Notre Dame receiver Miles Boykin will be a better Pro than D.K. Metcalf
By J.P. Scott
Former Notre Dame receiver Miles Boykin’s combine performance apparently wasn’t enough to get out of D.K. Metcalf’s shadow of hype.
Bigger, stronger and faster. We love it. We’re addicted to it. We gotta have it in every sport. It’s that way because we’re lazy — too lazy — to analyze or research anything else. With that, I give you the curious case of former Notre Dame receiver Miles Boykin vs. D.K. Metcalf of Ole Miss.
Irish fans know Boykin. The rest of the country is simply aware of him. All of that should have changed at the NFL Combine, when he put up straight silly numbers for a 6’4″, 220-pound wideout.
Instead, we got flooded with more analysts gushing over D.K. Metcalf’s bigger, stronger, faster performance.
Let’s compare the combine numbers and on-field production of Metcalf and Boykin.
D.K. Metcalf
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 228
Arms: 34 7/8″
Hands: 9 7/8″
40 time: 4.33
Bench Reps: 27
Vertical: 40.5″
Broad Jump: 134″
3-cone drill time: 7.38
20-yard shuttle time: 4.5
On-field production in 2018: 26 receptions, 569 yards (21.9 yards per catch), five touchdowns. Granted, these numbers were limited due to his season being cut short by injury. His 2017 season is probably a better comparison, yet still statistically inferior to Boykin’s 2018 numbers.
Miles Boykin
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 220
Arms: 33 1/2″
Hands: 9 7/8″
40 time: 4.42
Bench Reps: 12
Vertical: 43.5″
Broad Jump: 140″
3-cone drill time: 6.77
20-yard shuttle time: 4.07
On-field production in 2018: 59 receptions, 872 yards (14.8 yards per catch), eight touchdowns.
Let’s talk about those numbers.
Metcalf is faster in a 40-yard straight line and has more upper body strength. Boykin is taller, jumps higher, is more explosive and has superior agility.
Metcalf is a superior deep threat based on his speed and yards per catch. Boykin is a superior route-runner who was utilized in more ways than Metcalf was.
Additionally, even though he has less experience as a full-time starter, Boykin has seen a full season of No. 1 receiver target volume — unlike Metcalf. Boykin’s mastery of the bubble-screen and the back-shoulder make the transition to modern NFL offenses an easy one.
The NFL is a full-on passing league now, but bigger, stronger and faster doesn’t mean a whole lot in modern offensive scheme. Versatility is key.
Next. How long will Chip Long stay at Notre Dame?. dark
Between that, a body-type that is built to last longer and a playing style that won’t change due to the physical breakdown that comes with aging, Miles Boykin is a safer pick who should produce at the NFL level longer and more consistently than D.K. Metcalf.