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Amara Darboh, WR, Michigan: 2017 NFL Draft Scouting Report

By Russell Brown

Oct 29, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Amara Darboh (82) gestures a first down during the second half of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Amara Darboh (82) gestures a first down during the second half of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the 2017 NFL Draft vastly approaching, there are plenty of players making headlines. At the 2017 Senior Bowl, few turned more heads than Michigan wide receiver Amara Darboh.

Before committing to the University of Michigan, Amara Darboh had almost committed to Notre Dame. He was an electric player at Dowling Catholic High School in Iowa. Despite only being a three-star recruit, Darboh was ranked the number one player in the state of Iowa (according to ESPN).

Amara Darboh had to earn his way into a starting role for Michigan. As a freshman he had only played four games at wide receiver but played all of their games as a special teams contributor.

In 2013, Darboh broke his foot and many of the fans believed that Brady Hoke had missed the mark on another recruit. After Brady Hoke got fired in 2014, Jim Harbaugh came to Michigan and saw something in Darboh. Since the hiring of Harbaugh in 2015, Darboh has totaled 115 catches for 1,589 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Strengths

  • Smart, instinctive route runner.
  • Great in the middle of the field.
  • Effective with the ball in his hands – ex: WR Screens.
  • Slants and posts are his best routes – will come up big for a team with those routes.
  • Great yards after the catch (YAC) player.
  • Has the speed to go all over the field, especially vertically.
  • Good size at 6’1 – 215 lbs.

Weaknesses

  • Run blocking isn’t his forte.
  • Has the speed to run vertically, needs to improve the route.
  • As teams do their medical checks on him, his foot injury from 2013 has to come back negative.
  • Doesn’t have the skill set to be a team number one receiver.

Overall

Most of the boxes for day two wide receivers in the 2017 NFL Draft are left open but Amara Darboh checks most of them off. Out of the nine possible routes on my graded route tree, he has five that are graded B or higher. He does a stellar job at the comeback route and he showed that at the Senior Bowl practices, this week. He also showed consistent hands and how well of a possession guy he can be in the middle of the field. Without question, Darboh has become a #SeniorBowlRiser!

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Throughout his career at Michigan, Darboh appeared in 49 games with 28 career starts. In 2016, he had 57 receptions for 862 yards and seven touchdowns. That resulted in an All-Big Ten Second Team award. Darboh has had at least one reception in 33 consecutive games, which is pretty incredible considering the quarterbacks Michigan has had.

Despite not giving every player a pro comparison, I think Amara Darboh is very similar to Rueben Randle. When the 2017 NFL Draft is here, Darboh will be a player that fits a team like the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns or Baltimore Ravens. Any one of those teams could take a look at him in the 2nd round of the 2017 NFL Draft, as those three teams are in need of getting a number two receiver for their offense.

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