FanPost

Thoughts on Quintez Cephus and Jason Huntley

QUINTEZ CEPHUS

Like many fans, I had never heard of Quintez Cephus before the draft, and I was wondering what kind of guy the Lions got in the 5th round. In a deep WR draft class I thought there might be a possibility that he had potential. I kept hearing about his lack of speed, some comparing him to the Teez Tabor pick.

Quintez Cephus is not a speed burner, I can say that with confidence. But I do think he is faster than his 4.73 40 yd dash at the combine (he later ran a 4.56 at his pro day). After watching his 40 at the combine, what I came away with was his trainer should be fired. He had the worst starting form I've seen in some time. He somehow cleaned up his form and looked much smoother on his pro day. Even so, his speed is average at best.

Some people have mentioned his slow 40 time and then concluded that he cannot get separation from DBs. From what I watched getting separation is not a problem for him. I think those that think he is unable to get separation point to his highlights and say he is always in a 50-50 situation having to fight (and win most of the time) for the ball. From what I see, yes he is elite at winning 50-50 balls and tracking the ball in the air. Some of those were on the QB, not the receiver. Quintez regularly got good separation on most routes- he is explosive out of his stance and has above-average lateral burst. Many times the pass was a little late and by the time the ball came his way the DB had an extra beat to close the gap- hence a 50-50 ball.

So where does he fit in with the Lions? I think he is going to be a backup slot receiver. Amendola is 34 years old and has had his share of injuries. Interestingly, Amendola had a similar pre-draft 40 yard dash history- at the combine he ran a 4.70, and then ran a 4.58 at his pro day. So why didn't the Lions draft a typical slot receiver who is small and fast? Well, #1 obviously is that they waited until the 5th round, but I think just as important is that the Lions' passing game was awful in the red zone last year. Space compresses in the red zone and windows get narrower. Speed does not matter as much as strength, quickness, and the ability to win a contested catch. Also, Cephus comes from a run-first offense, meaning every receiver on that team is taught to block down field. If the Lions want to run the ball, especially in the red zone, a small, speedy receiver doesn't necessarily help.

The last thought I had on Cephus was the infamous goal line play when the the Seahawks played the Patriots in the Superbowl. Instead of running it with Marshawn Lynch, they ran a pass play that was intercepted in the endzone. This might be what offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is most known for and it has to stick in the back of his mind. The play was meant to be a rub route (pick route, whatever you want to call it) but the receiver (Kearse) got jammed at the line. Furthermore, Tyler Lockett got undercut on the pass. Lockette is 5'9" 182 lbs and ran a 4.40 40 yd dash at the combine. A classic speedy slot receiver. But on this play, it wasn't speed that the Seahawks needed, it was physicality (and also yes I think they should've just run the damn ball). I think Cephus will bring that physicality in spades.

Lastly, I think the Cephus pick means that the Lions must like what they already have in the speedy Marvin Hall.

JASON HUNTLEY

Having rambled a bit about Cephus, I'll try to keep this short. Drafting another RB after Swift confused me, but I have a theory: Jason Huntley is a Percy Harvin clone. Percy Harvin played for OC Bevell on both the Vikings and Seahawks. At the NFL combine, Harvin measured in at 5'11" and 192 lbs, and ran a 4.41 40, 37.5 vert, 10'1" broad, while putting up 17 reps on the bench. At his pro day, Huntley measured 5'9" and 193 lbs, and ran a 4.37 40, 39.5 vert, 10'11" broad and put up 21 reps on the bench.

Of course, Harvin was a WR who could also be a RB and returner. I think Huntley is a RB that can also be a WR and returner. I don't think he will split out wide as much as Harvin, but will motion out of the backfield into the slot, or lineup as a wingback. Lining up as a wingback, Huntley can use his speed on tosses and reverses, or beat LBs on passing routes. Horizontal speed concepts are fairly common these days, for a more modern example, the Chiefs' Mecole Hardman (who ran a 4.33 40) was used in this way last year.

From the limited tape I found on him (had to go back to 2017-2018) Huntley is a natural pass catcher. His stats back that up. I wouldn't be surprised to see him have the same amount of catches as he does carries. He's a bit of a gadget player and kick returner, but can excel much like Harvin did in that he can be a mismatch in both the running and passing game.

Of course I could be wrong and Huntley will be used strictly as a 3rd down back and returner, and maybe find success as a small, speedy back like Philip Lindsay or Darwin Thompson.

BONUS!

Just putting it out there, this seems like an obvious comparison but the more I look at Deandre Swift, the more I see his former teammate Sony Michel, who was picked at the bottom of the first round last year. Pretty much good at everything, if not elite at anything. Still, a solid 3-down back.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pride Of Detroit or its writers.