Below is the PFF draft profile for Houston's Demarcus Ayers, which incorporates PFF’s college grades and scouting intel from our team of analysts. To see all of PFF’s 2016 scouting reports, click here.
Position fit:
Slot receiver. 832 of his 915 snaps came from the slot in 2015. Also spent time in the backfield, with just 20 of his snaps coming at right or left wide receiver
Stats to know:
Dropped just two of the 93 catchable passes thrown his way out of the slot
What he does best:
• Wide usage in terms of route running, catching a pass on 12 different route types
• Quick footwork, saw 18 receptions on quick screens in 2015, averaging 6.1 yards after the catch on those receptions
• Not afraid to go across the middle, catching 88 percent of the passes thrown his way on crossing routes
• Productive from the slot, 91 of his 99 receptions came from the slot and his 2.70 yards per route run from the position was the fifth-most in this draft class
• Caught every pass thrown his way on routes out of the backfield, racking up 148 yards in the process
Biggest concerns:
• Not great downfield and can get outmuscled by defensive backs. Caught just one pass on a go route all season
• Graded at -5.5 and dropped four passes from the 37 catchable balls thrown his way in 2014. Also averaged just 1.69 yards per route run from the slot before exploding this year
• Size and strength likely limit him to a role from the slot or on gadget plays at the next level
• Struggled to get separation downfield, forty yard dash time of 4.72 backed up what we saw on film, and helps explain just the one reception on go routes all year
Bottom line:
What's interesting with Ayers is that he did very well as a slot receiver in 2015, and overcame the lack of straight line speed with his ability to find zones and showing off a safe pair of hands. He will be limited to what he can offer however, and is a better option for a team looking to develop a player in the slot and use out of the backfield.
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