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Donovan Peoples-Jones

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Donovan Peoples-Jones
refer to caption
Peoples-Jones with the Browns in 2021
No. 19 – Detroit Lions
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1999-02-19) February 19, 1999 (age 25)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:204 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Cass Tech (Detroit, Michigan)
College:Michigan (2017–2019)
NFL draft:2020 / round: 6 / pick: 187
Career history
Roster status:Practice squad
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 5, 2024
Receptions:122
Receiving yards:1,895
Receiving touchdowns:8
Return yards:858
Return touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Donovan Peoples-Jones (born February 19, 1999), also known as "DPJ",[1][2] is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Michigan and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Peoples-Jones played high school, collegiate and professional football in the state of Michigan.

Early life

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Donovan Peoples-Jones was born in Detroit on February 19, 1999, to Roslyn Peoples and Eddie Jones. He attended Southfield Christian School Kindergarten through 8th grade, but then opted out to look for a career in sports. He then attended Cass Technical High School where he was a five-star recruit and rated as the best wide receiver recruit from the state of Michigan since Charles Rogers in 2000.[3][4] Peoples-Jones was named the 2016 Michigan High School Football Player of the Year by MLive Media Group on November 22, 2016.[5] As a senior at Cass Tech, Peoples-Jones had 60 receptions for 1,071 yards and 17 touchdowns. On December 15, 2016, he committed to play for the University of Michigan in a nationally televised press conference on ESPN2.[6]

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date
Donovan Peoples-Jones
WR 		Detroit, Michigan Cass Technical High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 193 lb (88 kg) 4.45 Dec 15, 2016 
Star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 12  247Sports: 26  ESPN: 22
  • ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Michigan Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 23, 2018.

College career

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Peoples-Jones with Michigan in 2017

After committing to Michigan, Peoples-Jones enrolled early in January 2017. After watching Peoples-Jones and fellow freshman Tarik Black in spring practice, offensive lineman Mason Cole predicted the pair were "going to be unbelievable."[7]

On September 2, 2017, Peoples-Jones started at punt returner as a true freshman in Michigan's season opener against Florida. He returned five punts for 40 yards, including an 18-yard return.[8][9][10] In his second game, he ran 44 yards on a jet sweep in the first quarter against Cincinnati. In his third game, he returned two punts for 104 yards, including a 79-yard return for a touchdown in the third quarter against Air Force. His 79-yard return for a touchdown was the longest by any Michigan punt returner since Steve Breaston went 83 yards against Indiana in 2006.[11] He finished with the second-most return attempts and eighth-most return yards in a single season by a Wolverine, and also caught 22 passes for 277 yards. Following an outstanding freshman season, he was named a Freshman All-American by Football Writers Association of America and 247 Sports, and was named Michigan's Rookie of the Year.[12]

During the 2018 season, Peoples-Jones led the team with 39 receptions, for 541 yards and seven touchdowns. Peoples-Jones ranked second in the Big Ten in punt return average (10.1) among players with 10 returns or more, and his 64 career return attempts ranks fourth in Michigan program history. On October 20, 2018, in a rivalry game against Michigan State, Peoples-Jones had a career-long reception of 79 yards for a touchdown.[13] Following the season, he was named to the All-Big Ten special teams third-team, by both the coaches and media, and the All-Big Ten offensive teams third-team by coaches.[14][15]

Following the 2019 season, he was named to the All-Big Ten special teams third-team by the media, and the All-Big Ten offensive team honorable mention by the media.[16][17] On January 4, 2020, Peoples-Jones announced he would forgo his final season of eligibility to enter the 2020 NFL draft.[18][19]

College statistics

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Season Team Conf GP Receiving Rushing Returning
Rec Yds Avg TD Att Yds Avg TD Ret Yds Avg TD
2017 Michigan Big Ten 13 22 277 12.6 0 4 57 14.3 0 40 320 8.0 1
2018 Michigan Big Ten 13 47 612 13.0 8 3 37 12.3 0 25 250 10.0 1
2019 Michigan Big Ten 11 34 438 12.9 6 2 −7 −3.5 0 24 173 7.2 0
Career 37 103 1,327 12.9 14 9 87 9.7 0 89 743 8.3 2

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 1+5⁄8 in
(1.87 m) 		212 lb
(96 kg) 		33+1⁄2 in
(0.85 m) 		10+1⁄8 in
(0.26 m)		 4.48 s 1.54 s 2.63 s 44.5 in
(1.13 m)		 11 ft 7 in
(3.53 m)
All values from NFL Combine[20][21]

Cleveland Browns

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Peoples-Jones with the Browns in 2023

Peoples-Jones was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round with the 187th overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft.[22] He signed his rookie contract with the Browns on May 20, 2020.[23] On October 25, 2020, Peoples-Jones caught three passes for 56 yards and the game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds left in the game during the 37–34 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7.[24] In Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans, Peoples-Jones recorded two catches for 92 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown, during the 41–35 win.[25] In Week 14 against the Baltimore Ravens, Peoples-Jones recorded three catches for 74 yards and a two-point conversion.[26] He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on December 26, 2020,[27] and activated on December 31.[28] He finished his rookie season with 14 receptions for 304 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in 12 games.[29]

On October 17, 2021, in Week 6, Peoples-Jones caught four passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals, including a Hail Mary at the end of the first half.[30][31] He finished the 2021 season with 34 receptions for 597 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in 14 games.[32]

In Week 13 of the 2022 season, Peoples-Jones had a 76-yard punt return touchdown in a 27–14 win over the Houston Texans, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.[33] In the following game, against the Bengals, he had eight receptions for 114 receiving yards.[34] In the 2022 season, he finished with 61 receptions for 839 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.[35]

