Devin Funchess Declares for 2015 NFL Draft: Latest Details and Reaction

Ending a process that's felt like an inevitability since before the 2014 season, Michigan wide receiver Devin Funchess announced he will hire an agent and officially declare for the 2015 NFL draft.

Funchess, a junior, will forgo his final year of eligibility, the team announced:

A tight end for his first two seasons in Ann Arbor, Funchess transitioned full-time to wide receiver in 2014. He made 62 receptions for 733 yards and four touchdowns, often being the best facet of a struggling Michigan offense.

That said, like nearly everyone on the roster, Funchess' 2014 campaign wasn't filled with all positives. He struggled badly with drops at points, and his counting stats were a little underwhelming given expectations. His yards per reception average dropped more than three yards from his career number in 2014.

"We coach him, there's been guys who have gone through that in the past," Hoke told reporters in November. "We do a lot of JUGS (machine) work, we do a lot of routes on air. You've just got to keep coaching him through that."

The Wolverines finished the regular season 5-7, leading to the dismissal of head coach Brady Hoke. Any thought that Funchess may return mostly went out the window with Hoke's firing, as he was reportedly considering agents within days of the move.

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Now that Funchess declared, it'll be interesting to see how scouts evaluate him. While most assumed he'd transition to wide receiver in the pros and that remains the plan for now, his occasional struggles in 2014 are noteworthy. Teams are going to examine his athletic drills closely; it's possible that he's better off in a hybrid, Jimmy Graham-esque role than as a full-time wideout.

ESPN's Todd McShay has listed Funchess as a first-round choice all season but colleague Mel Kiper has been more bearish. Funchess being viewed as a wide receiver helps his draft stock from nearly every angle, though freak tight ends have become more of a first-round fixture. His 230-pound frame has been what most point to in projecting him as a receiver, in large part because he's not big enough to be a reliable blocker in those situations.

All of this uncertainty makes Funchess an interesting prospect to track. If he tests well and convinces teams that his 2014 downturn was more a function of a terrible offense, then he has a chance to go inside the top 15. If those test numbers start screaming "tight end" rather than "wide receiver," it's entirely possible he falls out of the first round.

Let's just say the next couple months will be some of the most important in Funchess' life.

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