WR — Deon Cain 6.51
Scout- Blake Hymel
College: Clemson
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 202 lbs
40-Time: 4.43
Vertical: 33.5"
Bench Press: 11
Athleticism
Q.A.B. 7.00 Cain has great athletic ability for his size. He doesn’t have great balance and finds himself being pulled down or falling during 50/50 jump balls.
Flexibility 7.00 Flexibility is an area where Deon is servicable, but not great. I’d like to see him be better in the air. When he’s running, he’s fine. But when he goes to the air, he loses any advantage he had.
C.O.D. 7.00 His change of direction has improved over his career, and now he’s able to run decent enough cut routes.
Explosion 7.50 He has good explosion off the snap, but he hasn’t been tested against the jam in college.
Deep Speed 8.00 He’s a home-run threat style player and has elite deep speed. He eats up yards very quickly.
Without Ball
Quicks Off LOS 7.50 Cain is very quick off the line. He didn’t have to release against jams much in his college career. It will be interesting to see how he handles being pressed in the NFL.
Release VS Jam 7.00 Cain wasn’t jammed much at all in college. This may be an area where he will need to get accustomed to at the next level.
Route Running 6.00 His route running improved from 2016 to 2017. He can run crisp routes but is a bit inconsistent. He’s shown the ability to run a very good slant route, but most of the time he rounds them out.
Separation 5.00 His deep speed allows him to get very good separation down the field, but he needs to improve getting separation on 50/50 balls. He isn’t consistent in jumping to meet the ball at the highest point and gives the defender too much space to make a play.
Blocking 4.00 He is a poor blocker and doesn’t give it much effort. He will have to improve to hold more value in the NFL.
With Ball In Hands
Hands 6.00 He has had issues with drops in the past. He dropped 6 passes out of 44 catchable balls and has a drop rate of 13.6% in 2017. He has good hands, and the drops seem to be a mental thing.
Yard After Contact 7.50 Cain is a dynamic and explosive player with the ball in his hands. He has elite home run speed and projects best as a big, fast, deep receiver.
Ability in Space 7.50 Cain’s ability in space is rather good. He isn’t a receiver that’s going to make 2 or 3 cuts to the end zone. He’s a straight line kind of receiver. His speed allows him to be a threat when he catches the ball. Cain’s ability in space is rather good. He isn’t a receiver that’s going to make 2 or 3 cuts to the end zone. He’s a straight line kind of receiver. His speed allows him to be a threat when he catches the ball.
Ball Security 6.00 Cain needs to improve on securing the ball before he worries about making up-the-field moves. This drops appear to be mental, and likely him trying to make a play before the ball is secured.
Competitiveness
Toughness 6.00 Cain needs to improve on his toughness in run blocking, he doesn’t look like he’s interested in blocking for the ball carrier at all. He’ll make contact and plant his feet, but doesn’t drive the cornerback away.
Production 7.75 He has pretty good production and led Clemson in most of their receiving stats in 2017. He finished the season with 734 yards, 12.7 average, and 6 touchdowns.
Consistency/Motor 5.00 Consistency will make or break Deon’s NFL career. He’s far too inconsistent in vital parts of the game. Run blocking, catching, and route running are all inconsistent.
Intelligence
Instincts 6.50 Cain’s instincts aren’t great. He doesn’t time his jumps well on 50/50 balls and can’t separate himself from the defender.
Learn/Retain 6.50 He has shown an ability to learn better route running, as it improved over his last season. He needs to continue improving his route running, and bring that same enthusiasm to improve to his other deficiencies.
Position Versatility 6.00 Cain isn’t very versatile, due to his inconsistent route running and problems with drops. He’s a deep pass receiver.
Strengths
Deon has great size and speed for the NFL. He has a very smooth-running motion and can eat up yards quickly. He’s a dynamic player when he gets the ball and has a knack for getting behind the defense. He’s shown the ability to run very good routes.
Weaknesses
Deon needs to improve in several aspects of the game. His route running is inconsistent, he fails to meet the ball at its highest point and has had an issue throughout his college career with drops. He is not a good run blocker.
Big Picture
Deon is a 3-year player, 2-year starter for Clemson. He’s amassed 130 catches, 2040 yards, and 20 touchdowns. He averages 15.7 yards per catch over his 3 years in college. Deon has good natural abilities and great size for the position, but he’s inconsistent in too many areas of the game. He has a lot of room to improve as a player and could become a great primary receiver, but as of now I have him rated as a 3rd round talent. Mostly due to his inability to run block and the issues he’s had with drops throughout his career. I see him best as a number 2 receiver that can be successful when defenses key on the primary receiver.
