One of the criticisms of Devin Duvernay as draft prospect has been his high usage in the screen game and other underneath routes.
But @Dev_Duv5 also demonstrated elite production on his opportunities as a downfield weapon. pic.twitter.com/OOcDdI4ZuN
— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) April 18, 2020
The Draft Network’s thoughts on the senior receiver:
Texas wide receiver Devin Duvernay brings an exciting blend of explosive speed, outstanding hands and an alpha mentality that makes him dangerous from the slot. He is dynamic with the football to create for himself and he catches everything with the ability to win most foot races. With that said, his lack of separation quickness and agility due to tightly wound hips presents unique challenges for a slot receiver that is expected to uncover against man coverage. Duvernay has enough redemptive traits to profile as a starter but he doesn’t come without restrictions. – Joe Marino
Devin Duvernay is a role-specific late Day 2/early Day 3 target for teams in need of a deep threat. Duvernay is a compact and yoked up athlete with the explosiveness and long speed to challenge off coverage and dictate safety deployment on the boundary; with strong ball tracking skills and a good catch radius, he is a candidate for winning downfield despite having a smaller frame and limited film in contested catch situations. Duvernay is also a candidate for schemed RAC touches because of his runaway speed and tackle-breaking ability — but as a route-runner and a returner, Duvernay is not nearly as elusive or agile as you’d like to see, and he’s accordingly a limited player. Duvernay will never be a high-target or three-level player, but there’s a role for him in an NFL desperate for big plays. – Benjamin Solak
Devin Duvernay projects as a potential slot receiver at the pro level — but he’s going to need to operate in a WCO offense predicated on run after the catch if he’s going to be put to his best use. There’s plenty of burst and explosiveness in his game and he could be a potential killer in RPO reps where he’s isolated to fold behind linebackers in a bind reading the mesh point. He’s fairly limited as far as where he’ll win at a high level at this point in time, but there’s raw tools to work with. – Kyle Crabbs