NFL Draft 2014 Preview (15 page)

Draft projection:
Late draftable pick.

Scout’s take:
“He is a backup slot receiver because of limited run strength. I don’t know if he’s tough enough to be a punt returner at our level. That’s what we need to find out.”

WR [F] MIKE CAMPANARO, #3

WAKE FOREST
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Grade: 5.09

Ht: 5-9 3/8 | Wt: 192 | Sp: 4.49 | Arm: 30 | Hand: 9 3/4

History:
Prepped in Maryland, where he was a standout running back, kick returner and safety — won a pair of state championships, amassed more than 6,500 yards and 90 touchdowns and notched eight kick return scores. Redshirted in 2009. Played all 12 games (one start) in ’10 and caught 10 balls for 107 yards (1.7-yard average) and zero touchdowns. Started 10-of-12 games played in ’11, snagging 73-833-2 (11.4). Injured his right hamstring against North Carolina State and sat out against Gardner-Webb. Started 9-of-10 games played at flanker in ’12, managing 79-763-6 (9.7). Broke his right hand against Duke, missed two games and was restricted by a splint in others. Sat out ’13 spring practice while recovering from left ankle surgery. At flanker in the fall, started all eight games played and paced Demon Deacon receivers for the second straight year with 67-803-6 (12.0). Was held out of the season opener against Presbyterian (tight hamstring) and missed the final three games because of a broken collarbone suffered against Syracuse. Owns the school record for career receptions (229).

Strengths:
Has short-area quickness to separate short-to-intermediate. Good balance and hip flex. Adjusts to throws. Finds soft
spots in zone coverage. Effective running drags and crossers. Tough, confident and competitive. Three-year starter. Solid character.

Weaknesses:
Lacks ideal height and length — has extremely short arms and can be hemmed at the line. Limited functional strength. Small catch radius. Lacks elite top-end speed to take the top off. Spotty concentration — makes some focused grabs and drops others he shouldn’t. Marginal blocker. Durability is an issue — has a small build, has been dinged up and could struggle to stay healthy. Has the smallest wingspan (701/2 inches) of any receiver at the Combine.

Future:
Undersized, slippery, competitive inside receiver who brings a possession element to the slot. Lacks ideal explosiveness and will have to prove himself on special teams to earn an extended look.

Draft projection:
Priority free agent.

Scout’s take:
“I saw him when he was really hot. I liked the kid. I liked his hands, but he had occasional drops.”

WR [Z] BRANDON COLEMAN, #17 (JUNIOR)

RUTGERS
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Grade: 5.42

Ht: 6-6 | Wt: 225 | Sp: 4.56 | Arm: 34 | Hand: 9 1/4

History:
Receiver-safety who also played basketball as a Maryland prep. Redshirted in 2010. Played all 13 games in each of his three seasons — started five in ’11 and recorded 17 receptions for 552 yards (32.5-yard average) and six touchdowns. Started nine in ’12 and posted 43-718-10 (16.7). Had off-season surgery on his right knee that kept him out of ’13 spring practice and reportedly affected his play as a junior. In the fall, started all 13 contests and produced 34-538-4 (15.8). Team captain.

Strengths:
Outstanding size and body length — presents a big target. Long arms enable him to slap away and swim off the jam. Covers ground with long strides. Tracks over his shoulder. Can post up smaller defensive backs. Has playmaking ability — averaged nearly 22 yards per catch and scored on one out of every five catches over three seasons. Has sheer size to shield as a blocker. Team captain.

Weaknesses:
Not an elite athlete. Has some buildup — does not accelerate off the jam. Lacks big-time, explosive speed to blow by cornerbacks. Route running needs refinement. Not a confident hands catcher — lets throws into his body and drops balls he shouldn’t. Shows some stiffness through his torso and is linear after the catch — gears down to cut and elusiveness is limited, as verified with a 4.56-second 20-yard shuttle time and a 7.36-second 3-cone time, both the slowest of any receiver at the Combine. Marginal special-teams utility.

Future:
Big, tall, talented, West Coast receiver whose sheer size enables him to be effective outside the numbers, on slant routes and in the red zone, though inconsistency has prevented him from reaching his potential. Has the look of a No. 2 receiver, but his production fell off as a junior (played through a knee injury). He could have used another season to polish his skills.

