33. Devin Funchess, WR/TE, MichiganBio: Though the 2015 tight end class is considered to be pretty light after Minnesota's Maxx Williams, Funchess—who's listed as a wide receiver because he moved to that position after the '13 season—could change that as a hybrid player. The NFL has been moving for years to "big receivers" listed as tight ends, and Funchess looks the part in several ways. At either position, he can threaten a defense from the slot to the flex to the seam, but he'll have to play to his size before he can take over the NFL. Finished his collegiate career with 126 catches for 1,715 yards and eight touchdowns.
Strengths: Has a big frame (6'4", 232 pounds) with a freakishly defined upper body and a wide lower base -- looks more like a tight end. Long arms and an impressive catch radius. Displays smooth acceleration off the snap and the ability to get downfield quickly, though he's more of a glider than a burner. Could be a credible weapon everywhere from the slot to outside. Can physically overpower cornerbacks at times—if you're going to play press against him, you'd better mean it. Consistency will likely be helped greatly by a more consistent quarterback situation in the NFL. Reasonable consistency on short and intermediate crossing routes with room for improvement.
Weaknesses: Not as smooth in short spaces, and takes too long to transition when working angles as a receiver or as a blocker. Very inconsistent hands and tracking ability—tends to wait too long to bring the ball in, and loses yards-after-catch advantage his size should give him because he fails to accelerate to the ball. Should be a more imposing blocker at his size. Surprisingly inconsistent when asked to high-point the ball; again, he should be better at this given his size. Overall, Funchess needs to streamline his attributes and take better advantage of his physical gifts. NFL team may rate him as a hybrid tight end.
Conclusion: While Funchess will appeal to NFL teams with his size and physical play, he's got undeniable limitations he may not be able to get past. He's a very uncoordinated player at times, and that will show up more in the pros, where the windows to get and stay open are smaller and close more quickly. He may be best utilized as a slot and flex weapon at the start of his NFL career while he figures the rest of his required skill set out, but Funchess really doesn't project as an outside deep receiver at the next level in any way but sheer size and raw physical ability.
Pro Comparison: Kelvin Benjamin,
Panthers (1st round, 2014)
