NFL Draft 2014 Scouting Report: WR Quincy Enunwa, Nebraska

*WR grades can and will change as more information comes in from Pro Day workouts, Wonderlic test results leaked, etc. We will update ratings as new info becomes available.

*WR-B stands for "Big-WR," a classification we use to separate the more physical, downfield/over-the-top, heavy-red-zone-threat-type WRs. Our WR-S/"Small-WRs" are profiled by our computer more as slot and/or possession-type WRs who are less typically physical and rely more on speed/agility to operate underneath the defense and/or use big speed to get open deep...they are not used as weapons in the red zone as much. 

I want to understand the logic here...

We're all supposed to love a WR prospect like Clemson's WR Martavis Bryant, despite his noticeable problems catching the ball, because he is a physical specimen at 6'3"+ and runs a 4.42 40-time at the NFL Combine. Bryant had all the advantages a college WR could ever want, such as: a good college QB to work with and main WR Sammy Watkins drawing all the attention...and he still was a mediocre college WR on paper, and worse on tape. All this evidence makes Bryant a 2nd and 3rd-round draft projection from draft analysts and makes him the desire of various fans hoping their team takes a shot on "the big guy."

Conversely, I am supposed to ignore that Nebraska WR Quincy Enunwa even exists? I am to forget that he is big, 6'2.0" WR, who weighs 225-pounds and ran a 4.45 40-time at the NFL Combine? Enunwa had the complete opposite 2013 college situation surrounding him than what Bryant did. Nebraska toggled between three different QBs in 2013. Still Enunwa caught almost half (12 of 25) of the team's TD passes and led the team in receiving yards.

This is typical scouting bias. Bryant played for a higher profile, more exciting team/offense, and gets all the 'sleeper' love...but no one outside of the Big-Ten cares about Nebraska's passing game, and this they do not care about Enunwa. That type of bias has forced Bryant to a top 10-20 WR prospect status in this class, while Enunwa flutters outside the top-30 with a 7th-round designation...which means (from the mainstream football people) "we don't care." They don't care because they haven't been informed from any messages from 'on high' to care. Everyone's down with Bryant as a 'sleeper', and barely anyone knows Enunwa exists...it makes no sense. It's terrible 'group-think'.

It is clear to us that Enunwa is the far superior NFL "Big WR" prospect to Bryant.

I'm by no means advancing the cause that Enunwa is a guaranteed future star in the NFL. He does come with some question marks. He is not the greatest receiver of the ball among WR prospects this year, but he is OK/passable...good enough to be the #1 target for Nebraska. When I watch his tape, I see is a pretty decent football player on a team that can hardly throw the ball effectively.

There is something a little deeper here with Enunwa that captivates us a bit: Enunwa loves to hit people. He has stated more than once that his favorite football moments are hitting defensive players in the blocking game and getting to make the occasional tackle. Look up his highlights on YouTube and you will see several moments where Enunwa is demolishing defenders either in the run game or after a turnover. In 2012, he almost decapitated UCLA's Datone Jones, after Jones grabbed an interception. Enunwa has a neat profile as a WR, at 6'2", 225-pounds with 4.4+ speed, but he also makes an interesting Safety and Outside Linebacker prospect...since he likes to hit more than anything. It's possible that Enunwa may have been miscast at Nebraska, somewhat due to necessity.

What if Enunwa could have been one of the top Safety prospects in all of college football, but wasted away for years as part of a mediocre passing game at Nebraska? You get several NFL options with Enunwa: WR, OLB, SS, and even RB...and for sure special teams. With Martavis Bryant, you get skinny WR, who has a hard time catching a football, and has no other position to move to.

NFL teams will like Enunwa off the field as well: Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll student (Economics) in 2012. Team Captain in 2013, and the Offensive MVP in 2013. Gator Bowl MVP 2014 (led in part by his 99-yard TD catch). Nebraska Citizenship award winner in 2013.

Quincy Enunwa, Through the Lens of Our WR Scouting Algorithm:

Quincy Enunwa did not put up amazing numbers at Nebraska as their main WR in 2013, even considering the choppy QB play. If you take out his 99-yard TD in the Gator Bowl, Enunwa would have never had a game with greater than 80+ yards in his last 18 games in college.

