Top Wide Receiver Prospects

Corey Davis
Western Michigan WR #84

Player Profile

Height: 6'3"
Weight: 209 Lbs
331 Rec, 5,278 receiving yards, 52 TD
2016 1st-Team All-American
2016 MAC offensive Player of the Year
3x 1st-Team All-MAC (2014-16)
2013 MAC Freshman of the Year
FBS career receiving yards leader

Strengths

Prototypical size weight and speed for a number one receiver.  Elite production at Western Michigan.  Tall lanky target.  Uses his hands well at the line to get a clean release.  Able to create separation at the LOS (line of scrimmage) and at the top of his routes.  Identifies and sits down in the soft spots of zone coverage.  Can high point the ball and snatch it out of the air.  Great body control to twist an contort his body.  Exceptional spacial awareness.  Always knows where the sideline is.  Dangerous with the ball in his hands.  Devastating stiff arm.  The strength and power after the catch is tops among receivers in this class.  Best blocking receiver in the draft.  Shows the willingness to chase defenders and finish blocks for his teammates.

Weaknesses

Injury has cost him the combine and private workouts prior to the draft.  Teams will have to go with the physical athlete they see on tape.  Will suffer from the occasional concentration drop.  Won't consistently come down with the ball in contested catch situations.

Final Verdict

Davis has similar physical traits to Terrell Owens.  He can go up and get it with the best of them.  Has a certain flair to his game.  Very flashy highlights and tremendous YAC(yards after catch) ability.  Powerful with the ball in his hands and the speed to break away.  Davis is the most complete receiver in the draft.  Even with the injury, he is a top shelf prospect.

Draft Projection: Top 20

Mike Williams
Clemson WR #7

Player Profile

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 218 Lbs
177 Rec, 2,727 receiving yards, 21 TD
2016 1st-Team All-ACC
2014 3rd-Team All-ACC

Strengths

Big bodied possession receiver.  Tall muscular frame that can absorb hits.  Fearless over the middle.  Wins at the LOS with strength.  Can box out smaller corners and shield them from the ball.  Creates late separation with hands and high points the football.  Hands engulf the football at the catch point.  Comes down with contested catches.  50/50 balls are more like 80/20 when you throw it his way.  Able to twist and turn in the air to adjust to the football. 

Weaknesses

Horrific neck injury could have ended his football career.  Recovered and had a great 2016 campaign.  A slow starter off the LOS.  Does not have the start and stop ability of other prospects in this class.  Creates enough separation, but is often forced to make a play on the ball instead of catch it in stride.  As a ball carrier, he won't make many defenders miss.  Takes plays off when he isn't the primary option.

Final Verdict

Went out with a spectacular National Championship game in which he had two spectacular catches.  Williams looks the part of a true number one receiver.  Strong physical specimen.  Plays as big as his size would suggest.  Has the tools to make an average quarterback look good.  His skill-set is very similar to an Alshon Jeffrey.  A true possession receiver that should catch a lot of touchdowns over the course of his career.

Draft Projection: Top 20

John Ross
Washington WR #1

Player Profile

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 188 Lbs
114 Rec, 1,729 receiving yards, 22 TD
2,069 kick return yards, 4 TD
2016 2nd-Team All-American
2016 1st-Team All-Pac 12

Strengths

Broke Chris Johnson's 40-yard dash mark at the combine.  He can really fly.  Elite explosion and top end speed.  Eats up cushion in a hurry and can take the top off a defense.  Changes up tempo at the LOS to get clean releases.  Wins at the line with speed and quickness.  Feet are electric.  Gets in and out of breaks without having to gear down.  Creates great separation at the top of his routes.  Adds value in the return game.  Multiple explosive returns during his career.

Weaknesses

Some injury history including an ACL tear in 2015.  Slender frame that will take a beating at the next level.  Small catch radius.  Will drop a few that are thrown outside of his frame.  1-year full-time starter as a WR.  Played sparingly at WR,CB and KR in his first two seasons.  Doesn't stack corners down the field.  Will get ridden out of bounds by defenders that can match his speed.  Poor run blocker on the edge.  His body lacks the size and functional strength to ward off bigger corners.

Final Verdict

John Ross is a big play waiting to happen.  When he gets into the open field there are few that have a chance of catching him.  He lacks many of the physical traits to be a true number one receiver, but he makes plays.  In the mold of another big play John(Brown).  His rare speed and explosion will make him a great compliment to a receiving core that already has a prominent pass catcher in the mix.

