Detroit Lions 2016 NFL Draft Profile: David Morgan II
By Erik Schlitt
University of Texas-San Antonio tight end David Morgan II is one of the biggest sleepers in the draft and is a perfect fit for the Detroit Lions.
The 2016 NFL draft is now just days away. Most NFL draft analysts have finalized their rankings and spend these final days hyping up their favorite players. My draft man crush is on University of Texas-San Antonio tight end David Morgan. If you follow me on twitter or have listened to my most recent podacst appearance on Lions Central Radio, then you’ve heard the hype. I believe Morgan is the biggest draft sleeper in this class.
Combine and pro day numbers
This chart below is a great overview provided by SideLionReport.com contributor Kent Lee Platte (@Mathbomb). His #RAS system gives us an overview of Morgan’s numbers as well as how his overall athleticism matches up against tight ends in this class as well as other tight ends in the NFL draft classes over the last 16 years. If you want to know more about how his system works, give Kent a follow on Twitter.
Side note: A score of 10 is maximum for each category.
When you look at Morgan’s numbers, you notice that his speed (40/20/10 times) measures below average. It is my belief that his 40 time is why he is flying under most people’s radar. I also believe that his time isn’t as slow as it looks on the surface either. When you factor in his size (6’4 1/8″, 262 pounds) a 4.89 40 is right about where a player of his size averages out. The 40 time alone doesn’t tell the whole story though.
For example, when you look at his agility numbers (Shuttle and 3-cone) he measures near the top of the tight ends group. These agility numbers show his ability to get open quickly and maintain balance. This is an important skill set in a tight end whose game is showcased by winning in the 5-10 yard range.
His explosion numbers (bench press+vertical jump+broad jump=explosion rate) total 70.58 which is the highest in this tight end class. These high scores are backed up on tape when you see how efficiently he blocks and runs through tackles. The following clip shows a small sample his power:
As impressive as the clip above is, it shows just a small part of his game. On the next page, I dive deeper into his game and breakdown his 2015 game film vs Arizona.
Side note: If you want to see the combine drills that accompanied these workouts, I recommend checking out Underdog Dynasty’s breakdown of Morgans pro day. Their post has video highlights from the combine and can be found here.
Next: David Morgan film breakdown