- Calvin Johnson - Georga Tech
I'm not breaking any news by telling you that he's really good. Something will have to go horribly wrong in this guys career for him not to be an all time great. The best WR prospect ever. Could go #1, won't last past Tampa Bay at 4 and they may even trade up to 1 for him.
2. Robert Meachem - Tennessee
Terrific size and speed combo, 6'2'', 214, 4.39, to go along with the best hands in the draft. Big play threat, 17.1 ypc for his career and 18.3 his senior season. Runs hard with the ball and is elusive in the open field. Great athlete. Has some trouble against big corners getting off of press coverage, though there is less and less of that in the NFL nowadays. All-American last season, in a terrific break-out season. Still somewhat of a finesse player, though most WR's are. Could sneak into the top 10, worst case he lasts until the mid 20's.
3. Ted Ginn Jr. - THE Ohio State
World class speed, and stands a good chance of being the second person to gain the 100 speed rating in Madden. Very quick in and out of cuts. Phenomonal playmaker. Good hands, decent size, 5'11'', 180. Game changing return skills. Still raw as a reciever. Pretty thin and will need to get a little bit stronger. Not a great route runner. Ton of upside. Draft stock as been hurt by his foot injury in the National Championship Game and his resulting inability to work out/run for scouts. Probably will never be a true #1 but should be a great #2 or slot reciever who can win you games as a returner. Potential top 10 pick, St. Louis, Carolina, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Denver, Dallas, and KC would all love Ginn and are potential landing spots for this big time playmaker.
4. Dwayne Bowe - Louisiana State
Big hulking, physical receiver, 6'2'' 220, with decent speed, 4.5. Great leaper and often out fought corners for big plays in college. Was JaMarcus Russell's go to guy. Very athletic with big hands (and you know what they say about guys with big hands?) Probably the best blocker at WR in the draft, something NFL teams/coaches love. Huge force in the red zone, 21 TD's in 25 games his last two seasons. Not scared to go over the middle. Didn't play football until his junior year of high school -- and still got a scholarship to LSU! Still somewhat raw and not a great route runner and will drop some balls. Doesn't have great speed, figures to be more of a possession receiver -- which shouldn't be the horrible thing some people make it out to be. May have trouble separating downfield in the NFL, but uses his body well to give the QB a big target. Had LASIK eye surgery prior to the '06 season and saw his drops decrease and receptions increase. Actually averaged more ypc than Ginn, Jr did in college (15.6 to 14.4) though he didn't get the ball on near as many screens as Ginn did. Pretty similar to Michael Clayton. Mid to late first round.
5. Dwayne Jarrett - Southern Cal
Great size, 6'4'' 220, and terrific hands. Rediculously productive in college, 216 rec 3,100 yards and 41TD's in 38 games. Good leaper and will get the ball in a crowd. Great in the red zone as his 41 scores prove. Biggest weakness is speed, 4.62, though he seems to play faster than his time would indicate. Has some minor character issues, but nothing major. Very clutch and runs well after the catch despite his slow timed speed. Lack of elite speed will hurt him in a very deep WR draft and Mike Williams comparisons won't help either, though I think they are erronious...erronious on both counts! At worst he should be a black Joe Jurevicius and that's not a bad thing. Late first to early second.
6. Craig Davis - Louisiana State
LSU's number 2 receiver has all the talent to be a number 1 in the pros. Very athletic with good size/speed combo, 6'1'' 207 4.4. Very elusive and great run after catch guy. Can help out on returns. Really nice hands. Adjusts well to poorly thrown balls (JaMarcus!) Goes by "Buster" but is not to be confused with Buster Davis the linebacker from Florida State. Not overly physical and shys away from contact. Could really blossom in the NFL. Late first, early to mid second.
7. Sidney Rice - South Carolina
Might deserve to be higher on this list. Great frame, 6'3.5'' 200, with long arms and big hands. Extremely athletic. Very fluid in and out of cuts. Good hands. Was a big vertical threat in college despite average timed speed, 4.5. Dominate player at SC who leaves after his sophomore season, he redshirted his freshman year so he is eligble. 23 TD's in 21 games. Back to back 70+ catch seasons in his first 2 years in college ball. Could be a #1 WR in the pros. Needs to work on route running and get stronger. Fought through some nagging injuries. Could sneak into the first round but more than likely will provide some team with a real good player in round 2.
