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If you’re looking for a freakish athlete with size, strength and speed, DeKaylin “D.K.” Metcalf has the profile. A dominant combine performance has him shooting up draft boards, despite a neck injury that ended his redshirt sophomore season in mid-October while he was on the Biletnikoff Watch list. Metcalf was fourth in college football in yards per reception at 21.9. He amassed 569 yards on just 26 completions before his season concluded. It’s worth wondering, though, how much he was aided by the presence of A.J. Brown and DaMarkus Lodge, two terrific receivers that occupied a lot of attention as well.
Athletically, Metcalf is unique beyond his peers. But what about durability? There was a report from Ian Rapoport about Metcalf’s body fat being dangerously low, which means he may need to bulk up to absorb hits in the NFL, but would it cost him speed? He also doesn’t have much slot experience, which reduces his versatility at the next level. These are valid red flags, but they probably won’t affect his first-round stock.
Metcalf’s father, Terrence, was an NFL offensive lineman
Size
6-3, 228 pounds
Combine notables
40-yard dash: 4.33 seconds (T4th at position)
Vertical: 40.5 inches (T3rd at position)
Broad jump: 134 inches (5th at position)
Bench: 27 reps (T1st at position)
20-yard shuttle: 4.50 seconds (4th slowest at position)
What the analysts say
“Big, explosive talent with projectable upside to become a home-run threat as a WR1. Teams seek out pass-catchers with rare height, weight and speed dimensions and Metcalf has those for days. While he has the talent to become a full-field threat, Metcalf is still an unpolished gem who was the second-best receiver on his college team. Until his skill-set is more developed, he could begin his career as a hit-or-miss long-ball threat.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
“There will likely be a transition period for Metcalf, as he grows accustomed to multiple alignments and finishes off his route tree. The traits he shows on film gives the indication that this transition period won’t hold back Metcalf for very long. He’s got the flexibility to perform more than what he was asked to do at Ole Miss. Early in his career, he will immediately be a red zone threat and accuracy fixer with his hands and ball skills. Down the line, his ceiling is that of the premiere wide receiver in the National Football League.” – Brad Kelly, The Draft Network
What PFF says
-19th in yards per route run
-11th in deep-pass catch rate
-127th in drop rate (10.3 percent)
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CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE
ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE
TOP 40 PLAYERS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS NEEDS & TARGETS
POSITIONAL TOP 5 RANKINGS & VIDEO BREAKDOWNS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
INMAN: NFC NORTH WORST CASE DRAFT SCENARIOS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL (PODCASTS, VIDEOS, ARTICLES)
INMAN’S MOCK DRAFT COLLECTION
