Ourlads' Profile:
2023 Guide: What Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services said about JOSH DOWNS:
North Carolina | H: 5100 W: 175 40: 4.39 A: 3038 H: 0914 W: 7338
Junior entry, two-year starter, Suwanee, GA. Earned first team All-ACC honors the last two seasons. Left North Carolina as the program’s all-time single season reception and receiving yards leader after being set as a sophomore. Downs is a slot-only who can run himself open on all levels of the route tree. The accomplished triple and long jumper in high school moves with tremendous short area burst underneath and couples that with the final gear to run away from cover men downfield. While the diminutive frame can pop up in traffic, he plays a strong and stable game which stems from his thick hips and thighs. He is the kind of underneath threat that an accurate passer can consistently rely on and one that will do more than his fair share of damage after the catch. Small, but mighty frame that plays strong and stable. Explosive startup movement as a route runner that can stop and sharply change direction without warning. Advanced route runner with developed tactics. Will see the ball in and does not get deterred by commotion around him. Will create and lengthen separation. Tracks the ball from all angles without a loss of speed or balance. Adds value as a dangerous punt returner. Lined up inside on over 90% of his snaps. Plays with a small radius, simply will not reach certain balls. Makes the margin of error small for passers. Drops were an issue earlier in his career and he muffed two punts in 2021. The drops come in spurts. Limited exposure against press coverage. He is the prototypical slot receiver who has all of the movement traits, toughness, and ability after the catch to come into the league right away and provide the much-needed third down security blanket.
2022 Stats: 94-1029, 10.9 ypr, 11 TD, 10-133 PR, 13.3 avg. OSR:15/46. 2nd/3rd round.