PROVO — Each week until the 2016 NFL draft in April, I will profile a graduated BYU football player who is seeking to take his skills to the pros.

This week, I break down former Cougar wide receiver Terenn Houk's strengths and weaknesses as he seeks to continue his football career.

Strengths

Height — Houk was one prong of a trio of towering receivers (Mitch Mathews and Nick Kurtz being the other two) for the Cougars in 2015. At 6-foot-5, he dwarfed many opposing teams' cornerbacks and safeties. Houk was good at using his height to his advantage and gave BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum a nice tall target to throw to. Quarterbacks love having receivers to whom they do not need to throw perfect balls, and Houk frequently exhibited an ability to go up and get the football, especially in his senior season.

Consistent production — Houk was not an All-American caliber player at BYU. He won't go down as one of the top players in school history, but he had a solid career as a Cougar and was a key contributor by his senior campaign in 2015. At the end of this past season, he was named to Phil Steele's postseason All-Independent second team. In his final campaign, Houk pulled down 37 passes and made plays when the ball was thrown his direction. In 2015, he had at least four catches in seven games. An exhibited ability to be sure-handed and steady might be appealing to some professional teams.

Weaknesses

Speed — For NFL standards, Houk is not fast. According to NFLDraftScout.com, he runs the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds. That just won't cut it at the next level. Houk will have to seriously improve on that time if he wants to catch the attention of any NFL scouts. In the pros, receivers need to be able to explode off of the line of scrimmage in order to create separation and get open. Houk got open at the college level mostly by running good routes and using deception. That won't translate to success in the NFL.

No true position — Houk was basically a tight end the past few seasons in offensive coordinator Robert Anae's scheme. Houk was lined up on the inside and ran routes typical of a tight end. That is probably the only position he could play at the next level. However, Houk did not line up on the line of scrimmage with his hand on the turf. He lined up like a wide receiver and it is not known whether or not he could transition to being a true tight end. He also doesn't currently have the body of an NFL tight end. He would need to put on some muscle to be physically able to play the position.

NFL Draft Profile

Devon Blackmon, BYU

BYU wide receiver Devon Blackmon had a solid 2015 season in his final one with the Cougars. The speedster is hoping to take his talents to the next level and play in the NFL.

Prediction

Terren Houk was a good player for BYU, particularly in his senior season. He was the closest thing to a tight end Robert Anae had the past couple of years. Cougar fans will always remember him for his exuberant celebration in which he hugged the referee who signaled that Mitch Mathews had scored the game-winning touchdown against Nebraska.

However, Houk has little chance of catching on with an NFL team. He is not fast enough to play wide receiver at the next level and he would have to bulk up significantly to play the tight end position. Houk's skillset could land him with a Canadian Football League team if he desires to continue playing competitive football.

Dylan Cannon is a regular KSL.com contributor and can be reached at DylanCannon86@gmail.com or via twitter @DylanCannon11.

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