James Proche Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 5’-11”
Weight: 201 pounds
School: SMU
NFL Combine Performance Data
Bench Press: 20 reps
Vertical Jump: 34.5”
3 Cone Drill: 7.27 seconds
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.4 seconds
James Proche 2020 NFL Draft Profile
After seeing his role grow during each and every last season of his collegiate career, wide receiver James Proche hopes to take his game to the NFL level. The 5’-11”, 201-pound slot receiver is coming off the most productive season of his career, recording 111 receptions on 164 targets for 1,231 yards and 15 touchdowns. Each one of the aforementioned stats was a career-high, as was his 901 offensive snaps.
Proche initially joined the college football ranks as a three-star recruit. After receiving interesting from multiple top programs, the Texas native eventually agreed to join SMU. Despite being physically capable of contributing out of the gate, Proche had to redshirt in 2015 thanks to academic ineligibility. In 2016, he returned to the field and caught 59 receptions for 721 yards and six touchdowns.
Proche continued his statistical climb in 2017, recording 40 receptions on 60 targets for 816 yards, six touchdowns, and 20.4 yards-per-reception. He topped that as a redshirt junior, catching 93 passes on 143 targets for 1,199 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Strengths
- Contested catch specialist with great hands;
- Will fearlessly go after the football with seemingly no care for his own well-being;
- Plays quicker on tape than his NFL Combine performance would indicate;
- Steady improvement during every collegiate season;
- Good double move to fake out defenders;
- Can create separation in the short portion of the field.
Weaknesses
- Overall athleticism might not be good enough for the NFL;
- Doesn’t break many tackles or make plays after the catch;
- Struggles to overcome press coverage;
- Overall route tree could be improved;
- Projects exclusively in the slot at the next level;
- Didn’t face great competition and couldn’t overcome the good defenses he did face.
NFL Comparison: Adam Humphries
Teams With Need at Position: New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills
Projection: Round 6/7
Bottom Line on James Proche
James Proche is an interesting late-round option that has a chance to stick around the league for a couple of years. Most don’t expect a 5’-11”, 201-pound receiver to win too many jump balls, but Proche’s great ball skills allowed him to outmuscle cornerbacks at the point of attack. He’s not afraid to take a hit over the middle and holds on to just about anything that hits his hands. He got better each and every season of his collegiate career, which implies that he hasn’t yet reached his ceiling. His route running isn’t perfect, but he can get himself open in the short part of the field and can take the top off the defense with his double move.
However, he has a lot to overcome if he wants to make it in the NFL. Proche isn’t the best athlete, and his lack of natural skill showed up against elite college competition. Needless to say, this isn’t going to get better at the NFL level. Because he struggles to beat press coverage, he’s basically limited to the slot at the NFL level. Additionally, he’s not a threat after the catch and probably needs to be an elite route runner in order to overcome the physical limitations of his game. He’s not there yet, and a year or two on the practice squad might be best for his long-term NFL hopes.
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