NFL Draft 2020 Scouting Report: WR James Proche, SMU

*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 typically less 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. 

When I first previewed tape on James Proche, pre-Senior Bowl…I thought he was a really nifty, reliable workhorse wide receiver. A nice slot WR option for the NFL, and maybe one of the five best WR prospects for the NFL Draft…at least a guy ‘on the list for consideration’ for that distinction.

Then, as I watched/studied more WR prospects and we saw Proche’s numbers from the Combine…I started to cool on him, but wondered if with deeper study I’d find that he was similar to my experience with scouting Devin Duvernay – a WR prospect I initially liked a lot, cooled on just a tad after the Senior Bowl/had questions, but then studied deeper after the Combine and fell head over heels. I wondered if that might be a similar outcome here with Proche.

However, the more tape I watched of Proche at work the more I had this thought – Devin Duvernay is really, REALLY…like REALLY good…and Proche should not be mentioned in the same breath as Duvernay.

Not that Proche is bad or un-NFL-worthy. Proche is fine, solid, OK with flaws. I just do not see major signs of a star here. Proche had terrific numbers at SMU, but so did Trey Quinn in a similar-ish slot role (Proche played all over at times, but generally, he’s a slot). Quinn had big/similar numbers the year before he went into the draft and then Proche broke out (once Quinn AND Courtland Sutton were gone).

I see several flaws in Proche’s game…magnified by the fact that I spent a lot of time studying Devin Duvernay right before him – which is isn’t a favorable comparison for Proche.

The pros and cons of Proche…

PROS

 -- NFL size, speed, strength…5’11”/201, benched 20 reps, moves quick enough to be an NFL WR.

 -- Really nice, quick feet…nice choppy feet ability to stop/start in routes. He can get open with his feet.

 -- Quality character. You get a humble worker here. He won’t embarrass his team and will be liked in the locker room (or they just won’t notice he’s there…he’s kinda quiet/shy).

CONS

 -- Suspect hands for the next level. It really jumped out on his tape against better corners and at the Senior Bowl drills. Proche will make every catch thrown his way when he’s open. BUT he is really poor (for a top WR prospect) on contested or tightly covered catches.

 -- He’s easily covered. He’s not a burner. He has NFL average/OK speed. He’ll get open with some choppy feet moves on shorter timing routes, but he’ll also be covered tightly by NFL elite coverage who have as/more choppy, quick feet to stick right with him.

 -- He plays small. Devin Duvernay is almost the same exact size…same height, and one pound less – and he plays like a power tailback at wide receiver. He takes on hits like he doesn’t know they happened. Proche looks thinner framed, smaller by comparison (even though he’s the same size) and plays more of a ‘don’t touch me’ style of WR…which works in the AAC conference but not as well in the NFL.

I don’t mean to totally dismiss Proche. He’s solid, but after watching/studying the top 10 or so WR prospects before Proche…he may be the most dull, the most flaw-ridden of the group – and some of that is to be blamed on the depth of talent at WR this year.

Proche is a solid citizen/good guy, hardworking, and NFL-worthy…but he may be more of a #4 WR than a star WR in the NFL.

James Proche, Through the Lens of Our WR Scouting Algorithm:

Best season comparison…

111 rec., 1,225 yards, 15 TDs = James Proche (2019, 13 games)

114 rec., 1,236 yards, 13 TDs = Trey Quinn (2017, games)

I make this comparison because Trey Quinn was a very solid, ‘meh’ NFL prospect…but could do work just fine if given the chance, and Quinn did OK for Washington when he was given his shot (injury took him away). But no one thought Quinn was some kind of difference maker…just stable, solid, useful. If that’s Proche too, then in the era of deep amounts of abundant WR prospects – Proche just isn’t as interesting. 

Between kicks and punts, Proche had 81 career returns at SMU…and no TDs. He never led the conference in yards per return. He never had any blowout moments – which makes me fear he does not have that ‘electricity’ in his feet, to his game. 

10 career carries for 50 yards from the WR spot…again, nothing magical. 

2020 NFL Combine Measurables…

5’10.5”/201, 9 5/8” hands, 29 3/4” arms

DNP 40-time (which now has me worried, because he did everything else)

4.40 shuttle, 7.27 three-cone…not good. 

20 bench press, 34.5” vertical

The Historical WR Prospects to Whom James Proche Most Compares Within Our System:

A Randall Cobb comp seems nice, and it’s good…but if 2011 Randall Cobb was entering the 2020 NFL Draft, he’d be lower rated than a similar style WR Lynn Bowden. College Cobb would be a ‘meh’ prospect/athlete, but for his time he was more unique (and then got lucky with Aaron Rodgers as his QB). 

If Proche were entering the 2011 NFL Draft…he’d be a lot more interesting. In 2020…meh. 

*A score of 7.0+ is where we start to take a Small-WR prospect more seriously. A score of 8.50+ is where we see a stronger correlation of a Small-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 Small-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/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.

2020 NFL Draft Outlook:

He’s a day three guy for sure. I’m guessing 5th-round. 

If I were an NFL GM, I’d look past Proche unless he went undrafted. He’s a fairly competent receiver, but there are a million decent WR prospects. Why waste a draft pick on ‘decent’ WRs? I’d rather gamble that guys like Lawrence Cager or Antonio Gandy-Golden might be secret stars versus drafting a generic WR like Proche. 

NFL Outlook:   

Will not be rushed into playing time on purpose in the NFL. Will be a backup for a year or so. When he gets his chance, he could be OK. Eventually, other WRs will supplant him in the starting lineup – like the Trey Quinn story. Proche has a chance, but it seems a pretty narrow window.

3/13/2020