As the league continues to become ever more focused on the passing game, the importance of a team’s wide receivers grows greater. That’s reflected when evaluating current NFL rosters. Nearly every team in the league could improve some aspect of their depth chart by adding another wide receiver, and most teams will consider it. Fortunately, with nearly 40 receivers with draftable grades, there will be plenty of opportunities for teams to bolster their passing attacks.
Is your team looking for a primary receiver? Maybe they’re looking for a more physical guy to play opposite their top target, or perhaps they need to add a new player in the slot. Although nearly every team may look to add a wide out at some point during the draft, here’s a look at the teams who are nearly locks to do so.
NEED: “X” RECEIVER
Cleveland Browns
WRs currently on roster: Greg Little (2nd year), Josh Cribbs (8th year), Mohamed Massaquoi (4th year), Carlton Mitchell (3rd year), Rod Windsor (2nd year), Owen Spencer (2nd year)
For all the heat quarterback Colt McCoy has taken for leading an inefficient offense, a quick look over the roster reveals he hasn’t had much to work with. Joshua Cribbs is certainly a nice complimentary weapon, but he can’t be relied upon as a number one option for a quarterback. Greg Little had a dismal rookie season that was plagued with drops, but the Browns aren’t likely to give up on the young receiver just one season in his career, but they’ll need to add some additional fire power to the position.
Cleveland is planning on having Little be the slot receiver in 3 wide receiver sets, so the need for the Browns here is primarily at the X receiver. An ideal fit would be either Justin Blackmon or Michael Floyd in the first round. Both could step in immediately as a starter and finally give McCoy some options.
Jacksonville Jaguars
WRs currently on roster: Laurent Robinson (6th year), Mike Thomas (4th year), Cecil Shorts (2nd year), Taylor Price (4th year), Brian Robiskie (4th year), Jarett Dillard (4th year), Chastin West (2nd year), Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (3rd year)
Although they’re regarded as having one of the worst passing offenses in the NFL, in reality Jacksonville could very well be one piece away from having a solid arsenal of weapons for Blaine Gabbert to employ. While they may have over paid for him, Laurent Robinson should be able to give the Jaguars offense a factor at the Z receiver spot that opposing defenses will have to plan for. Mike Thomas had a poor season in 2011, but has the potential to be a good slot receiver (over 800 receiving yards in 2010). Cecil Shorts is a developmental prospect but is someone that the organization likes.
Jacksonville has the complimentary pieces needed in a good offense, but they’re lacking a game changing X receiver. Adding a receiver who can play outside early in the draft would give the Jaguars plenty of options for Gabbert to choose from in his second year. If they can successfully do that, Gabbert should have a much better 2012 season.
Miami Dolphins
WRs currently on roster: Davone Bess (5th year), Clyde Gates (2nd year), Brian Hartline (4th year), Quinten Lawrence (3rd year), Roberto Wallace (3rd year), Chris Hogan (2nd year, Marlon Moore (3rd year)
For a team with many needs, the Dolphins may not have gone into the offseason with the intention of addressing their wide receivers at all. While they didn’t boast a great line up, they did have some play makers in Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess, and the bigger concern would have probably been who was throwing them the ball.
But when the Dolphins traded Marshall to Chicago (rumored to be an ill fated attempt to impress Peyton Manning), wide receiver became a much bigger need. While they gained two third round draft picks, Miami lost a solid X receiver that will need to be replaced at some point during the draft. They may not be likely to address that need in the first round, but Mohammad Sanu or Alshon Jeffery a little bit later could be a good fit.
Minnesota Vikings
WRs currently on roster: Percy Harvin (4th year), Michael Jenkins (9th year), Devin Aromashodu (5th year), Emmanuel Arceneaux (2nd year), Stephen Burton (2nd year), Bryan Walter (3rd year), Kerry Taylor (2nd year)
As much of a playmaker Percy Harvin can be, he’s also inconsistent, injury prone, and just not a number one receiver. The remainder of the Vikings’ wide receivers are primarily just role players that are nothing to get excited about. Neither Jenkins nor Aromashodu have the ability to win games for Minnesota, and they can’t makes the types of plays that a developing QB like Christian Ponder needs them to make.
The Vikings could choose to draft Justin Blackmon with the third overall pick in the draft, but it doesn’t seem likely. There is too much value at other positions, and even the biggest fans of Blackmon would probably admit he’s not the third best player in the draft. A more likely scenario would see Minnesota drafting Reuben Randle at the top of the second round, giving them a potential primary receiver at a much better value.
New York Jets
WRs currently on roster: Santonio Holmes (7th year), Patrick Turner (4th year), Jeremy Kerley (2nd year), Logan Payne (2nd year), Dexter Jackson (2nd year), Eron Riley (2nd year), Royce Adams (2nd year), Scotty McKnight (2nd year), Chaz Schilens (3rd year)
The Jets surprisingly elected to retain Santonio Holmes after yet another season of on and off field distractions. It was a controversial decision, but it gives them some consistency at the position regardless of whether or not it was the smart decision. Unfortunately, the rest of the receivers on New York’s roster leave even more to be desired.
While the Jets have sent mixed signals as to just how committed they are to quarterback Mark Sanchez – they signed him to a contract extension just prior to trading for Tim Tebow – but they’ve stated that he is their guy. It’s not a stretch to say the success of their season, and in turn the job security of the Jets’ coaching staff, relies on how he performs. It’s imperative that they add a couple of receivers, and honestly they shouldn’t be too picky as to which position the newcomer would play. An X receiver would do wonders, but an improvement in the slot would help Sanchez perform well, too.
