Breshad Perriman will need more than speed in NFL
Leading up to the 2015 , each day NFL will profile a prospect who could make a splash in fantasy next
Kyle Kuzma Jersey season. Today's subject is former UCF wide receiver .Perriman sent football Twitter into a frenzy on Wednesday when he ran a blistering 40-yard dash that NFL Media's Mike Mayock (other had it as low as 4.22). The former UCF Knight had been prior to his pro day explosion, and now speculation and projections are running rampant around this talented, athletic prospect. But as we've learned through years and years of watching athletic specimens flame out in the NFL, players can't get by on raw talent alone. So does Perriman have what it takes to make it at the next level? I went to the tape to find out. Strengths Blazing speed, creates separation Big bodied and strong NFL pedigree from father Brett Perriman Shows (at times) ideal suddenne s in routesWhile he's not running at 4.25 speed in pads, Perriman's speed is evident as soon as you turn on the tape. He frequently was able to take the top off of defenses and beat defenders on the outside with his speed. He was also very adept at varying his speed to bait defensive backs and gain that much needed separation. Were it not for poor quarterback play resulting in constant underthrows, Perriman's 2014 output of 50 catches, 1,044 yards and nine touchdowns might have been even better. For what it's
Dwight Howard Jersey worth, Perriman averaged over 20 yards per reception last season, and was the only receiver who caught at least 40 pa ses to do so.When he wants to, Perriman showed good precision and explosion coming out of the breaks in his routes, especially on slants and posts. That's where the "suddenne s" I mentioned above comes into play. Also working in Perriman's favor is that his father, Brett Perriman, played for 10 years in the NFL, with his best season coming in 1995 when he notched 108 receptions and 1,488 receiving yards. Tacking an NFL pedigree onto Perriman's 6-foot-2, 219 pound frame is definitely something that catches scouts eyes.Weakne ses Poor overall route runner Needs to improve tracking back to deep balls Unreliable hands at times, numerous drops Needs to improve other moves aside from speedDespite that occasional suddenne s, Perriman's route-running as a whole is not impre sive. As NFL Media's Lance Zierlein notes in his profile, Perriman has a bad habit of rounding off routes and not making a convincing effort if he isn't the main target of the play. Given his natural speed, this is a dead give away for opposing defenders, and one thing pro cornerbacks will use to their advantage. Speaking of pro corners, they'll be able to disrupt plenty of Perriman's targets if he doesn't get better at a) winning contested catches and b) tracking back to deep balls. He has the talent and athleticism to do so, he just needs to put it all together and become more aggre sive in fighting for the ball.In a vacuum, drops are hard to rate as they don't nece sarily mean a guy has bad hands or
Devontae Cacok Jersey can't catch. But there were a number of times where Perriman simply didn't make clean catches, had to catch the ball twice, or ended up dropping it because of what I can only a sume was a lack of focus. This is a cause for concern, but as NFL Media'
Kostas Antetokounmpo Jersey s Gil Brandt points out, plenty of coaches believe they can teach a player to catch. So although Perriman's hands might knock him down to the bottom of the first round or the early second round in the , some team will be willing to bet on his raw athleticism. Because while you can teach a guy to catch, as the saying goes you can't teach speed.I don't worry too much about WRs w/ drops in college. Not too much. Coach Landry believed you could teach player to catch. I agree. Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) Ideal NFL fantasy fits There are plenty of teams with immediate needs at wide receiver, and my hope is that Perriman lands in a situation where he can ease his way into the NFL game. Carolina would be great, because with and already keeping defenses busy, Perriman could perfect his craft and offer a superb deep threat for . Kansas City could work as well, but given 's limitations throwing the ball deep, Perriman would lose some fantasy value there. Lastly, I'd like to see Perriman in Chip Kelly's offense, as I feel he'd be able to find ways to get the most out of Perriman's abilities right away -- especially with the strong-armed now under center.Early fantasy draft projectionFor my money, Perriman will be more of a project in his rookie year, and isn't likely to make a huge statistical impact out of the gate. However, with a little time and polish, he could turn into one heck of a receiver. He probably shouldn't be taken in redrafts (except for the deepest of leagues), and I'd see him as a second-round
Alfonzo McKinnie Jersey pick in dynasty formats, as long as you have the space on your bench to wait for him to develop and cash in on his raw physical gifts.-- Follow Alex on Twitter