The Others (players I didn't cover in my profiles) - WRs

[The Football Guru 211]

1. Corey Davis

 

2. Mike Williams

 

3. Zay Jones

 

4. John Ross (#2 if not for the injury concerns)

 

5. Cooper Kupp

 

High-end NFL Player Comp(s): Jarvis Landry

Low-end NFL Player Comp(s): Austin Collie

 

It's always easy to dismiss receivers who dominated at the FCS level for any number of reasons, including the quality of competition and defenses without capable cornerbacks to travel with the best that level has to offer. But let's be real: no Division I wideout EVER did what he did in four seasons: 428 catches, 6,464 receiving yards and 73 receiving touchdowns. Not good enough? Fine. Eastern Washington played two Power-5 programs over Kupp's last three seasons: Washington in 2014, Oregon in 2015 and Washington State in 2016. The totals in those three games: 35 catches, 597 yards and eight TDs. (In case you need a reminder, Washington had Marcus Peters and a young Sidney Jones three years ago.) While his production certainly received a boost because of how often he was in the slot, Kupp proved to be one of the top players during the practices at Senior Bowl week as well running almost exclusively outside routes. Lack of raw speed and acceleration will probably be the traits that keep him from becoming a No. 1 receiver in the league, but evaluators will have a hard time finding another receiver in this class who is as crafty as a route-runner and has such good hands. As long as his new team finds a way to make a home for him in the slot and doesn't ask him to carry the passing game, he should be savvy enough to become one of the better No. 2 receivers in the league at some point.

 

 

6. ArDarius Stewart

 

High-end NFL Player Comp(s): Golden Tate

Low-end NFL Player Comp(s): Jason Avant

 

It doesn't take long before Stewart's physicality just leaps off the tape. Stewart is constantly in search-and-destroy mode, instantly turning into a running back after the catch and punishing defenders on downfield blocks. He also doesn't require much time to get to top speed, which helps him with run-after-catch (roughly 70 percent of his yards came after the catch in 2016). Further proving the physicality and acceleration points, PFF credited him with an average of 10.7 yards after the catch per reception, second-best among Power-5 wide receivers. While he lacks the same explosion and hands, he has a Steve Smith (the recently retired one from Utah) kind of demeanor. As one might imagine with such a player, Stewart has work to do as a route-runner and can try to do too much with the ball in his hands. He also wasn't exposed to all that much man defense and press coverage at Alabama with that program almost always possessing such a dominant ground game and not passing all that much. PFF charted him with 11 drops over the last two seasons as well. Nevertheless, none of those concerns should be of the long-term variety so long as his new coaches get to work on him right away regarding those issues. It would not be a surprise to see him eventually evolve into a low-end No. 1 receiver in the NFL if he can iron those things out, and I can see him being an absolute menace in the slot.

 

 

7. Chris Godwin

 

High-end NFL Player Comp(s): Pierre Garcon

Low-end NFL Player Comp(s): Chris Conley

 

Due to a suspension of a pair of receivers in the most recent Rose Bowl, Godwin got a chance to show what he could do as a featured wideout in Penn State's vertical passing game. Without that game (nine catches, 187 yards and two scores), his otherwise solid second half of the season probably gets overlooked. Needless to say, he put on a show with his ability to get deep versus USC and his combine performance (4.42 speed, 10'6" broad) pretty much solidified his status as a Day 2 pick. Godwin is well put-together - probably more than his measurements (6-1, 209) suggest he might be - as well and is one of the better blockers at his position in this class, making him an intriguing project of sorts for a NFL team. His problems are that he doesn't usually play up to his timed speed and consistent production. While it is nice to be known as a big-game player (he stood out in each of the Penn State's bowl games over the last three years), there just wasn't enough other games like those to suggest he is a future No. 1 receiver in the NFL. With that said, he is very good in contested-catch situations and serve as a quality intermediate and deep threat right away. Godwin should be a steady, serviceable WR2 for a long time.

 

 

8. Josh Reynolds

 

High-end NFL Player Comp(s): Alvin Harper

Low-end NFL Player Comp(s): Chris Henry

 

Reynolds' build looks every bit like the accomplished high school triple jumper and high jumper he was. At 6-3 and 194 pounds, he appears to be too thin to be a football player. Au contraire. While Reynolds may never be able to add all the muscle he needs in order to a true No. 1 wideout in the NFL, he is a long-strider who may be the best bad-ball/50-50/end-zone fade receiver in this draft. While he lacks the girth and overall strength of someone like Mike Williams, it may be the only quality in which he doesn't at least match up pretty well with the Clemson standout and likely top-20 draft pick. Reynolds takes a while to hit top speed and doesn't make quick transitions on shorter routes because he is such a long-strider, but he is very able to generate yards after catch (in the open field, he's obviously not much of a tackle breaker), not afraid to run over the middle and as good as they come in tracking the ball downfield. His ideal role would be the Harper to someone else's Michael Irvin, as a team's top vertical threat and a red-zone maven. If he can add a few pounds of muscle (preferable 10-15) and maintain his current play style, it is feasible (although unlikely) he could ascend to being a team's top receiving option down the road.

 

 

9. JuJu Smith-Schuster

 

High-end NFL Player Comp(s): Hakeem NIcks

Low-end NFL Player Comp(s): Jaelen Strong

 

Schuster seems to have earned a lot of comparisons to Anquan Boldin over the last few months, but that is a high standard for a player who totaled four catches for 50 yards against the top two secondaries he faced in 2016 (Alabama and Washington) and scored eight of his 10 touchdowns in three games. Schuster's best asset is his size (6-2, 220) and one of his best traits is his ability to turn into a running back after the catch. His size undoubtedly helps him when it comes to blocking, although it's not hard to see he takes pride in that part of his craft. He does have a flair for the spectacular catch (which helped bring on the Nicks' comparison) and he has no issue with working the middle of the field. With that said, I think he will be hard-pressed to be anything more than a complementary receiver in the NFL. He has strong but inconsistent hands and doesn't create a lot of separation. Smith-Schuster's 4.54 speed is more than acceptable for a receiver of his size, but it doesn't show up on tape. He has a limited number of fits and, given his speed/separation limitations, he will likely need to go to a West Coast-style offense in order to enjoy a fair amount of success.

[Marshall 98]

I am consistently impressed with the amount of work that you put in on these pieces. Well-researched and informative, they are always a pleasure to read.

 

Thanks, Doug!