2015 NFL Draft Profile: WR Devin Funchess

Oct 11, 2014; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Devin Funchess (1) celebrates with teammates after catching a pass for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Four days away from the NFL draft. That is where we are, Jets fans. We will soon be able to finally end the speculation, and see who the NFL, and the Jets, think are going to be the future starts of the league.

In the meantime, we are going to do a bit more speculation. The Jets, although much stronger at wide receiver, are likely to target at least one more in a very deep draft class at the position. There has been a lot of talk about Amari Cooper and Kevin White. But they are far from the only guys that can make an impact in the NFL.

Today, we are looking at Devin Funchess from Michigan.

Next: College Career

Dec 28, 2013; Tempe, AZ, USA; Michigan Wolverines tight end Devin Funchess (87) against the Kansas State Wildcats during the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Here are the stats for Devin Funchess while at Michigan:

Receiving & Rushing

These aren’t explosive stats for Funchess, but they are solid. He had a solid combine as well, let’s go ahead and take a look.

Next: NFL Combine

Feb 19, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan wide receiver Devin Funchess speaks to the media at the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Devin Funchess measured in at 6’4″ and 232 pounds, which makes him certainly the right size to be a threat in the red zone at the next level. He ran the forty yard dash in 4.7 seconds, and then improved on it at his pro day, running a 4.47. He ran the 10 yard shuttle in 1.66 seconds. His vertical jump was 38.5 inches, and his broad jump was 10 feet and 2 inches long.

Here is what Dane Brugler had to say in his annual draft guide:

STRENGTHS: Tall, athletic frame with smooth muscle tone throughout…long arms and big hands to create a large catching radius…snatches the ball away from his body and attacks with his hands…flexible freak with easy movement skills for his size and loose body control to make natural adjustments on the ball, turning downfield quickly after the grab…long, full strides to reach his top speed quickly…very good leaping ability to float and attack jump balls…not easy to bring down as a ballcarrier with his size to bounce off tacklers…nice job finding soft spots over the middle…has experience at tight end and wide receiver, lining up inline, slot and outside…match-up nightmare against linebackers and smaller corners with a size differential that isn’t close in most cases…good toughness to play through injuries.

WEAKNESSES: Very lean-muscled and lacks ideal bulk or sand…room to get stronger to better beat press and match-up with physical man defenders…too many drops off his hands on his résumé and needs to be more reliable with his focus through the catch…hand technique needs work, often caught with his hands turned the wrong way downfield…not a reliable finisher in contested situations…tends to think too much about post-catch and will take his eyes off the ball before securing…shows laziness in his routes and needs to sell patterns with more consistency…inconsistent vision after the catch, struggling to leverage the field or read his blocks…doesn’t consistently play up to his size as a ballcarrier and will brace himself for contact, not powering over smaller bodies…effort is there as a blocker, but often caught off balance with erratic technique…suffered ankle and toe injuries (Sept. 2014) and was hampered the rest of his junior season.

Next: Film and Final Thoughts

Devin Funchess’ size jumps right off the screen. This guy is one big target, isn’t he? Especially lined up on the inside, where he will face smaller corners, Funchess will be a matchup nightmare. He does catch the ball with his hands, and gets up the field quickly.

However, his hands aren’t great. When he catches the ball, Funchess does it with his hands. But, even on that tape, there are too many drops. Especially when pressured, Funchess had a tough time making the catch. He needs to develop better awareness of guys around him, and make the tough catches. A big guy like Funchess will have to make the big catches over the middle to make a name for himself in the pros.

Funchess also needs to get a bit stronger. He gets off the press coverage, but not easily. You can see, even from the tape, Funchess getting pushed around a little bit. An NFL cornerback will eat that for lunch every Sunday.

Is there potential with Devin Funchess? Sure. But not before the third round. He would be overvalued if taken prior to the third round.

Next: Draft Profile: La'el Collins

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