Gosselin WR rankings

[dbair1967]

Gosselin thinks this WR draft is pretty good. He had one surprise listed as a 1st rd pick, USC's Williams. I had no idea he had climbed up this high. He was a guy I was interested in with our 2nd.

NFL Draft preview: Wide receivers

10:15 PM CDT on Saturday, April 17, 2010
By RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News
rgosselin@***BANNED-URL***


STRENGTH: 8

Mike Wallace (Steelers) was a fourth-round pick in 2009, Pierre Garcon a sixth in 2008, Steve Breaston a fifth in 2007 and Marques Colston a seventh in 2006. You can find quality receivers in any round of any draft. The 2010 draft is no different.


Player School Ht. Wt. Noteworthy
Dez Bryant Okla. St. 6-2 225 16.5-yard career average
Demaryius Thomas Ga. Tech 6-3 224 25.1-yard average in 2009
Regus Benn Illinois 6-1 219 4.40 speed in the 40
Damian Williams So. Cal 6-0 ½ 197 Arkansas transfer
Brandon LaFell LSU 6-2 ½ 211 25 career touchdowns
Golden Tate Notre Dame 5-10 ½ 199 Biletnikoff Award winner
Dexter McCluster Mississippi 5-8 ½ 172 Also started at RB in 2009
Taylor Price Ohio 6-0 204 4.43 speed in the 40
Andre Roberts The Citadel 5-10 ½ 195 3,743 career yards
Emmanuel Sanders SMU 5-10 ½ 186 34 career touchdowns
Jordan Shipley Texas 5-11 193 116 catches in 2009
Eric Decker Minnesota 6-3 217 Lisfranc injury in Nov.
Dezmon Briscoe Kansas 6-2 207 1,337 yards in 2009
Marty Gilyard Cincinnati 5-11 ½ 187 Two-time All-Big East
Marcus Easley, Connecticut 6-2 ½ 210 Former walk-on
Potential first-round picks in bold

Spotlight on
Dexter McCluster, Mississippi

If the NFL has a quandary about how to use Dexter McCluster, it has company. The University of Mississippi also flip-flopped on where to play him.

McCluster started eight games at wide receiver and four more at running back last season. The NFL would view him as too slight (172 pounds) to be an every-down running back and too short (5-8) to be an every-down receiver.

But McCluster says don't worry about his size.

"It's never been an issue for me," McCluster said. "I've been this way all my life. I've always been the smaller guy. I had to work that much harder to prove that there is something different about me."

And McCluster has succeeded. He has found out in this draft process that the NFL isn't that concerned with his size, either.

"The teams have told me, 'We really don't care. You're a playmaker. You play football. Your game speaks for itself,' " McCluster said. "They see I'm not scared to take on a man-to-man block and they see I can make you miss. It's not such a big issue."

In 2009, McCluster became the first player in Southeastern Conference history to post 1,000 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving in the same season. He also became the first player in school history to post 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game, against Arkansas. He left Mississippi with 1,955 career rushing yards and 1,703 career receiving yards.


The best
Dez Bryant, Okla. State

Dez Bryant was electric in 2008, catching 87 passes for 1,480 yards and a school-record 19 touchdowns as a sophomore at Oklahoma State. Had he been in the 2009 draft, Bryant would have been the top receiver on the board. That was a dream season – followed up by a nightmare season in 2009. Bryant played only three games before being suspended for the season for lying to NCAA investigators about a meeting with former NFL player Deion Sanders. So Bryant applied for early admission to the 2010 draft and is now the top receiver on this board.


Sleeper
Johnathan Haggerty, Southwestern Oklahoma

Haggerty was a four-year starter and two-time All-Lone Star Conference selection. The Dallas Lincoln product caught 54 passes with a 13.9-yard average and six touchdowns in 2009. That didn't get the NFL's attention – he wasn't invited to the annual scouting combine – but his workout on campus did. He ran a 4.44 40-yard dash in front of 18 scouts on his pro day.


