Wide Receiver Debate

[Thanatos]

Just now, davos said:

Yeah, that list is more of my personal preferences.  Will Fuller seems like a great talent but not one I can identify as being a sure thing for some reason.  I get an Agholor vibe from the kid.

Hmmm. I haven't looked into him all that much, he was available at pick 30 in the mock draft I did with a bunch of friends, so I took him. And Doctson in the late second was also sitting there, so I took him too. (Neither of those players will make it to pick 30 in the real world).

The drops are a problem, but the amount of targets he saw would lead to drops from anyone. I kinda envision Fuller taking over Ginn's spot and sending Ginn to WR3 or even 4 if Funchess develops further.

Feel like we're in an ideal position to just sit and wait and possibly even trade down. No glaring holes, feels good. 

It would feel even better if we were picking one spot later though....

[davos]

Matt Miller did his annual (and quite extensive) WR rankings:

http://deslide.clusterfake.net/?o=html_table&u=http%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2F2625326-nfl-draft-400-ranking-the-top-wide-receivers-for-2016

Some of his top prospects:

1. Michael Thomas

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The nephew of former No. 1 overall pick Keyshawn Johnson, Ohio State's Michael Thomas is ready to make a name for himself. As the top receiver in this year's draft class, Thomas is doing just that.

In a draft dominated by smaller receivers, Thomas' size is a positive trait. He's a full 6'2 ¾" with a jacked 217-pound frame. His 10 ½-inch hands are above-average size for his frame and allow Thomas to grab the ball away from his body with confidence.

In the last two seasons at Ohio State, we charted just five drops for Thomas on 110 catches. He turned those catches into 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns in an offense that featured the running back first and a running quarterback second. Without getting 100-plus targets per season, Thomas still managed to produce quality numbers.

Thomas' ability to stutter-step and set up cornerbacks with double moves is impressive for a big receiver. He knows how to vary his speed and can break down his hips to leave cornerbacks guessing and driving upfield while he's running by them.

Thomas is a No. 1 receiver in the NFL. Put him in the "X" and get him the ball. He has the skills to make an early impact in any offensive system.

PRO COMPARISON: Dez Bryant

2. Josh Doctson

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Originally at Wyoming, Josh Doctson transferred to TCU and became a go-to target with awesome production. For his career he brought in 214 receptions, 3,177 yards and 34 touchdowns, with much of it coming in the last two years.

A super productive receiver, Doctson is a strong route-runner. He shows excellent vision while on the move and can spot openings to sit down in when adjusting his route to match the coverage he sees. Doctson will play physical at the catch point and uses both length and leaping ability to make ridiculous catches over the top.

Doctson can be a valuable asset in the red zone thanks to his acrobatic catching skills and 41-inch vertical jump. He's able to bail out poorly thrown balls and has an enormous catch radius both on and off the ground. Doctson climbs the ladder to make 50-50 catches like a bigger receiver.

A fluid, smooth operator as a route-runner, Doctson can pitter-patter to break down cornerbacks and then cut off their backpedal to get into space. He has enough juice to accelerate to the ball either down the field or going over the middle.

PRO COMPARISON: DeAndre Hopkins

3. Corey Coleman

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Corey Coleman is that big-play receiver you want on the edge, and he has the toughness to match his speed and intensity. Coleman was among the most dangerous players in all of college football in 2015, grabbing 74 catches for over 1,300 yards and a crazy 20 touchdowns while averaging 18.4 yards per catch.

With excellent burst, Coleman can quickly get into his route, but he's also able to make plays after the catch. There he averaged 7.7 yards with the ball in his hands and showed the lateral agility to juke defenders and the acceleration to leave a beaten cornerback in his dust.

Coleman is super fast, but he's a controlled route-runner who can be slippery at the line of scrimmage to beat press coverage. He adjusts well to the ball in the air and is great on over-the-shoulder plays. Lining up always on the left side of the Baylor offense, Coleman was used both down the field and on shorter routes. He's excelled at both thanks to his speed, footwork and body control.

PRO COMPARISON: Steve Smith

 

6. Sterling Shepard

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Sterling Shepard is Oklahoma royalty as the son of former great Derrick Shepard. While the younger Shepard may not have great height or length, he's one of the toughest receivers in college football and is a dynamic playmaker from the slot and in the return game.

Shepard's 9 ¾-inch hands are good-sized for a 5'10" receiver and allowed him to catch 86 passes on the season and drop just four targets. In 2014, according to College Football Focus, he dropped just one pass all season. Shepard is a confident, tough receiver who uses his hands to make catches and doesn't let the ball get into his body. His catch radius is big for a small frame thanks to hand strength and a crazy 41-inch vertical jump.

As a route-runner, Shepard has quick cuts and pitter-patter footwork to juke and leave defenders in space. He's tough at the top of his route stem and will work through traffic when press cornerbacks get in his face. Shepard can get nasty and won't back down from competition.

So many people want to typecast Shepard, but he can play inside or outside the hash with success. He's super smooth in his routes and has the hips and feet to create on his own without needing an offensive coordinator to scheme his touches.

PRO COMPARISON: Brandin Cooks

 

[Razeyfingers]

4 receivers locked up in roles, A GM that loves picking linemen, and we're picking late so we'll get less total value from the draft relatively.

 

Yet, every year a receiver discussion happens before the draft. BPA maybe? but otherwise we already have 3 6'5 receivers flanked by two speed burners, one of which can run the entire route tree. Brown is an absolute bargain on the roster right now, his due is coming after he balls out again this year.

 

Ginn will slide down the depth chart and Philly will take his role in the offense that Ginn had last year. . . as long as KB and the Funch stay healthy. This year we will see what happens when someone takes heat off of Philly instead of him taking heat off everyone else. Then we have to see how far Funch is gonna go.

 

So there arent really enough reps for you to bring in a #1 guy right? Maybe DE, corner, or some other lineman makes more sense now?

[davos]

On 4/9/2016 at 1:57 PM, Razeyfingers said:

4 receivers locked up in roles, A GM that loves picking linemen, and we're picking late so we'll get less total value from the draft relatively.

 

Yet, every year a receiver discussion happens before the draft. BPA maybe? but otherwise we already have 3 6'5 receivers flanked by two speed burners, one of which can run the entire route tree. Brown is an absolute bargain on the roster right now, his due is coming after he balls out again this year.

 

Ginn will slide down the depth chart and Philly will take his role in the offense that Ginn had last year. . . as long as KB and the Funch stay healthy. This year we will see what happens when someone takes heat off of Philly instead of him taking heat off everyone else. Then we have to see how far Funch is gonna go.

 

So there arent really enough reps for you to bring in a #1 guy right? Maybe DE, corner, or some other lineman makes more sense now?

Ginn's role being locked in makes the WR situation much more solid than previous years but it's always good to keep building with awesome pieces wherever you can.  I just think there could be an opportunity round 2 or 3 to add someone that can for sure jump ahead of Brown in that 4th role.  Which looking at last year's stats wasn't necessarily a small one.  This is going to be a really interesting draft.