm trying to have a 'big board' of grades available for the end of the season) It wasn't the most dominant performance I've seen from a tight end, but I was especially impressed by his blocking and route-running, which are two of the more important traits for tight ends. When more videos become available on draftbreakdown, I will make two more write-ups on this guy.
Overall, I wasn't impressed or discouraged by his performance. Funchess looks like a guy who the defense has to account for, who can make plays in the receiving and running game, and who uses speed (but not acceleration) to good effect. I'll have a much more complete picture in two games' time, but for now I would put him as a mid to late first round prospect. Thanks for reading.
(Here's the link to the video: draftbreakdown.com/devin-funchess-vs-notre-dame-2014 )