Rookie Spotlight: Miles Boykin, Notre Dame
Height: 6’4’’ (official)
Weight: 227 lbs (official)
Hands: 10 3/4” (official)
Arm: 33 1/2” (official)
40 yard dash: 4.42 (Combine)
NFL Comparison: Kenny Golladay

Pros
– very athletic for his size
– impressive body control
– catches ball away from body

Cons
-lacks physicality
-slow in and out of breaks

Scouting Notes: Boykin has ideal size and sizzling straightaway speed that enables him to get open with relative ease consistently. He’s also got loose hips for a big guy and excellent body control that allows him to make circus style catches look easy. If the ball is anywhere in his near vicinity, he’s likely to catch it, unless a physical defender is in his way. For his size, Boykin is surprisingly unimposing to capable corners. He lacks an aggressiveness that’s going to be necessary to have to beat defenders over the first 5 yards in the NFL. As is, he gets jammed up too easily, though he is usually able to come down with the ball in contested situations downfield due to his leaping ability. Otherwise, Boykin is a suitable route-runner, though he can be sluggish in and out of his breaks. His lack of game strength makes his RAC somewhat limited, as he’s not going to break a lot of tackles, and likewise his blocking can definitely improve. I have hope that Boykin can become a more physical player with training though, and his playmaking prowess is going to cover some of those warts.

Fantasy Outlook: I harp a lot on Boykin’s lack of physical play, but he was a productive player on a Notre Dame team that always has a target on its back. He needs some coaching up, by he’s got upside that you can’t ignore. If he can avoid getting stymied off the line, he’ll be an instant threat to score in red-zone situations. He’s got intermediate field skill too, so he can move the chains if need be. If and when he learns how to use his size to his advantage as a rule, Boykin is going to be a force to be reckoned with in any offense. He’ll enter the league in WR2 territory with room to grow, a la Kenny Golladay when he entered the league. Don’t sleep on him in dynasty formats.

Quotes from the Combine:

What’s your experience been like so far?

It’s awesome. The process is grueling, obviously, but that’s part of it. It’s a physical and mental examination. The toughest thing is the medicals, waiting all day in the hospital, going around each station. I think I’m talking to all 32 teams at this point.

Big-bodied WR; patterned game after Calvin Johnson; ever met him?

No, but I’ve talked to him on the phone a couple of times, just picking his brain a little bit.

Key takeaways

He just talked about being a big-bodied receiver; the biggest thing was separation at the top of your route. Sometimes we’re not the fastest guys in the world, but we’re definitely going to be able to create separation at the top by being strong and physical.

What went into decision to declare early?

When I went to Notre Dame I had two things I wanted to do, and that was graduate and win a national championship. For me, we had a chance to win a national championship this year and didn’t pan out the way we wanted it to. We had a great season, though. And I’m graduating in May, so I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish from Notre Dame. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Degree?

Marketing.

What type of feedback did you receive from NFL’s evaluation board

They gave me a second-round grade.

You agree with that?

Absolutely. That’s why I’m here. I feel like I can compete with the best, and I’m going to prove that on the field tomorrow.’

Have you kept in touch with E.Q. since he’s been in Green Bay (Equanimeous St. Brown)

Absolutely. We were just talking about what it was like to be a pro, the things that he goes over day-in and day-out, the schedule, his time off, his breaks. So yeah, we talk a lot.

Trend in NFL is for bigger WRs

Absolutely. Just mismatches. That’s the biggest part of the NFL, whether we’re in the slot or outside. We’re there to create mismatches.

How much press coverage did you face?

I pretty much faced one-on-one press coverage every game. I’m a boundary receiver. That’s what we do. I feel fairly confident in my abilities to get off press.

Chemistry with Ian Book

When he was a freshman I was a sophomore. We were working a lot with the 2s, so our chemistry kind of grew from there. We were always working together regardless the situation.

What did it feel like to finally become the No. 1 receiver?

It was awesome. I had to fight through a lot of adversity there. I had a couple of finger injuries that kind of inhibited me from playing early in my career. But after that I thought I took care of business. I grew as a player on and off the field and now I’m here.

What tells you your ready for NFL?

I played against great players and I’m confident in my abilities. I think some of the things I can do are very limited in this draft class and I’m going to prove that tomorrow in testing.

Impact your brother George has on you

For those of you who don’t know, my brother had a brain contusion his sophomore year playing football so he wasn’t able to play the game again. For it, it reminds me how grateful I am and how thankful I am for this game of football and the places it’s taken me and I don’t take it for granted at all. My brother is my biggest fan. Right after the combine he’s driving up my car so I can go back to school and have a car there. He’s my biggest fan and I’d do anything in the world for him.

What’s he doing now?

He’s a pilot. He’s 24 years old and he’s getting his Master’s right now. I think it speaks to not only him and how great of a person he is, but all athletes. We can do more than just play football or basketball. We can do a lot of things. We choose to play sports. It’s a huge difference. We don’t play sports because we have to.

Does his situation enlighten you to risks of football and head injuries

It’s tough. We put ourselves in harm’s way. I understand that. We sign up to play this sport. But without this sport there’s a lot of places we wouldn’t be. I wouldn’t be standing in front of you today if it wasn’t for this sport. I wouldn’t have went to Notre Dame if it wasn’t for this sport. So I’m extremely thankful for it. As long as you give to the game, the game is going to give back.

Have you had concussions

Yes. Two. One playing football, one playing basketball.

Take extra precaution because of that

No, not at all. This is the wrong game to play if you’re afraid.

Did his situation give you pause?

No, never. It made me more thankful for it if anything. He understood the risk he took when he was playing.

From the Notre Dame Athletic Department:

SENIOR SEASON (2018)

Led team during the regular season with 803 receiving yards on 54 catches and eight TDs

Had at least one TD catch in six straight games (STAN, VT, PITT, NAVY, NW, FSU), the longest such streak by an Irish WR since Will Fuller in 2014

Eclipsed 100 receiving yards in three games and had two games with multiple TD catches

Snared 11 receptions for 144 yards and a score against Stanford

Made a pair of TD catches among eight receptions for 117 yards at No. 24 Virginia Tech

Had four catches and two TD grabs against Navy