Draft projection:
Third- to fourth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“I thought he played a lot better last year. You could see the knee (injury) was slowing him down. You have to go back to 2012 if you want a more pure evaluation. The doctors are going to have to sign off on him.”

WR [F]-RS KAIN COLTER, #2

NORTHWESTERN
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Grade: 5.28

Ht: 5-10 1/2 | Wt: 198 | Sp: 4.50e | Arm: 31 | Hand: 10

History:
Full name is Theodis Kain Colter. Father, Spencer, played on the 1990 Colorado national championship team. Prepped in Colorado where also played basketball and competed in track and field (long jump/triple jump). Originally committed to Stanford and then-head coach Jim Harbaugh, but signed with NU when an injury — tore the labrum and biceps tendon in his right (throwing) arm in the first game of his senior season and missed eight games — cooled Stanford’s interest. Served as a backup quarterback in 2010 when he saw limited action in three games, completing 3-of-9 pass attempts (33.3 percent) for 38 yards with zero touchdowns and an interception. Played all 13 games in ’11 —started the first three at quarterback in place of injured started Dan Persa and three more at receiver — and tossed 55-82-673-6-1 (67.1) whiling totaling 43 receptions for 466 yards (10.8-yard average) and three touchdowns. Was the quarterback in ’12 when he started all 13 games (lined up at receiver to open the game against Indiana) and passed 101-149-872-8-4 (67.8) with 16-169-0 (10.6) receiving. Started all 11 games played in ’13, throwing 63-80-577-4-3 (78.7) and catching 3-16-1 (5.3). Did not play against Minnesota or Michigan State (ankle). For his career, rushed 449 times for 2,180 yards (4.9) and 28 touchdowns. Had his ankle surgically repaired following the season and withdrew from the Senior Bowl. Two-time captain. Participates in the National College Players Association, a nonprofit player advocate group, and at the conclusion of his playing career, spearheaded and was a mouthpiece for a group of student-athletes attempting to unionize.

Strengths:
Well-defined body with big, soft hands. Good short-area burst, quickness, agility and balance. Can work his way through zones and uncover underneath. Can stop on a dime and string some moves together. Good run vision and creativity to navigate through traffic. Extremely competitive. Highly intelligent and football smart. Articulate communicator. Adds intriguing versatility as a triggerman. Good pedigree — coach’s son.

Weaknesses:
Has short arms. Adequate run strength — does not power through tackles. Can improve using his hands to beat the jam. Lacks elite top-end speed to separate vertically. Has a lot of room to improve as a perimeter blocker.

Future:
An athletic, undersized, multi-threat, option college quarterback who shared time in the slot, Colter displayed the playmaking ability, short-area burst, creativity and hands to become a Danny Amendola-type slot receiver and should be able to factor readily in the pros once he commits full-time to the position. Offers situational Wildcat quarterbacking capability and return ability with traits that project very well as a punt returner. Postseason ankle surgery will limit his spring workouts and could dip his draft standing.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He’ll be ready to work out in April. He’s close to being recovered. ... He is an impressive, all-around kid. He’s a natural leader.”

WR [F, X] BRANDIN COOKS, #7 (JUNIOR)

OREGON STATE
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Grade: 5.85

Ht: 5-9 3/4 | Wt: 189 | Sp: 4.33 | Arm: 30 3/4 | Hand: 9 5/8

History:
Also competed in the Junior Olympics (sprinter) and played basketball as a California prep. Played all 38 games of his career. Started three games at flanker as an injury replacement for James Rodgers in 2011 — caught 31 balls for 391 yards (12.6-yard average) and three touchdowns. Added eight kickoff returns for 179 yards (22.4). In ’12, started all 13 games at flanker opposite Steelers ’13 third-rounder Markus Wheaton, and produced 67-1,151-5 (17.2). Hurt his ankle against Oregon and missed most of the Nicholls State contest. Won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver in ’13 when he established Pac-12 single-season records for receptions and receiving yards (led FBS)— racked up 128-1,730-16 (13.5) with 12 punt returns for 72 yards (6.0) in 13 starts at flanker. Also had 61 career rushes for 340 yards (5.6) and two touchdowns. Owns OSU record for career touchdown catches (24). Team captain.

