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Pros- Heyward-Bey has a great combination of size and speed. He is extremely tough for defenders to handle in deep one on one situations. When he has the ball and space in front of him, he is gone. He is a huge vertical threat that also has the ability to shine in the red zone due to his size and athletic ability.

Cons- Despite having blazing straight line speed, he is not elusive and struggles to break tackles. He does not look comfortable running routes; he often looks stiff and unable to make the correct cuts or double moves. Another area he must work on is his pass catching. Too many times in college, he relied on catching balls off his chest.

Scouts Take- Heyward-Bey is a very interesting prospect because of his size and elite speed. He is a big time playmaker, but also is very inconsistent. He must learn to catch the ball with his hands, in stride, to take advantage of his speed. With so many big name receivers in the class, he should be the 3rd or 4th off the board. There are several teams in the mid to late 1st round looking for a big blazer that can stretch the field.

School Bio

1.7.09 - University of Maryland junior wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey will forego his final year of eligibility and enter the 2009 NFL Draft.

12.31.08 - After redshirting the 2005 season, Darrius Heyward-Bey earned earned Freshman All-America honors in 2006 after hauling in 45 passes for 694 yards with five touchdowns. In 2007, he had 51 receptions for 786 yards and three touchdowns and also had one score rushing. This season, he had 38 receptions for 561 yards and five touchdowns but missed the final game of the season due to a calf injury. He has the size (6-2, 205) NFL teams want and excellent speed to go along with it. Heyward-Bey will explore his options but there is a good chance he'll come out early.