Tyler Boyd NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Bengals Rookie

POSITIVES

With some of the strongest hands in college football, Pitt's Tyler Boyd elected to head to the NFL after his junior season. At Pitt, Boyd caught 254 passes for 3,361 yards and 21 touchdowns while averaging over 13 yards per reception.

Boyd is able to make ridiculous catches because of his hand strength. Playing in an offense without an established quarterback, he's had to make tough grabs away from his frame and does so consistently. Boyd, who is only 6'1 ½", has a much larger catch radius.

With the ball in his hand, Boyd can pick up plus yardage and rip off big plays. He's a smooth runner, and without great long speed, he can still slip tacklers with vision and agility in space. Boyd has the mentality of a big-play threat. He looks for lanes to make plays.

According to the College Football Focus crew, Boyd was targeted a ridiculous 252 times in the last two seasons and dropped just 10 passes. He's a three-level playmaker with strong, confident hands.

NEGATIVES

Boyd was charged with a DUI in June 2015 after being pulled over at 2:35 a.m. The officer smelled alcohol on his breath, which is a DUI charge for a minor. Boyd was 20 years old at the time and received one year of probation.

On the field, Boyd's speed can be inconsistent. His skinny frame needs to be faster to run through zone coverage in the NFL. Good receivers can separate with size or speed, and Boyd doesn't have either trait projected out of college. He's winning mostly on contested catches, and that's not always production that carries over into the NFL.

Pitt tried using Boyd as a punt returner, but that's not a role we see for him in the NFL.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 6'1 ½"

Weight: 197 lbs.

40 Time: 4.58s

3-Cone: 6.90s

Short Shuttle: 4.35s

PRO COMPARISON: Keenan Allen, San Diego Chargers
FINAL GRADE: 6.80/9.00 (Round 2—Rookie Contributor)