D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss

Height: 6’3″
Weight: 228 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.33 seconds
Vertical Jump: 40.5 inches
Broad Jump: 134.0 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.38 seconds

If there’s one thing I can tell you about this rookie class with certainty, it’s that there will be a lot of people saying “I told you so” when it comes to Metcalf in a couple years. It’s because he’s one of the more polarizing wide receiver prospects we’ve come across in some time. His supporters will tell you his 40-time of 4.33 seconds combined with his explosive 40.5-inch vertical highlights endless athleticism, while his detractors will ignore them and point to his subpar 7.38-second 3-Cone drill. You won’t find many analysts in-between, either.

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While at Ole Miss, Metcalf didn’t post gaudy numbers that some want to see out of top-tier wide receivers, as he failed to post more than 39 catches, 646 yards, and seven touchdowns in any of his three seasons there. A big part of that is due to him playing in just two games in 2016 and then just seven games in 2018. Had he played 14 games (like some) during the 2018 season, he was on pace for 1,138 yards and 10 touchdowns. It also doesn’t help that he played alongside A.J. Brown, another potential first-round pick, and Damarkus Lodge, a receiver expected to go in the 3-5 round range. The trio of receivers were known as ‘NWO’, or “Nasty Wide Outs.”

Size/Versatility: 3.5 out of 5 stars
His size is what presents the ceiling that most drool over, as it’s rare to find a wide receiver his size who moves the way he does. It’s why you see comparisons athletically to guys like Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones. He’s not those guys, though. He plays LWR almost exclusively, while Johnson and Jones could be moved all over the formation. Part of the reason he was stationary on the perimeter is due to his limited route tree and that’s not going to change overnight. He’s not going to be very versatile upon entering the league, so despite his great size, he gets knocked in this area.

Route Running/Ability to Separate: 2.0 out of 5 stars
He doesn’t run a full route tree right now, as he’s limited in his route running chops. From what I’ve watched, he’s not ever going to be considered an elite route-runner, though he may not need to be when you consider the tools he has. He fights press coverage extremely well, using a combination of his feet and hands to clear space. With his size and speed, there won’t be many cornerbacks in his face unless the defense has a safety dedicated to cover him over the top. Naturally, when given a cushion, that gives him unearned separation. He needs to be coached on how to better plant his foot in the ground on a comeback, as he simply takes too long to decelerate. It should be relatively simple for coordinators to see how he’s being handled in coverage and adjust accordingly. His speed is what creates separation, not his route-running, so his score is lacking in this department.

Speed: 5.0 out of 5 stars
His speed didn’t just show up at the NFL Combine, as he continually got behind defenders during his time at Ole Miss. It’s not a ramp-up speed, either, as he gets that separation almost off the get-go if the cornerback is playing press coverage. While watching Metcalf, you won’t come away thinking he needs any more speed at his size because the speed he has is extremely rare for a guy 6-foot-3 and nearly 230 pounds.

Hands: 3.5 out of 5 stars
He makes some catches look easy that really shouldn’t be, as it appears there’s superglue on his long hands while snatching a deep ball out of mid-air. Not only is he 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds, but his hand size is nearly 10 inches and his wingspan is nearly 83 inches, making him a massive target to begin with. There’ll be times where a deep ball is overthrown, but he’ll outstretch his freakishly long arms with both hands and the ball just sticks. This is something you’ll see plenty of times on passes in the flats, but when a ball is traveling over 40 yards in the air, it’s much tougher to do. It’s not all pretty though, as there are times where he’ll let the ball come into his body and that’s what causes him problems. Knowing there are issues with his hands in easier scenarios, it somewhat overshadows the incredible plays he makes and drops his grade a tad.

Awareness: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Tracking balls over his shoulder is something he does extremely well, which is somewhat important knowing the player he is right now. He plays very close to the sideline quite often and his awareness to stay in bounds is solid, though nothing you can’t live without. He high-points the ball pretty well, which makes sense considering his 40.5-inch vertical, but it’s not just due to height, as he has a good feel for when to rise-up for a ball.

After the Catch: 2.5 out of 5 stars
He won’t simply fall down when he makes a catch, but he’s not going to drag defenders along for a ride or shake many out of their cleats. For someone his size, I’d describe him as average after the catch, which is somewhat of a letdown considering how strong he is from a physical standpoint. I’d like to see him play a bit more aggressive knowing the combination of size, strength, and speed he has.

Potential Landing Spot
When looking for his potential landing spot, you’d ideally find a team who’s looking for a No. 2 receiver, as Metcalf isn’t ready to come in and be the go-to No. 1 receiver in an offense. He’s a developmental prospect who has a rare size/speed/strength combination, and if he’s able to develop into a competent route-runner, he has a massive ceiling. The Packers should be a team who takes a look at him with one of their picks in the first round, as he’d make a great compliment to Davante Adams. It’s very unlikely Metcalf falls outside the first round, but the Cardinals should be interested if he’s there at the start of Day 2. Many will tie him to the Ravens, who need wide receiver help, but Lamar Jackson doesn’t have the arm to highlight what Metcalf does well, so it wouldn’t make all that much sense to me.

NFL Comparison
After watching Metcalf a lot closer for this profile, I’ve somewhat changed my tune on him. While I still believe his ceiling is massive, there’s a lot of areas he needs to improve in order to be dominant at the next level. So, when talking about a ceiling, it’s fair to say Josh Gordon, though he’s not close yet. When talking about a floor, it obviously goes much lower than you’d like for a potential first-round selection. He can compare to a player like Michael Floyd, who had high expectations coming out of college, but ultimately never developed into a dominant player in the league. Metcalf is a bit stronger and faster than Floyd was, but he’s also a bit more limited in his route tree coming out of college. Most forget that Floyd did total 1,000 yards in year two of his career and had three 800-plus yard seasons, but he just never got to that next level.

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Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.