Every single draft season we are going to see a few different players jump up draft boards as the annual event approaches in New York City. In some cases, small-school prospects prove that they can hang with the big boys at the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine. In other cases, troubled “assets” prove that they’ve moved beyond the immaturity that may have plagued them in the past.

Tennessee Tech’ product Da’Rick Rogers is a little bit of both. He was suspended from the University of Tennessee indefinitely following the ‘11 season and had to catch on with Tennessee Tech. The talented young receiver has all the necessary skills to be a game breaker at the next level. In fact, there are some that have come to the conclusion that he has the best skill set of any receiver in the entire draft, which is pretty amazing considering that this is one of the deepest draft classes at wide receiver in quite some time.

Without further ado, let’s check out eDraft’s scouting report on the talented young prospect.

Strengths

Combination of Speed and Size: At 6’3” and just under 210 pounds, Rogers has a unique combination of speed and size. He will be able to beat defenders at the line with pure strength, get past them in the second gear with his speed and go up and nab the ball with his advanced size. The team who is lucky enough to pick Rogers up will be getting a multi-faceted threat on the outside.

Athleticism/Body Control: Rogers will not struggle controlling his body or reversing field in mid route. He has the build to be able to dominate on the outside, but also possesses a rare athletic ability to beat defenders to the ball.

Route Running: While Rogers is practically a “small-school product,” he did play and succeed against top-tier competition in the SEC.  Don’t expect the learning curve to be too great here considering that he ran an extensive route tree at Knoxsville. He is fluid out of his break and doesn’t loop around back to the ball. If the quarterback throws a comeback route, Rogers will beat the defender to the spot. This is also the case on out routes.

Physicality/ Swagger: Rogers will not be intimidated against anyone. Instead, he looks for contact up the middle and will take a defender out in the run game when blocking. He is a linebacker in a wide receiver's body when it comes to absorbing contact. This means that Rogers will be successful between the hashes as well as outside.

Weaknesses

Character Concerns: All things equal, Rogers would have been a top-20 pick in the upcoming draft. Rogers was kicked off of Tennessee’s football team prior to the start of the 2012 season for testing positive for marijuana. This came on the heels of him leading the SEC in receptions the previous season. As is the case with all youngsters entering the NFL, expect the vetting process to be extensive here. It’s important to see how much Rogers has matured before drawing a final conclusion. We will get a better understanding of his situation the closer the draft gets.

Rawness: Like every receiver entering the 2013 NFL Draft, Rogers is a bit raw. He will not come in and run routes as fluidly as a Andre Johnson or have the on-field intelligence of a Larry Fitzgerald. Instead, the maturation process that he needs to display off the field will also be important on the field.

Bottom Line

Outside of the aforementioned character concerns, there really isn’t a whole heck of alot to not like about Rogers. He is right up there with former Tennessee teammate Cordarrelle Patterson with the most upside of any receiver in the draft. I love his combination of speed, athleticism and physicality. These are traits that you cannot teach; a player either has them or he doesn’t.

Rogers just moved up to No. 3 among wide receivers on my big board and currently has an early first-round grade. His NFL comparison is Anquan Boldin with a bit more upside. 

Video Highlights 

* Check out the 1:15 mark. Rogers goes up against two defenders and comes away with a TD.