Dynasty Prospect Profile: Parris Campbell
Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State
Height: 6’0
Weight: 205
Age: 21.7
Combine results:
(percentile rank among all WRs at the Combine since 1999, courtesy of mockdraftable.com):
40-yard dash: 4.31 seconds (96th)
Vertical: 40” (92nd)
Broad: 135” (98th)
3-cone: n/a
20-yard shuttle: 4.03 (90th)
College career:
A star RB and sprinter in high school, Campbell arrived at Ohio State as a 4-star prospect. He didn’t hit the stat sheet as a freshman and did most of his work on special teams as a sophomore, averaging a big 27.8 yards on 12 kick returns.
Campbell stepped into a significant offensive role in 2017, leading the Buckeyes in receiving yards and finishing 2nd in catches. He added another 132 yards and 1 TD on 10 carries and took 9 kick returns for 329 yards (36.6-yard average).
Campbell set a school record with 90 catches this past year and became just the 5th Buckeye to top 1,000 receiving yards. His 12 TDs tied for 8th most in the nation.
Part of an explosive Ohio State passing game that ranked 1st in yards and 2nd in TDs, Campbell posted just decent market shares: 22.7% of the catches, 20.8% of the yards and 23.5% of the TDs. Those marks rank 28th, 41st and 35th among the 48 WRs at this year’s Combine.
Campbell was uber-efficient, though, finishing 5th among all draft-eligible WRs in yards per route run (3.47), according to Pro Football Focus.
Film study:
Courtesy of @WhatsOnDraftNFL
Games watched - Indiana, Michigan State, Maryland, Michigan, Washington
Campbell lined up primarily in the slot for Ohio State. Per Pro Football Focus, he made 73 of his 90 catches this past season from inside He was often matched up against guys with little chance to hang with his combination of sharp cuts and explosive breaks.
Campbell did most of his work on short routes last year, but he did flash the ability to pick up chunk gains downfield.
His combination of change-of-direction and long speed makes him a serious weapon in the open field. He made big plays for the Buckeyes both after the catch and on jet sweeps.
Here, Campbell beats Michigan LB Devin Bush, who blazed a 4.43-second 40 at the Combine, to the edge for a big gain.
Campbell brings a reliable pair of mitts, dropping just 5.2% of his catchable targets last year, according to PFF. He was rarely asked to win contested balls downfield, though, and doesn’t project to win in that facet as a pro.
Fantasy potential:
Campbell is an interesting prospect. He had just 1 big season at Ohio State — and even then, his market shares weren’t huge. The 2018 tape shows that most of his production was manufactured by quick-hitting routes and jet sweeps.
But Campbell deserves credit for his ability to create separation in tight areas. And the 4.31 speed that he flashed at the Combine certainly shows up when he gets into the open field. He crushed all the drills in Indianapolis, earning a 99th percentile SPARQ score.
That suggests that he could be more of a big-play guy at the next level if his NFL team opts to use him that way. Guys like Tyreek Hill and T.Y. Hilton have generated a bunch of long gains from the slot in recent seasons. And they’ve both produced WR1 campaigns.
Campbell boasts that type of upside if he lands with a team that can optimize his skill set.