Rookie SWOT: Amara Darboh

By Peter Howard

Posted on August 7, 2017

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Name:  Amara Darboh

Position: Wide Receiver

Pro Team: Seattle Seahawks

College Team: Michigan

Draft Status: Round Three, Pick No. 106 Overall

Video Highlights

Combine Review

• Height: 6’2’’
• Weight: 214 Pounds
• Arm Length: 32 5/8”
• Bench Press: 17 Reps
• 40-Yard-Dash: 4.45
• 20-Yard-Shuttle: N/A
• 3-Cone: N/A
• Vertical: 36’’
• Broad Jump: 124.0’’

Strengths

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Amara Darboh is an all-around, tough athlete the Seahawks targeted in the third round of the NFL draft. His best strength may be that the team believes they have a role for him, and it’s one his physical traits suggest he could thrive in.

Playing in the Big-10 conference, Darboh improved every year while being tested against significant competition. The Seahawks have expressed belief in his ability to continue that improvement at the next level.

At the combine, he posted impressive athletic measurables that compare to players like DeVante Parker and Josh Gordon, according to MockDraftable.

He has a fairly well-developed route tree and is described as a willing blocker which gives him a path to playing time. His backstory – he fled from Sierra Leone as a child after his parents were killed in a civil war before settling as a refuge in Iowa – is often cited as a reason for his strong will and grit.

Weaknesses

Unfortunately, Darboh’s college production leaves something to be desired. He shared the field with Jehu Chesson, a slightly better athlete and better-known player. He was able to edge into the lead in yardage in his senior year. But only after a knee injury to Chesson and a quarterback change seemed to give him the edge.

A player’s share of the offensive production in college is one of the best predictors of NFL production. Darboh’s falls below the average of successful fantasy players in the past.

The best statistical season he had was in his senior year. By then he had a size and experience advantage over most of his competition.

Despite his athleticism, it wasn’t clear it translated into on field play. He struggled with even difficult catches on occasion indicated by his average, at best, drop rate. None of this is likely to get easier facing NFL level players.

Opportunities

Jermaine Kearse had the 19th-highest target percentage of all NFL players inside the 10-yard line in 2016. He ranked 187th in efficiency (TDs/Targets.)

While the team has been criticized for underutilizing talent, it’s clear they have set roles in their offence they want players to fill. Kearse’s inefficiency last year may well signal a growing inability to do this. Darboh’s unexpectedly high draft capital indicates they may want him to take over the job.

While seen as a run first team the passing game is efficient under Russell Wilson. While the volume might be lower the quality of targets in Seattle is a benefit to everyone catching the ball. This is especially good news for a rookie who struggled when targets were of lower quality in college.

Threats

Jimmy Graham had an astonishingly low target share in the red zone last year despite finishing as a top-five tight end. It remains to be seen how the Seahawks will adjust – or if they will adjust – their targets in 2017.

Jermaine Kearse has been inefficient for a while and he has still been used. (He’s also still on the team.) Doug Baldwin is the number one wide receiver and is more likely to grow his target share. The team already has more productive – at the college level – athletes in Tyler Lockett and Paul Richardson returning in 2017.

Short-Term Expectations

Darboh will likely find most of his opportunity on special teams early in his career. However, he could begin to eat into Kearse’s snap count at some point in 2017. But not enough to be fantasy relevant.

Long-Term Expectations

An impressive catch radius and athleticism does offer an outside chance for Darboh to become a red zone weapon. But his situation and likely role limit opportunity overall. He has a chance to be a very productive and valuable real life NFL player, but not for fantasy.

NFL Comparison

Kamar Aiken is his high upside comparison. While Darboh compares to more exciting prospects athletically he has little in common with them in terms of production and on field play.

Darboh is a better athlete than Aiken, surpassing him in raw 40-time and agility testing. But Aiken is a good athlete and they are similar in size. Both posted less impressive college numbers and target shares.

Though not always fantasy relevant Aiken has had spurts of production when volume came his way. If Darboh can continue to improve and become efficient in the Seahawks offence he has an outside chance to do the same.

Projected Range for Rookie Drafts

He’s going undrafted in all 12 team leagues formats (with 20 to 28 roster spots.) He could be a late round add for any owner hoping he gets Kearse’s red zone targets, but that owner is probably a Seahawks fan.

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Rookie SWOT: Amara Darboh