Detroit Lions

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On October 31, 2023, Peoples-Jones, a Detroit native, was traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft.[36][37]

On March 18, 2024, Peoples-Jones re-signed with the Lions.[38]

On August 26, 2024, Peoples-Jones was released by the Lions.[39] He re-signed with the team's practice squad two days later on August 28, 2024.[40]

NFL career statistics

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Regular season

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Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2020 CLE 12 2 14 304 21.7 75T 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
2021 CLE 14 9 34 597 17.6 60T 3 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 1
2022 CLE 17 14 61 839 13.8 42 3 1 2 2.0 2 0 0 0
2023 CLE 7 5 8 97 12.1 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
DET 8 1 5 58 11.6 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 58 31 122 1,895 15.5 75 8 1 2 2.0 2 0 3 1

Postseason

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Year Team Games Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2020 CLE 2 2 2 31 15.5 23 0 0 0
2023 DET 3 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
Career 5 2 2 31 15.5 23 0 0 0

References

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  1. ^ Chengelis, Angelique S. (August 11, 2017). "Harbaugh raves about Michigan freshman receivers". The Detroit News. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  2. ^ Snyder, Mark (April 16, 2017). "Peoples-Jones, Tarik Black flash skills in Michigan's spring game". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  3. ^ "Donovan People-Jones". University of Michigan. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  4. ^ Purcell, Jared (December 15, 2016). "Donovan Peoples-Jones is state's best WR recruit since 2000". Mlive.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  5. ^ Purcell, Jared (November 22, 2016). "Donovan Peoples-Jones is named Michigan High School Football Player of the Year". Mlive.com. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  6. ^ Nelsen, Chris (December 15, 2016). "Cass Tech WR Donovan Peoples-Jones commits to Michigan football". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  7. ^ Chengelis, Angelique S. (August 30, 2017). "UM's Black, Peoples-Jones 'are going to be unbelievable'". The Detroit News. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  8. ^ Baumgardner, Nick (September 5, 2017). "Michigan's Donovan Peoples-Jones trusting plan, focused on improvement". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  9. ^ McMann, Aaron (September 6, 2016). "For Michigan's Donovan Peoples-Jones, Step 1 is returning kicks". Mlive.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  10. ^ Sang, Orion (September 5, 2017). "Peoples-Jones embraces fearless attitude at punt returner". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  11. ^ Sipple, George (September 16, 2017). "Michigan's Donovan Peoples-Jones earns props from friends, foes for TD". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  12. ^ "Peoples-Jones Named FWAA Freshman All-American". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  13. ^ "Donovan Peoples-Jones – Football". University of Michigan Athletics. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  14. ^ Ablauf, Dave; Shepard, Chad (November 27, 2017). "Fourteen Wolverines Earn All-Big Ten Honors on Defense, Special Teams". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  15. ^ Ablauf, Dave; Shepard, Chad (November 27, 2017). "Eleven Michigan Players Selected for All-Big Ten Honors on Offense". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  16. ^ Ablauf, Dave; Shepard, Chad (December 3, 2019). "Fourteen Wolverines Honored by Big Ten on Defense and Special Teams". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  17. ^ Ablauf, Dave; Shepard, Chad (December 4, 2019). "Thirteen Michigan Players Honored by Big Ten on Offense". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  18. ^ Brown, Brandon (January 4, 2020). "BREAKING: Donovan Peoples-Jones Declares For NFL Draft". Maven. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  19. ^ Sang, Orion (January 4, 2020). "Michigan's Donovan Peoples-Jones declares for 2020 NFL draft". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  20. ^ "Donovan Peoples-Jones Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  21. ^ "Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan, WR, 2020 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". DraftScout.com. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  22. ^ Gribble, Andrew (April 25, 2020). "Browns select Michigan WR Donovan Peoples-Jones with No. 187 pick in 2020 NFL Draft". ClevelandBrowns.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  23. ^ "Browns sign 2 draft picks". ClevelandBrowns.com. May 20, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  24. ^ Rapien, James (October 25, 2020). "Baker Mayfield Finds Peoples-Jones For Late Score, Browns Stun Bengals 37–34". SI.com. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  25. ^ "Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans - December 6th, 2020". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  26. ^ "Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns - December 14th, 2020". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  27. ^ "Browns place 5 on COVID-19 list". ClevelandBrowns.com. December 26, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  28. ^ "Browns make roster moves". ClevelandBrowns.com. December 31, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  29. ^ "Donovan Peoples-Jones 2020 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  30. ^ "Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns - October 17th, 2021". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  31. ^ Edwards, Josh (October 17, 2021). "Donovan Peoples-Jones converts Hail Mary from Baker Mayfield to keep Browns tight with the Cardinals". CBSSports.com. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  32. ^ "Donovan Peoples-Jones 2021 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  33. ^ Gordon, Grant (December 7, 2022). "Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts lead Players of the Week". NFL.com. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  34. ^ "Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals - December 11th, 2022". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  35. ^ "Donovan Peoples-Jones 2022 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  36. ^ "Lions agree to trade terms with Cleveland Browns for WR Donovan Peoples-Jones". DetroitLions.com. October 31, 2023. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  37. ^ "Browns trade WR Donovan Peoples-Jones to Lions, acquire 2025 6th-round pick". ClevelandBrowns.com. October 31, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  38. ^ Reisman, Jeremy (March 16, 2024). "Report: Detroit Lions re-signing Donovan Peoples-Jones". Pride Of Detroit. SB Nation. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  39. ^ Birkett, Dave (August 26, 2024). "Detroit Lions cut Donovan Peoples-Jones; where will they go next at wide receiver?". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  40. ^ Reisman, Jeremy (August 29, 2024). "Lions place John Cominsky on IR, make 2 practice squad moves". Pride Of Detroit. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
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