Draft Breakdown v2.0



1st Round

Interview 3/11

Darrius Heyward-Bey
WR Maryland Junior
6'1" 210 lbs 40: 4.30 sec
Strengths: Speed is DHB's biggest asset. Does a great job of turning short passes into huge gains. Is a threat every time he touches the ball. Does a great job on WR screens and end arounds. A terrific leaper, DHB is unafraid to go up and grab the ball at it's highest point. Looks smooth on the field and has outstanding agility and body control. Wonderful combination of size and speed. Able to stretch the field against any defense. Also has abilities as a return man. Probably has the most upside of any wide receiver in the draft. Hard worker and high character.
Weaknesses: Hands have been inconsistent at times. Needs to get better at route running, but has showed progress in that department at his pro day. Production lacked but was mainly due to Maryland's poor passing game. Could be the ultimate boom or bust type; either very good, or very bad. A former track star that hasn't been playing football for very long. Has a lot to learn about the game. Needs to improve his downfield blocking.
Quick Hits: Three year starter in the ACC. Hasn't been playing football long as he was originally a track star. May need to end up in the right system to be properly developed. Won't be able to come in and make a huge impact immediately, but could be a long term gem. If Heyward-Bey ran a 4.5, no one would be talking about him as a first round pick. If he loses his speed, he'll struggle greatly in the NFL.


Career Stats

Year Rec. Yards Avg. Long TD Rush Yards Rush TD
2008 42 609 14.5 80 5 15 202 1
2007 51 786 15.4 63 3 5 107 1
2006 45 694 15.4 96 5 5 5 0
QB RB FB WR TE OT OG C DE DT OLB ILB CB S K P