Wide Receivers, Part Two: The 2014 Draft Class Examined

No intro here, let's just get down to business.                                                  (... to defeat the Huns!)

from zimbio.com

6. Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt (6’3”, 212 lbs.)

Jordan Matthews is Jerry Rice’s cousin, and he has some pretty impressive records of his own. He’s the SEC’s all-time leading receiver, which is really saying something. Sometimes production like that simply can’t be ignored, especially when it is coming against the best competition in college football. So whatever presumed weaknesses Jordan Matthews has, they might not ever manifest in a way that stops him from producing at the NFL level. Hell, his uncle is the best receiver of all time and I don’t think Jerry was ever really confused as a Bo Jackson-esque all-world athlete.

Jordan Matthews has pretty much the ideal body type to play WR in the NFL. He’s got good height, adequate weight (though his frame is still relatively thin and he could stand to add even more bulk), and great arm length and hand size. He has incredible, strong hands, but he does have his fair share of drops, mostly due to lapses in concentration. He’s the only player of note on the offensive side of the ball for Vanderbilt, so he was pretty much always trying to put the team on his back and was sometimes pressing so hard he let his eyes come off the ball, leading to drops.

He ran well at the Combine, showing he has the speed to play at the next level, but don’t confuse Matthews with a deep threat. He possesses the speed to get behind a cornerback in single coverage, but he’s never going to blow by anyone and catch the ball five yards from the nearest defender. Matthews is a prototypical possession receiver that has a bit more straight line speed than an Anquan Boldin or Mohammed Sanu.

He is a smooth athlete, but he is not sudden or agile. He is not great after the catch, and is limited with the ball in his hands. He will do most of his damage and eat up the most ground before the ball even touches his hands. He does not consistently separate because he lacks first-step explosion and suddenness in and out of his breaks, but he is great at making contested catches, and is a savvy route-runner, so he is open more often than not.

Matthews biggest weakness is his overall athleticism, which is just adequate. It is difficult to project him as ever being a prolific, game-changing receiver that puts an offense on his back the way he was at the collegiate level. He’s just got too many athletic limitations.

His biggest strength however (just like his uncle’s) is his limitless competitiveness and intensity on the field. He is a willing blocker, hard worker, and competes ferociously for the football. Despite his limited athleticism, Matthews will probably be a good to great player at the next level simply based upon his work ethic and intensity. He is an ideal No. 2 receiver to pair with a more athletically gifted wideout that can take pressure off Matthews. He can line up in the slot and win on the outside.

He compares to Reuben Randle, but I expect bigger things from Matthews because he has a better set of hands and a fiery passion for the game. I grade him out as an early second round pick, but his range is anywhere from 25-50.

from utsandiego.com

7. Davante Adams, Fresno St. (6’1”, 212 lbs.)

Davante Adams actually compares in many way to Jordan Matthews. He does not have great speed, but it is adequate enough that he can separate on vertical routes against single coverage. He is much more sudden than Matthews, but is less developed as a route runner. Given his young age and limited experience, it is possible that with proper development Adams could develop into a better route-runner than Matthews because of his added agility. He has similar balance and body control (i.e. amazing).

His hands are incredible. He’s made some insane one-handed grabs. He’s going to be on Sportscenter’s Top 10 more than once before his career is over. He has good arm length and adequate height, so his catching radius is pretty big. He also is a great leaper (39.5 inches in the vertical) so he has the natural frame and athletic ability to go up and get the ball at its highest point.

He compares to Michael Crabtree as a receiver, but lacks Crabtree’s run-after-the-catch abilities and his strength to beat press off the line of scrimmage. Adams should be a good No. 2 possession receiver at the next level with the potential to function as a low-end No. 1.

I have him graded in the early second round, but his range is anywhere from 25-50.

from news.yahoo.com

8. Kelvin Benjamin, Florida St. (6’5”, 240 lbs.)

I honestly don’t know how to grade this kid.

He is one of the most intriguing athletes at any position. There just aren’t many people on earth—much less ones that just caught the game-winning touchdown in the BCS National Championship game—that are 6’5”, 240 lbs with 35 inch arms and hips as fluid as Kelvin Benjamin. It’s easy to fall in love with his potential.

However, he is incredibly raw and while he has pretty good speed (especially for his size), he is not a true burner. I still believe with all my good-sense that he is faster than Mike Evans on a football field, if not in the 40-yard dash. Just watch them play.

