Michigan State
Ht. 6-1 Wt. 209
Strengths: B.J. Cunningham was a highly productive starter for MSU. He has a nice frame that lends itself to being a physical target in the NFL. His physicality is evident after the catch and when the ball is in the air. He has a good feel for the game and it shows in his work underneath coverage. He works well out of the slot particularly in the vertical game. He’s a natural hands catcher that plucks the ball out of the air with tenacity. He’s a strong route runner that is hard to jam at the line of scrimmage.
Weaknesses: Cunningham lacks the explosion, burst, and top end speed to be a top receiver in the draft. He lumbers at the line of scrimmage in press man situations as he lacks the short area quickness to get by the press. He isn’t going to run by many NFL CB’s as he takes a long time to get to full speed. While he’s a natural hands catcher, balls do get inside on him which usually results in the ball on the ground.
Bottom Line: Teams looking for a dynamic outside receiver should look elsewhere. Cunningham is a crafty, physical receiver that could be successful working the underneath routes from the slot. Cunningham is undervalued and over analyzed but the productivity is there. I like him more than most.
Draft Projection: B.J. Cunningham probably goes in the 4th-5th round but he is a 3rd rounder for me.
