madd futher mucker breaks down the 2011 WR Class

[cmh6476]

http://www.fftodayforums.com/forum/i...owtopic=380865

WRs: - Much like the RB class, I see a group here that is both very very talented at the top and very deep.

Tier 1. These two deserve a tier of their own as both players should immediately make their presence felt at the pro level, and both have great potential to be uber-studs in the NFL.

1. A.J. Green – WR Georgia (6‘4” 210# 4.48) Very fluid, natural hands catching WR who will get any ball that is even close to his frame. In the mold of a more slender version of Calvin Johnson, he's probably one of the Top WR prospects over the last decade.
2. Julio Jones – WR Alabama (6‘4” 220# 4.50) He's just a very physical, very atletic and talented WR capable of highlight reel catches and is a tackle breaker after the catch. But he will lose focus and sometimes drops the very catchable ones.

Tier 2. Any or all of these guys could develop into stud WRs.

3. Vincent Brown - San Diego State (5’11” 184# 4.5) Brown consistently gets separation from defenders, and he goes after every catch with absolute focus and a ’my ball’ mentality. He understands the game, and his routes are the best of any prospect in this draft.
4. Leonard Hankerson - WR Miami (6' 1 1/2" 205 4.54) Runs better than average routes, and catches the ball away from his frame. He’s a consistent hand catcher who can take balls away from a defender and make tough catches in traffic.
5. Jonathan Baldwin – WR Pittsburgh (6‘5” 225# 4.50) Long strider with build up speed and slow off the LOS, but he has great strength and leaping ability, and good soft hands.
6. Greg Little – WR North Carolina (6‘2’ 220# 4.55) His game is very similar to Tar Heel alum Hakeem Nicks. He has similar high upside as a strong, physical WR with great body control and good strong hands. A former RB, he lacks top-end speed but runs extremely well after the catch.
7. Jerrel Jernigan - WR Troy (5’-9” 189# 4.38) Jernigan’s game is a combination of Jacoby Ford and Mike Thomas - a combination of great explosiveness and game-breaking speed. He has great ball tracking skills and is fearless over the middle. Although he has elite speed, I believe he will probably translate as a very productive NFL slot receiver.
8. Titus Young - WR Boise State (5’ 11 ¼” 174# 4.43) If Jernigan a combination of Ford and Thomas, then Young’s explosiveness reminds people of both Eagles receivers, Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson. He is quicker than Maclin on his underneath routes and he has Jackson’s deep speed. But he’s one of the more controversial WRs in this draft because, like Julio Jones, he is prone to concentration lapses and dropped passes.
9. Randall Cobb - Athlete, Kentucky (5’11” 188# 4.43) Usually it is the kiss of death to call a guy ‘athlete’ rather than position player. Cobb may be the exception. While he has shown his playmaking ability as a WR, RB, AND QB, he is just a natural as a complete football player, and is very fluid as a WR with break-away abilities.

Tier 3: I believe that any or all of these guys can become impact WRs in the NFL.

10. Niles Paul WR Nebraska (6‘1“ 225 4.52) His game reminds people of Anquan Boldin’s (as well as Greg Little‘s game, just above). He is fairly good, but not great in his routes, but he has an outstanding physicality to his game. He has small but strong hands and he catches passes away from his body.
11. Torrey Smith - WR [s]Ohio St[/s] Maryland (6’1” 205# 4.40) Smith gets good separation in and out of his cuts because of his quick acceleration. He can get downfield in a hurry with exceptional speed. He has excellent body control, but he is not a natural hands catcher - he lets too many balls come into his body.
12. Austin Pettis – WR Boise St (6‘2“ 205# 4.56) A fluid possession receiver with terrific hands, Pettis is in the mold of TJ Houshmandzadeh. Since he lacks speed and quickness, he really needs to refine his total game, especially his route running.
13. Jeremy Kerley - (WR TCU 5’ 9 ¼” 188# 4.54) Jeremy is another nice slot guy who gets off the line quickly , runs great routes, shows reliable hands and terrific pass catching technique. His speed is only average, but he always gets separation and he can find soft spots in a zone
14. Greg Salas - WR Hawaii (6’1” 206# 4.60) “Salsa” is a very productive and has a smooth athletecism to his game that will serve him well in the pros. His game is more quickness than speed. He could be a very productive WR2 at the NFL level, because he consistently gets open, is a natural hands catcher, and can make yards with his feet after the catch.

Tier 4: These guys could become impact players, but on the field they'll have to answer a few more questions about their game. An outstanding combine could also move them up.

15. Tandon Doss - Indiana (6’ 3” 200# 4.53)
16. Edited in: Here's our small school diamond-in-the-rough from NFLPA week (Tx v Nation): Ricardo Lockette, WR Fort Valley State, huh?? (6'2" 207# 4.35). The kid is raw as hell, but he has near world-class speed and looks like a baller, not a track star. He will be at the combine and expect one of the fastest times there. He's impressed scouts with his hustle and ability to make tough catches in a cold, extremely windy week of practice. A 2 or 3 year project, but one with longer term stud potential.
17. Ronald Johnson – WR USC (5‘11“ 186# 4.44)
18. Ryan Whalen - WR Stanford (6’ 204# 4.54)
19. Chris Owusu – WR Stanford - (6' 2" 202# 4.40)
20. Dwayne Harris - WR/KR East Carolina (5’11” 205# 4.52)
21. DeAndre Brown – WR Southern Miss (6‘6” 228# 4.50)
22. Tori Gurley - South Carolina (6’ 5” 230# 4.60)
23. Armon Binns - WR Cincinnati – (6” 2 ¼” 211# 4.58)
24. Edited in: Edmund Gates, WR Abliene Christian (6' 1/4" 189# 4.45) Sentimental favorite - I love Abilene Christian guys (see Johnny Knox and Bernard Scott).
Makes it now an even two dozen!