Darrius Heyward-Bey WR 6'3 206 Maryland Jr.

After redshirting his first year on campus, the Maryland staff was not quite sure just what they had in Heyward-Bey. Once the season started, they realized they had one of the biggest playmakers at the WR position in college football. He earned Freshman All America honors in 2006 after catching 45 balls for 694 yards and five touchdowns. As a sophomore last year, Heyward-Bey caught 51 passes for 786 yards and three touchdowns.

Strengths

There may not be a more physically gifted receiver in this draft class. Heyward-Bey has tremendous speed, and will not be caught from behind. He also has very good quickness and acceleration, giving him the potential for a home run every time he touches the football. Heyward-Bey is a very good natural athlete that has solid size, and is very tough to cover. It is hard enough for defensive backs to keep up with him because of his speed, but even if they are able to keep up with him, his size and jumping ability allow him to go up and get the football. Heyward-Bey has a ton of upside, as he is still learning the game and continues to get better every season.

Weaknesses

Since he is still learning the position, he needs more time playing. He was a track guy playing football entering the program, and is working on changing that. While he has made huge strides in his development, he will need to continue to work on his skills. With more reps he should be able to become more consistent catching the football and running his routes.

Future

Darrius Heyward-Bey could be the fastest player in the entire draft. His playmaking ability is obvious, and he has done a great job molding himself into a football player. He still needs some more work to be a more well rounded receiver, but the upside is amazing. With the improvement he has shown in three years as a Terp, there is no reason to expect the growth to stop now. With his package of skills, Heyward-Bey has a shot to go very high in the draft, possibly being the first receiver selected.