Triple Take: Devin Funchess

Rob Willette Posted On January 19, 2015

funchess

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Opinions are good. Multiple opinions are better. In this second installment of “Triple Take,” not one, not two, but THREE of our Dynasty Scouts writers evaluate an up and coming prospect. Having multiple opinions helps DLF avoid the “group think” mentality while providing you the insight you need to dominate your leagues.

Devin Funchess

Michigan
Wide Receiver/Tight End
6’5” 230 pounds
3 star recruit
2012: 15 receptions for 234 yards five touchdowns
2013: 49 receptions for 748 yards six touchdowns
2014: 62 receptions for 733 yards four touchdowns

Athleticism, Route running and RAC ability

(Whalen) Devin Funchess has a huge frame at 6’5” and 230 pounds and can move in the high 4.4s, which makes him a very attractive prospect for owners. I don’t see the 4.3 speed that was rumored from spring testing in 2014, but high 4.4’s will be plenty fast for a player his size. He has a smaller torso and long legs, which helps with striding out in the open field. However, it does hinder his short area quickness and lateral agility, although, he moves better laterally than most 6’5” wide receivers. He does a good job of stemming defenders during his routes and is a good route runner. Funchess plays smaller than his size and it really hurts his projection at the NFL level.

Oddly enough for a large player, he struggles with letting defensive backs into his frame and getting pushed around in his routes. Defenses are designed to reroute receivers because it throws off timing with the quarterback and Funchess is not good in crowds. This also is a concern if he played on the edge with press corners in the NFL, I don’t see him winning often. Funchess is a player with limited ability to generate yards after receptions, if not in a straight line. He has limited lateral agility and quickness, which allows for pursuit to tackle him quickly. Funchess will be a catch and get what is available player at the NFL level.

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(Leath) Sometimes, your biggest failures lead to your biggest growth. While I have failed countless times and seldom matured, I feel I have made strides in how I evaluate big receivers. After viewing Alshon Jeffery as someone that would struggle to separate, and Kelvin Benjamin as a prospect too one-dimensional to make a huge impact, I took a different route with Devin Funchess. The NFL has evolved to a point where individuals without a defined position – as some would say of Funchess – are instead viewed as offensive weapons capable of creating mismatches. Athletically, the Michigan receiver is not dominant but is incredibly fluid for a jumbo receiver and has an innate sense of body control. He ran pro-style routes in college and has that background going for him, yet Michigan’s favorite offensive play is having Devin Gardner throw the ball into the dirt, so it is difficult to get a read on exactly how advanced Funchess is in that regard. After the catch, he chews up yardage with his long strides, but is not going to be confused with Demaryius Thomas. He’s not as difficult to bring down as you’d hope given his frame.

(Caraccio) An even cut player, Funchess is slightly thicker in his lower body than his upper body. With an NFL physique already, he showcases a large frame that should continue to develop at the next level. A very good athlete for his size, Funchess possesses a good initial burst off the line of scrimmage but lacks elite explosion. With an estimated speed in the high 4.4’s, Funchess is more of a long strider. At the snap of the football Funchess will false step from time-to-time, but overall he does a good job of getting vertical immediately. Against press coverage, Funchess does a good job of using his size at the line of scrimmage but he lacks polish on his releases. During the vertical stem of his route Funchess needs to learn take better advantage of his great athleticism; he runs with inconsistent effort that impacts both his acceleration and body lean.

While these are all correctable of course, they limit the deceptive quality of his routes. At the top of his routes, Funchess can be sudden both in and out of his breaks. Displaying good hip flexibility Funchess can sink his hips very well for an athlete of his size, however he fails to do it with regularity. While playing for the Wolverines, Funchess ran a good variety of routes (drags, hitches, posts, and streaks) and for the most part displayed good footwork. Funchess was most successful when he was lined up, off the line of scrimmage, as the #2 or #3 receiver in a formation.

While Funchess is capable as an outside receiver, he is not special. He is better suited as a receiver lined up to the inside of the formation where he can be a consistent mismatch for linebackers and/or smaller defensive backs. When he was lined up as the in-line tight end in the formation, he was fluid getting out of his stance and executing his routes. As a runner after the catch, Funchess looks big and imposing but he is neither physical nor elusive. While he has good speed but he lacks the balance and lateral agility to make defenders miss after the catch. In addition, Funchess was brought to the ground far too often by the first tackler that engaged him. To summarize, Funchess can offer versatility (lining up on the outside as a receiver) in the red zone but between the twenties he his better suited to play as an H-back/move tight end on the interior of a formation.

