National Football League

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

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:38 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Conor McGuire/FanSided via Niner Noise

Assuming Kyle Shanahan is named head coach for the San Francisco 49ers , he will be looking to add immediate talent to an offense that currently lacks consistent playmakers. Here’s a breakdown of LSU wide receiver Travin Dural, whom the 49ers should target later in the NFL Draft.

Sep 19, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural (83) breaks away from Auburn Tigers linebacker Cassanova McKinzy (8) during the first quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers currently lack any playmakers at the wide receiver position and will be looking to add a receiver or two in this April’s NFL Draft.

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On a team with multiple needs, the 49ers will likely need to work their draft board and find a mid-round talent who can turn into a consistent playmaker.

The recent emergence of wide receivers like Antonio Brown, Doug Baldwin, Jamison Crowder, Kenny Stills and Stefon Diggs, all of whom were not well heralded leading into the draft, has proven premium talent can still be available in mid-to-later rounds.

This will again be the case in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Prior to the draft, Clemson’s Mike Williams will get all the hype and be at the top of every draft board. But lesser-known players like North Carolina’s Ryan Switzer, Eastern Washington’s Cooper Kupp and LSU’s Travin Dural could be the next crop of unsung receivers to make a major impact.

So rather than breakdown a player everyone knows like Mike Williams, lets take a deeper look at Dural.

Sep 12, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural (83) runs the ball during the 2nd quarter of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Travin Dural’s Bio

Travin Dural is a 6-foot-2, 203-pound redshirt senior out of Louisiana State University.

In four seasons for the Tigers, Dural’s career stats were – 100 receptions, 1,716 yards and 13 touchdowns.

For a player who played all four seasons these numbers aren’t impressive. But LSU is a power running team that has had terrible quarterback play the last few seasons.

College statistics, often times, do not tell the story because the talent of each conference is so vastly different. Take, for instance, former LSU wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, who statistically, did not blow anyone away. But, on film, were two of the most impressive receivers in the country.

This isn’t to say Dural is the next Beckham or Landry. But it’s worth noting both of their careers didn’t take off until reaching the NFL. Dural could very well follow in their footsteps and come into his own at the next level.

While a lot of draft prospects may have red flags attached to their names, Dural is quite the opposite. The summer of 2015 was tough on the LSU football program, with five arrests occurring in a short period of time. But in July of 2015, there was good news. Dural and his cousin stopped to rescue a woman who was trapped in her car that had overturned. A player with high character like this is something the 49ers could use after some recent legal issues. Dural is the right step in the “win with class” direction.

Now let’s break down his game film.

Oct 24, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural (83) runs away from Western Kentucky Hilltoppers defensive back Marcus Ward (8) and defensive back Branden Leston (31) during the second quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Travin Dural’s Speed and Quickness

Travis Dural is a burner on the outside, reportedly able to run a sub 4.4 40-yard dash according to folks at LSU.

He has the straight line speed to beat a corner deep at any moment, but also possesses quickness off the line of scrimmage that allows him to beat press coverage.

Long fluid strides make him near impossible to catch in the open field. After seeing his strides it will come as no surprise that he was a track star in high school winning a state title in both the 200-meter and also 4×200, according to his LSU biography.

His quickness is not just limited to his legs, as Dural has elite quickness with his hands that allow him to dominate hand fighting battles in press coverage.

Take a look at what you see in this film below:

Along with his hand-fighting ability, Dural is able to angle his body and be quick with fake jabs to get off press coverage.

Conclusion: His speed and quickness are elite and will help him excel in the NFL and, potentially, with the 49ers.

Oct 10, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural (83) runs after a catch for a touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the third quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated South Carolina 45-24. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Travin Dural’s Route-Running Ability

Pairing well with his elite speed and quickness is Travin Dural’s route-running ability. By no means has Dural mastered the route tree — there is a lot of room for improvement — but he does excel at some particular routes.

