A new series was formed nearly two months ago called The Future 40, and the next edition is here! The segment has and will continue to run every other day until late April as we provide you with in-depth scouting reports of some 2010 NFL Draft prospects, giving you information key to understanding some of the players’ strengths, weaknesses, projected round of selection, possibility of being picked by the Eagles, and much more! And because the Draft is an important event for the entire league, some of the top-ranked players not expected to go to Philadelphia will also be reported on. This time around, we once again stuck to an offensive perspective and looked at Dez Bryant:

• Prospect Name: Dez Bryant
• Position: Wide Receiver
• College: Oklahoma State University
• Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds
• Age: 21 years
• Class Status: Junior

Summary: If not for his early-season suspension in 2009, Dez Bryant would probably have been a lock to go in the top 10 picks in the nearing NFL Draft. Nevertheless, he remains among the best receiving prospects for the selection process and has received a lot of consideration for being his class’s biggest play-maker. After an illustrious career at Lufkin High School in Texas in which he earned state honors and was noticed by collegiate scouts for his confident attitude and athletic abilities, the wideout was recruited to Oklahoma State University. It has been confirmed he declined offers from other respected schools like LSU and Arkansas, and was adamant on becoming a dominant offensive force with the Cowboys from Stillwater, Oklahoma. In his freshman season of ‘07, he gradually worked his way into the starting lineup and finished the year as the squad’s second-best option in the passing game, as he notched six touchdowns and 43 catches. One of the notable performances he had in 2007 came against Kansas in which he made the most receiving yards by a freshman in his school’s conference history (155). The following year, Bryant played a larger role as a full-time starter, and gained national attention as a result of it. His 113.9 receiving yards per game led the NCAA, and his 19 total scores set an OSU record. Bryant also earned his first major collection of awards, garnering All-American honors and ones from Oklahoma State’s league conference. In addition, his contributions as a kick returner were noticed and he was given an award for that. Heading into his junior campaign as a Cowboy, Bryant was projected to be a front runner for college football’s most respected honor–the Heisman Trophy. His season got off to a decent start, as he caught four touchdowns and roughly 300 yards in several games, but his chance to once again lead his team as the top receiving threat diminished when he was suspended for the remainder of the year for violating an NCAA bylaw. Officially, it was ruled that he had communications and interactions with former NFL player Deion Sanders, but lied to authorities and failed to fully disclose what he was doing with the ex-football star. His shortage of games played this past season certainly hurt his stock for April’s Draft, but he is still atop many scouts’ lists of soon-to-be NFL rookies.

Career Statistics:

Notable Achievements/Awards:

• All-American Honors (2008)
• All-Big-12 Honors (2008)
• Special Teams Player of the Year award winner (2008)
• Biletnikoff Award finalist (2008)
• Most receiving touchdowns in one season [19] (2008)
• Wide Receiver Trophy watch list member (2009)
• Freshman All-American Honors (2007)

Strengths:

• Runs crisp receiving routes and finds a way to get open in the secondary
• Utilizes his large physical frame well and usually stands tall over his opponents
• Is muscular and willing to take hits/play physically
• Almost always comes down with the ball on high passes or jump-ball throws in which he’s pitted against a defensive back
• Is overall an athletic player with a lot of skills
• Has the ability to break through tackle attempts and avoid defenders
• Is tough to bring to the ground
• Also plays explosively on special teams as a kick and punt returner
• Has a fairly large amount of upside for the professional level of football
• Often escapes coverage attempts immediately upon the snap of the ball
• Adjusts to poorly-thrown passes well

Weaknesses:

• Lacks elite speed
• Could have better awareness and instincts when running deep receiving patterns
• Rarely identifies defensive schemes/locates variations in coverage
• Needs to gain more yardage after making a catch
• Sometimes gets a bit slow-footed and laid-back in his receiving routes late in games
• Has missed a good deal of recent playing time

Projected Round of Selection: 1st round

NFL Player Comparison: Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys

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We hope that everyone enjoyed the 27th report for The Future 40 prospect segment, and urge you to keep checking back for more scouting analysis as the series continues all the way up until the Draft! Also, remember that we will happily take and consider requests from our fans for this series!

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