Via Last Word On Pro Football, by Parker Hurley
Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 214
School: Michigan Wolverines
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.45 seconds
Bench press: 17 reps
Vertical jump: 36 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 4 inches
Amara Darboh 2017 NFL Draft Profile
Amara Darboh took a different path to the NFL than most others. Darboh was born in Sierra Leone, which is in West Africa. He lived there until he was about seven years old. Civil war struck the country, and thousands of natives, including the parents of Darboh were victims. Darboh’s family was able to get him away from the war stricken land, and in 2001, he made his way to Des Moines, Iowa.
In Iowa, Darboh immediately took to sports to fit in. His little league teammate, and his dad became family to him, and eventually the family officially adopted Darboh. While baseball was the first sport that Darboh identified as an American, he was more prolfic on the football field. Darboh was a four-star recruit, and was the second rated prospect in the state of Iowa.
As a freshman, Darboh did not see the field for one offensive snap. His next season ended before it even began as Darboh suffered a foot injury that caused him to redshirt. As a redshirt sophomore, Darboh finally began to form a role. He caught 36 passes, for 473 yards and two touchdowns. Then, Jim Harbaugh came to town. The new head coach thrust Darboh into a starting slot, and the production began to follow.
As a redshirt junior, Darboh caught 58 passes for 727 yards and five touchdowns. His senior season was equally, if not more impressive. He caught 57 passes, but for 862 yards and seven touchdowns. It was impressive enough to have him named second team All-Big Ten. Darboh has been tested in life, and on the football field, and has met every test with a full head of steam. The NFL should be no different.
Strengths
- Solid possession receiver.
- Great catch radius.
- Sharp breaks in and out of routes.
- Finds soft spots in zone and sits in them.
- Body control.
Weaknesses
- Too many body catches.
- Not the quickest receiver off of the ball.
- Not dynamic with the ball in his hands.
- Lacks over the top breakaway speed.
NFL Comparison: Mohamed Sanu
Teams with needs at position: Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles
Projection: Third Round
Bottom Line:
Darboh is the definition of a big possession receiver. He has the size, arm length and body control to make big catches, and maintain as an outside wide receiver. However, he doesn’t necessarily have the jets and the deep burner ability to demand safety respect. Still, he is a fluid athlete, and has the footwork to match his body.
He is able to sell routes, and create space over the middle and working on the sideline. It gives him a higher floor than most, especially considering the work ethic and his background to get here.
Darboh has an issue with body catches, and it will be interesting to see if he can hang onto some of those tight contested passes with NFL defenders locking down on him. However, he still has a strong catch radius, and with his footwork and ability to create space for himself, he should still find ways to succeed. If he can make catches with his arms out away from his body more, he can be a dynamic second threat in any offense. If not, he will fall down more towards a depth name. It makes him an interesting selection in the middle rounds of the NFL draft, and his name should fall around the third round.
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