Draft Projection: Late 1st-Round

Cooper Kupp
Eastern Washington WR #10

Player Profile

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 204 Lbs
428 Rec, 6,464 receiving yards, 73 TD
4x FCS 1st-Team All-American (2013-16)
2x Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year (2015-16)
2015 Walter Payton Award
College Football all-time leader in receiving yards

Strengths

Statistically the best receiver in the history of college football.  Dominated his level of competition on a consistent basis.  Put up big numbers in the few games against FBS schools.  A savvy veteran-like receiver that knows how to get open.  Great catch radius.  Is able to contort his body to make the spectacular catch.  Finishes his receptions.  Wins 50/50 balls and comes down with it in traffic.  Big play ability after the catch.  A nice stiff arm to shrug off defensive backs.

Weaknesses

Biggest criticism is his lack of competition.  Wasn't heavily recruited out of high school and played in the Big Sky conference.  Not a twitched up athlete.  His feet aren't there yet and makes his living on intermediate routes.  Has sneaky speed, but isn't a threat to stretch the field.  Will need to win with technique at the next level.

Final Verdict

Kupp is an extremely decorated FCS college receiver.  A later growth spurt prevented him from getting offers at bigger schools.  Came to play every week and dominated at the Senior Bowl practices against very good FBS competition.  He is a consistent producer with great ball skills for a college prospect.  Will need to prove that he can get off press against NFL caliber corners.  Look for Kupp to go off the boards on day two of the draft.

Draft Projection: 2nd-Round

Zay Jones
East Carolina WR #7

Player Profile

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 201 Lbs
399 Rec, 4,279 receiving yards, 23 TD
2016 1st-Team All-American
Career receptions leader in FBS
Single season receptions record (158)

Strengths

Set NCAA mark for most receptions in a college career.  Reliable target that will move the chains.  Can work outside and in the slot.  A very good route runner.  Can win at the LOS or at the top of his route against man coverage.  Will find the soft spots and sit down versus zone.  Adjusts well to the ball at its highest point.  Has a knack for making contested catches over the middle.  Makes a living on short and intermediate routes.  Had a 22 catch game against South Carolina in 2016 (180 yards).

Weaknesses

Average wheels for the position.  One speed runner that lacks long speed to take the top off a defense.  Won't wow with athleticism and lacks elite explosion off the line.  Benefited from many short timing throws and receiver screens.  Most of his receptions were within 10 yards from the LOS.

Final Verdict

Zay Jones is a catch machine.  Finds a way to get open and continues to make plays.  Shortcomings in his football speed could push him down draft boards.  His 4.4 speed at the combine does not translate to the speed he shows on tape.  He's a solid number two receiver with elite college production.  Look out if a team with an established receiving core drafts him.

Draft Projection: 2nd-Round

JuJu Smith-Schuster
USC WR #9

Player Profile

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 215 Lbs
213 Rec, 3,092 receiving yards, 25 TD
2016 2nd-Team All-Pac 12
2015 1st-Team All-Pac 12

Strengths

Good height and a thick frame.  His strength is apparent on the field.  Able to bully smaller defensive backs at the LOS.  Pushed top cornerback prospect Sidney Jones around in 2016.  Has the awareness to sit down in zone coverage and works back to the quarterback.  Great body control when the ball is in the air.  Subtle hand slaps and shoves to create late separation.  Can adjust his body back to the football and comes down with contested catches.  Is a willing and capable blocker.  Engages defender and drives them off the ball.  Seals defenders off to create a running for the ball carrier.

Weaknesses

Lacks the top end speed and suddenness that will scare NFL caliber defenders.  Has some burst, but is more of a one speed runner.  Average to above average feet coming out of his breaks.  Won't give his defenders a hard selling head fake to create more separation.  Great at adjusting his body in the air, but isn't a prototypical jump ball receiver.  Doesn't come down with the majority of contested catch opportunities.

Final Verdict

JuJu has beaten Pac 12 corners since the day he stepped on the field for the Trojans.  A great level of production that slumped in his final year due to injury.  Strong receiver that has the potential to take over a game.  Will have a chance to buck a trend of USC receivers that underachieve in the NFL.  Smith-Schuster is a solid prospect with tempered expectations.  Look for him to be a solid addition to a teams receiving core on draft day.

Draft Projection: Late 2nd-Round

Curtis Samuel
Ohio State WR/RB #4

Player Profile

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 196 Lbs
107 Rec, 1,249 receiving yards, 9 TD
1,286 rushing yards, 15 TD

Strengths

Versatile athlete that played multiple positions at Ohio State.  Was used on a lot of quick screens, jet sweeps and read option plays.  As a runner he is elusive and explosive.  Can stop on a dime and accelerate in an instant.  Has the speed to reverse his field and beat the entire defense to the opposite edge.  Possesses game changing speed in the open field.  Sets up defenders well and can string multiple moves together at the third level of the defense.

