Risen Star
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This is the 41st year, and the fourth year at Go Long, that Bob McGinn has written a position-by-position series previewing the NFL draft. Previously, it appeared in the Green Bay Press-Gazette (1985-’91), the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (1992-’17), BobMcGinnFootball.com (2018-’19) and The Athletic (2020-’21). Until 2014, many personnel people were quoted by name. The series reluctantly adopted an all-anonymous format in 2015 at the request of most scouts.
First of 12 parts: Wide Receivers
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That trend is expected to hit the brakes next month with one team reporting seven wideouts in the top 100 and another projecting the numbers of starters at eight.
“There’s maybe three or four top guys,” an AFC executive said. “There’s a lot of Day 3 meat. It’s not very top-heavy.”
The cupboard isn’t quite as barren as 2008, which along with 1990 are the only drafts since 1966 in which no wide receiver was chosen in Round 1. It’s possible that we could see a repeat of 2006, the last time only one wideout (Santonio Holmes at No. 25) went in the first.
“This receiver group is terrible,” an NFC personnel man said. “Absolutely terrible. There’s nothing here. Guys are going to move up a round or two just because it’s a terrible year. A third-rounder is going to be taken in the first and a fourth-rounder in the second. That’s how weak this group is. And it’s been great the last X amount of years.”
Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who will be included with the cornerbacks, generally is ranked as the No. 1 prospect at both positions.
“He’s dynamite,” one scout said. “He’s something else. As a receiver, he’s quick as (bleep). He can cut. I mean, explosive. His hands are rare, rare, rare. I don’t know if I’ve seen someone catch the ball like he does.
“I’d go Hunter and then (Tetairoa) McMillan, then there’s a huge dropoff. The rest are second-rounders, at best. At best.”
2. MATTHEW GOLDEN, Texas (5-11, 191, 4.32, 1-2): After two 38-catch seasons at Houston he transferred to Texas and had an exceptional season for a playoff team. “Whenever they needed a play he’s the one that was that guy,” said one scout. “He made the emotional plays for them. He will make a difference as he moves up a level.” Started 33 of 36 games in his career, finishing with 134 receptions for 1,975 (14.7) and 22 TDs. “He ran 4.29,” a second scout said. “He does have some combination skills as far as being able to play outside and in the slot. He's got some run-after-the-catch ability. Texas just sort of outpersonneled people. There was no magic to what they were doing, and he was part of that.” Returned kickoffs all three years, finishing with 28 for a 25.8 average and two TDs, both coming in 2023. “He is a great kid, and he could rise because of who he is,” said a third scout. “There’s not a whole lot of negatives on him other than (size). He’s fast enough to play outside. He doesn’t have runaway, home-run speed as a returner but it’s good enough.” Third-year junior from Houston. “Crafty little guy,” a fourth scout said. “Doesn’t have great hands. Not much magic after the catch. You have to get it to him quick. Just a guy, really. I don’t see him being a starter.”
3. LUTHER BURDEN, Missouri (6-0, 206, 4.45, 1-2): Nation’s No. 1 wideout in 2022. Hails from St. Louis. “You wish you had bigger and faster for outside but he’s a good enough player to do it,” one scout said. “He’s probably most effective in the slot. There’s some really strong comparisons to Deebo Samuel. He’s got great hands. Really natural after the catch. Has vision, elusiveness, strength, toughness. One of the worst practice players you’ve ever seen but his talent on the field makes you take notice. There’s times when his routes are lacking but it’s more like effort and discipline (than) talent. To his credit, he’s been super productive. Even with quarterback troubles he was pretty productive. He’s a really good slot receiver that can give you some outside but then, with the character, I don’t know how you can draft him in the first round.” Finished with 192 receptions for 2,263 (11.8) and 21 TDs. Ala Samuel, he rushed 34 times for 234 (6.9) and four TDs. “He’s a 5-star, they kiss his *** for three years just to keep him there,” another scout said. “The girlfriend is his manager. The mom is a problem. But he’s a good player on Saturday and he’s very ordinary Monday through Friday. That’s an area he’s really going to have to improve. I thought his tape from 2023 was better than 2024 but I also thought the quarterback play was a little better a year ago. If you take him you’re gritting your teeth that you’re going to have a (Sunday) player who isn’t going to add much to your team the other five, six days of the week. He’s a shaky first-rounder and a little more of a second-rounder because you can’t get anybody to really sign off on a clean bill of health as far as the personality and the intangibles.” Also returned punts all three seasons, averaging 10.5 on 24 attempts. “Similar to Golden but with a thicker build,” a third scout said. “They put him in the slot and they try to throw it to him on these quick little bubble screens and he gets tackled. Against zone, he’s got good feel and good hands. I just don’t see him being a starter.” His father, Luther “Ticky” Burden, averaged 28.7 points for the University of Utah in 1974-’75 before playing three pro seasons in the NBA and ABA. Hands measured just 8 ½ inches.
First of 12 parts: Wide Receivers
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By Bob McGinn
A total of 60 wide receivers have been selected among the top 100 picks in the last four NFL drafts, an average of 15 that reflects how colleges are churning out skilled, talented prospects and how much teams value the position.That trend is expected to hit the brakes next month with one team reporting seven wideouts in the top 100 and another projecting the numbers of starters at eight.
“There’s maybe three or four top guys,” an AFC executive said. “There’s a lot of Day 3 meat. It’s not very top-heavy.”
The cupboard isn’t quite as barren as 2008, which along with 1990 are the only drafts since 1966 in which no wide receiver was chosen in Round 1. It’s possible that we could see a repeat of 2006, the last time only one wideout (Santonio Holmes at No. 25) went in the first.
