The Draft Board: The Golden Age of wide receivers is upon us
For the second year in a row, the NFL Draft is loaded with both top-end talent and quality depth at the wide receiver position
For the second year in a row, the NFL Draft is loaded with both top-end talent and quality depth at the wide receiver position. Perhaps enough to supplant the 2020 and 2014 drafts as the best in recent memory at wide receiver. Given the quality of players entering the league at such a rapid pace, we should be entering a Golden Age at the position.
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Headlined by potential superstars in Ja’Marr Chase, Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle, the class also possesses a terrific blend of skill sets and receiver archetypes. Any team that needs to add to its receiver corps should be in excellent shape with this draft.
Here’s what I’ve seen from the premier wide receiver prospects in this year’s draft:
Ja’Marr Chase - LSU
Stats: 107 Rec., 2,093 yds, 19.6 avg., 23 TDs
Notable: 2019 Biletnikoff Award winner, 2019 unanimous First-Team All-American
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 200 lbs
What I like
What’s not to like about Chase? He plays with speed and physicality, beating defenders regularly in a variety of ways. Chase is also much faster than he gets credit for, and he had no trouble stacking some very good corners with regularity. Very little wasted movement or speed in his breaks. Chase didn’t lose at the catch point very often, and he showed strong hands. With the combination of his top-end physical tools and a dominant mentality, Chase could quickly become one of the best players in the NFL.
What I don’t like
I certainly missed not watching Chase play football in 2020, but after he lit up college football with 84 catches for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2019, he was probably better suited than most to opt-out for the season. Just one year of production will be brought up for those looking to grab him in the top 10. Chase has the frame to put on some additional weight, which should help him better compete in the league.
Player comparison: Souped-up Amari Cooper
Devonta Smith - Alabama
Stats: 235 Rec., 3,965 yds, 16.9 avg., 46 TDs
Notable: 2020 Heisman Trophy winner, most receiving touchdowns in SEC history
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 175 lbs
What I like
Smith can get open whenever he wants to. He’s as slippery a wide receiver that has ever existed, and that fluidity is absolutely something that will translate to the NFL. Time and again Smith made some of the hardest catches look simple, and he has a natural sense of making plays. He displayed the ability to operate in a complementary role or as the top dog in a passing attack. Despite his smaller stature, Smith can be tough when it counts. While Chase’s ceiling might be a touch higher, Smith probably has the highest floor of any receiver in this draft.
What I don’t like
The only real nitpick to make is Smith’s very slender build. His frame doesn’t look like it will make it easy for Smith to bulk up much more at the pro level. But his thin figure wasn’t an issue against the best competition in college football, and he should be able to work around that in the NFL as well.
Player comparison: Calvin Ridley
Jaylen Waddle – Alabama
Stats: 106 Rec., 1,999 yds, 18.9 avg., 17 TDs
Notable: 2019 First-Team All-American
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 182 lbs
What I like
This isn’t breaking news, but Waddle can flat-out fly. He possesses the type of speed to schematically alter the way defenses play. There are plenty of fast receivers in the NFL, but Waddle is different for a few different reasons. His acceleration is top-end elite as well. Waddle doesn’t just run fast, he gets to fast in the blink of an eye. This isn’t just straight-line speed, either. Waddle can get open and off the line with burst and foot quickness. He also possesses very good hands and won many of the few contested catches that came his way. Waddle could also emerge as the best receiver in this class when all is said and done.
What I don’t like
His size hasn’t been an issue due to his speed, but Waddle will be on the smaller side of the NFL. Waddle also hasn’t been the premier wide receiver on any of his teams, and his usage rate wasn’t very high until his five-game 2020 season. There’s not much to dislike about Waddle, who might be one of the most complete speed receivers to come into the league.
Player comparison: DeSean Jackson
Rashod Bateman - Minnesota
Stats: 147 Rec., 2,395 yds, 16.3 avg., 19 TDs
Notable: 2019 First Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Receiver of the Year in 2019
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 210
What I like
Bateman is long and smooth as a versatile receiver. He’s not a sudden runner, but he does get up to top speed quickly and can stress a defense, even if he’s not a true speedster. Has a basketball background, and that showed when he made contested catches. That background also helps him to get in and out of breaks quickly, and he has drumroll feet to quickly throttle down. Bateman isn’t at the pinnacle of this class like the first three on the list, but he has great size and fluidity, which should help him succeed.
What I don’t like
While he’s a great athlete, he’s not athletically dominant in one particular area. Waddle can always fall back on his speed, but Bateman doesn’t have on specific trait like that. He also showed a tendency to drop catchable passes. Bateman could also benefit from mixing up that way he comes off the line of scrimmage, as he tended to make a small jump when coming out of his stance.
