OVERVIEW
Also played basketball as a Michigan prep. Broke a finger on his left hand as a senior, causing him to switch to running back -- returned to the field with a cast up to his left elbow. Redshirted in 2009. Started 6-of-10 games played in '10 and caught nine balls for 130 yards (13-yard average) and a touchdown. Started 8-of-11 games in '11, tallying 48-968-14 (20.2). Set SVSU single-season records for catches and receiving yards in '12 when he started all 11 games and piled up 106-1635-17 (15.4). Was Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Back of the Year in '13 when he totaled 83-1,572-14 (18.9) in 12 contests.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS:
Exceptional measurables and leaping ability -- will test through the roof. Accelerates into routes quickly and can separate vertically and uncover underneath working short-to-intermediate zones. Terrific production -- carves up lesser competition and creates chunk plays. Good red-zone target. Exceptional work ethic. Outstanding football character. Very passionate about the game. Has a 37 1/2-inch vertical jump, posted a 3.98-second 20-yard shuttle (fourth-best among receivers) and a 6.64-second 3-cone time.
WEAKNESSES:
Has very small, inconsistent hands -- will cradle the ball and use his body. Is not a nuanced route runner. Does not attack the ball in the air and will give up some break points. Not strong after the catch and will look for a soft landing spot. Can be fazed by traffic. Regularly faced Division II competition. Not a consistent blocker -- does not play to his size.
DRAFT PROJECTION:
Rounds 3-4
BOTTOM LINE:
A Division II standout with rare measurables and production, Janis must prove that he can translate his small-school success to the field against better competition.
CBS.com:
PLAYER LOWDOWN
| COMBINE RESULTS | |||||||
| 40 YD | 20 YD | 10 YD | 225 BENCH | VERTICAL JUMP | BROAD | SHUTTLE | 3-CONE DRILL |
| 4.37 | 2.48 | 1.51 | 20 | 37 1/2 | 10'3" | 3.98 | 6.64 |
| WORKOUT RESULTS | |||||||
| 40 YD | 20 YD | 10 YD | 225 BENCH | VERTICAL JUMP | BROAD | SHUTTLE | 3-CONE DRILL |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS: Looks the part with a tall, muscular body type. Has worked hard to fill out his frame. Fleet of foot with very good build up speed to accelerate away from defenders. Controlled routes and shifts his momentum well with smooth footwork in/out of his breaks. Good hesitation to sell patterns. Good tracking skills and judgment on deep throws. Solid functional strength for the position, making it a chore for tacklers to finish him off. Strong competitor with an intrepid, fearless approach to the game. Very tough and holds onto the ball after jarring hits. Ambitious worker with strong intangibles and excellent character on and off the field. Try-hard player who gets the most out of his ability. Productive resume (37 career starts) with back-to-back 1,500+ receiving yard seasons the past two years. Holds the school record for single-season receiving yards (1,635), single-game receiving yards (300) and single-game catches (18).
WEAKNESSES: Marginal initial burst and needs a few steps to get back up to full speed after gearing down. Bad habit of rounding some routes and will try to freelance too much. Will have some double-catches and fight the ball at times. Hand/eye coordination appears to very average. Limited after the catch and lacks suddenness in space to create much separation. Not the most consistent in traffic. Limited experience as a return man on special teams. Career production and experience came against a lower level of competition.
--Dane Brugler
PLAYER OVERVIEW
An overlooked high school recruit, Janis didn?t receive any Division-I (FBS or FCS) scholarship offers, staying close to home at Division-II Saginaw Valley State. After redshirting in 2009, he quickly established himself as a starter and set multiple school records as a junior in 2012 with 106 catches for a Division-II-best 1,635 yards and 17 touchdowns, earning First Team All American and All-GLIAC honors. Janis again earned All-Conference honors in 2013 as a senior with 83 catches for 1,572 yards and 14 scores, finishing his career second in GLIAC history with 4,305 career receiving yards. He isn't the most developed or elusive route runners, but he has excellent speed and natural athletic traits to be an effective pass-catcher at every level of the field. Janis has impeccable football character and gets the most out of his ability, but needs to be more reliable finishing catches and gaining separation to be reliable.
