Rookie Spotlight: Davon Grayson, Eastern Carolina University

Height: 6’ 1” (official)
Weight: 187 lbs (official)
Hands:  9 3/8”
Arm: 31 3/8”

40 yard dash: 4.51 (official)

NFL Comparison: Chad Williams

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Pros

– explosive cuts

– quick feet

– good hip movement

– maneuvers well in traffic

– fearless attitude

– makes contested catches with regularity

– not afraid to go over the middle

Cons

– injury issues(back)

– needs to add 10 lbs of muscle

Scouting Notes:  Davon Grayson leaves it all on the field. So much so that I was surprised by how small he is in comparison to many of his contemporaries in the draft. At 6’ 1’’ and sub 190 lbs, Grayson packs a punch, often out hustling and out muscling his defenders to come down with the catch. He’s got that “dog” in him that pushes him to elevate his game to levels that surpass his athleticism. He’s improved upon every previous season at ECU as the primary playmaker since Zay Jones left the team, and those aren’t small shoes to fill.

Arguably the lone offensive bright spot on a lackluster 2017 ECU team, Grayson seems to thrive in difficult situations on the field, fearlessly throwing himself into tight coverage and putting himself in harm’s way to make plays. He tracks the ball well in the air, and makes the necessary adjustments to put himself in place to come up with the catch, though he can tend to  lose speed while he’s doing that. This is something he’ll need to work on to succeed at the next level, as he’s not a speed demon to begin with, though he accelerates quickly. Also, his smaller frame made it easier for defenders to slow his release in college, and that could continue to be a problem in the pros.

After the catch, Grayson is explosive, finishing runs off with power and vigor. He plays angry, and he’ll have to continue to do so in order to beat NFL corners. He’ll also have to expand his route tree, as he wasn’t called to run many different routes at ECU, which may have been a factor of the underwhelming offense as a whole.

 

Fantasy Outlook: Grayson has had back issues over the course of his college career, missing all of 2016 due to them, and that will undoubtedly affect his draft stock. Even so, I would expect him to get taken on day 4 at the latest (Editor’s Note: The NFL Draft only lasts three days) – He showed well at the combine, and he’s an exciting player to watch on the field, when he’s healthy.

Grayson will have to add some muscle to compete, but most WRs do upon entering the league. If he can bulk up without losing explosiveness, he’ll be a formidable opponent on Sundays as an inside or outside receiver. His aggressiveness alone might even mitigate a lost step.