Because of his speed, Dural obviously excels at running the “go” route and, as a result of that deadly speed, he also runs a great “comeback” route.

Defenders have to account for that speed to get deep, and Dural smoothly stops on a dime without much hip movement and comebacks to the ball. In addition to speed, Dural also excels at faking defenders out with both his shoulders and feet. Dural will threaten to blow past a defender pushing towards the sideline with his outside foot before crossing the defenders face to the middle of the field.

Dural has impressed with his “go” and “comeback,” but he struggles a bit running routes over the middle of the field, often times hooking off at the break point of his “dig” and “slant” routes. He has a tendency to sense hits coming and that has resulted in some over the middle drops, but this could be a result of shoddy quarterback play and inconsistent ball placement from the position.

One thing Dural seemed to excel at regardless of the route is both coming to the ball and sitting in windows, as opposed to drifting. Often times young receivers have a tendency to not recognize windows where they are open and can cover themselves by drifting and running themselves into a defender.

Conclusion: Dural has not mastered the route tree, but he is an exceptionally smooth route runner overall. He seems to glide on the field, with great stride length and body control. He projects best as a deep-ball threat on the outside. But with some polishing, he could turn into a complete wide receiver.

And that’s something the 49ers need.

Oct 10, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural (83) runs from South Carolina Gamecocks linebacker Skai Moore (10) during the second quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Travin Dural and the Blocking Game

Blocking is never the sexy talk when evaluating a wide receiver. But it is a trait that becomes very important at the NFL level. Facing more press coverage and dealing with more audibles at the line of scrimmage, it’s important for receivers to be able to block to stay on the field.

Coming from a pro-style offense and against elite SEC defensive talent, Travin Dural has been forced to become an adequate blocker. Dural is no Hines Ward by any means, but he is serviceable. He tends to rely on “running the defensive back off,” meaning he acts as if he’s running a deep route to get the defensive back(s) away from the box.

Dural is excellent at faking this, and his speed is likely so feared that defensive backs are forced to acknowledge it.

On the occasions when he does engage as a blocker, Dural struggles to keep his hands on his man, often times over extending his arms and not keeping a good base. He fails to consistently break down and position his body to shield the ball carrier. He is always active, even on running plays, in the 10 games watched for this breakdown, he didn’t seem to dog it on any single play.

Conclusion: Dural is a capable blocker and has traits that will lead to success, but he really needs to work on his technique. Running defenders off won’t work as often in the NFL.

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.

Nov 9, 2013; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural (83) catches a six yard touchdown from Zach Mettenberger (not pictured) against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Travin Dural Comparison at the NFL Level

Player comparisons can be very difficult because there are so many variables when evaluating players — quarterback play, system, role in the offense, etc. But for breakdown’s sake, lets do it.

Dural’s speed, quickness and smooth route running are similar to DeAndre Hopkins coming out of Clemson. While his overall talent is not quite on Hopkins’ level, Dural’s effortless route running is reminiscent of the now star wide receiver.

In the NFL, Dural will likely never be on the same level as Hopkins. But his size and overall ability compare nicely to Mike Wallace.

Wallace was particularly effective during his time in Pittsburgh when he was the second option in the passing offense and used primarily to stretch the field.

NFL Draft Projection

In a draft with a number of talented wide receivers, Travin Dural will be a third- or a fourth-round prospect, who can step in from day one to be an impact addition. Because he spent five years in college, he should be closed to a finished product within a year or two of being drafted.

Dural would be a nice find for the 49ers in the middle rounds of the draft.

More from Niner Noise

Assuming Kyle Shanahan is named the next head coach, he will be looking for playmakers to improve the offense. Dural fits the bill.

The 49ers have given former draft picks Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington more than enough chances, and it’s time to move on from them both. In addition, Chris Harper and Rod Streater are nothing more than stopgaps that can easily be replaced.

The 49ers need to work the draft board in April and come away with a wide receiver or two who will improve the offense going forward.

Drafting Travin Dural in the middle rounds is a good start.

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