Wide Receiver
Minnesota
6-3 217
40 time (projected): 4.54
Draft board overall prospect rank: #58
Draft board wide receiver rank: #5
Overall rating: 77*
1/17/10: What you see is what you get with him, but what you’re getting is a big consistent #2 option with good hands. He’s not overly athletic, but he’ll be a good red zone threat and possession receiver with his size and good hands. He’ll compliment an inconsistent deep threat very well at the next level, but there isn’t a ton of upside with him.
Injury Update (11/8/09): He will miss the entire rest of the season with a foot injury. He shouldn’t fall too far as he has three straight productive statistic seasons, but he does have a history of injuries which is a potential red flag. He should still go in the 2nd round though.
9/7/09: Eric Decker is an extremely big and powerful wide receiver. He’s a tough matchup for any corner because of his size and if he gets the ball in the open field he can run over receiver. He has very good hands and can make all of the easy catches and a bunch of the harder ones too. There are some questions as to whether or not he is committed to the sport of football. He has been drafted twice in the MLB draft and plays outfield for the Minnesota baseball team. However, that shouldn’t be a problem heading forward. Decker has said no to major league baseball twice to focus on college football and why wouldn’t he. In the MLB draft he was a 39th round pick and a 27th round pick and in the NFL draft, he has a shot to go in the first 2 rounds with a big season senior season. Another year like last year, 84 catches for 1047 yards and 7 touchdowns, despite missing 2 games with injury and playing banged up for most of the season, and he could go in the 2nd round considering how thin the wide receiver class is next year. His speed and agility are not great. He should run a 40 in the 4.5s, which could scare some teams off, and he doesn’t get much faster than that on the field. He isn’t that quick or agile, even for someone of his size. Despite his large frame, he has yet to establish himself as an endzone threat with only 19 touchdowns in 37 career college games. Right now he projects as a big possession receiver, without a ton of speed or quickness, who has struggled inside the 20. His size, hands, and route running will get him some early looks in the 2010 NFL draft. His size, toughness, and ability to run over defenders make him more NFL ready than most receivers coming out so he should provide a good depth guy from the get go, with the potential to emerge as a starter in a few years.
*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here
NFL Comparison: Kevin Walter
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