2020 NFL Draft scouting report: Michigan WR Donovan Peoples-Jones

With the 2020 NFL Draft just one week away, we take a closer look at talented wide receiver prospect Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Detroit native and highly ranked prospect, Donovan Peoples-Jones made the decision to stay in-state and joined Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan program. Peoples-Jones was Harbaugh’s highest-ranked offensive prospect since taking over his alma-mater in 2015. He made an immediate impact as a true freshman and started as a punt returner in a Week 1 win against the Florida Gators.

Donovan Peoples-Jones had his breakout game in Week 3 against Air Force when he scored his first collegiate touchdown on a punt return and registered his first catch. After a hot start to the 2017 season, Peoples-Jones finished the year with 22 receptions for 277 yards while Michigan finished the season 4-5 after the injury to quarterback Wilton Speight.

Peoples-Jones posted career highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns during his sophomore season where Michigan ranked as high as No. 4 entering their regular-season finale against Ohio State. With more stable quarterback play from junior transfer, Shea Patterson, Peoples-Jones earned All-Big Ten honors as a receiver and punt returner.

After missing the first two games with an injury, Peoples-Jones made his 2019 debut in a Week 3 loss at Wisconsin. With a change in offensive coordinator and inconsistent play from Patterson, the Michigan offense struggled for the first half of the 2019 season. Peoples-Jones ended the year with 604 all-purpose yards and declared for the 2020 NFL Draft after a Citrus Bowl loss to Alabama.

Donovan Peoples-Jones’s time at Michigan was both inconsistent and disappointing. After making an immediate impact as a highly ranked recruit, both Peoples-Jones and the program would struggle with quarterback play despite the talent on both sides of the ball. Peoples-Jones is leaving Ann Arbor as a two-time All-Big Ten selection at receiver and returner, Freshman All-American returner and with a career total of 2,155 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns.

Name: Donovan Peoples-Jones
Age: 21 (2/19/1999)
School: Michigan
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 212 pounds
Wing Span: 33 1/2″
Hand Size: 10 1/8″
40 Yard Dash: 4.48
Vertical Jump: 44.5″
Broad Jump: 139″

Measurements and testing numbers come via NFL.com.

2019 Stats: 34 receptions, 438 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns, 24 punt returns, 173 return yards

Strengths

Despite not putting up huge numbers or matching the hype as a top-ranked recruit, Peoples-Jones brings the physical attributes to become an effective secondary target in the NFL. Peoples-Jones is bigger than he looks, measuring at 6-foot-2 and has an attractive blend of size and speed. Peoples-Jones projects to be a physical slot receiver at the next level.

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He also possesses great body control which is evident on tape, especially in contested passes. Peoples-Jones is physical, comfortable with his hands and had the ability to pull down contested high passes and over the shoulder throws with ease. Inconsistent quarterback play demonstrated his ability to beat corners. Peoples-Jones’s body control shows on his footwork on the sideline and his footwork was used to create space at the line of scrimmage.

Weaknesses

Peoples-Jones needs to improve his release as he struggled to get off the line at Michigan and will continue to struggle against NFL press corners. He appears sloppy on some of his routes and like his release, he will need to improve his ability to break on routes to be effective in the NFL.

Despite the team’s struggles, Peoples-Jones did not bring a level of explosiveness to the Michigan offense. Peoples-Jones demonstrates good vision as a ball carrier but never became the big-play threat despite the attempts to get him the ball in a variety of different methods.

Peoples-Jones started for three years but only posted a career-high of 90 yards against SMU. He has a tendency to become quiet as evidenced in big games evidenced this year against Wisconsin, Iowa, Penn State, and Alabama.

Overall Projection

Mediocre offenses clouded the impact Donovan Peoples-Jones can make at the next level. After inconsistent play, Peoples-Jones decided to declare for the 2020 NFL Draft and projects as a mid-round pick given the depth at the top of this receiver class. While he does not rank at the level of Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, and other first-round targets, he can make an immediate impact as a backup and on special teams.

Peoples-Jones can be an effective receiver over the span of his NFL career and can also become an immediate impact player in the slot. While he does have the blend of size and athleticism, he lacks the explosiveness and route-running abilities to become a true WR1.

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If he can improve his route running, he should be a more effective receiver in the NFL than in college. His play style, physical attributes, college production and limitations most closely mirror JuJu Smith-Schuster‘s coming out of USC.

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