I did one of these last year, and people seemed to enjoy it, so I'm going to try and keep it going. As some of you know, my history in football is as WR coach. It's my favorite position to watch in football, and I feel like while I'm no expert, I know the position fairly well. Because of that, I try to pay attention to the incoming WR classes. While I didn't get to watch as many of these guys during the season as I'd like due to having a new baby around, I went back and tried to watch at least 3 games (if available) for the top guys in the class. Because this is an extremely deep class, I watched about 20 of the top consensus guys, and instead of the top 10 that I did last year, I did a top 15.
Let me start off by saying that all 15 of these guys will probably be drafted fairly high. That's how good this class is. You could see most, or even all of these guys gone in the top 100 picks. Also, because this class is so good, I struggled with slotting some of these guys, and some areas of my rankings there is very little separation between players. Let me also say, from the sound of it, I think there is a strong possibility the Dolphins take one of these 15 guys.
Anyway, without further ado, here’s my list. Feel free to comment on your opinions on any of these players.
1. Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
There are no such thing as safe picks in the NFL draft, and surely not at the WR position. That being said, to me, Jeudy is one of the safest bets to be a legitimate #1 WR that we’ve seen in the last several years. He really has everything you want in a WR. He’s fast, he’s got decent size, he’s a fantastic route runner, and he has good ball skills. He did suffer some concentration drops at times, but I wouldn’t worry about that too much. He’s just a really clean prospect.
2. CeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
It’s really close to me between these two. In fact, I think they’re both in a tier above everyone else. They are almost foils to each other in that Jeudy is all polish, and Lamb is just a dude that goes out and asserts his will on the game. He’s not the cleanest route runner, and he’s not blazing fast, but he’s just an alpha that makes plays. If the ball is in the air, it’s his. With the ball in his hands, he turns into a RB. While he has more bust potential than Jeudy (one concern is the level of competition he faced), I think his upside might be higher, as you could see him become a DeAndre Hopkins.
3. Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona St.
He’s not this high on most lists, but I absolutely love this guy. The more I watched him, the more I liked. He’s not a burner, and his route running will need to be refined in the NFL, but he’s really smooth, he accelerates well, and he’s really good with the ball in his hands. He also brings return ability. He came from the JUCO ranks, so I think there is a decent amount of untapped potential here. I think he can be a Z, or at the very least a really good slot WR in the NFL.
4. Justin Jefferson, LSU
Jefferson does a lot of things really well. He has decent size, runs good routes, and has great ball skills. I don’t think the 4.43 speed he ran at the combine shows up on film as I don’t think he’s a guy that’s going to win over the top a lot, but I think that’s ok. I think he’s going to be a very good slot receiver in a league where that position is becoming increasingly important.
5. Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
I know most people have him much higher than this, some even think he could be the top WR taken. While I like him, and his speed is definitely a weapon, I just don’t like him as much as the four guys ahead of him. Obviously his calling card is his speed. He ran a 4.27 at the combine, and he was disappointed with that time. He’s not your stereotypical speed guy though, as he he has a little more size to him than those guys, and is not afraid of physicality. He also has impressive hands. I don’t see the route running that some others cite as a strength, and I don’t think he’s going to be a high volume WR, but he still could be a difference maker with big plays in the right situation.
6. Laviska Shenault, Colorado
Shenault is more athlete than wide receiver right now, but he’s also so much fun to watch. He’s not a crisp route runner, but he’s explosive, tough, and dynamite after the catch. He can be used in so many different ways, and I believe was hampered by a bad offensive system, and a bad QB. He also has had some injury issues, so that is a concern. But if he can refine his game, and/or be used in a way to maximize his skillset by manufacturing touches for him, he could be a weapon.
7. Denzel Mims, Baylor
Mims is a height/weight/speed guy with tons of upside. He may be the biggest boom or bust player on this list. He’s a big guy that can run, has a great catch radius, and impressive ball skills. He has more build up speed than sudden acceleration, and he needs to become a better route runner. That being said, he’s quicker than most guys his size, so that’s an area I think he can improve on. He has the chance to be a very good X, although he’s riskier than some of these other guys, in my opinion.
8. KJ Hamler, Penn St.
Hamler is small, but exciting. Speed is his game, and off the line it looks like he’s shot out of a cannon. But he’s also a fluid route runner that will shake defenders out of their shoes. He’s not a natural hands catcher, and because of his size, can get pushed around at times, but he’s a threat to score on every snap. He reminds me a little bit of Hollywood Brown, although I had Brown as a better all around prospect.
9. Tee Higgins, Clemson
Most people have him much higher, and in years past I probably would too. But I’ve been burned by guys with questions about separation before, and to me, that’s the biggest issue with Higgins. Will he separate in the NFL? I’m not sure. If you watch many of his catches in college, the defender is right there. But that is also where you see Higgins’s biggest strength. When the ball is in the air, Higgins is coming down with it. His length and ball skills are big time. There have been players that succeed this way in the NFL, but when they’re bigger, stronger, and better than the guys he faced in college, it’s a legitimate worry. Of all of the players on this list, ranking him at 9 might end up looking the worst in a few years, but we’ll see.
10. Michael Pittman Jr., USC
Pittman is a big bodied receiver with great hands and ball skills to go along with his impressive catch radius. He isn’t very fast, but he’s not bad off the line. He may not have the upside of some of these other guys, but at the very least, I think he’ll be a solid possession-type X receiver that can move the chains and make plays in the red zone.
11. Van Jefferson, Florida
Jefferson is another one of my favorite prospects in this class. He’s a little bit older for a guy entering the league, but he’s such a technician on the football field, probably because his father is a (former Dolphins) WR coach in the NFL. Jefferson might be the second best route runner in the draft behind Jeudy, and his quick feet and sharp cuts help him get separation. He also has nice ball skills and hands. He doesn’t have high end speed, but he has enough that along with his other abilities, I think he will carve a solid NFL career out for himself. He brings the added bonus of being able to play all 3 WR positions for you.
12. Jalen Raegor, TCU
Raegor is another guy I’m not as high on as the consensus. To me, Raegor is a speed WR that plays like a traditional speed WR, even though he didn’t actually time like an elite speed guy at the combine. He’s a guy that thrives on vertical routes and getting the ball in space. He showed inconsistent effort, though, which you don’t like to see, even if he was rightfully frustrated with poor QB play.
13. Chase Claypool, Notre Dame
Going into the combine, there was speculation that Claypool was going to have to move to TE. Then he blew up the combine, and that talk stopped. I’m not sure it should have watching him on film. He’s a big receiver that plays like a big receiver. I don’t think his film matches his timed speed, and there isn’t much lateral quickness. He wins by bullying defenders. I think his best fit is as a big slot.
14. Tyler Johnson, Minnesotta
Johnson is not overly explosive, but he has impressive ball skills and body control. He’s a physical receiver that also does a nice job of finding space in zone coverage. He’s kind of a poor man’s Jarvis Landry, and I think he could be a solid slot receiver in the NFL.
15. KJ Hill, Ohio St.
You don’t get to be the all time reception leader for a program like Ohio St. by accident. Hill is a guy that isn’t really elite in any one area, but he’s pretty good in several. He’s a good route runner with nice quickness. He lacks size, but should be a dependable slot receiver in the NFL.
Click to expand...