To put it lightly: this looks like one of the best draft classes for wide receivers in recent memory. In a league that favors the passing game more with each subsequent year, the demand for talented pass-catchers grows as a result. Teams are always looking to pair their quarterbacks with a go to play-maker. The 2014 NFL Draft may contain as many as nine number one targets. To put it boldly: this group has the potential to be the best class of wide receivers in draft history.
Here are the top wide receivers in the 2014 NFL Draft:
1. Sammy Watkins, Clemson, 6’1″, 211 lbs
Sammy Watkins is the total package. He combines explosive speed and quickness with the vision and reactions to use it to make big plays. He has the right size for a receiver and has longs arms with talented hands, giving his quarterback a comfortable catch radius. He also shows the ability to go up and get jump balls. The only knock on him is that he could work on his route running and even that area of his game is not particularly weak. Watkins is the total package and could be selected in the top five picks on May 8th.
2. Mike Evans, Texas A&M, 6’5″, 231 lbs
Mike Evans’ is a BIG receiver. Not only is he 6’5″ but he looks like he lives in a weight room. The Seattle Seahawks corners have made defensive holding into an art and thrive on being physical…sometimes overly so. Evans is the antithesis for the Legion of Boom. He uses his size to out match opponents and is a master of getting away with offensive pass interference. Johnny Manziel felt very comfortable lobbing the ball up to him and Mike Evans consistently found a way to reward him for it. He is the ultimate possession receiver and will make some quarterback very happy this season.
3. Odell Beckham Jr., LSU, 5’11”, 193 lbs
The ability to flat-out catch the football is, oddly enough, underrated when compared with measurables like size and speed. Odell Beckham is a guy who can flat-out catch the football. Despite his 5’11” frame, his catch radius is enormous. He uses his long arms and flexible body to contort and find a way to catch off-target passes. He makes multiple highlight catches every game. Seriously, his talent for catching passes cannot be stressed enough. It also helps that he is very fast and has the ability to turn short passes into big gains. Beckham also adds value as a great kick returner. He will be a reliable number one target for the team that drafts him.
4. Allen Robinson, Penn State, 6’2″, 220 lbs
Allen Robinson calls to mind a young Anquan Boldin. He runs solid routes and knows how to get his body in prime position to make a catch. Robinson has sure hands with a long frame to bring in passes with ease. He runs tough and makes a defense pay for giving him room to run when he has the ball. Also his size and explosiveness allows him to beat press coverage. There’s really nothing to not like about him.
5. Kelvin Benjamin, Florida State, 6’5″, 240 lbs
At 6’5″ and 240 lbs, Kelvin Benjamin looks like a tight end. Actually he could probably play it since Florida State often used him to block backside on zone runs and he showed a willingness and tenacity to do it. However, he is still at his best when using his enormous size to create an unfair advantage in the passing game. Corners just don’t have the size to compete with him. Benjamin uses his mass to run with authority when trying to gain extra yards after the catch. Also his large strides give him deceptively long speed. He can terrorize a defense short and deep. The only thing he really lacks is explosive quickness off the line and he could use work in the finer points of the game. His route running is unpolished and he could get better at using his hands to beat press coverage. Overall, the size and potential are tough to pass up and he will probably be a first round pick.
6. Marqise Lee, USC, 6’0″, 192 lbs
When is comes to explosive play-making ability, Marqise Lee makes an argument to be at the top of the list (yes, even ahead of Sammy Watkins). He has the speed to take short passes all the way or just flat-out beat the coverage deep. Lee has the ability to make athletic catches and can high-point the ball with the best of them. He adds value as a dangerous return man. Unfortunately, he has one strange quality holding him back. He tries to make plays by running backwards at an alarming frequency. It’s like Lee still thinks he’s playing high school football when he was by far the best athlete on the field. It was not uncommon for him in college to gain a first down, then lose it by going backwards in an attempt to go for an even bigger play. It’s not a big deal because his NFL coaching staff will probably fix that. If not then the rude awakening he gets from the next-level competition will teach him that he won’t get away with it anymore. Lee will be a first round pick and add an explosive weapon on offense and special teams to whoever drafts him.
7. Jarvis Landry, LSU, 5’11”, 205 lbs
Like his teammate, Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry is a magician when it comes to hauling in passes. He has great coordination and finds a way to make very tough (sometimes nearly impossible) catches. He is not quite as explosive as his former wing-man but he makes up for it with toughness and a polished overall game. Some will say Landry cannot be a number one receiver but he proved he has what it takes when Beckham went down early against Arkansas this past season and he lead the team to a comeback victory (with Zach Mettenberger injured in the 4th quarter too). Landry will be a dependable target for a lucky quarterback.
8. Brandin Cooks, Oregon State, 5’10”, 189 lbs
Some will question his size when determining if Brandin Cooks can be a number one target but those people obviously never watched DeSean Jackson, Wes Welker (as a Patriot), or Steve Smith. Cooks is bigger than all of them and has the play-making potential to match. He has speed and quickness that makes any offensive coordinator drool. He runs crafty routes and explodes out of breaks. Cooks knows how to find holes in zones and can score anytime he gets the ball. His best position will be in the slot where he will have more room to run and can start off the line of scrimmage (with more room to separate against press corners). Obviously his size is not ideal and he presents a small catch radius but he is so dangerous that he more than makes up for it.
9. Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt, 6’3″, 212 lbs
Jordan Matthews’ size already suggests he is big but he plays even bigger. He has a long frame and uses it to make high catches look easy. He knows how to run routes well and even more importantly, knows how to use his big body to box out defenders along the way. He is not an exceptionally explosive athlete but has the speed to be a dangerous deep-threat. He could stand to bulk up and really use his size to an advantage but the potential is there to be a top receiver.
10. Paul Richardson, Colorado, 6’0″, 175 lbs
Paul Richardson is an artist. His work? Route running. It’s absolutely beautiful the way he runs routes. He is fluid in and out of breaks and his timing is so perfect that it’s obvious he spends long hours working at his craft. He can fake with his head, body, and feet to confuse defensive backs and separate from them. Richardson’s ability to run routes is exemplary and admirable. Unfortunately, that is by far his best weapon. He is not a very quick or explosive athlete but he does have long speed. Also, while he is a natural hands catcher, he is prone to drop passes that should be easy to bring in. The other knock on him is that he has a slender frame and some added strength will be needed to beat press coverage in the NFL. Overall, Paul Richardson’s ability to run routes is more than enough to carry him at the next level. Just ask Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, and Wes Welker.
11. Davante Adams, Fresno State, 6’1″, 212 lbs
Davante Adams’ production was hugely inflated by weak competition and a short passing offense. The yards he got are still a testament to his ability with the ball in his hands. He was also Derek Carr’s favorite target when they did throw it down the field. He does a great job of snatching balls out of the air, even while in full stride down the sidelines. Unfortunately Adams is not as quick as he is fast and doesn’t make defenders miss very often. He is not very strong and can get pushed around by physical corners. Davante Adams is a solid receiver that will be able to contribute as a piece of the puzzle but not as a primary receiver.
12. Brandon Coleman, Rutgers, 6’6″, 225 lbs
In a draft class that features several big receivers, Brandon Coleman is the tallest of them all. He easily dwarfs any defensive back he has faced and probably will face. He is fairly athletic for a guy his size but unfortunately that’s it. He is very unpolished as a route runner and at fending off corners at the line of scrimmage. He is stiff in and out of breaks and catches with his body. However, he is very good at catching balls over his shoulder in stride. His size is enough to garner a lot of interest in the draft but he will need a lot of work to reach his potential.
13. Donte Moncrief, Mississippi, 6’2″, 221 lbs
Donte Moncrief has a nice combination of size and speed. He is an alert player with a high motor. This is why it’s surprising that he is not a more consistent play-maker. Sometimes he uses his size to high point the ball while other times he plays small and gets out muscled by defenders. There are times when he uses his strength to push corners and create separation while there are others when he gets pushed off his route. His production did not match his skill set. Moncrief has speed to be a deep threat and size to create match-up problems. His ceiling is high but he will need a coaching staff that can get him to play to his abilities.
Photos courtesy of:
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