NFL Draft 2014 Prospect Profile: Josh Huff, Wide Receiver, Oregon

Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Huff – Wide Receiver – Oregon
Ht: 5’ 11’’
Wt: 205 lbs

Receiving through 12 games (National Ranks)
57 Receptions (T73)
1,036 Yards (31)
11 Touchdowns (T13)

Projected Round: 5-7

Josh Huff has been overlooked as an NFL prospect up to this point. He is surrounded by a number of pro-ready players at Oregon. In a fast-paced offense like the Ducks use, it is crucial to have a receiver that can be a big play threat like Josh Huff.

He has been a fairly consistent player his entire career at Oregon, but took off during his senior season. He more than doubled his receiving yards from the year before, as well as nearly doing the same thing with his receptions total. He ended the regular season on a high note in Oregon’s hard fought battle with Oregon State, hauling in 3 touchdowns on 9 receptions and 186 yards.

Positives:

Huff has above average size and speed. He has proven that if he can gain separation off the line, he can be a dynamic receiver. He has the speed to make plays in the open field, and can be a threat to score when given the ball in space.

Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

He does a great job at attacking zone defenses. He is very effective when it comes to running short routes. If the defender is playing off of him at the line, he is a dangerous receiver. He is a trustworthy ball carrier. He rarely loses the ball and isn’t afraid of contact.

He has solid hands as a receiver. He does a great job adjusting to the ball in the air and can stop on a dime. He is very agile and if he can develop his route running skills, he can be a dangerous target.

Negatives:

Huff has trouble getting off the line and creating separation when the defender jams him at the snap. This is the biggest downfall to his game. If he doesn’t get a good jump off the line, he is pretty much out of the play.

While he does have above average speed, he doesn’t have blazing speed. He isn’t going to burn the defense on every play. He must become a more physical receiver and improve his ability to catch in traffic if he wants to adjust to the NFL game.

He tends to get sloppy when running deep routes. He often enters his cuts with inconsistent footwork. Too often he leaves enough room for the defender to break up the play. He must be able to get between them and the ball and take them out of the picture. He needs more pop in his step if he wants to be a down the field target at the next level.

Conclusion:

Josh Huff has the physical assets to be a good NFL receiver, he just needs to work on his techniques. I see him as a solid third-down receiver with good upside. With his ability to make plays on short routes he could make a living moving the sticks in tough situations.

Huff is a potential third day target for any team looking for a third or fourth receiver. He has the potential to climb his way up the depth chart if he can work out the kinks.