Best of Texas
Dez Bryant, Okla. State

Bryant is one of the top 10 performers on this draft board, but his stock has been dropping throughout the process. The Lufkin native showed up heavy for the NFL scouting combine in February, did not participate in the workouts and then forgot his cleats at his own pro day. Questions remain whether he is mature enough to handle the millions of dollars he would receive as a first-round NFL draft pick.

Draft projection: 1st round


Notable
Leaving early: Of the record 53 underclassmen who opted to turn pro early in the 2010 draft, nine were wide receivers: Regus Benn, Dezmon Briscoe, Antonio Brown (Central Michigan), Dez Bryant, Clifton Mitchell (South Florida), Golden Tate, Demaryius Thomas, Damian Williams and Mike Williams (Syracuse).

Legends:Fifteen wideouts in this draft left campus as the all-time leading receiver in school history: Freddie Barnes (Bowling Green), Antonio Brown (Central Michigan), Duke Calhoun (Memphis), Chris Carter (Cal Davis), Eric Decker (Minnesota), Mardy Gilyard (Cincinnati), Johnathan Haggerty (Southwestern Oklahoma), Kerry Meier (Kansas), Taylor Price (Ohio), Andre Roberts (The Citadel), Naaman Roosevelt (Buffalo), Emmanuel Sanders (SMU), Tim Toone (Weber State), Stephen Williams (Toledo) and Ryan Wolfe (Nevada-Las Vegas). Brown became just the fifth receiver in NCAA history with 300 career catches, leaving Central Michigan No. 3 on the all-time list with 305.

The best:Kansas finished with the seventh-best passing attack in the NCAA last season. Now the Jayhawks must rebuild. In addition to losing their all-time leading passer (Todd Reesing) to graduation, Kansas also is losing its Nos. 1 and 2 all-time receivers. Kerry Meier graduates with 226 career catches and Dezmon Briscoe elected to skip his senior season to turn pro. Here's a list of the most prolific receivers in this draft:


Player School Receptions
Antonio Brown Central Mich. 305
Freddie Barnes Bowling Green 298
Andre Roberts The Citadel 285
Emmanuel Sanders SMU 285
Ryan Wolfe Nevada-Las Vegas 283
Naaman Roosevelt Buffalo 268
Jordan Shipley Texas 248
Buddy Farnham Brown 229
Eric Decker Minnesota 227
Kerry Meier Kansas 226
Dezmon Briscoe Kansas 219


Speed to burn: Clemson's Jacoby Ford is the fastest player in this draft, with a 4.26 time in the 40. That shouldn't be a surprise. He was the NCAA's 60-meter dash champion in 2009. "I'm a football guy that happens to run track," said Ford, who caught 143 career passes for 1,986 yards and 16 touchdowns at Clemson.

Lisfranc:Minnesota's Eric Decker suffered a Lisfranc injury late November, which has damaged his draft stock. But he received some encouragement in an unsolicited phone call last winter from Denver WR Brandon Stokley, who suffered the same type of foot injury. "He actually has had a better career since his injury," Decker said. "That gave me the motivation and understanding that things happen for a reason, and I'm making the best of it."

 

[Bluefin]

Johnathan Haggerty, Southwestern Oklahoma

Haggerty was a four-year starter and two-time All-Lone Star Conference selection. The Dallas Lincoln product caught 54 passes with a 13.9-yard average and six touchdowns in 2009. That didn't get the NFL's attention – he wasn't invited to the annual scouting combine – but his workout on campus did. He ran a 4.44 40-yard dash in front of 18 scouts on his pro day.

Johnathan Haggerty (6-2, 205) looks like a nice developmental prospect as an undrafted player.

Dez Bryant, Okla. State

Dez Bryant was electric in 2008, catching 87 passes for 1,480 yards and a school-record 19 touchdowns as a sophomore at Oklahoma State.

Crazy touchdown production.

Dez Bryant also had 4 receiving TDs in only 3 games last year.

Damian Williams So. Cal 6-0 ½ 197 Arkansas transfer

The smaller USC wideouts seem to make better pros for whatever reason, Damian Williams will continue that trend.

Marcus Easley, Connecticut 6-2 ½ 210 Former walk-on

Another nice project who could provide dividends if a team is patient and puts the time in to get him ready.

