33. DAVID DURDEN | West Florida 6014 | 204 lbs. | 6SR Midville, Ga. (Emanuel County) 12/26/1998 (age 24.34) #17 BACKGROUND: John David Durden II, who is one of four children, was a multi-sport athlete growing up in east Georgia. His mother (Jeana) is a teacher and father (John), who played baseball at Air Force, is a minister. Durden attended Emanuel County Institute and kicked extra points as a freshman. A wide receiver on offense and safety on defense, he posted 13 receptions for 327 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore, adding 42 tackles and four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). As a senior, Durden finished with 45 receptions for 782 yards and 14 touchdowns to earn All-Region honors. He also accounted for three rushing scores and two special teams touchdowns (one punt return, one kick return). He also lettered in basketball and was a standout baseball player. He led Emanuel County to a state championship in 2015 and was named the 2017 Region Player of the Year with eight home runs. A two-star recruit, Durden was the No. 301 wide receiver in the 2017 recruiting class and the No. 235 recruit in Georgia. Playing at a small-town high school program, he went mostly overlooked as a recruit until FCS-level Mercer scouted him and reached out with a scholarship offer. Durden committed to play football but backtracked after the Boston Red Sox selected him in the 20th round (No. 611 overall) of the 2017 MLB Draft. He spent the 2017 season at the rookie ball level and hit .220 (20-for-91) with one double and nine RBI in 30 games. With his heart still in football, Durden left the Red Sox and joined Mercer for the 2018 season. After two seasons at Mercer, he transferred to Division II West Florida and enrolled in the summer of 2020. Durden received an invitation to the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl but was unable to participate due to a left wrist injury. YEAR (GP/GS) REC YDS AVG TD DROP NOTES 2017: Part of the Boston Red Sox organization 2018: (11/10) 18 407 22.6 5 0 Mercer; Honorable Mention Freshman All-American; 11-yard TD pass; 95-yard KR TD 2019: (9/8) 45 647 14.4 4 1 Mercer; First Team All-SoCon (Returner); Second Team All-SoCon (WR); FG block 2020: Season canceled due to COVID pandemic West Florida; Enrolled at West Florida in summer 2020 2021: (9/9) 34 787 23.1 10 1 West Florida; Honorable Mention All-American; First Team All-GSC; Led team in receiving; 6-yard rush TD 2022: (13/13) 54 1,128 20.9 13 2 West Florida; First Team All-American; First Team All-GSC; Led team in receiving; 64-yard PR TD
Total: (42/40) 151 2,969 19.7 32 4 HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP COMBINE N/A (not invited) PRO DAY 6014 204 30 3/8 9 1/2 74 1/2 4.45 2.44 1.55 37 10’7” 4.21 7.00 - (no bench press – left wrist)
STRENGTHS: Good-sized athlete with functional strength to beat the jam … explosive timed speed and play speed … displays the acceleration to consistently gain vertical separation against Division II corners … graceful in mid-air with natural ball-tracking skills … takes sharp angles out of his breaks … mixes his gears as a route runner and not shy attacking the middle of the field … can turn short gains into big plays, displaying outstanding vision, competitive toughness and contact balance with the ball in his hands … productive on special teams as a returner and gunner (10 special teams tackles) … averaged 17.7 yards per punt return in 2022, including a 64-yard touchdown (14/248/1) … averaged 24.6 yards per kick return (43/1,058/1) … receiving production increased each season in college … NFL scouts say his pro day workout (in 33-degree weather) was “outstanding.”
WEAKNESSES: Doesn’t have a body of work against top-tier competition … routes can be overly deliberate at times, drawing sticky coverage … shorter arms and might struggle to fight through the physical coverage of longer corners … inconsistent high-pointer and too content using his body/wrists to finish … contested windows disrupt his focus … guilty of bracing himself for contact at the catch point, making grabs tougher than they need to be … patient with the ball in his hands to follow his blocks but will need to make quicker decisions vs. NFL pursuit … will turn 25 during his NFL rookie season … suffered a left wrist injury that required postseason surgery (December 2022).
SUMMARY: A two-year starter at West Florida, Durden was an outside receiver in the Argos’ balanced offense. After a short-lived pro baseball career, he returned to the football field was immediately productive, initially at Mercer and then West Florida where his 23 receiving touchdowns matched the program record. An impressive athlete for his size, Durden has a smooth accelerator before and after the catch and displays natural pass-catching skills thanks to his steady hand-eye coordination (averaged 19.7 yards per catch in his career). He shifts his gears well as a route runner but could use more polish to consistently create separation out of his stem turns. Overall, Durden will need to prove he can match up vs. NFL speed and strength, but he has the athletic profile and instincts (as a receiver and ball carrier) to earn an NFL roster spot in camp. His value on special teams (as a return man and gunner) could give the edge.
