PFF SCOUTING REPORT: JOSH REYNOLDS, WR, TEXAS A&M
The PFF analysis team breaks down the prospects of Texas A&M's Josh Reynolds ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft.
[
www.profootballfocus.com]
Name: Josh Reynolds
School: Texas A&M
Position fit: Outside WR
Stats to know: Averaged 2.35 yards per route run last season, ninth-most among SEC receivers with at least 50 targets.
What he does best:
Deep-threat receiver. Has long strides and can break away from coverage once he gets up to full speed.
Great in-air ball tracking skills. Knows how to adjust routes to make tough catches on deep routes. Great field awareness near sidelines to stay inbounds.
Strong hands, can make tough catches in contested situations with them. Knows how to high-point balls and come down with them.
Long arms, huge catch radius. Throw it anywhere near him and he’ll put himself in a good position to make the catch.
Strong red-zone option, possibly the best end-zone fade-route threat in this draft class.
Deceptively shifty after the catch. Won’t break many tackles but can find open space and make plays.
Had a great showing in the Senior Bowl, catching a couple of deep passes and a touchdown.
Biggest concern:
Long strider, so takes time to get up to full speed. Will likely never be a great underneath receiver because he lacks quickness in and out of breaking routes.
Thin frame, can get bodied at the line of scrimmage and during routes by physical corners. Has struggled separating against strong corners at times.
Limited route runner, may only be a deep threat.
Occasionally body catches, which will result in drops or double catches, may be more of an issue in NFL with tighter coverage giving defenders an extra opportunity.
Player comparison: Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles
Reynolds has a very similar build to Matthews, and a similar style of play as well. Like Matthews, Reynolds is a long stride receiver, which makes him more effective in a deep threat role than an in-and-out breaking receiver. Both players show the ability to track deep balls and make plays in the air when needed to.
Bottom line: There’s a lot to like about Reynolds game and it makes him an intriguing prospect for the draft. He can immediately contribute as a dangerous red-zone threat, he’s that good in that area. He should be a deep-threat option for whichever team drafts him, with his strong hands and tracking ability likely to translate well to the NFL game. He’ll need to improve his route-running and ability to beat press coverage if he wants to be anything more than that. But he should be an effective second or third option early on in the NFL.
