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49ers: 2017 NFL Draft Mid-Round Prospect — Travin Dural

By Conor McGuire

Oct 3, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Eastern Michigan Eagles defensive back DaQuan Pace (1) is called for pass interference against LSU Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural (83) during the first quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Eastern Michigan Eagles defensive back DaQuan Pace (1) is called for pass interference against LSU Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural (83) during the first quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 3, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural (83) drops a pass against the Eastern Michigan Eagles during the second quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural (83) drops a pass against the Eastern Michigan Eagles during the second quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

Travin Dural’s Catching Ability & Radius

Let’s get this out in the open right away — Travin Dural is not Odell Beckham Jr., but no one is. However, Dural is an excellent catcher of the football, with his size and length helping him become an even bigger target than he is.

Dural has tremendous body control in mid air and, although he isn’t Beckham Jr., Dural has great leaping ability and has proven he can make a highlight-reel catch:

As evident by that catch, he has a unique ability to create separation mid air and also has terrific hand strength even when his hands are away from his body, allowing him to make one-handed grabs.

Like many receivers, Dural has had some struggles with drops when crossing the middle of the field. It’s not easy to make a catch knowing you’re about to take a lick, and Dural — like many receivers — has dropped passes with impending hits coming.

Dural should be a consistent pass catcher at the next level. He has a big set of hands and likes to use them, as opposed to his body when catching passes. Despite having a good-sized frame, Dural doesn’t have an extremely large catch radius.

But the inconsistency from the LSU quarterback position probably deserves a large portion of the blame for this.

Conclusion: Dural has good catching ability, but not great quite yet. He should only continue to develop and with consistent quarterback play his own play will continue to rise.

He will never be mentioned among the wide receivers with the best hands, but he is a threat to make a spectacular catch particularly when he beats you deep.