NFL Draft Prospects 2019: Wide Receiver - Parris Campbell, Ohio State
Parris Campbell was an all-state selection as a star athlete on the football field and as a track specialist. When he joined the Buckeyes it was hard for him to get touches with so many guys ahead of him early on, but he started making a name for himself as a kick returner his sophomore year.
Campbell was named a team captain and continued to excel in the return game the following year, while also being named third-team All-Big Ten for over 700 yards from scrimmage. As a senior he turned himself into a first-team all-conference player, leading Ohio State with 90 catches for 1063 yards and 12 touchdowns.
This kid was the primary receiver on the most explosive aerial attack Ohio State might have ever had. He can really run and that speed has to be respected by the defense.
He showcased that at the combine when he ran a 4.31 in the 40, including 1.48 in the 10-yard split, and went top-five in both leaping events whilst also tying for first in the 20-yard shuttle at the position, before putting together an excellent on-field workout.
Unlike a lot of those YAC-specialists, Campbell has no problem catching the ball with good technique. He consistently reaches out for it with full extension and doesn’t struggle with different placement, while bringing it into his body quickly and showing the toughness to hold onto the ball despite taking a hit.
The 6’0”, 205 receiver finds room to sit down against zone and is a good friend for scrambling quarterbacks, as he will find a way to get open.
Campbell was incredibly tough to guard running those crossing routes, where he had the option of sitting in voids against zone and running away from people in man-coverage, which can lead to house calls easily.
The same is true for jet sweeps and those touch passes, where he can build up momentum and threaten the edges of a defense. Campbell ran bubble and tunnel screens almost to perfection for Ohio State, showing good awareness for the defenders in space as well as his blocking getting set up.
The dynamic receiver can drop his hips going in and out of breaks and create instant separation that way. He is so dangerous after the catch, where he can shake defenders, tilt his body different ways to avoid the grasps of tacklers and obviously has the speed to outrun the entire defense.
That way, he recorded over ten yards per slot target these last two years and led all Big Ten receivers with a passer rating of 139.2 when targeted in 2018. Campbell puts in the effort as a blocker and is technically sound at breaking down and mirroring defenders.
His critics would say that he primarily ran bubble screens and shallow crossers out of the slot for the Buckeyes. When he did go vertical in the passing game, he showed little awareness for the downfield coverage and how to adjust his routes.
A lot of development in his route-running will be required if teams want him to be more than a gimmick player and contributor on mesh or shallow cross concepts. Campbell also barely saw man-coverage and press looks, so it's difficult to evaluate him on that.
This kid is an elite-level athlete, who only had one year of being more than a gadget player and return specialist.
Similar to a D.K. Metcalf in this draft class, Campbell is largely a projection-based receiver. The potential is definitely there, but I’m not willing to put someone like that in first round consideration, which many people have done.
I don’t see anything that would make me think he couldn’t develop into an all-around receiver, but he hasn’t shown me anything either. There are definitely things I really like though.
Grade: Late second / Early third