Donovan Peoples-Jones: 2020 Dynasty Rookie Profile
Position: WR
School: Michigan
Class: Junior
Date of Birth: February 19, 1999
Height: 6-2 Weight: 212lbs
Athletic Testing
40-Time: 4.48
Speed Score: 106.7 (86th-percentile)
Burst Score: 145.2 (99th-percentile)
Bio
Donovan Peoples-Jones helped lead Detroit’s Class Technical High School to a 14-0 record and a state championship in his senior season. He recorded 60 receptions for 1,071 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns and was named Player of the Year, Detroit Area Athlete of the Year, and a MLive Detroit Offensive Dream Team Member. Peoples-Jones also won all-state honors in the 4×100-meter relay and all-city honors as the 100-meter champion. DPJ was the top prospect in the state of Michigan and a five-star recruit as the number one wide receiver and 12th overall player in the country. More than 20 schools tried to bring DPJ to their campus but he opted to stay in Michigan.
See Where Donovan Peoples-Jones Lands In Our 2020 Dynasty Rookie Rankings
Peoples-Jones started nine of 13 games in 2017, catching 22 passes for 277 yards and rushing for 57 yards. He was also heavily involved in the return game and even took a punt back for a touchdown, helping him win Freshman All-American honors. DPJ started two fewer games as a sophomore but saw his numbers rise to 47 receptions for 612 yards (13.0 YPR) and eight touchdowns. He housed another punt and averaged 10 yards per return. After battling an injury early in his junior season, Peoples-Jones started nine of his 11 games played and finished third on the team with 34 receptions, 438 yards, and six touchdowns.
His final career numbers (103-1,327-14) are highly disappointing for a guy who began his career as a five-star prospect. But, he helped his draft stock with one of the best Combine performances of 2020. He ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at 6-2, 212-pounds which translates to a 106.7 (86th-percentile) Speed Score. Even more impressive was his 44.5-inch vertical leap and 139-inch broad jump which resulted in a 145.2 (99th-percentile) Burst Score.
College Stats
Donovan Peoples-Jones College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference.com
Positives
+4.48 Speed; 106.7 (86th-percentile) Speed Score
+145.2 (99th-percentile) Burst Score
+19.5 (77th-percentile) Breakout Age
+Scored a touchdown once every six catches over the last two seasons
+Big hands
+Good size
+89 punts for 743 yards and two touchdowns in career
Negatives
-25.1-percent (36th-percentile) Dominator
-13.0 (26th-percentile) YPR
-13.2-percent Target Share in 2019
-Third on team in receptions (34)
-Never topped 100 receiving yards in any game in three seasons
-Failed to establish himself as the WR1
-Struggles to create consistent separation
-Forced just 12 missed tackles after the catch in three seasons
-1.73 yards per route
-9.5-percent drop rate
-36.4-percent contested catch rate
-Two deep receptions
-1.07 yards per team attempt
-3.1 receptions per game
Highlight Reel
Best Comparable Player (PlayerProfiler): Jaelen Strong
NFL Draft Projection: Middle Rounds
Bottom Line:
Outside of his impressive athletic numbers, it’s hard to make a case for Donovan Peoples-Jones as anything more than a Day Three flier in the NFL Draft. His stats over three years are worse than what some of his 2020 classmates did in 2019 alone. And sure, he didn’t exactly have great quarterback play at Michigan, but his market share numbers are equally disappointing. He’s big and athletic with punt return skills and that’s about it. He should go off the board no earlier than the middle third round of dynasty rookie drafts and even then you are drafting strictly on potential—potential he never realized at Michigan and is unlikely to at the NFL level either.
Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, NFL.com, PFF
