STRENGTHS
DeVonta is a smooth, long-striding receiver with the eye/hand coordination to catch any kind of pass thrown to him in any down and distance situation. He reminds me a lot of former Bills Andre Reed. Devonta’s ability to separate when running routes comes from his ability to run every route with the same smoothness so that his opponent cannot read and anticipate his assigned route. Those long smooth strides allow for him to, not have to slow down in and out of his breaks. Also, those long, smooth strides allow him to disguise when he is going to make his breaks. Watching Devonta on film is like looking at a Cadillac riding down the road. The longer the distance, the faster he goes with more power and size the people with smaller cars envy.
CONCERNS
DeVonta has good strength but long striders can be easily moved off their routes. DeVonta still has some tricks to learn physically or he will just become a complementary receiver and not a top receiver for the team that selects him.
BOTTOM LINE 1.61
Long striding receivers need room to work. They will get you into the red zone but once inside they struggle to make touchdowns. When the Bills first started the K-Gun offense they struggled to make touchdowns inside the red zone. They had two long-striding receivers, Andre Reed and James Lofton, along with a long-striding pass catching Tight End Keith McKeller whom, the offense was originally named after. They solved this problem by mentally and physically extending the red zone so that these long striders had more field to work with and gain separation. It’s the reason they scored so quickly once they got over the 50-yard line. Devonta needs field, to work with and as long as the team that selects him gives him that field (with their play-calling), Devonta will become a franchise receiver who will be a matchup nightmare. When you ask DeVonta to run a deep crossing route I think you will see too, that smooth cruising Cadillac gaining separation from all the other smaller cars, cruising into the end zone just like Andre Reed, during his heydays. DeVonta will bring the Cadillac back in vogue.
