Dallas Cowboys' Potential Draft Pick in 2011: Jeremy Kerley, WR, TCU
While the Dallas Cowboys are pretty set at receiver in 2011, they could surely benefit from acquiring a talented slot receiver for the future. ย Roy Williams, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant are all suited to play outside, and when defenses take away Jason Witten over the middle, the โBoys are frequently left without a reliable Wes Welker-esque target on 3rd-and-short to medium.
Further, coach Jason Garrett seems to want to install a sideline-to-sideline type of spread offense similar to that in New England. The Pats offense flourishes because of Welker, and the Cowboys donโt have a player with that sort of skill set on their current roster.
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With so much money tied up in the receivers already, however, the Cowboys wonโt place a high priority on securing another playmaker at the position during the draft. ย The possibility becomes more likely, though, if that receiver is a late-round prospect or an outstanding return man. ย Despite the NFLโs decision to move kickoffs up five yards to the 30-yard line, the impact of game-breaking return men will still be high.
TCUโs Jeremy Kerley might be the perfect fit for the โBoys.
Scouting Report
Kerley reminds me a lot of a young Steve Smith (the Carolina version). ย Heโs incredibly agile and electric with the ball in his hands, whether it is on a return or after the catch. ย Kerleyโs quickness and lateral mobility are top-notch, making him one of the most dangerous return men in this class (his return at the 40-second mark of the highlight video below is insane). The only issue he has on returns is failing to fair catch punts (I didnโt see a single one in all of the games I watched). ย Heโll have to change that in the NFL.
With the sort of spread offense Garrett appears intent on implementing, Kerley could become Dallasโ Wes Welker. ย Like Welker, Kerley doesnโt possess game-breaking speed (which is the only reason he isnโt a total Steve Smith clone). ย Kerley wonโt make a lot of plays down the field, which, in combination with his small stature (5โ10โ, 192 pounds), will scare some teams away. ย He isnโt a fit for every offense.
Kerleyโs potential to be a dynamite slot receiver, though, is unquestionable. ย His suddenness (check out the 3:03 mark against San Diego State) is elite. ย Playing the slot is all about quickness and the ability to change direction in a hurry, and Kerley has mastered both. ย He gets to top speed as fast as anyone. ย He also possesses superb hands.
One major knock on Kerley is his route-running. ย At TCU, he was never asked to run anything that remotely resembles an NFL route tree. ย The majority of his receptions came on bubble screens and similar plays. ย There are two reasons I donโt think this will be a major problem, however. First, Kerleyย willย play the slot in the NFL, meaning his routes are going to be limited anyway. Second, he possesses all of the necessary attributes to become a tremendous route-runner: quickness, balance and short strides.
Kerley isnโt exactly Percy Harvin or Dexter McCluster, but like them, he is a threat to run the football. ย His vision is superb, and while he canโt run between the tackles, he could receive an end-around or two per game. ย Plus, Kerley can throw the football, and he can throw it well. ย Garrett doesnโt run a ton of โtrickโ plays, but Kerleyโs arm could be useful.
Despite playing in a prolific offense, Kerley never amassed many yards. ย His highest season total was just 575, but he did haul in 10 receiving touchdowns in 2010. ย Many of these came near the goal line, as Kerley isnโt a particularly big threat to get deep. ย He has poor ability on jump balls and, like I said, doesnโt possess incredible speed.
Kerley is also a poor blocker. ย He doesnโt seem willing to get in front of defenders and that could hurt Dallasโ ability to run the ball from passing formations.
Overall, Kerley reminds me a lot of Troyโs Jerrel Jernigan. ย Both players have weaknesses, but could become very valuable if placed in the right situation. ย Actually, I have Kerley rated just ahead of Jernigan on my latest Big Board.
Projection
If the Cowboys view Kerleyโs upside as high as I do, then he will be a legitimate option in the middle-to-late rounds of the draft. ย With many teams transitioning to spread offenses, I think Kerleyโs stock is being undersold by the media. ย
Most project him to go anywhere from the fourth to seventh round, but I think heโs a real threat to get selected as early as the late-third.ย I know heโs small and โslow,โ but teams are beginning to value quickness over long speed at the wide receiver position, particularly when assessing slot receivers (who, in many offenses, are now starters).
If the Cowboys had fewer holes, Iโd gamble on Kerley in the fourth round. ย I think he has that sort of potential impact. ย From reading your comments, I know many of you agree. ย Unfortunately, the โBoys arenโt in a position to take a receiver that high unless he possesses incredible value. ย Kerley is an interesting prospect, but his weaknesses may be too many for Dallas to burn a fourth-rounder on him.
If Kerley falls into the fifth or sixth round, however, I would be all over it. ย Heโd immediately upgrade the return game and, once Roy Williams is gone, heโd possibly become the Cowboysโ slot receiver of the future.
Other Potential Dallas Cowboys Draft Picks in 2011
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.jpg?w=2560 "Players with Shocking Career Earnings ๐ณ")
