Josiah Deguara Roster Profile

Tight end Josiah Deguara was drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the 30th pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Deguara, played his college football at Cincinnati, where he contributed for four years.

In this series we will examine:

  • Deguara’s prospect profile from our Head of College and NFL Content Simon Carroll
  • his productivity in college
  • his potential opportunities in the NFL in the upcoming season
Check out Deguara’s interview with our own Oli Hodgkinson here.

Prospect Profile

PRO’S: All-rounder of a tight end who was an accomplished performer of multiple duties at Cincinnati. Deceptive speed and can attack the deep field from inline, slot or outside the numbers. Savvy runner who knows when to sink his routes & find soft spots in coverage. Lines up defenders opposite from him and is able to lure them into wrong moves. Elite hands – frequently reeling in catches away from his body. Turns and finds the football quickly. Impressive effort in run blocking and quick to engage his man. Fights on every rep.

CON’S: Physically and athletically average. The step up in competition at the NFL level will mitigate his football smarts and natural feel for the position. Effort in blocking isn’t matched by strength – is no more than a neutraliser at the point of attack. Doesn’t often drive defenders away from the football. Not as impressive with contested catches as he is in the open field.

SIMON CARROLL: “One of my favourite players in this draft, Deguara is a competitor who applies himself relentlessly to every aspect of his position. His underwhelming core strength and size will be a concern to NFL scouts but he outplayed it at college and I expect the same in the pro’s. Made a freshman quarterback’s life a lot easier in his final season as a Bearcat”.

NFL COMPARISON: BEN WATSON

College Stats

Josiah Deguara

Opportunities at the next level

Deguara is so much of all-rounder as a player that some sites even consider him as a fullback on depth charts and roster listings. As long as he shows similar prowess as a run blocker as he did in college, that versatility should ensure he makes this roster in a fullback/tight end hybrid role. Some good examples to imagine how Deguara may be used are Kyle Juszczyk in San Francisco and the way Delanie Walker was used under Matt LaFleur in Tennessee.

Aside from Deguara, the Packers are carrying five tight ends on their roster with NFL experience. Marcedes Lewis is the most well-known name of the group, but his days as a pass catcher are largely behind him, with just 18 receptions and 23 targets in the two years he has been with Green Bay. 

Behind Lewis, the other four tight ends have a total of just 14 receptions between them, all of which belong to Robert Tonyan. Last years third round draft pick, Jace Sternberger, only managed to play in six games in 2019, but the Packers will be hoping he takes a step forward this season.

As a third-round pick with versatility, Deguara should be a lock to make the roster for the Packers. As long as he demonstrates himself capable with his hands in whatever training camp and preseason we have in 2020, then he has a great opportunity to see plenty of playing time as a rookie. If he proves his reliability to Aaron Rodgers then he could even find himself replacing former third-round pick Jimmy Graham as the number one tight end on this offense.

Ben Rolfe

Head of NFL Content

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