[2022 Draft/2-44] John Metchie III, WR, Alabama

11. JOHN METCHIE III | Alabama 5112 | 187 lbs. | JR. Brampton, Canada (St. James) 7/18/2000 (age 21.78) #8

BACKGROUND: John Metchie III, who is one of five boys, was born in Taiwan to his Taiwanese mother (Joyce) and Nigerian father (John). Shortly after he was born, his family moved to the capital city of Accra in the West African country of Ghana for six years before moving to Brampton in Ontario, Canada. Metchie, who also played lacrosse and soccer growing up, didn’t start playing football until middle school, when he joined the Brampton Bulldogs. Hoping for better opportunities academically and athletically, he left his family and moved to the United States at age 14, enrolling at St. James School in Hagerstown, Md., for high school. A four- year letterman and starting wide receiver, Metchie posted 132 catches for 2,506 yards and 26 touchdown grabs, adding 825 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns and five return touchdowns. He graduated from St. James at age 17 and attended The Peddie School (Hightstown, N.J.) for one final prep year.

A four-star recruit out of high school, Metchie was the No. 40 wide receiver in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 6 recruit in the state of New Jersey. He received more than 20 scholarship offers from top-level programs like Georgia, Michigan and Notre Dame. But Metchie was sold on Alabama’s demanding, no-nonsense regiment and committed to the Crimson Tide over Penn State. The Alabama coaches supported his extra year at the prep level. In a different country than his family, he was unable to see them in person for two years during the pandemic. Metchie elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2022 NFL Draft.

STRENGTHS: Athletic, detail-oriented route runner ... transitions weight well to shake free of coverage with little wasted motion in his breaks ... expansive release package to evade press, and establishes initial leverage ... quick to dissect coverage and cleverly adjusts his throttle to set up defenders ... tracks the ball extremely well, and consistently hand-catches outside his frame ... catch-point focus appears to increase in high-traffic areas ... continually works to get uncovered, and the work he puts in to create chemistry with his quarterbacks is obvious ... competitive after the catch and more slippery than expected ... graded very well as a blocker, and takes pride in his production without the ball ... already carries himself like a professional and out-works everyone (head coach Nick Saban: “This guy is the epitome of what you look for in a wide receiver. He is tough. He plays hurt. He plays physical. He gets open. He makes catches. He makes plays. He never complains.”) ... plays across the formation, and is comfortable inside or outside ... excellent production the past two seasons.

WEAKNESSES: Average-sized target ... will look to run before securing, leading to occasional concentration drops ... room to tighten up his stem skills to be more sudden with his footwork ... can do a better job stacking cornerbacks once he turns on the jets ... had two receptions of 50-plus yards in his first game in the starting lineup in September 2020, but none in his next 196 targets ... below-average touchdown rate, averaging a touchdown every 10.3 receptions in college ... medical process will be important after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee (December 2021) in the SEC Championship Game, which sidelined him for the draft process; played through ankle and shin injuries in 2020 and required separate surgeries on both after the season; was diagnosed with an enlarged heart in high school.

SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Alabama, Metchie was the X receiver in offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien’s scheme, lining up both outside and in the slot. He became a starter for the Tide when Jaylen Waddle went down with his ankle injury in the fifth game of the 2020 season and flourished catching the ball from Mac Jones and Bryce Young the past two seasons. Metchie, who has a worldly background and lived on three different continents before his seventh birthday, adopted a fierce work ethic and devotion to his craft, which is evident on film. He has outstanding body control and adjustment skills, although he is guilty of the occasional focus drop (had more career drops than TD catches). Overall, Metchie has only average size and speed, but he is a seasoned route runner who understands how to manipulate coverage and be a quarterback’s best friend. As long as he makes a full recovery from his ACL tear, he can be a quality No. 2 receiver in the NFL.

GRADE: 3rd Round (No. 71 overall)