NAME: Devin Duvernay
POSITION: Wide Receiver
SCHOOL: University of Texas
HEIGHT: 5’11”
WEIGHT: 210
STATS:
Devin Duvernay is possibly the most overlooked wide receiver in this year’s loaded receiving class. This group has the potential to rival the depth of 2014’s class, where names like Odell Beckam Jr., Mike Evans, Davante Adams, Brandin Cooks, and Sammy Watkins entered the league, just to name a few. Duvernay is a player the Indianapolis Colts should be looking at somewhere between rounds three and four to help fill a big hole in their offense.
Speed
You may not expect a 210 pound receiver to be overly fast, yet Duvernay is lightning quick. He can outrun nearly anyone on the field, and his sneaky acceleration makes him dangerous. On film, he always seems to surprise defenses with his explosiveness. At the NFL Combine, he ran an official 4.39 40-yard dash, validating the speed that shows up on tape.
Playmaking
Duvernay not only uses his speed to escape tacklers, but his strength and determination as well. With such a dense frame, it is nearly impossible to arm tackle him. In fact, he almost plays like a running back at times. He can run a defense over or burn it with speed and refuses to be tackled. Duvernay also has the awareness to fall forward if he’s unable to break a tackle and always looks for positive yardage. While some could argue that his stats are padded against tissue-soft Big XII defenses, his game against LSU speaks for itself. He made future first-round picks look like fools trying to bring him down.
Devin Duvernay led the country in broken tackles on screens😳pic.twitter.com/U7Zdfd6tyP
— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 17, 2020
Hands
Duvernay has some of the best hands in the draft: consistent, strong, and impressive, with very few drops. Even on difficult catches, he manages to pull it in. His radius is not as large as some of the more elite prospects, but he still flashes the ability to pull in passes a good distance beyond his frame.
Remember when Devin Duvernay was snubbed from the major postseason awards?
His highlight reel tonight against Utah: pic.twitter.com/B7P1r58rk1
— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) January 1, 2020
Routes
Duvernay has extremely tight hips. This makes his routes more rounded, but he’s still able to find separation using his physicality and speed. Route running certainly is not his greatest strength, but it is also not a big weakness. NFL coaching should correct a lot of his mistakes.
Colts Fit
Duvernay is a good fit for the Colts because he brings a dynamic playmaking ability and reliable hands to the team. In 2019, the Indianapolis Colts ranked second-to-last in wide receiver broken tackles with 13. Duvernay’s slipperiness brings a much needed ability to the team. He was also a participant in the Senior Bowl this year. Chris Ballard has often spoken out on how much he enjoys scouting players at the Senior Bowl, and many of the Colts draft picks in recent years have been players who participated. Without a first round pick in the 2020 draft, the Colts will be looking for talent in later rounds, and they could easily snag this stud in the third round or later.