Strengths:
Light on his feet with terrific balance. Sinks his hips with ease and pops out of breaks to separate. Tracks and adjusts. Quick hands. Good concentration, body control and boundary awareness. Can turn a short throw into a long gain. Shows elusiveness, creativity and vision after the catch. Unafraid to play in the tall trees. Highly productive — totaled 195 receptions for 2,881 yards (15.4-yard average) and 21 TDs in last two seasons. Confident and competitive. Has been exceptionally durable dating back to high school. Produced the best 20-yard shuttle time (3.81 seconds) and 60-yard shuttle time (10.72 seconds) of any Combine participant. Team captain. Will be a 21-year-old rookie.

Weaknesses:
Size is just adequate — is small-framed with short arms and lacks ideal length and bulk. Vulnerable to the jam and reroute. Relatively small catch radius. Has small hands and double-catches some throws. Does not sky for the ball. Was not an impactful punt returner. Limited run strength. Poor blocker.

Future:
Short, speedy, nifty-footed receiver who was unaffected by the departure of Steelers 2013 third-rounder Markus Wheaton, establishing himself as a playmaker in his own right by leading the nation with 133 yards per contest as a junior. Projects as a useful slot receiver with run-after-catch ability and some utility as an outside receiver.

Draft projection:
Top 50 pick.

Scout’s take:
“He reminds me of T.Y. Hilton. Their playing styles are very similar. They need a little bit of space to get open. They’ll struggle in traffic and get boxed out on contact. They don’t always play big after contact. ...The other that he compares to is the kid in Pittsburgh from CMU (Antonio Brown). He’s built like that but is faster as far as burst and speed. He’s not a big-framed guy so he will go where Wheaton did. He might sneak into the second. He’s a slot. That’s what he is.”

WR [X] DAMIAN COPELAND, #7

LOUISVILLE
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Grade: 5.10

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 184 | Sp: 4.51 | Arm: 31 3/8 | Hand: 9

History:
Florida prep. Redshirted in 2009 when he suffered a broken foot. In ’10, caught eight balls for 113 yards (14.1-yard average) and zero touchdowns, but was limited to eight games (torn meniscus). Lost his 2011 season while nursing a hamstring injury. Started 25-of-26 games the next two seasons and was the Cardinals’ leading receiver both years — produced 50-628-2 (12.6) in ’12 and 58-780-5 (13.4) in ’13. Did not start against Miami in Russell Athletic Bowl when he gave way to a two-tight end formation. Graduated and was granted a sixth year of eligibility but elected to leave school. Injured his left thumb during Combine drills.

Strengths:
Makes good adjustments to the ball and has a fairly wide catching radius. Runs with urgency after the catch and carries a swagger. Solid production — two-time team-leading receiver. Has a 40-inch vertical jump and recorded the best 3-cone time (6.53 seconds) of any receiver at the Combine.

Weaknesses:
Limited functional strength to escape tight press coverage. Lacks a feel for coverage to beat zones. Can be fazed by traffic — will alter his routes and make some concentration drops. Not a nuanced route runner and creates little separation with savvy — gears down out of his breaks and gives up break points. Struggles to escape man coverage. Not creative after the catch. Soft blocker — does not finish. Durability was a considerable issue early in his college career (missed 17 games with knee, foot and hamstring injuries).

Future:
Runs a lot of simple digs, slants and bubble screens and is effective as a short-area, stationary target when he has free releases. Could compete for a job in the slot.

Draft projection:
Priority free agent.

WR [X] MIKE DAVIS, #1

TEXAS
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Grade: 5.24

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 197 | Sp: 4.55e | Arm: 32 3/4 | Hand: 10

History:
Highly recruited out of Dallas Skyline, where he also played basketball. As a true freshman in 2010, started 5-of-11 games played (three at split end, two at flanker) and recorded 47 receptions with 478 yards (10.2-yard average) and two touchdowns. Did not play against Oklahoma (knee). Played all 13 games in ’11, starting the first 11 at split end, and led Longhorn receivers with 45-609-1 (13.5). Started 11-of-13 games at flanker in ’12, catching 57-939-7 (16.5). Gave way to extra tight ends in non-starts. In ’13, started 11-of-12 games played at the “X” receiver and snagged 51-727-8 (14.3). Did not play against Kansas State and did not start against Iowa State (ankle). Did not work out at the Combine because of a right foot injury (medical exclusion).