Josh Downs WR North Carolina: Scouting Report

Height: 5’10

Weight: 175

Overall

Josh Downs is a fast slot receiver in North Carolina’s balanced offense. In his 3 seasons with the Tar Heels, he played in 34 games, starting 23 of them. He is undersized but a very good athlete and had a lot of production in his college career.

Pass Game

Downs has excellent pace in his routes. He shows both a quick and slow release off the line and can quickly change his speed in his routes allowing him to create separation down the field. His slow release lulls defenders to sleep, slowing them down enough for Downs to use quick acceleration to get past them. While he can create separation with his speed, he struggles against bigger, more physical corners. He has very good hands and can go up and high point the ball down the field as well as make tough catches off of poorly thrown balls. After the catch he has home run hitting speed when he gets in space but he struggles getting past defenders. He lacks the strength to break tackles and lacks the shiftiness to make defenders miss on short plays.

Run Game

In the run game, Downs was occasionally used on jet sweeps and end-arounds and can create good yardage with his quick burst up the field even though he struggles getting yards after contact. As a run blocker, Downs lacks the temperament and physicality to create space for the ball-carrier making him a liability when lined up on the play side.

Last Word

Downs lined up primarily in the slot on film and projects best as a true slot receiver at the next level with his lack of size and physicality. His speed and route running will allow him to create space over the middle of the field as well as take the top off of defenses. He has the potential to become a very strong number 2 receiver but to begin his career, he can be an excellent number 3 receiver out of the slot who can excel on 3rd downs and help out in the return game. With more time to develop he can be a very solid 3 down receiver in the NFL.

One-Liner: Josh Downs is an excellent route runner out of the slot who can make difficult catches down which will make him a very valuable receiving threat in the pros.

Grade: 6.7 (Solid Starter on All 3 Downs)

Games Watched: 2022 - Florida A&M, Virginia; 2021 - Florida State, Miami

Team Fits: Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints