Of all the different roles on a football field at any given time, the wide receiver spot has rapidly become the most electric position in the game. The direct impact the position has on the scoreboard is massive. Playmakers out wide are altering the way games are played now more than ever and at the increasing rate NFL teams are scoring.
Spending resources at the position is a must in order to keep up. 2013’s WR draft class just so happens to be the deepest and most controversial in years. Each prospect seems to have plenty of baggage along with supporters and doubters. Here’s the case for and against the pass catchers up for drafting.
Keenan Allen, California
For: Standing at 6’2” weighing 206 pounds at the combine, Keenan Allen immediately passes the “what it takes to be a #1 WR” test. He stands in a small group of top flight WRs in this draft that can satisfy that need for an NFL team. Allen carried a weak Cal offense game after game; they got him the ball in every possible way. He’s viewed as an “X”, outside the numbers, type WR but Cal played him in the slot a good portion of the time because it was much easier for signal caller Zach Maynard (Allen’s half-brother) to actually get Allen the ball. Watching to Cal games, you’ll see plenty of shallow crosses, 5-yard stop routes, and a crafty tunnel screen they loved to feed Allen with. He’s simply the best talent on the field at all times and projects to make the same type of plays in the NFL. There’s still a sense that Allen hasn’t played his best football, and that helps him.
Against: Allen is going into the draft with as much negative momentum as anyone. First and foremost, he’s got medicals to pass. A PCL tear kept him out of the end of his season at Cal and kept him from displaying his athletic ability at the combine. As it is with most every prospect, if you can’t check him out medically you can’t draft him. This is huge for Keenan Allen as there is legitimate concern about that PCL injury and a nagging ankle ding. There are also reports about a failed drug test at the combine for Allen, but that very well could be a team hoping he falls spitting some smoke. Everyone will tell you, the big question with Allen’s game is long speed. Is he going to win outside the numbers deep down the field?
Tavon Austin, West Virginia
For: There are so many things that could be said in an argument for Tavon Austin. He’s as dynamic as they come. He’s pure weapon. Austin opens up the football field for any potential drafting team and gives endless options to the offense. At WVU, Austin was the main cog in one of college football’s most electric offenses. Teams are going to see a dynamic player that consistently produced throughout his career. Austin’s ability to redirect motion at full-speed is remarkable. Every open field skill you could want in a guy, he has. This breed of player is just rare, so rare that he’s likely a top-15 pick.
Against: For a football guy, this is a hard argument to make. Simply put, you want Austin on your team. However, his ‘draft stock’ will be questioned. How many 5’8” 174 lb guys make it into that top-15 range? Does the lack of history of guys of this type worry teams? Is a strict slot WR worth this premium of a selection? How do you use him? What’s his actual position? These are all questions GMs are going to ask their staffs come draft day; someone will like what they hear.
Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech
For: As soon as evaluators put on the games of Quinton Patton, a good grade is soon to follow. At Louisiana Tech, Patton showed why he’s viewed as a complete WR. He’s not the 6’2”+ guy, but his 6’0” 204 lb. weigh in isn’t bad. Actually, those are pretty solid number and Patton really carries that weight well. Patton brings great feet and ability to separate to the NFL. You name it, he can run it. After the catch he’s not the player you want to see with the ball. His ability to feel zone coverages and get in to soft spots is fantastic. He’s a player that’s likely going to be a high level #2 WR in the NFL and it would be silly to limit him to that. Patton is for sure a guy to watch, as he’s not getting the press the big school WRs are getting. Want to fall in love with Patton? Watch the Texas A&M game.
Against: The first knock on any guy at 6’0” is always that his ceiling is limited to being a #2 WR. I’m not quite as concerned with that as others, but his role in your offense is a discussion that has to be had pre-draft. One of my only issues with a complete talent like Patton is his ability to play physically with corners in the NFL. I’ve seen him do it before, he’s certainly not scared of any route, but can he do the dirty work #2 WRs have to do in the NFL consistently. Again, there’s just not a lot to pick apart with Patton. He’s going to make someone happy.
Robert Woods, USC
For: Woods has probably been my favorite WR to watch this year. In my evaluation, he does what I’m looking for. USC’s offense didn’t do him any major favors, but it still allowed him to show what makes him special. He’s a complete player. Woods has soft hands, quick feet, and great body control. My question to those who have him lower than the second round is, what don’t you like? What doesn’t he do? He’s a threat after the catch. He can run every route tree. Shoot, he’s even a really willing and competitive blocker. You certainly don’t have to worry about him catching the ball. Watch out for Woods to make a really big impact in year one.
Against: There are a few guys I’ve mentioned on this list that are flat out hard to knock on. Woods is one of them for me. The ankle injury and minor drop in influence in the offense is likely his reason for not being a Top 10 selection.
Cordarelle Patterson, Tennessee
For: Patterson is one of the only players in this group with a true ability to really be a transcendent talent. He’s big. He’s fast. He’s elusive. There are some highlights of Patterson doing things in the SEC that no one does anywhere. In the NFL, Patterson is going to see the ball in many ways like he did at Tennessee. You’ll see the reverses. Patterson’s a day one starter at KR/PR regardless.
Against: The major problem for me is that lack of ability to truly attack the football. That worries me in a guy I’m hoping to be my go to guy. He lets a good portion of the passes thrown at him into his body and that doesn’t project well. Lots of people have talked about his inability to run the full route tree and there’s even buzz that he might not be the type to truly grasp an NFL offense. If some of these rumors are true, it changes the entire game for Patterson. When you’re taking a shot like this one, you really want to see a guy with a solid work ethic to be really comfortable with the selection.
Markus Wheaton, Oregon State
For: Like Quinton Patton, the depth of this class hasn’t thrown Markus Wheaton into the spotlight. Wheaton really jumped on the scene at the Senior Bowl where he vaulted himself into the second round discussion. At Oregon State, Wheaton was one of the sole weapons carrying that offense. The entire offense was run through what he could do to a defense. Many feel that he’s got the ability to take the top of defenses and if NFL teams agree he could surprise on draft day. He’s a draft athlete with an ability to sink his hips at the route vertex.
Against: I probably sound like a broken record, but the size is what keeps this class from really hearing the word ‘special’ thrown around. Outside of his perceived limitations, Wheaton leaves evaluators wanting to see him win in between the numbers more if he’s going to be a #2 guy.
DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson
For: Another draft community favorite, Hopkins burst onto the scene when things became rocky for fellow Clemson WR Sammy Watkins. From the first game of the season against Auburn where he put up 13 catches for 119 yards and a score, to the huge tape against LSU where he and QB Tahj Boyd cemented their status as legit NFL prospects that will be taken high. Hopkins has everything scouts are looking for. His great feet, ability to run an entire route tree with exaggeration, and the talent to attack then come down with the football should solidly have him in the top-32 selections.
Against: Hopkins is rumored to have committed maybe the dumbest NFL draft crime in recent memory. At the combine, somehow Hopkins room ended up trashed. Reports indicated that there was half eaten food left on the beds, feces and urine about the room, and trash strewn about. If this turns out to be true, this bonehead move could have teams questioning some things. I think he’s still the player he was, but no one wants to draft a player that trashed a room that was paid for by the NFL.
Da’Rick Rogers, Tennessee Tech
For: For those counting at home, Rogers marks one of three WRs on the list to play for the Volunteers (Patterson, Hunter, Rogers). Let me just say, the talent they could have had on the offensive ball would have been ridiculous. Some even believe that Rogers might have been the most gifted player on that team if he had stayed. Da’Rick is going to have someone in love with him, it’s just a matter of how high someone’s going to take him. He’s got true #1 WR potential and if he’s got the off the field issues in check, he might just be a steal for a team. I really like the body control and ability to win the football in the air.
Against: This is where the disappointing part of the scouting report starts. Rogers was dropped from UT’s football team for breaking the teams “substance abuse policy”, forcing him to transfer down to Tennessee Tech. There’s buzz on both spectrums at this point for Rogers. Some are saying he’s generating momentum and his reported 10 passed drug tests are making teams think he’s a viable top-50 pick. While at the same time there are reports saying that he’s not interviewed well through the process.
Stedman Bailey, West Virginia
For: Stedman Bailey might be the scouting community’s favorite player. Often overshadowed by WVU’s electric WR Tavon Austin, Bailey has done nothing but produce. His numbers are unreal as he scored 41 TDs during his time at WVU. That’s more than double what most top tier WRs put up. QB Geno Smith raves about his ability to beat any cover guy that lines across from him, and I agree. He’s a gamer who finds ways to separate himself from coverage. He’s another one of the guys that is really hard to pick apart. He can do it all.
Against: Picking apart a technician like Bailey isn’t easy, but the height is going to be a huge issue. It wouldn’t stop me from running to the podium to pick him, but teams again will be snagged on that stigma sub 6’2”+ WRs get.
Justin Hunter, Tennessee
For: Coming into 2013 Hunter was seriously pushing top-WR in college football status. His athletic ability is obvious as soon as you see him run. With the track background, Hunter’s long strides are used to get behind deep coverage. Teams are going to look at him as that deep threat piece of the puzzle. Playing in an offense loaded with future draft picks, Hunter managed to consistently shine over his career at Tennessee. He’s definitely a riser at this point in the draft process and someone to keep an eye on. If a team sees the upside as likely to be reached, he could come off the board in the top-32 picks.
Against: He’s really inconsistent. One play, you see the long speed make a huge impact on the game while he catches a bomb from talented QB Tyler Bray. On the play you see AJ Green-ish body control, high level deep speed, and even really softs hands. Later in the same game you are liable to be exposed to the raw side of Hunter in his inability to run the entire route tree. The softs hands go away at times and it’s not pretty. Let’s hope the attractive side of Justin Hunter shines through in the NFL and the drafting team is able to utilize his abilities to maximize his draft selection.
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