Deangelo Peterson 6'3" 243
TE, LSU
Rankings: 12th-ranked tight end by Pro Football Weekly. Graded as a player with a better-than-average chance to make an NFL roster. 5th- to 6th-round grade.
NFLDraftScout: 9th-ranked TE, #191 player overall, 6th-round grade.
Biography/honors:
2011: Played in 14 games, starting 3. 18 catches for 179 yards (9.9 ypc) and a TD.2010: Played in 10 games, starting 3. 16 catches for 198 yards (12.4 ypc).
2009: Converted to tight end full-time before the season and started 2 games, playing in all 13. 5 catches for 82 yards and 2 TDs.
2008: Appeared in all 13 games, mostly on special teams. 6 tackles.
Major: sports administration.
Injuries:
2010: missed three games due to an ankle injury.
NFL Combine stats: (position averages in parentheses)
4.76 40 (4.74)
1.59 10-yard split (1.63)
36” vertical jump (34” - Peterson tied for best jump)
10'1” broad jump (9'10”)
7.19 3-cone drill (7.08 – 3rd-worst time)
DNP 20-yard shuttle
18 bench press (21)
Positives: Athletic build, looks like a very big wide receiver. Good bulk. Worked hard in the weight room and added 40 lbs while at LSU. Good burst off the line and good speed downfield to create mismatches with linebackers. Smooth footwork, smooth movement skills, excellent change-of-direction. Tracks the ball well. Big-handed. Handles the ball securely and has some ability to create after the catch. Try-hard blocker best on the move. Durable player who lined up all over the field and can be a big-play threat.
Negatives: Undersized. Poor hands. Lets too many throws into his body, doesn't catch cleanly, has too many drops due to loss of concentration. This was apparent at the Combine, where he had multiple drops in the gauntlet runs and didn't catch balls cleanly in other drills. Needs work as a route-runner - rounds off his routes. Does not compete well for the ball in traffic. Does not have elite power and is probably as strong as he's going to get. Marginal in-line blocker who struggles to sustain blocks. Much more a receiver than a blocker. Needs to be prodded.
Compares to: Daniel Fells.
Fun Facts: It will do Mike Martz's heart good to know that Peterson's only carry at LSU was a 23-yard end-around on 4th-and-1. Not only that, it was the key play in LSU's 2010 upset over Alabama.
RamView: This is only RamView's third rookie free agent preview this year, but I doubt anyone will be as easy to root for in training camp as Deangelo Peterson. Like Marshall Faulk, he grew up in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. He carried some of his family to safety when Hurricane Katrina took their home. He'll be the first member of his family to receive a college degree. He played three years at LSU as a receiving tight end in a run-oriented offense. Now Peterson's tasked with making an NFL team as a street free agent. I just wish his skillset was as good as the road he's traveled has been difficult. There's 3 or 4 TEs in camp already who are better blockers, so the shaky-handed receiving TE is going to have to steal a job as a downfield threat. Then again, who do the Rams have in that role other than (also shaky-handed) Lance Kendricks? Some scouting reports say Peterson has Fred Davis-like potential, and he's beaten worse odds in his life than it'd take to become a backup TE on a 2-14 team. Somebody call HBO's Hard Knocks before it's too late - they could be missing a great story here.
Chance of making roster: 45%.
Sources: Pro Football Weekly 2012 Draft Guide, CBS Sports, LSU athletics website, New Orleans Times-Picayune
Photo: Pro Football Weekly
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