2018 Raiders Draft Prospect Profile
Name: Daurice Fountain
Position: WR
School: Northern Iowa
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 210 pounds
Hands
In watching Daurice Fountain, his catch radius jumps out first. Although he stands only 6’2”, Fountain’s 34.5-inch arm length gives him a vast catch radius to work from. During his time at UNI, he needed that to work with poorly thrown balls. At times, Fountain needed to adjust to the errant throw. In the NFL, the passes will be more accurate.
Speed
Off the line, Fountain generates above average burst and deep speed. As a former hurdler, Fountain generates his speed with long controlled strides on deep plays. However, unlike many long striders, Fountain gets to speed quickly. When facing off corners, Fountain possesses the ability to still win vertically.
Route Running:
To his credit, Fountain never stopped working during a plan. In that case, he gave his quarterback ample chances to find him. When he gets to the NFL, a WR coach will show Fountain to drive a corner back on shorter routes with his hips. That his to say, Fountain needs stronger, more definitive steps on intermediate routes.
Route Tree
At UNI, Fountain ran screens, deep outs, drags, and curls. In the red zone, he excelled with back shoulder fades. When vertical, Fountain uses a decent double move to defeat corners, using his burst to catch them slipping.
Explosiveness
Perhaps the most intriguing part of his game, Fountain has the potential to dominate with jump ball. At the UNI Pro Day, he boasted a 42. Inch vertical jump. If you solely focus on film, that number bears true. Granted, Fountain is an easy, effortless leaper that can win on 50/50 or contested balls.
Raiders Fit
While he is not a stereotypically big receiver that Jon Gruden prefers, Fountain’s explosion and draft slotting make him an intriguing option. The Raiders currently feature a glut of fifth and sixth round picks. Under those circumstances, taking a chance on Fountain looks smart. On the field, Fountain gives Derek Carr a deep threat does not solely run the go route. Instead, Fountain’s repertoire of deep outs, fades, and posts gives defenses something more to think about. Moreover, he is the type of moldable wideout that will greatly improve with superb coaching.
