Lets talk Wide Receivers. Who do you like the best? Whose the most underrated?

[SteelersPride]

How many of you College Guru's
Worry about Smith becoming the next Tavon Austin.
He would be a 1st rd. pick & have his uses but never be a #1 WR in the NFL?

Does any of you guys worry about that? Or no?

I dont know how you cant have comcerns about guys with his frame, hes smaller than listed. Ill wait for someone to give a handful of examples of guys that size, compared to the tons who have failed at that size.

 

[cwalke3408]

How many of you College Guru's
Worry about Smith becoming the next Tavon Austin.
He would be a 1st rd. pick & have his uses but never be a #1 WR in the NFL?

Does any of you guys worry about that? Or no?

Would I draft him in the top 10? Probably not
Does Devonte Smith worry me? Nope, to me I see a guy you can move around and lineup anywhere as a WR. I think he’s great after the catch, getting separation and make plays downfield (but I like Waddle and Chase more for this ).

 

[Clayton]

The value at WR here is in rd2 imo. The top 3 WRs are great but 4-11 or so from what I've looked at should be good enough for most teams.

 

[WNY_FOOTBALL_DUDE]

Maybe to pivot the conversation a little but what teams d

Good change of pace. In the top 10, the Dolphins, Eagles and Lions are the most likely to target. I think Chase, Smith and Waddle will be gone in the top 10.

The Dolphins will sweep up Chase. The Eagles will take Smith. Lions will get Waddle. There is no big loss, if that order gets reversed. Beyond that, I can see the G-men, Broncos, 49ers, and Raiders getting into the WR hunt.

 

[SteelersPride]

The broncos just drafted sutton, hamler, and jeudy..

and have tim patrick and desean hamilton.

Unless theyre letting sutton walk...why r they going back to the well?

 

[Clayton]

I have a 17 player gap between WR3 (D Smith) and WR4 (Marshall) on my rough big board, atm

I think you're going to see teams wait until rd2 on WRs because the pool is so deep, too. In 2019 you saw 10 WRs go from pick #32 to pick #67. Thats about what I'm expecting although the WRs might go a tad bit higher.

 

[SteelersPride]

I have a 17 player gap between WR3 (D Smith) and WR4 (Marshall) on my rough big board, atm

I think you're going to see teams wait until rd2 on WRs because the pool is so deep, too. In 2019 you saw 10 WRs go from pick #32 to pick #67. Thats about what I'm expecting although the WRs might go a tad bit higher.

Im seeing this is a 2 person discussion, as the other threads have been lol.

 

[tlance]

What Ja'marr Chase did in college is pretty much unmatched. I know, i know he didn't win the Heisman. But in terms of winning 1 on 1 matchups with NFL talent he routinely won. The only question really becomes is whether or not his lack of truly elite speed matters. He'll either be the next Davante Adams, Michael Irvin, or Allen Robinson if he 'makes' it in the NFL.

Waddle is the closest thing to Tyreek Hill that we've seen since Hill. I don't think he has quite the same top end speed but its close and I don't think there is much of anyone covering him 1 on 1 down the field. Better with the ball in the open field than some of the other speed demons. I think he'd be the #2 WR in this draft if he didn't get hurt and possibly challenging for #1.

Smith's weight is an issue but he is probably the best overall talent in terms of catching, route running, speed and hands. I think his draft range is basically the same as Waddle's. Both should go top 11. Depends on what kind of QB you have and what kind of need you have imo.

Bateman's claim to fame seems to be his long arms. Nobody is going to be jamming him, he has a good catch radius, will be able to make circus catches, etc. No explosion in his game, though. Certainly not something the Chiefs would look for in a receiver but Bateman does fit the profile of a guy who usually goes in rd2 that ends up outperforming many of the players who go rd1. He would likely make/lose a lot of money at the combine if that was such a thing but I think I'd have him 4th. I do think he'll go rd1 but only because teams are getting wise to the value of a physical receiver who can run routes.

I personally don't like Kararius Toney's cutting style. Its awesome to watch but I'm not sure someone's legs and knees can hold up doing that in the NFL for a long period so if I had a draft board I would put him rd2 but I suspect he'll be the 4th or 5th WR picked. I think a team trying to draft a slot would be better off target Amon-Ra St Brown in rd2 who is more of a maxed out 5 star recruit thats ready to go day 1 and is fairly refined. Not that either WR is purely a slot but thats where they might spend a lot of their time.

There are a lot of guys like Waddle in the NFL.

What makes Tyreke Hill special is the short quicks and change of direction skills. That is why he is the most dangerous player in the league when he gets the ball in space. Not just the speed.

