Overview
Position: Wide receiver
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 211 pounds
School: West Virginia Mountaineers
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.57 seconds
Bench press: 14 reps
Three-cone drill: 6.97 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.28 seconds
David Sills 2019 NFL Draft Profile
West Virginia wide receiver David Sills has perhaps the most interesting story of any prospect in the 2019 NFL Draft. Sills started for his varsity team when he was only in eighth grade and received a scholarship offer from Lane Kiffin at just 13 years old. Unfortunately for Sills, the high schooler suffered a hand injury and didn’t receive any collegiate interest as a passer.
West Virginia wanted to convert Sills into a wide receiver, and Sills took the offer. Appearing in eight games as a freshman, Sills recorded seven receptions for 131 yards and two touchdowns. After spending a year at El Camino College as a quarterback, Sills returned to West Virginia when it became clear he wasn’t making it as a passer.
Sills showed that he had what it takes to be an NFL wide receiver upon his return to West Virginia. Sills recorded 60 receptions for 980 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior. His 18 touchdown receptions earned him Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big XII honors. The former quarterback proved 2017 wasn’t a one-year fluke, as he recorded 65 receptions for 986 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior. He earned First-Team All-Big XII honors for his efforts as well as a spot on the Third-Team All-American squad.
Strengths
- a red zone weapon – recorded 33 touchdowns in his final two seasons;
- averaged 15.7 yards-per-reception as a junior and senior;
- a smart player capable of finding holes in zone coverage;
- has height and vertical skills to win contested catches, grabs ball at high point;
- notable improvement as a route runner;
- above-average body control capable of hauling in off-target passes;
Weaknesses
- unremarkable athlete across the board;
- struggles to beat press coverage;
- doesn’t have the necessary speed to gain consistent separation;
- needs to add muscle at the next level;
- subpar hands.
NFL Comparison: Jabar Gaffney
Teams With A Need: Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
Projection: Fifth round
Bottom Line
Sills probably won’t develop into a starting-caliber wide receiver, but he has the ability to stick around an NFL roster. His 6’3” height is above-average for the position and he uses that height to high-point passes and win contested catches. He was borderline unstoppable in the red zone, recording 33 touchdowns over his past two seasons. Most of those scores came thanks to Sills earning quick separation and boxing out defenders on slants and fades.
Sills can carve out an NFL role, but he has too many shortcomings to justify even a mid-round pick. He struggles to gain separation, meaning that just about every target requires a great throw or is a jump ball. Because of this, Sills only caught 55 percent of his collegiate targets. Additionally, Sills doesn’t have the play strength, speed, or quickness to consistently separate against man coverage. Factor in hands which leave a lot to be desired, and it’s hard to imagine Sills developing into anything more than a role player.
That said, Sills still belongs on an NFL roster and teams could do a lot worse with a late-round pick. Look for the former quarterback to carve out a niche role as a red zone weapon and jump ball expert.
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