Hands, Ball skills

(Whalen) Funchess’ hands are one of the biggest mysteries I’ve ever had in evaluating a prospect. At times, he looks to be a natural hands catcher and uses his long arms to pluck the football out of the air. He seems confident and doesn’t double catch. But on the other hand he drops so many passes, even though it appears like he’s using good technique. Earlier, I mentioned how he’s not good in crowds and it is very apparent on contested passes. Defenders knock the ball away and distract his focus by being near him. He just isn’t always comfortable with defenders on him and that’s going to happen more often in the NFL than in the Big Ten. I’ve even seen him get hit in the facemask because he couldn’t get his hands up in time. Something small, but I do like how he covers up the football when multiple defenders are around him. We don’t have a category for blocking, but he puts forth little effort to help out his teammates. For having such a big frame, one would think he could dominate defensive backs. However, I’ve never seen that to be the case as he shows a little bit of his football character. Overall, Funchess is a player that’s not always interested in the game and doesn’t put forth the most effort.

(Leath) This is arguably his weakest area, followed by his strongest. Too often he can drop catchable balls, likely more a result of concentration and technique than poor hands. He has huge mitts, and when you have a catch radius like his, you’re going to have more difficult catches in play; even if his drop rate remains relatively high, that’s not an impediment to him succeeding at the next level. Funchess really shines when making a play on the football in space. With size, the ability to adjust to balls in the air, and a gift for high pointing, he’s nearly impossible to cover in jump ball situations. His usage of his body to shield defenders is impressive and provides him the opportunity to thrive even if he is not a complete receiver. Ideally, he’d be more physical at the catch point, as he can allow corners to get into his body and disrupt the play.

(Caraccio) Funchess is an average receiver. He does not possess as large of a catch radius as you might expect from a player of his size but he does have a few spectacular grabs on his resume. One of the primary issues I have with Funchess as a wide receiver prospect is his inability to utilize his large frame. For example on short and intermediate routes Funchess fails to shield defenders from the ball. As a result smaller defenders are able to impact plays far too often. In addition, Funchess doesn’t really take full advantage of his exceptional arm length. Wide receivers should always extend their arms away from their body and catch the football in the first available window; Funchess simply doesn’t excel in this area. In addition, he consistently struggled getting good separation from defensive backs on the outside. On deep routes Funchess can track the ball well and adjust to the football in air but again, he is not outstanding in this area either. Although Funchess lacks the qualities to be a consistent vertical threat on the outside of a formation, he has more than capable of threatening the seams.

Dynasty projection

(Whalen) The most difficult part of this projection is what position will Funchess play? For two seasons he played tight end at Michigan and the last season he was a wide receiver. Playing outside on the edge is foreign to him and he hasn’t learned all of the nuances. However, I think he would have less crowd issues if he were on the perimeter. The other side is he could gain some weight and be a very athletic tight end. Either way, he needs to be more physical and learn to use his hands or he won’t succeed anywhere. I see a player that’s going to need time to develop and learn under a good coach. Funchess is a boom or bust prospect and I could see his career going either way. He could be the next great tight end or a low end WR1 in fantasy leagues or he could be a guy out of the league in five years. I will personally pass unless he drops to the late first round in rookie drafts and see him entering the fantasy world in the WR45 range.

(Leath) Funchess is a player likely to frustrate his NFL team and fantasy owners alike. He will make a spectacular play and follow that with a mind-numbing drop. He is, however, still incredibly young (21 this spring) and has been blessed with an incredible array of physical skills. I would not want him to spearheading a passing game, especially early in his career. But he can make for an excellent red zone weapon that expands his game over time. He’s tentatively penciled in for me as the 1.05 pick in rookie drafts, though this is a scenario in which I see situation and draft status as being a key factor. Out of the gates, he will comfortably slot within the top 30 receivers.

(Caraccio) At the next level, Devin Funchess projects better as a H-back/tight end prospect than a wide receiver. Although he is not a good blocker at this time, Funchess has the potential to develop. He looks good in his stance when line up as the in-line tight end and has a frame with tremendous potential. If a team is willing to develop him as a tight end, teaching him the nuances of blocking, Funchess could be a real weapon in the NFL. Even if a team is determined to make Funchess a wide receiver, I think he can be effective but his ceiling is much lower. As a dynasty commodity it’s difficult for me to spend anything more than a mid-second round rookie pick on Funchess; situation however could improve his prospects significantly.

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