NFL Draft Profile: Damiere Byrd

USC Career in Review:

After being a heralded four star recruit out of Timber Creek Regional High in New Jersey, it is safe to say Byrd, while he had his moments, he did not live up to his billing as a universal top 200 national recruit. However, he often showed the ability to run right past SEC defenses. As we all know, NFL scouts drool over guys with pure speed and top notch acceleration. Well, that is something Byrd does very well. He is shifty and can make you miss or run right by you in space. Even though he may not have been the All-SEC All Purpose type player we expected him to be, he still showed flashes throughout his college career, even if his statistics did not show it.

Pro Day:

Strengths:

After watching him play the last four years, I said the same thing every time Byrd would score on a long play. Damn, that dude can absolutely fly (I know, really insightful analysis, right?). But really, Byrd can absolutely run for days. Another thing I really found to have developed nicely over the last four years were his awareness and route running. When Byrd first got to campus he was restricted to mostly fly sweeps and streak routes because he probably didn't understand many of the finer points of running good routes. However, by his junior year, he started to prove to more than just a fly sweep or streak route kind of guy. He began running post routes, slants, and even fades well while using his excellent speed to his advantage. Very good hands. High energy guy, especially while blocking.

Weaknesses:

Despite his improvement in route running, it still left a little to be desired. In his senior year some of his routes were a bit sloppy, especially out of his breaks. And despite his high intensity level while blocking downfield, his size will always work against him. Not only is he only 5'9'', but he is also has a relatively slim frame, which works against him when trying to block bigger defenders. Also due to his size, he will struggle catching balls in contested passing lanes. Although, as Carolina fans, we'll always have this to fondly remember Mr. Byrd by.

Draft Projection:

I think at the top of Byrd's game, he is a slot receiver that could fit in well with a vertical passing system. Think New England, New Orleans, Denver, or Indianapolis as examples. If Byrd can find his niche in the NFL, he could very well fit in quite nicely. However, with his relative lack of size and height, I don't think Byrd will be drafted in the early or middle rounds, if at all. However, with his absolutely insane 40 time at Carolina Pro Day don't be surprised if he gets picked up in either the 6-7th rounds or as an UDFA.