St. Louis Rams
WRs currently on roster: Steve Smith (6th year), Austin Pettis (2nd year), Greg Salas (2nd year), Brandon Gibson (4th year), Danario Alexander (3rd year)
You’d be hard pressed to find a team that needs to add receivers more than the Rams. The most note worthy receiver currently on the roster, Steve Smith, had 124 receiving yards in 2011 before undergoing the dreaded microfracture knee surgery. Aside from Smith, the other receivers have little experience and even less production when on the field. If Rams are going to attempt to make Sam Bradford’s life any easier, it’s going to start by adding a true number one receiver.
Because of this glaring need, St. Louis is the most likely team to land Justin Blackmon. The pick at number six seems to be the right value, and even though there are many that hesitate to label Blackmon as an elite talent, he’s still better than anything the Rams have currently. If they are unable to land Blackmon, Michael Floyd and Kendall Wright (although Wright isn’t a X receiver) would also provide a upgrade.
NEED: “Z” RECEIVER
Buffalo Bills
WRs currently on roster: Steve Johnson (4th year), David Nelson (3rd year), David Clowney (5th year), Marcus Easley (3rd year), Derek Hagan (6th year),Brad Smith (7th year) Donald Jones (3rd year), Ruvell Martin (7th Year), Naaman Roosevelt (3rd year)
Buffalo has plenty of numbers at wide receiver, but that doesn’t translate to quality on the field. Steve Johnson is a good player and probably worthy of being regarded as a number one receiver. After Johnson, there is a huge drop off in talent. Nelson is a big body at 6’5, but he, lack the rest of the Bills’ receivers lack physicality.
To give Ryan Fitzpatrick a chance to play a full season at a high level, Buffalo needs to give him some more weapons. First on the list should be a big, physical receiver who can play on the outside and pull attention away from Johnson and Nelson.
Cincinnati Bengals
WRs currently on roster: AJ Green (2nd year), Jordan Shipley (3rd year), Brandon Tate (3rd year), Armon Binns (2nd year), Andrew Hawkins (2nd year), Vidal Hazelton (2nd year), Ryan Whalen (2nd year)
AJ Green didn’t only have a great rookie season, he had one of the best seasons of any wide receiver period last year. Jordan Shipley has been a surprisingly good receiver in the slot, but even with he and Green there is still room for improvement in the Bengals’ receiving corp.
Green, Shipley, and quarterback Andy Dalton would benefit greatly from one more added threat in their offense. Jerome Simpson is simply too unreliable off the field to count on. Kendall Wright would seemingly be a great fit in the first round for the Bengals, or they could go for a bigger body like Alshon Jeffery or Mohammed Sanu later on in the draft.
Indianapolis Colts
WRs currently on roster: Reggie Wayne (12th year), Austin Collie (4th year), Blair White (3rd year), Donnie Avery (5th year), Quan Cosby (4th year), Jarred Fayon (2nd year), Jeremy Ross (2nd year)
The days of the Indianapolis Colts being regarded as an offensive juggernaut are now in the rearview mirror. And while the previous front office relied upon a strategy of just hoping Peyton Manning would make bad wide receivers look good, their successors can’t employ the same method. For Andrew Luck to have the greatest chance at success, the Colts will need to improve their receiving corp.
Fans around the league may regard Reggie Wayne as one of the league’s premier receivers, but that isn’t truly the case anymore. In 2011 he rounded off routes, took plays off, and generally looked disinterested for most of the year. While much of that could be attributed to the train wreck that was the Colts’ 2011 season, the fact remains that he’s nearing the end of his career. Additionally, a wide receiver that is making a habit of dogging it when an offense is struggling is not an ideal factor to aid in the development of a rookie quarterback.
It’s clear the Colts will need to add a receiver who at least has potential to be a go to guy at some point during the draft. Since they invested in Wayne by giving him a new contract, it’s not likely they’ll look for a primary receiver early in the draft. It would be reasonable, however, for them to look for a receiver that can play the Z spot opposite of Wayne.
NEED: SLOT RECEIVER
Carolina Panthers
WRs currently on roster: Steve Smith (12th year), Brandon LaFell (3rd year), Kealoha PIlares (2nd year), Armanti Edwards (3rd year), David Gettis (3rd year), Darvin Adams (2nd year), Chris Manno (2nd year)
Prior to the 2011 season, many thought that Steve Smith was washed up. The Cam Newton Show brought Smith back to life however, and now he looks better than ever. He recently signed a contract extension and looks to be the Panthers’ primary target for several more years.
While Carolina’s main needs are on defense, they could also benefit from adding a versatile wide receiver who could play either in the slot in three receiver sets and could also play outside when there are only two receivers on the field. The perfect fit would be Kendall Wright, a guy who could foreseeable play all three WR positions, but Carolina’s ninth overall pick may be a little early for him. If they wait until later in the draft, they may settle for a receiver who will play purely in the slot, and go with Brandon LaFell as their second wide out.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WRs currently on roster: Vincent Jackson (8th year), Mike Williams (3rd year), Arrelious Benn (3rd year), Preston Parker (3rd year), Sammie Stroughter (4th year), Dezmon Briscoe (2nd year), Ed Gant (2nd year), Raymond Weber (2nd year)
The Buccaneers have drafted at least one wide receiver in three out of the last five drafts and made a splash in free agency by signing Vincent Jackson. Obviously they’ve invested a lot in the position in the last several years, but they still need to improve it more. Mike Williams regressed after an impressive rookie season, but he should benefit from Jackson’s presence. He won’t have to struggle with the double coverages he faced in 2011.
The void that remains now is in the slot. Jackson and Williams should be a solid X and Z receiver combination, and a slot receiver with speed that can stretch defenses would be ideal. A seemingly good fit here would be T.Y. Hilton out of Florida International.
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