STRENGTHS
Deon is what I would call a move/zone receiver. He has excellent soft hands and is more quick than fast. He is an excellent run after the catch receiver because of his vision and lateral agility. Deon has the ability to adjust to the ball in the air and this makes his catch radius bigger than most receivers his size. He will fight for the ball in the air and will become a defensive player when he feels he might be losing the fight for the ball. Deon is smart and when his quarterback gets the ball into his hands quickly that is when he can do the most damage to a defense. He should be an asset if he is used as a punt returner on special teams because of his quickness in tight spaces and his lateral agility and vision to run after the catch.

CONCERNS
Deon is not quick off the line from a still position, so putting him on the move and playing him against zone coverage’s is how Deon can make plays for your offense. He also doesn’t have that second gear to go deep but he could be an excellent double move receiver because of his quickness and this will allow him to catch the deep ball. If Deon wants to become more than a complementary receiver he will have to learn how to run better routes and sell his routes and how to set up cornerbacks to make the big catch.

BOTTOM LINE
Deon is a good receiver but he has to learn how to use his talents better to get his full potential out of his talents. Deon’s improvement will be more mentally than it will be physical. He has to understand that he is not faster than most players at the next level. He has to learn better separation techniques. He also has to learn to read defenses better and understand how to better run his routes against zone defense. Deon has to stop believing the press clippings and realize the realty of his talent. When he does, then Deon could become a top receiver in the NFL. His size, soft hands, lateral agility, and vision suggest that he has ability.

Drew Boylhart   MAR.2018