There are two things that make Charone Peake standout from other wide receivers in this year’s NFL Draft.
The first is his speed. The former Clemson wide receiver ran an unofficial 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at Pro Day on Thursday. The other is his physical toughness. He had 12 reps on the bench, which at 6-foot-2 and an arm length of 34 inches is impressive.
The combination of both, to go along with his 209-pound frame, is not usually found together on a wide receiver coming out of college. There is plenty of tape of Peake showing off both his speed and his physical toughness – the long touchdown passes against Wofford and NC State where he just blew past defenders, and then the massive blocks against Georgia Tech and Miami that sprung long runs for Wayne Gallman and Deshaun Watson.
“I bring a different mentality with my blocking,” Peake said.
He also brings a different aspect with his running. Finally getting his opportunity to start after knee injuries limited him the last two seasons, Peake developed into a better overall receiver in 2015. He improved running his routes, he developed more in space and showed more wiggle than he had in previous years.
Peake is still not a finished product, but there is plenty of upside and that’s what NFL scouts, general managers and coaches like about him. He may not be a Sammy Watkins or DeAndre Hopkins, but he can be a Martavis Bryant, or better yet, maybe a Jaron Brown.
“The bottom line is this. If a receiver is coming out of Clemson, you have to take notice,” NFL Network host Rich Eisen said at the NFL Scouting Combine last month.
Currently, Clemson has five wide receivers either starting or making serious contributions on NFL rosters.
Adam Humphries just finished his rookie season at Tampa Bay by catching 27 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown. Brown just resigned with the Arizona Cardinals after catching 44 passes for 513 yards and four touchdowns since 2013. He has been activated in every game during all three seasons at Arizona since being signed as a free agent in 2013.
Then of course there is Watkins, who tallied 900 receiving yards in the final nine games of the 2015 season for Buffalo, while Hopkins was an All-Pro this past season at Houston. He finished third in the league with 111 receptions for 1,521 yards and a franchise-record 11 touchdowns this past year.
Now it’s Peake’s turn.
“I’m just looking forward to the opportunity,” he said.
Peake’s stock went up after he “wowed” coaches and scouts at the Senior Bowl. He did not hurt his chances with his performance at the combine, either. Though he did not blow anyone away, he still had a solid workout.
At Clemson’s Pro Day on Thursday, Peake’s goal was to improve on his 4.45 40-time from the combine. He did that with his unofficial time of 4.39.
“I came here to knock down my 40-time, and I did what I came here to do,” he said.
Peake says he will spend the next seven weeks at Clemson working and catching passes, unless he is called for a private workout by an NFL team. He says he has already spoken with a couple of NFL teams, though he would not say who.
He also says isn’t going to pay attention to all the mock drafts and things of that nature. He is just going to work and wait for his opportunity when the 2016 NFL Draft begins on April 28.
“I’m going to do my work and if someone gives me an opportunity, I’m going to take advantage of it,” he said.
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