If you happen to be a fan of college football and the Dallas Cowboys, then the 2019 Red River Rivalry between the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns might just be a game you want to tune in for this weekend. Both teams will showcase quite a few players who could enter the 2020 NFL Draft and one of the more talented, although still underrated, players could be of interest to the Cowboys.
Enter Texas Longhorns Wide Receiver Devin Duvernay.
When it comes to positions the Dallas Cowboy would be most interested in next year’s NFL Draft, wide receiver might not be at the top the list… or so it would seem from the outside looking in. But if you look a little deeper only Amari Cooper, who the Cowboys will extend eventually, and Michael Gallup are locks to stick around beyond this season. That’s where Devin Duvernay comes in.
With Randall Cobb and Tavon Austin under one-year contracts, the Dallas Cowboys could be looking for their next slot receiver. Devin Duvernay may be new to the position with the Longhorns this year, but he’s already proving to be a dynamic weapon out of the slot and could be exactly what the Cowboys are looking for.
The slot WR position is an important one for the Dallas Cowboys, especially for Quarterback Dak Prescott. It has become a security blanket of sorts over the years for Prescott and finding a sure-handed receiver he’s comfortable with is easier said than done. Luckily though, they don’t come much more reliable than Devin Duvernay.
According to the folks over at Pro Football Focus, Duvernay was one of the rare collegiate WRs who didn’t drop a pass in 2018. That’s pretty impressive considering he played the Z-receiver role with the Longhorns last year before moving into the slot in 2019. I’d say that’s pretty sure-handed. Down the field targets are much more difficult to haul in than the ones thrown near or around the line of scrimmage.
Sure handedness isn’t Devin Duvernay’s only impressive trait though. His physicality and infectious attitude on the field is something that would pair nicely with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, both of whom are a little low-key/reserved as far as their on-field persona is concerned. Duvernay is a WR who likes to punish would be tackler and he has the build to do just that.
At 5’11”, 210 pounds, Duvernay’s thick, well muscled frame is much more RB-esque than that of a traditional receiver. His build is comparable to Carolina’s D.J. Moore and San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel, both of whom were taken relatively high in their respective drafts the past couple of years. His play to both of these WRs is similar as well.
The soon to be former Longhorns WR has all the intangibles to take it to the house anytime he touches the ball. His physicality alone makes him difficult for any defensive back to tackle, but he also possesses elite speed as well. He claims he can run a 4.3 40-yard dash and his film certainly suggests he’s capable of doing just that.
Overall, Devin Duvernay is absolutely someone the Dallas Cowboys should keep an eye on when the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns meet up this weekend in Dallas for the Red River Rivalry. I’d be more than happy if he ended up being one of their Day 2 selections, which is where I have him being drafted right now.