Weaknesses

Short compact frame that is almost filled out.  Inconsistent hands and a small catch radius.  Struggles to catch the ball away from the frame of his body.  Routes are raw.  Can get in an out of breaks, but feel for the position needs work.  Routes are often rounded off and not run with precision.

Final Verdict

At this point in his career Samuel is a gadget player.  An offensive weapon that can break open a game with one play.  He doesn't have a true position, but he makes plays.  A difficult positional evaluation.  He may be best suited for a slot role or 3rd down back out of the backfield.  He's a raw player with unrefined skills that will get drafted on day two of the draft as an offensive weapon.

Draft Projection: Late 2nd-Round to Early 3rd-Round

Dede Westbrook
Oklahoma WR #11

Player Profile

Height: 6'0"
Weight: 178 Lbs
126 Rec, 2,267 receiving yards, 21 TD
2016 Belitnikoff Award Winner
2016 1st-Team All-American
2016 1st-Team All-Big 12

Strengths

Versatile receiver that can line up anywhere and adds some return value.  A good burst off the LOS.  Quick in and out of his breaks.  He was the best receiver on the field and consistently got open.  Hands are usually reliable.  Capable of making contested and spectacular catches.  Moves the chains.  Has a knack for finding the first down marker and was Baker Mayfield's go-to receiver on third down.  A threat to score with the ball in his hands.  Can make you miss and has natural balance as a runner with the ball in his hands.

Weaknesses

Average height and a slender frame.  Struggled to separate from top end competition.  Ohio State corners Marshon Mattimore and Gareon Conley kept him in check for most of the game.  Is an elusive runner in the open field, but lacks the strength to break arm tackles.  If a defender gets two hands on him he is going down more times than not.  Run blocking is not his strength.  Will be tossed aside by bigger players in the NFL. 

Final Verdict

Top end production in 2016.  Spent two years in junior college before joining the Sooners.  Westbrook is a quick and fast receiver that moves the chains.  He lacks prototypical size for an outside receiver, but he is quick and tough enough to make a living in the slot.  Oklahoma receivers have been hit or miss in the draft.  Will he be the next Sterling Shepard or Ryan Broyles?

Draft Projection: 3rd-Round

Chris Godwin
Penn State WR #12

Player Profile

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 209 Lbs
154 Rec, 2,421 receiving yards, 18 TD
2015 3rd-Team All-Big 10

Strengths

Lean and lanky receiver with a power forward-like mentality.  Boxes out defenders and is always in great position to catch the ball.  A possession receiver that has an enormous catch radius for his size.  Strong hands that engulf the ball at the catch point.  This year he looked like former Penn State standout Allen Robinson.  Bailed his quarterback out by coming down with the majority of 50/50 balls thrown his way.  Tracks the ball over his shoulder well and when given a chance, comes down with it.  Shows tremendous effort in the run game.  Engages and drives his man off the ball with conviction.

Weaknesses

His combine 4.45 doesn't translate to the game tape.  Good straight line speed, but not elite football speed at this point in time.  Decent production each year skewed by a few big games.  Struggles to get separation off the LOS.  Singular tempo off the line and sloppy cuts in and out of his breaks.  As a runner he isn't a game breaking threat after the catch.  Not much shake and bake in one on one situations.

Final Verdict

Godwin may have better production as a pro.  A downfield receiver that can body up defenders and come down with the football.  Plays bigger than his stature would suggest and could develop into a red zone threat.  He's a wildcard receiver in this draft whose stock is slowly rising.  An under the radar prospect that could have great production in his rookie season.

Draft Projection: 3rd-Round

Ardarius Stewart
Alabama WR #13

Player Profile

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 204 Lbs
129 Rec, 1,713 receiving yards, 12 TD

Strengths

Strong compact build.  He's a swiss army knife that can line up inside and out.  Used on jet sweeps, screens, trick plays and kick return.  Very good speed and acceleration.  When he gets into the open field he is a threat to score.  Shows a lot of grit and effort with the ball in his hands.  Will break arm tackles and fights for extra yardage.  As a runner, he shows good vision and patience to set up blocks in front of him.

Weaknesses

Has limited production and tape as a receiver coming out of the Alabama system.  He can make plays, but was phased out of games at Alabama.  Suffers from the occasional concentration drop.  Will need to make the most of his opportunities in the NFL.  An explosive runner with the ball, but lacks elite wiggle.  He wins after contact with effort, but doesn't set up defenders well enough to consistently break tackles.

Final Verdict

A versatile player that could be a better pro than college player.  Extensive time as a pass catching wide receiver could either increase his production or expose his inconsistency as a player.  Bottom line, Stewart is a tough and versatile complementary receiver.  He can and should be used in many different ways.  Get the ball in his hands because he will make a play.

Draft Projection: Late 3rd-Round to 4th-Round
Proudly powered by Weebly