Colts draft WR Deion Burks - Round 7, Pick 254

[Dam8610]

The agilities leave a bit to be desired, but his route running looks solid and polished. The speed and explosiveness are huge assets.

[Oldcolt]

Ballard does his best work in the later rounds. Fingers crossed

[Hoopsdoc]

Seems like a Gould clone. Maybe he returns punts?

[Kray007]

Fast, apparently the Colts timed him at 4.2’something
Good change of direction ability
Explosive
Strong

If his head’s screwed on right, he has the potential to be TY Hilton 2.0

[AlwaysSunnyinIndy]

The Ringer had ranked Burks the 90th best prospect in this draft.

If the reason for the draft day slide was concerns related to his size, selecting him in the 7th Round near the end of the draft was a no-brainer.


Here was The Ringer's scouting report:

https://theringer.com/nfl-draft/2026/big-board#content

Player comp: Shades of Zay Flowers

Souped-up pass catcher who can line up across the formation and win with top-tier speed and agility.

Burks is an undersized but explosive playmaker who brings alignment versatility, sure hands, and run-after-the catch talent to the field. A fifth-year senior and transfer to Oklahoma in 2024 after starting his career at Purdue, he finished second on the Sooners in catches and yards in 2025, tallying 57 receptions for 620 yards and four touchdowns. He’s quick as a hiccup, using sudden jukes to get off the line and into his route. He uses sharp cuts in his routes to create early separation and has the speed to run away from defenders on deep crossing routes. He leaves corners flat-footed and out of position on double moves. He catches the ball cleanly and shows creativity as a runner with the ball in his hands. He’s utilized on sweeps and screens, where his turbo-boosted acceleration helps him avoid defenders and weave through traffic. Despite his diminutive size, he’s not limited to the slot, with 64 percent of his career snaps coming from the outside. He has reliable hands, with just four drops over the past two seasons at Oklahoma. He brings experience as a kick returner.

Burks lacks size and has a relatively small catch radius. He’s too easily outmuscled at the catch point, and bigger corners slow him up at the route break at times. His college production never stood out and doesn’t match his outstanding explosive traits. Despite his speed, he didn’t produce many big plays over the past two years, with just two receptions of 20-plus yards in that stretch, per PFF. He won’t offer much as a blocker.

[ChaosTheory]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSunnyinIndy

The Ringer had ranked Burks the 90th best prospect in this draft.

I'm going to snoop around other fanbases, but do you know of any other teams with this amount/level of "steals" relative to the consensus boards?

I don't get Allen, Haulcy, Farmer, or Burks falling like they did.