Josh Downs Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile

Josh Downs Draft Measurements

5’10” / 175 lbs.

Josh Downs 40 Time – 4.30 (estimate)

 

Josh Downs Draft Profile

Downs is a former 4-star recruit from North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. According to his 247sports recruiting profile, he was the 15th best prospect coming out of Georgia in the 2020 recruiting class. Some notable players he was ranked behind include; Will Anderson Jr., Myles Murphy, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Brian Branch. He was also ranked 21st out of all wide receivers in the nation. While achieving this status, he was offered 30 scholarships. Ever since Downs received a scholarship from North Carolina, it was clear that he was very interested in being a Tar Heel.

Although Downs was an incredible prospect, he did not get immediate playing time. According to ESPN, as a freshman, he had 7 receptions for 119 yards and 3 touchdowns. Even though he played limited snaps, his efficiency this season was enough to show what he is capable of. As a sophomore, he racked up 101 receptions for 1,335 yards and 8 touchdowns. Then,as a junior, he had 94 receptions for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns.

 

Strengths

 

Athleticism

Josh Downs is one of the most athletic wide receivers in the nation. As I mentioned earlier, after watching him on film Josh Downs 40 time at the 2023 NFL Combine could be in the 4.3 range. Although he is very quick, that is not all Downs has to offer. He also has an amazing vertical to go up and make catches outside of his frame. According to 247sports, in 2019 his vertical was measured at 41.90 inches.

Downs is also very elusive in open field due to him being light on his feet and having the ability to change direction on a dime. This is due to him having a low center of gravity which allows him to sink his hips and launch off his planting foot. Once he launches off his planting foot, he does a good job of exploding forward toward the ball. This allows him to gain separation from the defender and gives him some room to make a play.

 

Release

Given that Downs is a very good athlete, it is no shock he has a very good release off the snap. When the ball is snapped, he uses his acceleration to quickly stem his route against press and soft coverage. He also has a good double move off the line of scrimmage when lined up against press coverage. This forces the DB to flip their hips and he uses his acceleration to separate from them when he takes off in the opposite direction. When he is lined up against soft coverage, he does a good job of using the double move at the top of his route stem. This usually leads to the same result of him separating from the defender. A good release allows Downs to capitalize on that speed that we mentioned when talking about Downs’ 40 time.

 

Body Control

Although Josh Downs has a smaller frame compared to most receivers, he is good at adjusting to throws outside of his frame. As I mentioned earlier, he has a very high vertical that allows him to make catches above his frame. But that is far from all that he can do. His quickness, hip mobility and lateral agility allow him to adjust to underthrown balls. Once he makes the catch, he also does a good job of maintaining balance and racking up yards after the catch.

 

Yards After Catch

Another reason why Downs is a special talent is because he can make a play out of nothing. Once he makes a catch, he does a good job of getting up the field quickly. This is due to his incredible quickness and foot speed. When a defender is closing out on him, he does a very good job of eluding their tackle. This is because of his ability to change direction on a dime and then take off in another direction. When looking at his stats from the 2022 season on PFF, he had a total of 375 total yards after the catch.

 

Weaknesses

 

Size

The biggest red flag that I have about Downs’ game is his lack of size. Unfortunately for him, his size is really the root of all his weaknesses. Downs stands at 5’10” and weighs 175 lbs. Being this size in the NFL can result in many questions surrounding his longevity in the league. As a player who will likely be a slot receiver his whole career, he is going to get blindsided a lot in the middle of the field. This alone can often lead to injuries, but if you are Downs’ size, those injuries could be more severe.

 

Play Strength

As I mentioned earlier, Downs’ size is the root of all his weaknesses. That includes his play strength as a receiver and run blocker. When run blocking, his below-average size often leads to him losing at the point of attack against bigger corners. When a blocker loses after initial contact, it will often lead to them losing all leverage and the block being shed. Downs also struggles at fighting through pressure when jammed at the line of scrimmage. He is often stalled at the line trying to break through the contact and when he finally does break through, the ball has already been thrown.

 

Josh Downs Draft Stock

Although I do have doubts about Downs’ size and strength during plays, he does possess a lot of the skills needed to be successful in the NFL. When comparing him to the rest of the receivers in the 2023 NFL Draft, I would put him at number 5. With that being said, I think that he will be drafted toward the beginning of the 2nd round. Josh Downs 40 time may have an affect on if he climbs boards or not.

 

Final Thoughts on Josh Downs Scouting Report

Josh Downs is an incredible athlete at the wide receiver position. He is incredibly quick and has the ability to change direction on a dime. This allows him to get open quickly after breaking in his route. He is also good at manipulating a DB’s hips both at the line of scrimmage and at the top of his route stem. After getting open, he can catch the ball anywhere outside of his frame. Then he has the ability to take the ball home and put six points on the board. Overall, Downs has the tools to be successful in the NFL. But, I do have concerns about how his lack of size and strength.

 

Josh Downs Player Comparison

He reminds me a lot of current Kansas City Chief and former Western Michigan Bronco Skyy Moore. Also, former Tar Heel great Andrew Wasserman.

 

Josh Downs Scouting Report Analyst – Matthew Lewis