MADISON, Wis. - What a difference a year makes for Quintez Cephus.
After getting ready to defend himself against second- and third-degree sexual assault charges last spring, Cephus is preparing to be judged by NFL executives and coaches after a standout junior season for the University of Wisconsin.
Suddenly thrust back into the offense’s picture after not playing since Nov. 2017, Cephus didn’t take long to find his stride in the offense. In UW’s second game of the season, Cephus caught six passes for a career-high 130 yards against Central Michigan. He only got better as the season progressed. After recording 19 catches for 291 yards in UW’s first six regular-season games, Cephus had 26 catches for 429 yards in his last six games.
The junior was even better in the postseason, pacing UW’s offense with seven catches for 122 yards against Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game and another seven grabs for 59 yards and a touchdown in the Rose Bowl against Oregon. In retrospect, it was those two games that proved to Cephus he was ready for the NFL.
Strengths
Cephus is one of the hardest Wisconsin prospects to evaluate for this draft, largely because of the type of offense the Badgers utilize, but Cephus certainly stood out with the Badgers
A two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, Cephus led UW in all three receiving categories in 2019 (59 catches, 901 yards, 7 TDs). Cephus impressed scouts with his route running and strong hands when it comes to pass catching multiple times this offseason. At UW’s Pro Day, Cephus passed the test on a variety of throws, including out, go and red-zone routes, the latter including his ability to elevate for throws, secure the catch and get both feet in bounds.
In Wisconsin’s run-heavy offense, Cephus’ size (6-foot-0 7/8 and 202 pounds at the NFL scouting combine in February) made him an attractive target for quarterback Jack Coan and is a good size for the professional level.
A receiver who isn’t afraid to play physical, Cephus possesses a good burst and a suddenness to his game to open throwing lanes for his quarterbacks and seemed to make the difficult catches in big games (see Ohio State and Oregon). A sign on his strength, Cephus’ 23 reps on the bench press was the top mark of all the receivers at the NFL Scouting Combine.
According to NFL.com, Cephus’ strengths are his ability to, “hand fight with skill to gain late catch space, (has) talent and focus to bring it in with one hand, ratchets up competitiveness in tight quarters, boxes out and keeps cornerbacks on his hip, squares numbers and works aggressively back to the ball, picks it outside his frame with strong hands, runs with good aggression after the catch (and) has intensity as run-blocker when he wants to.”
Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah – a likely first-round selection – said Cephus was the best receiver he faced all season.
Weaknesses
One of the big red flags with Cephus was his 40-yard dash time, as his 4.73 40-yard dash time at the Scouting Combine was the slowest among all the receivers that tested. He was much better at UW’s Pro Day when he ran a 4.56 40-yard time, but that time would have put him at 29th among those who tested in Indianapolis. Defensive backs are faster and react quicker in the NFL, so Cephus’ slower speed could affect his spacing and ability to consistently get open, putting a greater onus on him to improve his footwork coming out of his breaks.
According to NFL.com, Cephus’ weaknesses include, “semi-strider with limited vertical push off the snap, may need alignment help for desired release against press, monotone route speed fails to manipulate defenders, marginal footwork for complex routes, rolls to a stop on comebacks due to hip tightness, lack of sink creates imbalance when attempting to snap off breaks, below-average separation burst from turns (and) needs better angles for improved consistency as run blocker.”
Cephus will also undergo an extensive character background check. While he was found not guilty of the sexual assault charges, Cephus will have that attached to his name in the immediate future.
Where Could He Land?
With this being one of the deepest wide receiver drafts in years, Cephus will likely have to wait until at least the fourth round to hear his name called. There are multiple NFL teams who could use help at the receiver spot, including the team just up the road from Madison.
Green Bay’s lack of depth and talent at the receiver position was one of the main problems on offense for a team that made it to the NFC Championship game last season. The Packers added only Devin Funchess at the position in free agency after allowing Geronimo Allison to depart, so Green Bay will likely add multiple receivers with its 10 picks in the draft.
In the recent mock draft world, Cephus was pegged in the fourth round (No.124 overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers by NFL.com’s Chad Reuter, pick No.128 overall to the Buffalo Bills by the San Diego Union-Tribune and pick No.141 to the Miami Dolphins by DraftWire.
The sixth round was another popular spot for Cephus, as Draftsite.com had him selected at No.202 by the Arizona Cardinals, Draftek had him at No.206 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Bleacher Report put him to the Packers at No.209.
WalterFootball.com also has Cephus going to the Packers, but a round earlier at No.175 overall.
Final Thought
There are a lot of quality receivers in the draft that will allow multiple teams the ability to select No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 pass catchers to round out their offense. Cephus said the depth of players entering the draft or his age (he turned 22 on April 1) weren’t factors, only that he felt physically and mentally ready to make the jump.
One day before the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic wiped out the world sports calendar, including multiple school’s schedule pro days, Cephus was able to show scouts that he could run a faster 40-yard dash. The timing of UW’s pro day might have saved Cephus’ stock and set him up to be drafted.
Cephus has been through a lot in a short time. He grew up in a neighborhood with a lot of drugs and violence, his father was in prison when he was young, his father was killed in April 2017, he was accused of sexual assault and was expelled from school. To his credit, he was able to overcome all those obstacles and handle adversity by focusing on becoming a better football player.
In three seasons at Wisconsin, Cephus dramatically improved his statistical numbers, going from 4 to 30 to 59 catches, from 94 to 501 to 901 yards and from 0 to 6 to 7 touchdowns. With a full healthy season under his belt, Cephus appears to still be years away from his peak. That will make him an attractive selection for an NFL team.
