Deguara Short on Size, Long on Versatility

“Being a two-star (recruit) out of high school, I played with that underdog mentality throughout my career,” tight end Josiah Deguara said.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – At Folsom (Calif.) High School, Josiah Deguara recorded 114 receptions for 1,671 yards and 24 scores as a senior. However, tipping the scales at just 200 pounds as a senior, he had only two scholarship offers.

Deguara chose Cincinnati over Air Force and slowly built himself into the tight end who was selected by the Green Bay Packers with a third-round pick on Friday.

“Being a two-star (recruit) out of high school, I played with that underdog mentality throughout my career,” he said in a conference call. “I’m going to have that through my lifetime. Every part of my journey I’m grateful for it. I wouldn’t change a thing because that’s what got me here today. I’m just blessed to be here.”

Deguara redshirted in 2015, caught four passes in 2016 and 11 passes in 2017 before bursting onto the draft radar with 38 receptions for 468 yards and five touchdowns as a junior and 39 receptions for 504 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior.

“I think my junior year is when I really started to see the field a lot and make an impact on the team,” he said. “That’s when I started believing I could do it not only in college but the next level.”

From a national media perspective, Deguara wasn’t considered a top prospect. At 6-foot-2 3/8 and 242 pounds, he’s undersized as tight ends go. With a 4.72 in the 40-yard dash, his athleticism is average.

And yet, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst grabbed him in the third round. He was the third tight end off the board, ahead of Dayton’s Adam Trautman, Florida Atlantic’s Harrison Bryant (the Mackey Award winner as the nation’s top tight end) and Missouri’s Albert Okwuegbunam, who ran his 40 in 4.49.

Deguara can line up here, there and everywhere. He played as a traditional tight end, lined up as a receiver more than one-third of the time and has obvious potential as Danny Vitale’s replacement at fullback. His ability to block on the move was appealing for coach Matt LaFleur's zone-blocking scheme.

“I think that’s the really exciting thing about Josiah. Everywhere, quite frankly,” Gutekunst said. “As we went through the process, that’s a guy that Matt was very, very excited about. I think he’ll be able to line up in-line with his hand down, I think he’ll line up in the slot, back as a fullback, an h-back. I think he can be a matchup piece that can move into all those different spots. He’s a very smart kid. Obviously, he’s been very productive as a pass catcher.”

For the second consecutive year, the Packers used a third-round pick on a tight end. Last year, it was Texas A&M’s Jace Sternberger, who made a minimal impact as a rookie due to injuries. Deguara joins a depth chart headed by Sternberger and veteran Marcedes Lewis and includes Robert Tonyan and defensive lineman-turned-tight end James Looney.

Through three rounds, Green Bay selected a quarterback (Jordan Love), running back (A.J. Dillon) and a tight end. What it didn’t get was a receiver. A record 15 were selected in the first three rounds. Baylor’s Deznel Mims went to the Jets three picks before Green Bay was up in the second round; Texas’ Devin Duvernay went to the Ravens two picks before Green Bay was up in the third round. They head into Saturday without a fourth-round pick as part of trading up to land Love, meaning other improvements will have to wait until the fifth round (one pick), sixth round (three picks) and seventh round (two picks).

“I believe I’m hopefully going to be able to come in and compete right away and make an impact for the better on that team," Deguara said. "Whatever the coaching staff needs time to do I’m going to do. I’m just going to work as hard as ai can to get on the field.”

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