Green Bay Packers NFL Draft prospect profile: WR Jamison Crowder
Player Information:
Jamison Crowder
5-8, 185 pounds
Hometown: Monroe, NC
NFL Combine:
40 yard: 4.56 seconds
20 yard: 2.25 seconds
10 yard: 1.71 seconds
Bench: 10 reps
Vertical jump: 37″
Broad: 115″
Shuttle: 4.32 seconds
3-Cone Drill: 7.17
News and Notes:
A very undersized receiver whose stats are a little inflated by short passes and screens, Jamison Crowder excelled as a receiver and kick returner at Duke. Putting up over a 1,000 yards in each of the last three seasons, as well as a total of 193 receptions over the last two seasons that allowed him to be by far and away the leading receiver for the Blue Devils over that span.
Seen as one of the top returners in the draft this year, over the last two seasons Jamison has averaged an impressive 14.5 yards per punt return with two touchdowns in each season.
Crowder had a terrible combine and it has made his stock plummet. Once thought of as a possible second or third round pick, Crowder is now basically a guaranteed final day pick, likely in the fifth or sixth round.
At his pro day, Crowder improved all over the board, here is what he did with his combine in parenthesis:
40 yard: 4.46 seconds (4.56)
20 yard: 2.58 seconds (2.25)
10 yard: 1.56 seconds (1.71)
Broad: 123″ (115″)
Shuttle: 4.26 seconds (4.32)
3-Cone Drill: 6.99 seconds (7.17)
Video Highlights:
All of the highlight videos I’ve seen of Crowder show pretty much the same things: he has solid hands, he’s very good at getting behind his defender, and in the return game his top end speed is not overly impressive but he is very quick and shifty while returning the ball allowing him to elude defenders to create big plays.
What they’re saying about him:
Probably in large part due to his poor combine, there is not a lot out there on Jamison Crowder right now. However NFL.com did have this to say:
- NFL.com: “Smallish slot wide receiver who will have to win with his quickness and route proficiency. Features point-guard quickness and generally solid hands. Has proven his willingness to compete all over the field despite his lack of size.”
If drafted by the Packers:
Crowder wouldn’t help much on offense and would likely see little time. He has shown he can be a good route runner with dependable hands, but at 5’8″ and not elite speed he will really have to prove himself as a receiver if he wants to be Cobb’s backup in the slot.
If Crowder were to be drafted by the Packers it will be for his return skills. While the Packers’ punt return game was actually pretty decent last year, the kick return game was beyond a disaster and has been for quite a while. Crowder averaged 14.5 yards per return on punts last year, the Packers averaged 19.1 yards per return on kickoffs…
Even though I know coach McCarthy doesn’t always think like this, with Hyde possibly taking a more important role on the defense as both a safety and cornerback, putting Crowder in as the returner on punts might not be a horrible idea. Jamison Crowder did not return a ton of kicks in college, but he was very impressive in the punt return game. If he can translate that success in the punt return game to the kick return game in the NFL, he will be well worth the likely 5th-7th round selection the Packers use on him.
——————Mike Reuter lives in the Twin Cities and is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas. He is a mobile tech enthusiast, a 19 year Gopher Football season ticket holder and a huge Packers fan. Mike is a writer with AllGreenBayPackers.com and you can follow him on twitter at @uofmike.
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