8. Anthony Gonzalez - THE Ohio State
Precise route runner with top-notch hands. Really impressed at the Combine, running a 4.44 fourty yard dash. Decent size, 6' 195. Very intellegent player who always plays hard. Really good blocker. Did have the benefit of working opposite Ted Ginn in college and didn't face many double teams. Sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber. Looks like he doesn't need a helmet. Might never be a star in the NFL but could turn into a Hines Ward type player if everything goes right. Only started one year at OSU - was stuck behind Santonio Holmes, Michael Clayton and Ted Ginn, Jr. Could be a better pro than a college player -- and he was a good college player. Another late first, early to mid second guy -- told you WR was deep this year.
9. Jason Hill - Washington State
Good route runner who gets open alot. Good hands. Very athletic. Decent size, 6'.5'', 204 but top notch speed, 4.32. Very productive as a sophomore and junior, but his numbers fell in his senior season. 18.3 ypc and 32 TD's for his career at WSU. Seemed to loose focus last year, playing for a contending pro team could change that. Not a special athlete. Could be a very nice third round pick.
10. Aundrae Allison - East Carolina
The least well known of the top WR's this year. Dre only spent 2 years at ECU, prior to that he attended Georgia Military Academy, a JUCO. Despite his inexperience against big time college opposition, Dre could become a very good pro thanks to his great hands and very good speed, 4.37. He will work across the middle but can also stretch D's downfield. Good athlete who can make people miss and help as a returner. Racked up 145 catches for 1,732 yards during his time at East Carolina, which is actually in North Carolina. Not a good blocker, and still has plenty of room to develop as a route runner. His work ethic has been questioned and some character concerns, hopefully the time at the Military Academy did him some good. If it did he should be a good pro and a nice value pick for some team in the late second to third round willing take a flyer on a guy with his kind of upside.
11. Jacoby Jones - Lane
That's right Lane college. A small, traditionally black, Christian, liberal arts institution in Tennessee. A native New Orlenian, Jones is a terrific athlete with good size, 6'3'' 210. Big time play maker at D II level. Decent speed, 4.5. Has drawn lots of comparisons to Marques Colston lately, because of the small school, good size with decent but not blazing speed similarties. Also like Colston, Jones had his coming out party at the East/West Shrine game, where he dominated. His hands are far from flawless, and may be a bit of a finesse player. Not a good blocker and small for his frame. Needs to bulk up to get past press coverages in the NFL. Still raw. Did not play football in high school, was a track and basketball guy. Ton of potential. Everyone has called him one of the top sleepers which means he's no longer a sleeper, definately isn't in NFL circles. Could possibly sneak into the back end of the second round, but will hear his named called on Day 1 for sure.
12. Steve Smith - Southern Cal
Mel Kiper loves this guy, but I don't. He is fairly athletic and a pretty good route runner with reliable hands. Has a lot of experience playing in big games against big time competition. Was never the focus of defenses in college, always a 3rd option at best. Ran a very good and somewhat suprising 40 time, 4.44. Suprising because he doesn't play nearly that fast. Lacks explosivness. Will struggle to get open down field against NFL corners. History of injury problems. Had a major off field incident in 05 when he broke, then roommate, former USC TE Dominique Byrd's jaw. Doesn't have a ton of upside. All that said there are worse players than him in the league, and could be a decent #3 or 4 receiver for someone. Kiper thinks he should be a first round pick, I say he shouldn't go before round 3. Too many worries; character, upside, legit speed to take him earlier.
13. Brandon Myles - West Virgina
Very athletic with really good speed, 4.39. Legit deep threat with good hands and natural ball skills. Very hard worker. Good character. Decent not overwhelming size, 6' 190. Played for a program that rarely threw the ball. Still somewhat raw because of that, but also still has lots of upside. Didn't play his freshman year because of grades, but did get a degree from WVU. Has all the physical tools and makeup to work out a career for himself in the league. Could still be available early on Day 2.