 

[RS12]

Demaryius Thomas Ga. Tech 6-3 224 25.1-yard average in 2009

Everything they hoped RW would be.

 

[rkell87]

now that is a ranking list i agree with

 

[28 Joker]

I like Dezmon Briscoe.

Plus, he wouldn't cost a second round pick.

 

[Bluefin]

Bryant has talent to be star, character to be bust; Tate's got upside


By Pat Kirwan | NFL.com
Senior Analyst

The wide receiver and tight end positions have changed in recent years, and the demand for more talent at these spots continues to grow.
More teams are using three wide receiver sets as their base personnel, making third wide receivers more important than fullbacks in most offenses. Teams also want a vertical-threat tight end who can line up in the slot and push up the field.

In each of the previous two drafts, 15 wide receivers have been selected in the first three rounds, while 69 total wide receivers were taken in both drafts combined. This year I expect close to 15 again to go in the first three rounds. As for tight ends, expect one in the first round followed by three or four in the next two rounds.

The spread offenses have created a number of questions for this year's receivers. Are their stats a product of the system? Can these receivers run all the routes coming from these dink-and-dunk systems?

Finally, as we prepare for this draft the projected top receiver could be a great one or he could be the next Charles Rodgers. Injury history in the receiver and tight end class is significant. My sense is people will tolerate the injury risk over the character risk.

Player with most upside

Golden Tate from Notre Dame is a former running back with lots of raw talent and is very dangerous after the catch. He's really just a two-year player at wide receiver with 22 starts. He is a blend of Percy Harvin and Anquan Boldin. He's plenty fast and averaged more than a touchdown per start. I got the chance to meet him at the NFL Scouting Combine, and his character and love of the game impressed me as much as his unofficial 4.36-second 40-yard dash.

Small-school prospect with a chance

Wide receiver is the type of position in which small school players can excel in the NFL. When I was director of player administration for the New York Jets, I signed Wayne Chrebet from Hofstra, and he was able play right away. Andre Reed belongs in the Hall of Fame after coming out of Kutztown and becoming a star for the Buffalo Bills. This year the Citadel's Andre Roberts enters the draft as a 5-foot-11, 195-pound athlete with 285 receptions and 37 touchdowns and a 4.4-second 40 time. He is already a solid route runner like Chrebet was coming out of college. Others in consideration for this category included Freddie Barnes from Bowling Green with 297 career receptions and Taylor Price from Ohio.

The tight end with a chance is Missouri State's Clay Harbor. At the combine he measured at just under 6-3, 252 and ran 4.68 in the 40 and did 30 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds. He led the nation in receiving yards per game for tight ends with 66 and has a chance as an H back.

The 2010 Wes Welker

Tate can jump into the Wildcat at any time, take a slot reverse, as well as break a long return in the kicking game. Don't worry about paying this guy a lot of money; he already knows what it takes to handle things in a mature fashion. Also up for consideration in this category was Demaryius Thomas from Georgia Tech, also known as "Little Calvin" on campus because of his similar traits to Calvin Johnson.

As for the tight end in this category, Oklahoma's Jermaine Gresham missed his senior year with an injury and has a clean bill of health now. Gresham grabbed 25 touchdowns in the two seasons prior to his injury and has all the skills to thrive in the NFL.

Biggest boom-or-bust prospect

Dez Bryant only caught 17 passes in 2009 after lying to the NCAA and losing his eligibility. But he can still do it all on the field.

Bryant averaged more than 17 yards per catch during his final 100 receptions and caught a touchdown every 4½ receptions. He may be dropping in the first round, which will eliminate some of the financial risk that comes with the first eight picks of the draft.

Not playing out his third college season does leave him as an unfinished product when it comes to route running and reading coverages on his stem. Here's a guy who could either be a perennial Pro Bowl player or out of the league in a very short time.

The tight end in this category is Andrew Quarless from Penn State. I've followed him since high school, and he has the talent to do it all but he also was suspended from Penn State three times.

