NFL Draft Notebook: Rookie minicamp standouts and much more

2022 NFL Draft Sleeper of the Week

If you watched FCS National Championship game then you definitely know who Sam Houston State wide receiver Jeques Ezzard is. Ezzard was named the Most Outstanding Player of that game after catching 10 passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns. He also took one punt return back for a touchdown that was called back due to a penalty.

Ezzard is far from a one-game wonder either as he has been dominant throughout his college career which actually started off at Howard. As a redshirt freshman in 2017, he was named to the All-MEAC first team after catching 34 passes for 834 yards and six touchdowns. He backed this up with another strong season in 2018 where he was again named All-MEAC and improved in every statistical category finishing with 40 catches for 1,064 yards and 12 touchdowns.

After the 2018 season, Ezzard decided to transfer from Howard as he was looking for a new challenge. He eventually settled on Sam Houston State partly due to the spread offense they run. After being forced to sit out the 2019 season due to the transfer he showed he could produce in one of the tougher conferences in the FCS being named Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year and an FCS All-American this spring.

One of the top assets with Ezzard is his playmaking ability. This past season he led the FCS in yards per catch with an average of 26.9 yards per catch and his quickness made him a threat both in the open field and downfield. Along with making plays as a receiver, Ezzard has been one of the more dangerous punt returners in college football. This past season he averaged 17.7 yards per return and also returned two punts for touchdowns.

Part of what makes him such a dangerous playmaker is his explosiveness. He shows outstanding short-area quickness and is able to create separation on even his short routes due to how explosively he comes off the line of scrimmage. He displays outstanding vision in the open field as well which makes him dangerous after the catch or when it comes to setting up his blockers on punt returns. Another thing Ezzard has working in his favor is how agile he is which allows him to make the tough catch consistently.

While Ezzard has been one of the better receivers in the FCS over the past couple of seasons he does have some concerns when it comes to transitioning to the NFL. One of these is his lack of ideal size coming in at only 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds. He also will likely be hurt by his average 40-yard dash time. One other issue with him is that he likely projects solely as a slot receiver in the NFL due to both his size and the fact he is not overly physical.

Going into the 2021 season Ezzard is currently graded as a fifth or sixth-round pick due to his lack of great measurables. However, if he tests better than expected and performs well at a game like the Senior Bowl his stock could go as high as the third or fourth round.