Enunwa was a TD machine in the team's more high-profile games. He had 2 TDs in a game versus UCLA and Georgia this past season. In 2013, he averaged 1.1 TDs per game, finishing with 12 receiving TDs total. The comedy of that is: That's a Nebraska all-time record for receiving TDs in a season!

Physically, Enunwa has the right NFL size: 6'2"+, 225-pounds and ran a 4.45 40-time as we noted. He also put up 19 bench press reps which furthers our curiosity of whether he is better served on defense.

What we don't know yet is his agility times/ability. We're profiling/guessing his agility from what we do know: his size, 40-time, tape, and history. He has been unable to run agility drills, due to a hamstring issue he suffered after his 40-yard at the NFL Combine.

We see a 'B' grade WR prospect physically with 'C to C+' performance abilities. We would project him a useful NFL WR, but probably not a star. However, we also see all the other value possible by moving to defense, and we know he'll be good-great on special teams.

The Historical WR Prospects to Whom Quincy Enunwa Most Compares Within Our System:

The WR prospect 'zone' of: taller, but not super-tall (6'2" range), and bulky-strong at 220-225 pounds seems like it would be a much more lethal combination in the NFL, but it has been more of a 'hope' than reality. You would think NFL teams would get these guys the ball off simple bubble screens, etc. and turn them into de-facto RBs going against smaller DBs. The NFL usually uses them more as deep threats and end-zone/red-zone weapons, but because they are a touch under-sized they may not be seen as clearly by skittish QBs in the congestion of a short field.

Enunwa is in that same 'zone' for the NFL. Try to make him Calvin Johnson or A.J. Green, and you're in trouble...he's not tall enough with extra reach. However, let him work in a smaller game, and just barrel over defenders...then you might have something.

*A score of 7.0+ is where we start to take a Big-WR prospect more seriously. A score of 8.50+ is where we see a stronger correlation of a Big-WR going on to become NFL good/great/elite. A score of 10.00+ is more rarefied air in our system and indicates a greater probability of becoming an elite NFL Big-WR.

All of the WR ratings are based on a 0–10 scale, but a player can score negative, or above a 10.0 in certain instances.

Overall WR score = A combination of several on-field performance measures, including refinement for strength of opponents faced. Mixed with all the physical measurement metrics, rated historically in our database.

“Power-Strength” = A combination of unique metrics surrounding physical size profiling, bench press strength, etc.  High scorers here project to be more physical, better blockers, and less injury-prone.

“Speed-Agility” = A combination of unique metrics surrounding speed, agility, physical size, mixed with some on-field performance metrics. High scorers here project to have a better YAC and show characteristics to be used as deep threats/to create separation.

“Hands” = A combination of unique metrics surrounding on-field performance in college, considering the strength of opponents played. Furthermore, this data considers some physical profiling for hand size, etc. High scorers here have a better track record of college statistical performance, and overall this projects the combination of performance and physical data for the next level.

2014 NFL Draft Outlook:

Quincy Enunwa is lucky to see 7th-round projections in publications right now. Most initial draft lists ranked him outside the top-30 in the class; they've been frozen in time ever since. That's a strong cloud cover created over his prospectus, and NFL teams will likely follow suit with him as a 'late-round guy', and thus it would make sense that he will wind up a 7th-round draft pick. However, given his size, speed, and character, some team has to make an earlier move here. I would bet he goes 6th-round with an outside shot at 5th-round.

If I were an NFL GM, I'd be intrigued by Enunwa's non-draft value in the football media so far. He's not a player who I would chase after. However, the more he falls the more excited I get. I would pull a 6th or 7th-round trigger here. I would also be delighted if he just slipped through all the cracks and went undrafted...and then I pounce on him. I'd like to have Enunwa, but I wouldn't reach for him.

NFL Outlook:   

It's going to a long, uphill battle for Enunwa as an NFL WR. He would have to fall with the right team/depth chart to see action quickly. More likely, WRs like Enunwa kinda kick around the fringes for a year or two, bouncing from team to team, before they fall into the right situation to work up the ladder. I'm more intrigued by the defensive possibilities here with Enunwa, but becoming a solid NFL WR is not out of the question.

4/6/2014