DeVier Posey- 2011 Draft Scouting Report

I'll admit it. I have been a Buckeye fan since I was 5. And I really hope there isn't any Ohio State bias involved anywhere in this article.

Ohio State receiver DeVier Posey is in that unbelievable class of 2012 wide receivers. Probably the best receiver class of all time. I am probably going to give 7 guys from that receiver class first round grades. Posey is no exception.

Posey has solid physical tools. He really is a jack of all trades but the master of none type player; good, but not great speed (4.47 40 yard dash), good, but not great height (6'2), and good, but not great bulk (200lbs). But he does have good football speed, and he is a well rounded player physically.

Posey is among the best route runners of all the big receivers in the FBS. He has outstanding quickness in and out of breaks for his size, he is among the best at finding holes in the zone and getting open on option routes, and he uses deceptive head fakes in his routes to get open. His route running is pretty impressive considering his age, and it suggests he has a very strong work ethic off the field.

Posey plays with outstanding on field intensity. He has Anquan Boldin like physicality in his routes, he is an outstanding run blocker, and he is really tough trying to power through defenders after the catch. But he does attract a fair amount of holding penalties for a wide receiver, and he could definitely afford to improve his upper body strength.

At first glance, Posey has below average numbers (last year he got 60 catches, 828 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns, with a 13.8 yards per catch). But remember; regardless of whether or not people think Terrelle Pryor was good last year (which, for the most part, he wasn't), what's undeniable is he almost never passed the ball. He only passed for 2094 yards last year, an awful number. The fact that Posey got 40% of Pryor's pass yards is pretty impressive. Plus he has gotten off to a strong start in 2010, so Posey has achieved pretty well statistically.

Posey isn't much of a yards after the catch threat. He has below average vision with the ball in his hands, he lacks the shiftiness to make defenders miss in the open field, and he doesn't have the breakaway speed to outrun some corner and safeties.

Posey's main issue is mediocre hands. He traps a lot of balls against his frame, and he drops a fair amount of passes. But he is pretty good at catching the ball at its highest point, he is very good at adjusting to the football, he can get really high in the air, and he displays impressive body control when going for the poorly thrown pass.

Here are a couple looks of Posey in action:

DeVier Posey Highlights

DeVier Posey Highlights

DeVier Posey Highlights

DeVier Posey vs. Oregon

Overall, I think DeVier Posey is a really good player, and I think that the strength of the 2012 wide receiver class shouldn't count against him. I think he would be a first round pick in any other wide receiver class and the strength of 2012's shouldn't be counted against him. Whoever grabs him, probably in the early second round, is still getting a great value.

NFL Comparison: Dwayne Bowe, except Posey plays with great on field intensity.
Grade: 94
Projection: 89

Updated Scouting Report(s): I didn't change most of the scouting reports, but I changed the grades and projections of a lot of players. Aldon Smith got 10 tackles and 2 sacks to open the season. There is no Sophomore slump. If he plays FBS football for 4 years, at the rate he is going at, he will be the most productive defender in the history of college football (I also found highlights of him). Terrance Toliver is really struggling in 2010, getting a mere 6 catches for 47 yards through 2 games. Allen Bailey looked pretty good against Ohio State, but I think that may be because he puts up a good effort on the national stage. Patrick Peterson can return a kick like nobody's business. I decided I gave Jerrod Johnson too generous a projection, but he has been really good in 2010 and I changed his grade. I changed Julio Jones' projection. With the emergence of Wisconsin's J.J. Watt, Christian Ballard is deeply buried among the 3-4 ends of 2011 and he is losing popularity. Jake Locker struggled against BYU. A.J. Green's got suspended for doing something that came across as dumb, not immoral. I changed the projection, but I still think he has good character. See: Dez Bryant's suspension. I also found highlights of Nate Solder and Adrian Clayborn (Yes. Highlights of an offensive lineman from Colorado. That AloAloysius guy is just great.).