I don’t think Waddle is anything special at the NFL level. Really like Smith and Chase though.

 

[WNY_FOOTBALL_DUDE]

I have one more: Jaelon Darden. He played for North Texas. He had the third most receptions in 2020 and scored 19 touchdowns in only 9 games.

 

[BigKen]

The problem is that in 2020 the WRs were not going up the best every week. Some had huge weeks against defenses that where fifteen kids had opted out. The draft has always been a crap shoot. The best example is that 15 teams passed on Metcalf because he was "Too Muscular" to play in the NFL.

Over the last five years I think I may have picked four guys that are starters. I like the kid Vaughns from USC and there are some guys that might really be good but won't go until late like McCoy from Kent State, Jackson from Colorado State and Baker from Southern Alabama

 

[SteelersPride]

The problem is that in 2020 the WRs were not going up the best every week. Some had huge weeks against defenses that where fifteen kids had opted out. The draft has always been a crap shoot. The best example is that 15 teams passed on Metcalf because he was "Too Muscular" to play in the NFL.

Over the last five years I think I may have picked four guys that are starters. I like the kid Vaughns from USC and there are some guys that might really be good but won't go until late like McCoy from Kent State, Jackson from Colorado State and Baker from Southern Alabama

While i agree. There was more to passing on metcalf than “too muscular”...thats the outlier everyone points to recently. But he wasnt the best wr on his college team...

but the college game is not the pro game: the 5’10 and under, the sub 185 guys r gonna struggle, regardless of college stats.

but your overall point, i agree with .

 

[Clayton]

Im seeing this is a 2 person discussion, as the other threads have been lol.

There is Brett Kollman having Amari Rodgers WR out of Clemson as his 5th most underrated player and Tamorrion Terry as his most underrated player. Also has Demetric Felton as his 2nd most underrated player and he is someone who could play RB or WR.

 

[SteelersPride]

There is Brett Kollman having Amari Rodgers WR out of Clemson as his 5th most underrated player and Tamorrion Terry as his most underrated player. Also has Demetric Felton as his 2nd most underrated player and he is someone who could play RB or WR.

I like felton...not sure how he translates though.

 

[Clayton]

I like felton...not sure how he translates though.

Kollman mentioned he saw the fit like James White on the Patriots or Austin Ekeler on the Chargers. I do think its possible a team might line him up and use his as a receiver as he seems to have more experience at that and did well in the Senior Bowl.

 

[SteelersPride]

Kollman mentioned he saw the fit like James White on the Patriots or Austin Ekeler on the Chargers. I do think its possible a team might line him up and use his as a receiver as he seems to have more experience at that and did well in the Senior Bowl.

yeah, i see the comparisons......its just, how often do those guys really work out....obv those are two examples, but there have been a ton of "gadget" or "niche" rb/wr "weapons"......immediately jaylen samuels comes to mind for the steelers.

 

[Clayton]

yeah, i see the comparisons......its just, how often do those guys really work out....obv those are two examples, but there have been a ton of "gadget" or "niche" rb/wr "weapons"......immediately jaylen samuels comes to mind for the steelers.

I personally think that as QBs get more mobile they'll move away from smaller WRs because QBs aren't as accurate generally when they are moving and/or off-platform. So Felton's rd3-4 grade that some places have him at is probably about where he'll go imo.

Lots of competition in the slot in this draft. Kadarius Toney, Rondale Moore, Eliah Moore, D'wayne Eskridge, Amari Rodgers and you also have 3 TEs who will go before him in Kyle Pitts, Pat Friermuth, and Brevin Jordan. So with Felton what you probably get is the end of a 'run' which might be some value.

 

[SteelersPride]

I personally think that as QBs get more mobile they'll move away from smaller WRs because QBs aren't as accurate generally when they are moving and/or off-platform. So Felton's rd3-4 grade that some places have him at is probably about where he'll go imo.

Lots of competition in the slot in this draft. Kadarius Toney, Rondale Moore, Eliah Moore, D'wayne Eskridge, Amari Rodgers and you also have 3 TEs who will go before him in Kyle Pitts, Pat Friermuth, and Brevin Jordan. So with Felton what you probably get is the end of a 'run' which might be some value.

tacking on here, FWIW Moore is a top 40 guy maybe top 35 on PFF's draft rankings.....in response to the two posts below.....These rankings that are around now, ALWAYS change.

Underrated pick:

Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore...

So smooth with it.

Id probably put him in the same tier as Moore and Eskridge. He'll play on Sundays but probably won't go top 50.

As an aside, I fully expect Kyle Pitts to be the first pass catcher off the board for the opposite reason I don't think Elijah Moore goes in rd1. Pitts' is so freakishly tall and athletic that even a mediocre QB should be able to win games by just throwing it up to him.