Player with most to prove

Mike Williams from Syracuse talks a big game, yet he quit on his team midseason. He was ineligible in 2008 and followed that up with leaving the team in 2009. In four years on campus, Williams only started 22 games but did occasionally flash NFL skills. He has hurt his draft status with the off-field issues and could become a solid pro if he grows up and works on his craft. As a player, he has a reputation of having problems with press coverage and needs work on his route running. Does he have the maturity to work on those areas? That remains to be seen.

As for the tight ends, Jimmy Graham of Miami fits the bill for different reasons. He's a converted basketball player with one college start and 17 receptions. He recognizes his lack of experience and demonstrated at the Senior Bowl that he's willing to work on those issues.

The slot receiver has become one of the most important players on offense. He moves the chains, keeps rolled coverage off the star X receiver and is often the "hot" receiver vs. the blitz. No one does it better than Wes Welker of the Patriots, and this year there are some excellent candidates who can do what he does. Texas' Jordan Shipley is the guy I would be after if looking for a Welker-type. He only ran a 4.57 40 at the combine, but he can change direction on a dime, create separation and catches everything thrown his way. There's no substitute for experience, and Shipley played in 53 college games grabbing 248 passes and 33 touchdowns. Don't worry about beating press coverage, because slot receivers off the line are rarely pressed. Shipley has a great ability to work the underneath routes and has the ability to beat man and zone coverage.

Debunking a myth

So often receivers with sub-4.4 40 speed seem like the best guys to go after, but before teams choose one they had better check his 20-yard short shuttle time. It's not often that a player's short shuttle time is slower than his 40 time, and when it is, the label usually is "track speed." Track speed infers a guy who runs fast in straight lines but can't change direction well, which reduces him to a "9" route guy or deep threat only. I have a red flag up on Clemson's Jacoby Ford because his short shuttle is slower than his 40. He cranked out a 4.28 40, but he had a 4.44 short shuttle.

On the other side of that discussion is the guy with pedestrian straight line speed but is exceptional in and out of breaks. Damian Williams from USC ran a 4.52 40 at the combine but came back with a 4.24 short shuttle. Keep an eye on which player gets drafted first, since their production is about the same (Ford 143 receptions and 16 touchdowns to Williams' 147 and 17).

Teams with the greatest need

Every team will probably select at least one wide receiver somewhere in the draft, but the teams with the biggest need include Carolina, St. Louis, Buffalo, Miami, Cleveland, Chicago, Denver (if they trade Marshall), and Tennessee. As for teams looking for a tight end -- Cincinnati, New England, Baltimore, Kansas City, Arizona and St. Louis.

​

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[RS12]

This year the Citadel's Andre Roberts enters the draft as a 5-foot-11, 195-pound athlete with 285 receptions and 37 touchdowns and a 4.4-second 40 time.

Intriguing guy.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Speed to burn: Clemson's Jacoby Ford is the fastest player in this draft, with a 4.26 time in the 40. That shouldn't be a surprise. He was the NCAA's 60-meter dash champion in 2009. "I'm a football guy that happens to run track," said Ford, who caught 143 career passes for 1,986 yards and 16 touchdowns at Clemson.

I wouldn't object adding Ford at all. He is exactly the kind of player that immediately makes our team better. I hate to say I have pet cats, but I'm a big Ford fan.

 

[speedkilz88]

Everything they hoped RW would be.

He looks more like another Austin or possibly a TO if he pans out. I wonder what the Cowboys think of him and how long they think it will take for him to make an impact in the league.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

I'm a fan of Jacoby Ford... Can he return kickoffs and punts?

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Intriguing guy.

Yeah's a big time sleeper in the draft, I'm sure Dallas has film on him.

 

[Gzus]

After seeing the Senior Bowl I really liked Mardy Gilyard. I wouldn't mind picking him in the third as a KR/PR slot WR.

 

[Bluefin]

I'm a fan of Jacoby Ford... Can he return kickoffs and punts?

Absolutely.

Jacoby Ford was never the primary returner at Clemson due to the presence of the phenomenal C.J. Spiller.

In a part-time role, Ford returned two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns.

He also had 16 receiving touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns and 1 passing touchdown while playing for the Tigers.