Rookie Player Profile: Devin Funchess

Rob Willette

swot

Combine Review

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 232 pounds
Hands: 9.75”
Arm Length: 33.5”
40-Yard Dash: 4.7 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Vertical: 38.5”
Broad: 122.0”

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Strengths

The Carolina Panthers appear to have a certain type at the receiver position. For all his positive traits, Cam Newton is not a pinpoint passer, and the Panther brass has opted to inundate the receiver depth chart with jumbo receivers who possess the wingspan of a condor. Their commitment to this philosophy was evident on draft day, as they aggressively moved up to grab Devin Funchess as a complement to last year’s first round pick, Kelvin Benjamin. Funchess not only flashes an impressive catch radius; he understands how to gesticulate his body to maximize his ball skills. He is often knocked for being a player without a second gear, though I am going to spin that into a positive. He can be smooth off the line when he wants to be, and shows a natural ability to catch the football and start piling up yards after the catch. His movement skills are impressive for a prospect many consider to be a wide receiver/tight end hybrid.

Weaknesses

There were routine concentration drops during Funchess’ Wolverine career, which is understandable given you need to attach Stick Em’ to your knee pads with Devin Gardner under center. Funchess displays strong hands; his drops are an ailment with an elixir, though it is always dangerous to assume they will just go away given the issues it has given him in the past. Despite his size and willingness to beat jams at the line, Funchess can let smaller defenders beat him at the catch point with aggressiveness. If he can adopt the insatiable my ball mentality, he could be dominant at the catch point.

Opportunities

Few situations offer more short-term and long-term opportunity than Carolina. Greg Olsen and Benjamin return as established pass catchers, but the depth chart behind them is barren, despite mid-summer Stephen Hill puff pieces. Funchess has an excellent opportunity to start outside during his rookie year and his ability to create mismatches should put him on the field in redzone packages.

Threats

There’s always a chance the passing game in Carolina collapses. The Panthers have a plan in place, though have they done enough to diversify their passing game portfolio? Their two main receivers have similar skill-sets, and it is possible one boxes out the other and the offense proves in need of a technician underneath. There’s no right way to build an offense, and compiling unique talent at one position is never a bad thing. It is just a unique set-up that we have seldom seen before.

Short-term Expectations

Much like Kelvin Benjamin last year, Funchess has an opportunity to make a splash year one. While matching or surpassing Benjamin’s numbers seems highly unlikely given the changing dynamics of the Carolina offense, there is ample opportunity to assume the targets that were given to the likes of Jerricho Cotchery, Philly Brown and Brenton Bersin in 2014. Even with the upgraded personnel, the Panthers do not look poised to become a passing dynamo; however, Funchess has decent touchdown upside as a rookie and is a far better investment for your last bench spot than a pedestrian veteran with zero upside.

Long-term Expectations

Whether you love him or hate him, Newton has been able to coax strong fantasy seasons out of any receiver with a morsel of talent, from Steve Smith to Olsen to Benjamin. Funchess’ strengths mesh well with Newton’s style, and the long-term potential is almost limitless. Given that there are plenty that are nervous about Funchess’ transition, it is a great time to invest.

NFL Comparisons

Coincidentally, Funchess often gets compared to new teammate Kelvin Benjamin. Both were rangy prospects with good movement skills for their size and a litany of question marks. Funchess produced much earlier in his college career at Michigan, and did so despite the Wolverines major issues under center and the fact that he was a very young player during his college career (he just turned 21). While that is far from a guarantee of future success, it is one of the reasons I am more bullish on Funchess long-term than I am Benjamin.

Rookie Draft Advice

Once you surge into the second tier of prospects, it is a large amalgam of flawed, pick your poison type of players. I happen to be enamored with the long-term potential of the Michigan product, which is why I’d consider him as early as 1.08 in rookie drafts. Once I get in that territory, I’ll swing for the fences over taking the more conservative route. The sage move may be to attempt to move down and still land Funchess, though that is always a gamble as it only takes one owner to bite on his talent. His current price tag (14th rookie off the board per DLF ADP) makes him all the more appetizing.

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rob willette