David Sills
/draft-prospects/david-sills
College: West Virginia
Height: 6'4"
SCOUTING GRADE
Weight: 209 lbs
Injury History: Injury History: No Major Injury History
Scout: Ryan Lippert
Scouting Report
Athleticism: 7.26
Q.A.B.: 6.70
Has great body control when going up for jump balls. Isn't really known for his quickness but can show it at times.
Flexibility: 8.00
Uses his long body/reach to grab jump balls. Shows the ability to get the ball at the highest point over defenders.
C.O.D.: 6.10
Is known more as a vertical threat, mainly runs straight down hill after the catch. Won't see many quick cuts or moves in the open field.
Explosion: 8.00
Shows great explosiveness in jumping for jump balls over defenders. Also uses his explosion to create separation in the deep passing game.
Deep Speed: 7.50
Is a huge deep threat. Uses his long strides to build up speed to gain separation on defenders.
Without Ball: 7.02
Quicks Off LOS: 6.60
Doesn't have quickness that jumps out at you on film. However, can have a solid, quick first few steps at times.
Release VS Jam: 7.50
Uses his size and strength to get off jams at a quick rate. You won't see him get knocked off course or take long to get off jams very often.
Route Running: 7.30
Has a nice, crisp flow to his routes. Is especially good at breaking off on routes in the red zone, will see him give nice head fakes on inside slant routes.
Separation: 7.50
Uses his deep speed that is built off long strides to gain separation on smaller defenders.
Blocking: 6.20
He can be a good blocker at points, but can definitely improve. Lacks consistency in this category as he seems to take plays off as a blocker.
With Ball In Hands: 7.60
Hands: 8.00
Very rarely drops catchable balls. Goes up and catches balls at their high point. Also won't shy away from contact and makes several catches in traffic.
Yard After Contact: 7.40
His size is to his benefit in this area as it is more difficult for smaller defenders to bring him down on first contact, seems to bounce off defenders at times.
Ability in Space: 7.20
Doesn't have a wide variety of moves in the open field. Mainly uses his vertical speed to get away from defenders in the open field.
Ball Security: 7.80
Ball security isn't an issue with Sills. Only had one fumble in 2018, which was recovered by the offense.
Competitiveness: 7.83
Toughness: 7.80
Isn't afraid to go after catches in traffic. As a red zone threat, he made a ton of catches while taking on contact.
Production: 8.50
2018: 65 rec, 986 yards, 15 touchdowns
Consistency/Motor: 7.20
He is pretty consistent from a production standpoint. However, he can take a play off from time to time when he doesn't have the ball or knows he isn't getting the ball thrown to him.
Intelligence: 7.47
Instincts: 7.60
Seems to have a knack for finding the ball in jump ball situations. Turns his head at the perfect moment to make those catches. Also is always aware of where the first down marker is when running routes.
Learn/Retain: 7.80
Very rarely makes the same mistake twice, very quick to learn from his mistakes and comes back hard the next play.
Position Versatility: 7.00
Will most likely be used as an outside receiver in the league but showed ability to play out of the slot in college.
STRENGTHS:
With drafting Sills, you will gain great production as both a deep and a red zone threat. He has a great ability to use his length and long strides to beat defenders in the deep passing game. Also has great explosion and uses that to high-point balls in the red zone over smaller defenders. Sills is also a pretty sure-handed receiver which is always a huge plus, will rarely drop passes that make it to him.
WEAKNESSES:
Needs to work on his quickness and change of direction. He is a great threat vertically but he will need to show an ability to make cuts to make defenders miss in the league. His vertical ability worked in college but the defenders in the NFL are faster and more athletic. Also could become a stronger/more consistent blocker.
BIG PICTURE:
Sills college football career was an interesting one. He played QB in high school but was switched to receiver when he got to West Virginia. In his freshman season. SIlls was a late contributor as he finished with seven catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns. One of those touchdowns was the game-winning score in their Cactus Bowl victory over Arizona State. Following his freshman year, he transferred to El Camino College, where he moved back to quarterback and threw for 1,636 yards and 15 touchdowns. After one season at El Camino, he came back to West Virginia where he moved back to wide receiver. As a junior, Sills finished with 60 receptions for 980 yards and led the FBS with 18 receiving touchdowns. Those numbers helped him earn First Team All-American and All- Big 12 honors. In his final season as a Mountaineer, Sills put up impressive numbers once again as he finished with 65 receptions for 986 yards and ed the Big 12 with 15 touchdowns. He earned First Team All-Big 12 and Second Team All-American honors, as well as being invited to the Senior Bowl. At the next level, Sills is a great option for any team looking for a tall outside wide receiver that could serve as a deep threat. I see him being a Day 2 selection in the draft and being a key rotational player for a team's receiver core as a rookie. Eventually, if put in the right system, he could turn into a solid WR1 or WR2 option in the league and have a great career.
Projected Round: 3rd-4th
Team Fits: Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins
Pro Comparison: Mike Evans