Scouting The Draft: Deontay Greenberry, WR, Houston

Introduction

Deontay Greenberry is a very talented receiver who's raw, unpolished and has a few demons in his game. However if you're screaming Stephen Hill, that would be wide of the mark. He has been extremely productive in college while experiencing serious problems in the drop department. He was credited with 11 drops last season, which tied for the most in the FBS, but he still managed to come out of that season with 841 yards and 6 touchdowns.

However his game-clinching catch in the armed forces bowl prompted me to go back and look at more tape, he came up big in the biggest moment for his team and that clutch catch made me take notice. In that game he had 2 touchdown catches and a 2 point conversion catch, you don't get much more clutch than that.

Having looked at the tape, it is very obvious that Deontay suffers with concentration lapses. However it is also evident that the QB play from Greg Ward Jr and John O'Korn didn't help Greenberry at all this year. At times they were good, but most of the time they were inaccurate and put the ball in some very difficult catching spots. Now he has to take responsibility for his drops, but if he was looking for help from his QB's he didn't get it.

In 2013, Greenberry experienced more consistent play from John O'Korn who started all year, and he put up impressive numbers to the tune of 1202 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has played inside and out, but at 6'3 he's likely to experience more time outside than in the slot at the next level. He wasn't invited to the combine this year and many people were surprised.

However he was the most impressive athlete at the Houston pro-day recently and had he been at the combine, he would have been one of the top performers in certain categories.

Measurables:

Height: 6'3

Weight: 211lb's

40 yard dash: 4.52

Vertical: 35 1/2

Broad: 9'8

Short Shuttle: 4.31

3 Cone: 7.23

Bench: 21 reps

Statistics

Year	Receptions	Yards	Average	Touchdowns
2014	72	841	11.1	6
2013	82	1202	14.7	11
2012	47	569	12.1	3

Positives

+ Excellent combination of size and speed for the position.

+ Very productive in college, performed very well with consistent QB play in 2013.

+ Made several clutch catches in college on game winning drives/scores.

+ Makes some eye-opening one handed catches that make your jaw drop.

+ Tough runner after the tackle, doesn't go down easy.

+ Works well over the middle and doesn't mind getting hit.

+ Big catch radius, is very dangerous in the red-zone.

+ Agile receiver who has some quick short area quickness, kills underneath zone.

Negatives

- Had several drops in 2014, tied for the lead in FBS competition with 11

- Concentration comes and goes, which cause the above.

- A horrible run blocker who doesn't exactly give 100% when he's not the focal point of the play.

- A lean frame that will need to add some bulk.

- Route-running isn't very refined and will need a lot of work.

- Doesn't play with great technique, feet off the line and hand usage to break press.

- Didn't face elite competition in college.

Conclusion

Even with all the negatives, I still have a lot of time for Greenberry. I've seen news outlets suggest he won't even be drafted, which means someone is getting a very promising talent as a priority free agent. I would use a 5th round selection on him (obviously would require us acquiring one). Anything from the 4th through to UDFA and I have interest. He is extremely raw, but writing off any raw prospect because we've had some busts is a dangerous road to go down. Taking a chance on a guy like Greenberry in round 5 or 6 is a lot smarter than taking a chance on someone like Hill in the 2nd round.

Draft Grade: 60

90-100 = Exceptional Talent

80-90 = Impact Player

70-80 = NFL Starter

60-70 = Solid NFL Potential

50-60 = Draftable - Lot of work needed

>50 = Undraftable - Long Shot To Stick