Player comparison: Mohamed Sanu
Rondale Moore - Purdue
Stats: 178 Rec., 1,915 yds, 10.8 avg., 14 TDs
Notable: 2018 First Team All-American
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 180 lbs
What I like
An extremely electric player who had some jaw-dropping moments on film. While he’s on the small side for a receiver, he proved to be tough to bring down and was stronger than I expected. All of that combines to make for a truly special player after the catch. Moore worked best when he got touches early and often in a game. Not every play was noteworthy, but it didn’t take him long to break off some game-changing ones. His elite agility will make him a must-watch player on Sundays.
What I don’t like
I’ve already noted the size, and he will be one of the smallest players in every game he plays. He was a major part of Purdue’s scheme, and it’s unclear how much he benefitted from that. The degree of route difficulty was not high for Moore in college, but he’s got the potential to improve in this area. I don’t know if Moore is the right fit for every offense in the league, but he could thrive in the right one.
Player comparison: Mini Tyreek Hill
Elijah Moore – Ole Miss
Stats: 189 Rec., 2,441 yds, 12.9 avg., 16 TDs
Notable: 2020 First-Team All-American, First-Team All-SEC
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 185 lbs
What I like
The two Moores could be lumped into the same category of player, but they have some distinct differences. As the focal point of Ole Miss’s offense, Moore proved to be an extremely reliable player from the slot who rarely dropped a pass. He was also a versatile piece, who motioned frequently and even started some plays in the backfield. Moore has all of the necessary speed, quickness and agility to thrive in the NFL, but I like Purdue’s Moore a bit more in all facets.
What I don’t like
Moore is also on the small side for an NFL player, and while he has great athletic traits, they aren’t entirely elite. It’s also unclear how well he can match up against some more physical defenders, because he operated from the slot or in motion for a majority of his time in college. Moore had a tendency to false step out of his sets.
Player comparison: More athletic Julian Edelman
Kadarius Toney - Florida
Stats: 120 Rec., 1,590 yds, 13.3 avg., 12 TDs
Notable: Florida’s leading receiver in 2020
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 193
What I like
Toney is yet another jitterbug receiver who likes to have the ball in his hands with room to make some moves. He’s an extremely flexible route runner, who can cut angles at speeds most simply can’t. That flexibility is complemented by rare acceleration. Toney almost looks like Allen Iverson when he’s crossing up defends. On film, Toney also flashed reliable hands and didn’t have many drops during his career.
What I don’t like
He’s twitchier and quicker than he is fast. Decent top-end speed but a better short-area player. Toney isn’t a very good route runner, either. He has a slim frame, but he did show toughness on film. Takes some plays off. Can be stymied off the line by bigger defenders. Toney only had one season of truly great production, and it’s unclear if he can match that against better competition.
Player comparison: Deebo Samuel
Dyami Brown – North Carolina
Stats: 123 Rec., 2,306 yds, 18.7 avg., 21 TDs
Notable: 2020 First-Team All-ACC, 2020 Third-Team All-American
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 185 lbs
What I like
Used primarily as a deep threat for UNC, Brown has the potential to become much more at the next level. His route tree was limited in college, but the film showed skills to unlock more of the route tree in the NFL. He has very quick feet to get free from defenders and was polished at stacking them on deep routes. Brown was also tremendously skilled at slant routes, further highlighting his smooth footwork. Finally, Brown will be an asset as a blocker from Day 1.
What I don’t like
It seems like Brown could be a hidden gem in this class. He’s likely pegged as a Day 2 pick by most teams but offers a lot to like. Brown didn’t have the most trustworthy hands, which is an area that needs to be cleaned up. His speed is more long speed, and it didn’t show up as a factor in after the catch running. There’s some developing that needs to be done here, but the traits are there to work with.
Player comparison: Mike Wallace
Terrace Marshall Jr. - LSU
Stats: 106 Rec., 1,594 yds, 15.0 avg., 23 TDs
Notable: PFF Second-Team All-SEC in 2020
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 200 lbs
What I like
Marshall is a great deep threat who will stress defenses at the next level. His size will also make him a good target in the red zone. Marshall has excellent length at the position, which helped him make some great contested catches in college. He also had noteworthy production over a two-year sample size.
What I don’t like
Marshall is more of a typical straight-line deep threat than a well-polished receiver at this point in his career. There will always be a team in need of adding a speed element to its receiver room, but Marshall will need to develop in other areas. He doesn’t have the lateral quickness others in this class do, and he struggles with drops. At this point, Marshall is more of a big-play, highlight threat than an every-down impact player. He could be great on special teams.
Player comparison: Amani Toomer
Players I’m high on for Day 2: Cade Johnson (SDSU), Amon-Ra St. Brown (USC), Sage Surratt (Wake Forest).