Getty Quintez Cephus during the Rose Bowl.
The Detroit Lions have added a couple of big rookie pieces to their offense entering the 2020 season, and thus far in camp, both D’Andre Swift and Quintez Cephus have impressed the staff in their own way.
Tuesday, the Lions made the move to cut wideout Geremy Davis, a player whom they signed during the free agency process in 2020. The move was perhaps a bit surprising because Davis is a 28 year old veteran that could be seen as stable in what might be an unstable year.
For the Lions, though, the reason that move took place had to do with the rapid development of Cephus. According to NFL insider Adam Caplan, the team has been pleased by his rapid development in camp and expect him to back up “multiple positions” this season. Additionally, Cephus could see the field more quickly than first thought and with more frequency.
@candyflossss_ Cephus will back up multiple positions. Well ahead of where they thought he would be this early. They knew he was smart, but he’s going to be on the field more than first thought.
The strides of Cephus aren’t surprising. He’s been soaking up information this camp period from Detroit’s talented veteran wideout group, and that could give him a leg up as it relates to playing a quick role. He’s been described as a solid route runner and a player who can easily fight for position to make tough catches.
Obviously, there’s a role for a player like that in the NFL, and the fact that Cephus is showing this much early in camp can only be described as an encouraging sign for the Lions moving into the rapidly approaching 2020 season.
Quintez Cepuhs Compared to Hall of Fame Wideout
While Cephus might be a mere 5th round pick, some strong value was seen in the selection by NFL.com reporter Gil Brandt. As Brandt said, he believes Cephus was a good selection for the Lions, and he thinks he shares physical similarities with Michael Irvin, former Dallas Cowboys wideout. Irvin went in the 1st round and Cephus went later, but there are similarities to the eye of someone formally in personnel.
I love the Lions’ pick of Wisconsin WR Quintez Cephus. I said before he reminded me of a young Michael Irvin in terms of size/speed. Top Big Ten CBs said he was toughest to defend. Would have been drafted much higher if he had run better at combine (4.73)
This is lofty praise for Cephus, but interestingly enough, his newest teammate Jeff Okudah claimed Cephus was the best player he competed against in college and someone who made him evolve his own game at cornerback. Obviously, the players will get to compete against each other all the time now.
Jeff Okudah called Quintez Cephus the toughest receiver he covered in college. Now they’re teammates.
Jeff Okudah: “Quintez Cephus from Wisconsin, I think he’s the best receiver I went against. It doesn’t matter what his 40 time was. Football is played in between the lines and he’s a technician, someone that I changed my plan up for every single week.”
It will be interesting to see how good Cephus and Okudah can make each other moving forward, and if Cephus can take his place amongst the best in the league like Brandt thinks.
Quintez Cephus Stats
In college, Cephus put up a solid 1,496 yards and 9 touchdowns in a run-heavy Badgers offense. He’s a player that has some potential that could be developed into something a little more, and with the Lions needing wideouts for the future, it’s possible they could take a couple swings in the middle to late rounds at the position.
Cephus didn’t have a fast run at the NFL Combine running in the 4.7’s, but improved things during his early pro day with Wisconsin. More than the speed, it’s the ability of Cephus to run good routes and make solid catches which impresses. As a result of that, he could be a solid pro who sticks in the league.
It’s possible that Cephus makes a huge impact in 2020, and his production from college and smooth transition to the pros could be a big reason why.
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