PRO Dynasty Rookie Spotlight: Keevan Lucas, WR Tulsa

Keevan Lucas, WR Tulsa

Height: 5’9″
Weight: 192 Pounds
Hands: 9 7’8″
Vertical Jump: 32’5″
Broad Jump: 9’11”
40 Time: 4.55

When scouring online resources for Keevan Lucas footage, it seems like every clip you uncover is of him running free down the field, being physical on contact for run after catch yardage on shorter and intermediate routes, or beating tight man coverage deep with physicality while high pointing the football with a sticky pair of hands. Lucas has the knack for spectacular catches. He also contributed via manufactured touches on reverses, end-arounds, and out of the back field.

There’s more work to be done on his route running, but the early indications from our 2017 NFL Combine WR Scorecards – from inside Lucas Oil Field – are fairly promising. In many ways, on tape, he reminds me of Keyarris Garrett who is one of our favorites in the 2016 Draft and also a top performer on last year’s WR scorecards from Indy. As you dig into the measureables, you realize it’s probably just the Art Briles-esque Tulsa air-raid offense that feels familiar.

In game action, Lucas regularly wins deep vertically near the sideline, on the quick sideline comeback, and on the slant. It appears that experience translates, as the guys from Tulsa continue test well on field at Combine.

Lucas’ production was very good in college, and he’s demonstrated the capability to handle (be peppered with) volume. He also scores lots of touchdowns. The year he and Keyarris were healthy – he outproduced Garrett – and it’s fair to say he had a significantly more productive college career. One source on the Tulsa football team told us during Garrett’s NFL draft process that Garrett was not the player to watch out for from Tulsa; but rather, to focus on Lucas who would be coming out in 2017.

As we project forward, Lucas does not, however, possess the range or NFL body that Garrett does. Although he appears to be the more dynamic player on tape – and Lucas plays big on tape. I was actually shocked at his height and weight after watching tape. And I think the reason why is the length of his arms. He has long arms for a guy his size. He has the arms of a six-footer, and hands bigger than Calvin Johnson or Dez Bryant.

The 4.55 forty, the poor broad and vertical jumps and substandard performance in all three-cone and agility drills gives me quite a bit of pause at the moment. Something does not add up with Lucas. Between the excellent tape, the terrific on-field performance in Indy and the apparent lack of explosive athleticism, Lucas isn’t the easiest evaluation in the class by any means.

Often times, this means we need to tap the brakes; if not for any other reason than this will be a red flag to NFL scouting departments. Ultimately, out of a smaller school who runs a dumbed-down offense, Lucas is likely a player to watch in UDFA or the late-rounds of Day 3. For now, he’s only a stash in the deepest of dynasty leagues. Otherwise, at the moment, he is just a name to be familiar with for future waiver maneuvers.

(P.S. We won’t be surprised if Lucas develops a niche cult following with a few truthers, but most realistically, he’s a longshot developmental prospect with some really interesting traits)

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