2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Iowa WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos

When you talk about Iowa football in the last four years, there’s no way you can’t mention the great Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. Perhaps there has not been a more polarizing player in Iowa football history, and “DJK” became a Hawkeye football legend. NFL Mocks has already conducted an interview with Derrell, and now it’s time to get more in-depth.

Why do we have him rated higher than most sites? Perhaps being able to watch him play every game over the last four seasons has a little something to do with it. I firmly believe that DJK will turn out to be one of the best receivers from this draft, and will play much better than his draft status indicates. Here is a scouting report of the future NFL wide receiver.

Production

Johnson-Koulianos is one of the most productive wide receivers in Iowa football history. He led the team in receiving each of the last couple of seasons, and was also a very productive kick returner. In his Iowa career, he had 173 receptions, 2,616 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 15 yards per reception. He also had two kick return touchdowns.

Vitals (Ht.,Wt.,Athleticism)

Derrell Johnson-Koulianos is about as good of an athlete as you will find. He’s not very fast, but he is quick and does excellent work in the weight room. At 6’0″ and about 205 pounds, he has great size for the NFL level, and has shown fantastic durability over the last four years. He is not an elite athlete, but he can definitely hang with the DB’s in the NFL.

Intangibles

Johnson-Koulianos made a huge mistake in his final year at Iowa, and he will admit as much. That issue is now behind him, and if you’ve followed Iowa football at all, you know that DJK is one of the nicest guys on the team, and he’s a guy who has been a fan favorite for four years now. He is not a distraction off the field, but he certainly has that wide receiver swagger about him. He will be a nice addition to a team’s locker room.

Separation

This is the area where Derrell will make his money. He can separate from cornerbacks and run routes with the best of them. It was something that really stood out to scouts when he participated at the East-West Shrine Game, and he did it consistently for four years at Iowa.

Ball Skills

This is definitely an area for improvement. DJK was a big play receiver for the Hawkeyes, and he has solid hands, but you’d love to see him be more consistent in this area. Dropped passes weren’t an issue for him at Iowa, per say, but I don’t remember him being the kind of possession receiver you would think he might be. He is a big play guy like Brandon Lloyd more than he is a guy who will snatch the ball out of the air as a possession guy.

Competitiveness/Toughness

One of his greatest assets. DJK is a very hard worker who lives for big play downs, and he is a guy who will come up in the clutch for you. He is also as tough as they come. He rarely missed time at Iowa due to injury.

Final Word

DJK is one of our favorite receiver prospects. He is a bit of a sleeper who will likely go in the 4th round or later because of his incident as he departed from Iowa, but he will play much better than the spot he is drafted. He should be a starting receiver in the league for a long time. He is a solid blocker coming from Iowa and he is a competitor. He is a gifted athlete and he has all of the tools needed to succeed in the NFL.