Early NFL Draft Scouting: TCU WR Josh Doctson Impresses
Sometimes college football prospects come along, and when you know they’re going to be good, you just know.
That’s the case for Josh Doctson, the TCU wide receiver who racked up over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns in their spread offense last season catching passes from Trevone Boykin.
Boykin gets a lot of national hype and publicity, but Doctson might be the guy who NFL teams concentrate on as a top level prospect coming out in the 2016 NFL Draft. Boykin has exciting skills, but Doctson makes some plays at the wide receiver position that leave your jaw on the ground.
But that’s not all:
Diction’s ability to make acrobatic catches like he does is pretty rare. He’s not a finished product yet, but with his height, leaping ability, strong hands, and speed after the catch, this is a player that looks destined for a top 32 selection and a bright future in the NFL. Let’s take a closer look at his skills.
Doctson does so many things well, even just in a couple of video clips we have here.
Observations
- His length is evident and incredibly advantageous. He makes cornerbacks look so much smaller than they probably even are because of his long arms, big hands, and ability to win physically with his leaping ability.
- Doctson’s speed after the catch is really good. He can make guys miss in the open field and then leave them eating his dust.
- Doctson is a phenomenal red zone weapon. He can be used on fade routes, rub routes, quick screens, and he wins in a variety of ways.
- He does a great job of catching the ball away from his body and using his frame (although thinner) to shield defenders.
- Doesn’t have ideal bulk at this point (6-4, 190) but has the frame to grow into it and look phsyically similar to A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals.
- I don’t know if he’s on the same level as Green as a prospect, by any means, but he has a similar playing style and he wins in similar ways.
- Wins at the line of scrimmage consistently.
Oh, and here’s Gus Johnson going nuts over Doctson with an 84-yard touchdown grab against Oklahoma State.
I think this is possibly a top five receiver prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft class, but it’s early. There is plenty of time for Doctson to get even better, and continue to blow people away with his impressive physical abilities despite having a thin frame. If he can add some muscle without losing his deep speed, he’ll be high on draft boards come April 2016.