14. Rhema McKnight - Notre Dame
Good size, 6'2'' 210, and was very productive against big time competition. Plays hard, good blocker. Good natural athlete with very reliable hands. Not a burner but has decent speed, 4.55. Had 15 TD's his senior year. Has some pretty big injury concerns, tore his ACL in 05. Good route runner. Was not the #1 target. May not have a ton of uside. Pretty similar to Maurice Stovall last year, who was a third round pick by the Bucs last year. Has had some problems keeping the weight off. Mid-round pick.
15. Laurent Robinson - Illinois State
Big time athlete with the size and speed to play in the NFL, 6'2'' 200 4.37. Also has very good hands and is a polished route runner. Playing at Illinois State he didn't get a chance to show his stuff against top competition often. He did have excellent games against Iowa St. in 2005 (6 rec. for 177 yds. and 2 TD) and Kansas St. in 2006 (9 rec. for 77 yds.) Had an outstanding year his junior year, 86 grabs 1,465 yards 12 scores. Injuries and triple teams really dropped his production his senior year. Needs to get stronger and improve his blocking. He has all the tools to succeed and should be there in the 4th or 5th round.
16. Yamon Figurs - Kansas State
Legit, world class speed. Raced Devin Hester in track in high school and won! He has like 104 Madden speed. Very hard worker. Chance to be a big time returner. Small, 5'11'' 175. Not a great route runner and drops a lot of balls. Could be a Dante Hall type player. Way more than likely won't make it as a receiver, but his speed simply can't be ignored and gives him a decent chance to stick in the league. Mid to late round guy.
There are plenty of other guys who will get drafted but these are my top 15 + 1 really fast track guy.
Wide Receivers aren't the only one's who get the ball thrown to them so let's take a quick look at the tight ends in the draft.
- Greg Olsen - The U
The only elite player in a down year for the position. Olsen has ideal size, 6'6'' 255, and rediculous speed, 4.5. Has great hands, was the Canes best receiver. Decent blocker. Can still get stronger. He's not Kellen Winslow or Jeremy Shockey, but Miami has a very good track record of producing pros at this spot and he's legit. Lot of upside. Wasn't all that productive. Lots of experience in big games. Unlike a lot of players from the U Olsen doesn't have any character issues. A receiver in a tight ends body. Made himself alot of money at the combine when he ran the 4.5. Should be a mid first round pick. Carolina seems to be a very likely spot.
2. Zach Miller - Arizona State
Big strong, tough kid with very soft hands. Good athlete who runs good routes. High effort guy. Nice blocker at the line. Good all around player. Productive. Poor timed speed really hurt him, 4.87. Not a lot of extra room on his frame to add muscle mass. Will only be a short to intermediate passing target at the next level. Probably will never be great, but good chance he's a solid player in the pros. Top college player who falls into that late second to early/mid third group.
3. Scott Chandler - Iowa
Huge guy, 6'7'' 270 with great speed for his size, 4.7. Very good hands and is a terrific natural receiver. Productive, back to back 45+ catch 500+ yard seasons. Hard working smart guy with very good character. Athletic and quick, especially for his size. Despite his size is not overly strong and needs to improve as a blocker. Speed isn't terrific and won't be a real deep threat. Should be a big time red zone weapon. Will be a mid round pick.
4. Ben Patrick - Delaware
Big time receiving threat with really good hands and natural ball skills. Plays hard. Is very smart, started his college career at Duke, graduated early then transfered to Delaware and dominated on the lower level. A little short, 6'3'', and might not be able to add much to his frame. Still has room to improve as a blocker. Plays much smaller than he is. There was a lot of talk about him being a breakout star at the Combine, that didn't really happen. His 40 time was average, 4.75, and raised doubts over whether he is quite as athletic as some made him out to be. Has tons of skill. Third round pick with a chance to be a real good pro.
5. Matt Spaeth - Minnesota
Huge, 6'7'' 270, strong player. Best blocker in the group. Suprisingly good hands. Physical player who was a team leader for the Golden Gophers. Had shoulder surgery, forcing him to miss the bowl game this year and is still a concern for teams. Not really fast, 4.83, or athletic. Started at Minnesota as a DE. Could have a long career as a Mark Bruener type TE, although those are becoming somewhat rare in the NFL today. Could be had early on Day 2.
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