Frank Darby 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6’0
Weight: 201 lbs
School: Arizona State University
Pro Day Measurables
40-Yard Dash: 4.61
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 19
Vertical Jump: 34 1/2
Broad Jump: 09’09”
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.23
3-Cone Drill: 7.15
Frank Darby 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Overview
The NFL Draft can be a concoction of predictability and surprises. Most of the surprises come in the later rounds where gems can be found or lucky teams draft players whose stock had dropped. One such player looking to be a team’s pleasant surprise in the draft is wide receiver Frank Darby.
Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Darby attended Lincoln High School were completed 35 receptions of 957 receiving yards with 10 touchdowns as a senior. He was awarded First-Team All-State honors, which a school recipient hadn’t received in four decades. 247Sports.com rated Darby a three-star prospect. He committed to Arizona State University.
As a freshman, along with Ryan Newsome, Darby was named Co-Scout Team Player of the Year for the offense. As a redshirted freshman the following year, Darby completed nine receptions of 234 yards with two touchdowns. He also completed a rushing touchdown of 21 yards. Darby had a career-high three catches for 111 yards and a touchdown against San Diego State and a career-long 53-yard reception. The following season, he completed 21 receptions of 421 yards with two touchdowns. As a redshirted junior, Darby completed 31 receptions of 616 yards with eight touchdowns and a kick return of 20 yards. In his senior year, Darby completed six receptions of 46 yards with one touchdown.
He received Pac-12 Honorable Mention Accolades as a junior in 2019. Darby was ranked #21 among wide receivers in the U.S. for a quarterback rating of 133.1. His 19.87 yards per reception was ranked 10th in the U.S. and second among Pac-12 wide receivers. If he is drafted this year, Darby will be the third consecutive Sun Devil receiver to be so.
Strengths
- Very good receiver with hands, good concentration, and the speed to separate from defenders;
- Tough and durable/Can withstand physicality and continue the run and the play;
- In his first three seasons, he averaged over 20 yards per reception;
- Plays bigger than his size;
- Almost 20% of receptions have resulted in a touchdown.
Weaknesses
- Has trouble separating from defenders so most catches are contested;
- Sometimes tries to use his body to make catches, leading to drops;
- Suffered some injuries during his college career;
- Lacks a second gear;
- Average athleticism.
Player Comparison: Jalen Hurd
Teams With Need At Position: Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns
Draft Projection: Fifth Round
Bottom Line on Frank Darby
Darby plays tough, gritty, and physical as a receiver but lacks the top-end speed needs to be a #1. When he uses his hand-eye coordination to catch balls, good things happen. However, his tendency to tuck the ball to his body on catches makes him inconsistent and a bit of a liability. He has character and is respected by his teammates which are characteristics that shouldn’t be overlooked. Darby projects as a backup receiver for special teams and to make short to medium-length receptions.
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Main photo:
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