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Keevan Lucas, WR: A Robust Slot Receiver That Has a Place In The NFL

Hogs Haven takes a look at 2017 Draft prospects that could contribute to the Redskins

By Gabe Ward
Oklahoma Sooners v Tulsa Golden Hurricanes Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Keevan Lucas, WR
School: Tulsa | Conference: AAC
College Experience: Senior | Age: 21
Height / Weight: 5-9 / 192 lbs
Projected Draft Status: Late Rounds
NFL Comparison: Bruce Ellington

College Statistics

Player Overview

Keevan Lucas was the legitimate go-to target at Tulsa the last 3 years when he was healthy. In his sophomore season, he had a breakout performance going over 1200 yards and producing over 10 touchdowns. He injured his patella tendon in 2015 which helped his former teammate Keyarris Garrett go over 1500 yards that year. Lucas returned for his senior year after his injured and got back on track, again, going for over 1,000 yards and over 10 touchdowns. Lucas is a slot receiver who doesn’t have any elite physical skills and didn't play in a power 5 conference which might explain why he is so low on draft boards. He is a smart player, he knows how to play the position, catches the ball reliably, and exploits coverages. He was highly consistent in his time at Tulsa. He plays bigger than his size and has produced at a considerably higher level than some prospects slated to go before him, as a late round draft pick he is sure to provide great value for a team late on day 3 of the draft looking to add to the slot receiver position.

Strengths

  • Doesn’t have desired height for the position but is well built. Uses his strength to power through routes and make tough catches. Also, shows impressive ability to adjust to the ball in the air and body control.
  • Was a high volume target and was reliable. Has natural hands and can catch almost anything if it's thrown in his radius.
  • Lined up primarily in the slot and worked over the middle. Can also be a seam buster and work over the top on the boundary.
  • Sneaky acceleration ability. Though his top speed may not be elite he can create separation in the secondary against unsuspecting defenders.

Weaknesses

  • Needs to become a more refined and efficient route runner. Not crisp out of breaks and has excess movements.
  • Ineffective as a blocker.
  • Doesn’t have much twitch or agility to make guys miss. YAC ability is questionable if he’s not in the open field.

Let’s see his work:

Peep the account.

How He Would Fit On The Redskins

In the late rounds and possibly even as an UDFA Keevan Lucas would be a back of the roster guy for sure. With the first three slots on lock, he would be in a tough competition with Brian Quick, Maurice Harris, and Ryan Grant and maybe even another draft pick. Typically the Redskins have kept six receivers on the 53 man roster and dress five on Sundays. Realistically I think the battle for Lucas to stick on this roster is pretty steep. I actually think he is a better receiver and is tougher than Ryan Grant but his issues with routes (which is a quality that has kept Grant on the roster) will probably be too big of an issue with the current coaching staff to cut any of the current receivers on the roster in favor of him. Lucas is a slot receiver with average athleticism that is very good at catching the ball. I look for him to get a shot with a team that prioritizes that skill set, the Patriots, and the Buccaneers comes to mind.

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