Here’s what draft analysts said about new Packers TE Josiah Deguara

How draft analysts viewed new Packers TE Josiah Deguara during the pre-draft process.

The Green Bay Packers used the 94th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft on Cincinnati tight end Josiah Deguara.

Over four years at Cincinnati, Deguara caught 92 passes for 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns. He became the school’s all-time leader in catches from a tight end.

Here’s what draft analysts said about Deguara during the pre-draft process:

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “Hard-nosed move tight end who will garner consideration as an NFL H-back. He’s a gritty blocker who plays with good positioning and works hard at sustaining blocks to help his run game. As a pass catcher, Deguara is sure-handed with good feel for soft spots against zone, but may need an accurate thrower due to contested catch likelihood and suspect catch radius. He’s the type of Day 3 prospect who flies under the radar, but ends up becoming a solid contributor at H-back.”

Dane Brugler, The Athletic (draft guide): Deguara, who is Cincinnati’s all- time leader in catches (92) by a tight end, works to his spots and physically attacks the football, winning contested windows. He is a try-hard competitor with the hustle that pops on the screen, although his point-of-attack blocking isn’t ready for NFL-level defenders. Overall, Deguara is in the Dan Vitale mold as an H-Back and special teamer who won’t overwhelm with his play strength or suddenness in his routes, but he has enough traits to hang on an NFL roster.

Mark Schofield, Touchdown Wire: “Players like Deguara have a knack for sticking on rosters given their effort and willingness to do some of the dirty things that coaches love. His effort on routes and as a blocker will endear him to many coaches in the league, and what he showed on film is the promise of a potential all-around TE in the league. He will face questions about his athleticism and size, and will need to develop parts of his game like refining his routes and more consistency at the catch point, but he could be a potential growth project at the tight end position while contributing early as more of an H-Back.”

Matt Miller, Bleacher Report: “Deguara is a fun prospect with an all-around game and some positional versatility. He can line up in the backfield, in-line at tight end or move around as a flex player. The key to his success is getting him the ball in space and letting him work there. Deguara should see the field plenty early in his career.”

Mike Renner, Pro Football Focus (draft guide): “Deguara has future H-back written all over him. For teams that use a fullback, that could easily be in his future as well. He’s a more than willing blocker who is a much better receiver than your typical blocking tight end. He has the ability to get open at both the deep and intermediate ranges of the defense. Flip on the tape and you’ll see him high stepping and stutter-stepping to a complete stop in an effort to sell his route breaks. We just need to see him fight back to the ball a little more. He’ll be an immediate impact player on special teams with the ability to grow into a starting tight end in the NFL.”

Joe Marino, The Draft Network: “Pop on Josiah Deguara’s tape and you will immediately appreciate his competitive toughness. Whether it’s exchanging power in the trenches, competing with the ball in his hands, trailing plays as they elongate down the field to hit a block or busting his ass to tackle an intercepting defender, he brings the juice. Deguara brings a balanced skill set to the table in terms of blocking and receiving where he’s been productive on both fronts in college. The challenge with Deguara and forecasting him at the next level is that he has pedestrian physical gifts and isn’t dominant in any one area. With that said, his proficiency in multiple areas profiles him well as a TE2 that should provide valuable depth and meaningful special teams contributions to his NFL team. His ceiling is modest but his floor is high.”

Kyle Crabbs, The Draft Network:  “Josiah Deguara projects as an ideal TE2 at the NFL level. There’s some developmental upside to get more nuance out of Deguara’s game, but he’s currently a blue collar worker in the box who brings needed scrappy attitude and blocking success to the point of attack and just enough of a vertical threat in the pass game to be a constant thorn in the side of defenses. There’s room for improvement, added nuance to some of Deguara’s route running, which could lead to a starting role.”

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