 

[BigFin]

I think Pitts would be an excellent WR. Megatron-esque.

 

[SteelersPride]

" Moore is another receiver on the smaller side. He is listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, unverified, on Purdue’s website. Moore is a bit denser than Toney and has a well-built, muscular frame with a sturdy lower half. Unlike Toney, Moore’s career started off with a bang and then tapered down due to injuries. Moore burst onto the scene as a true freshman for the Boilermakers and quickly became regarded as one of the most explosive playmakers in all of college football. As a freshman, Moore had 114 receptions for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also was successful as a runner and totaled 213 yards and two touchdowns on just 21 carries. Moore’s 2018 tape is truly sensational. He displayed rare burst, explosiveness with natural hands and ball skills. The issue for Moore, however, is that the success he saw in 2018 was never replicated; he dealt with a lingering hamstring injury which limited him to just four
games in 2019 and suffered a non-disclosed lower-body injury in 2020, which limited him to just three games. Not only does Moore come with massive injury concerns, but a lot of his production came from manufactured touches in the form of quick screens, bubble screens, slants, and reverses. We never consistently saw Moore win with a traditional route tree, and that is something evaluators will have to consider."

"Every year it seems like we have players who we all agree are excellent in college and have exciting ability with the ball in their hands. These players will usually get the “gadget” label, and the team that drafts them will then have to be creative, playing to their strengths. The issue is for every Deebo Samuel, there are five Tavon Austin’s; it is undoubtedly a risk in investing high draft capital in a gadget player. While Toney and Moore are both really good players, there are lingering questions about their ability to be a true WR1 at the next level."

What's The Draft Value For Gadget-Type WRs Kadarius Toney, Rondale Moore?

It’s been discussed ad nauseam how the influx of talent among NFL…

thedraftnetwork.com

 

[Clayton]

" Moore is another receiver on the smaller side. He is listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, unverified, on Purdue’s website. Moore is a bit denser than Toney and has a well-built, muscular frame with a sturdy lower half. Unlike Toney, Moore’s career started off with a bang and then tapered down due to injuries. Moore burst onto the scene as a true freshman for the Boilermakers and quickly became regarded as one of the most explosive playmakers in all of college football. As a freshman, Moore had 114 receptions for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also was successful as a runner and totaled 213 yards and two touchdowns on just 21 carries. Moore’s 2018 tape is truly sensational. He displayed rare burst, explosiveness with natural hands and ball skills. The issue for Moore, however, is that the success he saw in 2018 was never replicated; he dealt with a lingering hamstring injury which limited him to just four
games in 2019 and suffered a non-disclosed lower-body injury in 2020, which limited him to just three games. Not only does Moore come with massive injury concerns, but a lot of his production came from manufactured touches in the form of quick screens, bubble screens, slants, and reverses. We never consistently saw Moore win with a traditional route tree, and that is something evaluators will have to consider."

"Every year it seems like we have players who we all agree are excellent in college and have exciting ability with the ball in their hands. These players will usually get the “gadget” label, and the team that drafts them will then have to be creative, playing to their strengths. The issue is for every Deebo Samuel, there are five Tavon Austin’s; it is undoubtedly a risk in investing high draft capital in a gadget player. While Toney and Moore are both really good players, there are lingering questions about their ability to be a true WR1 at the next level."

What's The Draft Value For Gadget-Type WRs Kadarius Toney, Rondale Moore?

It’s been discussed ad nauseam how the influx of talent among NFL…

thedraftnetwork.com

The thing with Toney that I keep coming back to his how problematic his style is at the next level. You almost want a 4.35 guy who gets open and goes down before you'd want a 4.5 or 4.6 guy who keeps himself alive as long as possible because the guy you're juking out in the NFL is trying to strip the ball from you and has the athletic profile to wrap you into a pretzel. His ability to make people break tackles is awesome but I want that out of an RB like Kareem Hunt. If its a WR who is doing it and he may or may not be able to take it to the house or play on the outside....eh....

R Moore's a year and a half younger and a legit 4.3 guy. Probably going to be as good as better at breaking tackles than Toney at the next level assuming he stays healthy. The more I'm watching prospects the more I'm moving up Rondale Moore up the board. He is in his own weird tier with some other prospects like Walker Little where you're watching tape from when Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock were still in college and somehow trying to project that into 2021 and beyond. Lots of prospects in this draft with only 1 year of playtime and it wasn't last year. I'm not even going to pretend that I have a read on these guys but I do get the suspicion that Toney is lower in the draft than I initially thought.