“This receiver group is terrible,” an NFC personnel man said. “Absolutely terrible. There’s nothing here. Guys are going to move up a round or two just because it’s a terrible year. A third-rounder is going to be taken in the first and a fourth-rounder in the second. That’s how weak this group is. And it’s been great the last X amount of years.”
Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who will be included with the cornerbacks, generally is ranked as the No. 1 prospect at both positions.
“He’s dynamite,” one scout said. “He’s something else. As a receiver, he’s quick as (bleep). He can cut. I mean, explosive. His hands are rare, rare, rare. I don’t know if I’ve seen someone catch the ball like he does.
“I’d go Hunter and then (Tetairoa) McMillan, then there’s a huge dropoff. The rest are second-rounders, at best. At best.”
WIDE RECEIVERS
1. TETAIROA McMILLAN, Arizona (6-4, 215, 4.53, 1): Third-year junior. “He’s a Mike Evans-type guy,” one scout said. Said another: “He’ll be like a Drake London kind of guy. He’s a big dude that can catch. Pretty good athlete for being so big. He plays big. Depending what you do with Travis Hunter, this guy is by far the best (wide receiver).” Finished third in the nation with 1,391 receiving yards in 2024. Three-year totals were 213 receptions for 3,423, a 16.1-yard average and 26 touchdowns. “He’s big and strong, and he’s fast enough,” a third scout said. “He’s going to be one of those guys that will line up in a West Coast-type offense and beat you down on his routes and throw you off and make plays. That’s what he does. He’ll work the middle of the field between the numbers and just give you a headache all day long. He’s a No. 1 (receiver). He’s a hard worker. Sky’s the limit.” Five-star recruit from Waimanalo, Hawaii. Attended high school in California. “He’s like a lesser version of (Rome) Odunze,” a fourth scout said. “He was a volleyball player in high school, which you could see in his skills. My goodness, he can high-point the ball, contort his body. He’s not a speed merchant but if he gets even he can make plays. They catered to him because all their players left (in 2024). He’s a 16-to-25 type pick.” Also played basketball at Servite High. “The 2023 film is a lot better than this year,” a fifth scout said. “He was in protection mode this year. There’s stuff on film this year that’s just gross. The lack of competitiveness is just disturbing at times. Very undisciplined route runner. Big-play potential but too many times it didn’t happen. Not overly physical for a big guy but he’s got natural ball skills. His feet are awesome for a 6-4 dude. He’s a real smooth operator. He’s slippery in run-after-the-catch and he’s got pretty good speed. It’s just, which guy are you going to get? He’s a really immature kid. He’s a poster child for this NIL ****. They kiss his *** to get him to stay and then they do what they want.”2. MATTHEW GOLDEN, Texas (5-11, 191, 4.32, 1-2): After two 38-catch seasons at Houston he transferred to Texas and had an exceptional season for a playoff team. “Whenever they needed a play he’s the one that was that guy,” said one scout. “He made the emotional plays for them. He will make a difference as he moves up a level.” Started 33 of 36 games in his career, finishing with 134 receptions for 1,975 (14.7) and 22 TDs. “He ran 4.29,” a second scout said. “He does have some combination skills as far as being able to play outside and in the slot. He's got some run-after-the-catch ability. Texas just sort of outpersonneled people. There was no magic to what they were doing, and he was part of that.” Returned kickoffs all three years, finishing with 28 for a 25.8 average and two TDs, both coming in 2023. “He is a great kid, and he could rise because of who he is,” said a third scout. “There’s not a whole lot of negatives on him other than (size). He’s fast enough to play outside. He doesn’t have runaway, home-run speed as a returner but it’s good enough.” Third-year junior from Houston. “Crafty little guy,” a fourth scout said. “Doesn’t have great hands. Not much magic after the catch. You have to get it to him quick. Just a guy, really. I don’t see him being a starter.”
3. LUTHER BURDEN, Missouri (6-0, 206, 4.45, 1-2): Nation’s No. 1 wideout in 2022. Hails from St. Louis. “You wish you had bigger and faster for outside but he’s a good enough player to do it,” one scout said. “He’s probably most effective in the slot. There’s some really strong comparisons to Deebo Samuel. He’s got great hands. Really natural after the catch. Has vision, elusiveness, strength, toughness. One of the worst practice players you’ve ever seen but his talent on the field makes you take notice. There’s times when his routes are lacking but it’s more like effort and discipline (than) talent. To his credit, he’s been super productive. Even with quarterback troubles he was pretty productive. He’s a really good slot receiver that can give you some outside but then, with the character, I don’t know how you can draft him in the first round.” Finished with 192 receptions for 2,263 (11.8) and 21 TDs. Ala Samuel, he rushed 34 times for 234 (6.9) and four TDs. “He’s a 5-star, they kiss his *** for three years just to keep him there,” another scout said. “The girlfriend is his manager. The mom is a problem. But he’s a good player on Saturday and he’s very ordinary Monday through Friday. That’s an area he’s really going to have to improve. I thought his tape from 2023 was better than 2024 but I also thought the quarterback play was a little better a year ago. If you take him you’re gritting your teeth that you’re going to have a (Sunday) player who isn’t going to add much to your team the other five, six days of the week. He’s a shaky first-rounder and a little more of a second-rounder because you can’t get anybody to really sign off on a clean bill of health as far as the personality and the intangibles.” Also returned punts all three seasons, averaging 10.5 on 24 attempts. “Similar to Golden but with a thicker build,” a third scout said. “They put him in the slot and they try to throw it to him on these quick little bubble screens and he gets tackled. Against zone, he’s got good feel and good hands. I just don’t see him being a starter.” His father, Luther “Ticky” Burden, averaged 28.7 points for the University of Utah in 1974-’75 before playing three pro seasons in the NBA and ABA. Hands measured just 8 ½ inches.
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