There are two comparisons to NFL players I can make, but they are horrible, horrible comparisons, because they suggest something about Benjamin I don’t mean to imply. However, his body type and athletic ability does compare to Jimmy Graham and Calvin Johnson. He is not as fast as Calvin but has a bigger frame, and he is not as tall and big as Jimmy but has much more fluid hips. The reason these are bad comparisons though is that it is so, so rare for guys of his size to reach their potential and really take the NFL by storm. 

There is Jimmy Graham and Calvin Johnson, and pretty much no one else, because the others fall by the wayside. Benjamin has the chance to make that sort of impact at the next level, but the odds of it happening are actually fairly slim if we're being honest.

Benjamin could easily end up being the single best offensive player to come out of this draft, but he could also be a huge bust. In fact, he has bust written all over him; limited playing experience, limited production, limited refinement and fairly advanced age with all those things considered (23).

He is an intensely limited route-runner. He alternately displays great hands on acrobatic catches and poor hands on simple throws (sometimes on consecutive targets). His effort is generally good, but there are times when he seems to be going through the motions and not playing with a full motor. His size should make him an excellent blocker, but his technique is so bad that he is actually one of the worst blocking receivers I’ve seen on tape.

He’s all over the map, but he’s too intriguing not to put in the top-10, and he’s too physically gifted to fall out of the second round.

He should be chosen between picks 35-60, but he’ll probably be swooped up between picks 15-40.

from coloradoan.com

9. Paul Richardson, Colorado (6’0”, 175)

This guy has grown on me during every step of the draft process. Cooks has been getting all the attention as the “next DeSean Jackson,” but if any prospect in this class resembles DJax it is Paul Richardson.

He is the best pure speed receiver in this class and he has all the defining characteristics of your typical deep threat; adequate height, slim frame, quick first step to accelerate off the line of scrimmage and long strides to build up speed down the field, plus those undefinable “second and third gears” to separate from defensive backs at the tail end of a vertical route.

His weaknesses and strengths are obvious. He is fast as shit, but he is small and injury prone. He lacks the build and strength to consistently beat press-man coverage or man the slot consistently. His route tree is probably somewhat limited due to his lack of bulk as well.

Add to his lack of size his inconsistent hands—he is not a natural hands catcher, sometimes trying to trap the ball with his body—and you have a prospect that has some pretty serious flaws as a receiver.

But you can’t teach the kind of game speed Paul Richardson has, and you also can’t find many receivers of his natural ability that are also team captains (this guy is a saint compared to DeSean Jackson). I absolutely LOVE watching Paul Richardson block, because he blocks with tenacity and heart and is not afraid to stick his nose in against guys twice his size to try to free up his teammates, but he is just too small to ever make an impactful block. He never stops trying though. It’s awesome.

Guys like Richardson are few and far between, and if he hits his ceiling he is this year’s DeSean Jackson or Mike Wallace, and if he doesn’t he’s an undersized speed receiver that can be used on occasion (like Donnie Avery).

I have him graded as a solid second rounder, somewhere around picks 45-60, but his range is anywhere from 33-100.

from rantsports.com

10. Jarvis Landry, LSU (5’11”, 205 lbs.)

If there’s a guy that deserves the term “possession receiver” more than Jarvis Landry I don’t know who it is. He really does remind me of Anquan Boldin. He’s tough as nails, fearless across the middle, and is probably among the top two or three receivers in the class at making contested catches. I can’t see this guy not finding a niche and succeeding in some capacity at the NFL level. Kelvin Benjamin is the ultimate boom-or-bust receiver, and Landry is his complete opposite. He should be a steady presence wherever he goes.

He is a solid route-runner, fairly good after the catch, and much stronger than his measurables would suggest.

He’s also the most physically limited of all the top receivers in this class. He barely broke an official 4.8 at the Combine. He has no utility as a deep threat, besides the ol' Anquan Boldin streak to back shoulder throw down the sidelines, which yields absolutely zero opportunity for yards after the catch.

He can man the slot due to his superior toughness over the middle, and he has the strength and savvy to win on the outside and create just enough separation to give his quarterback a window to throw into.

I’m a Landry fan, but he has practically no potential to ever be a true No. 1 receiver at the next level, so he really can’t be picked in the first round or valued above guys that do offer that potential. He is a valuable receiver prospect though because he should be a productive player for years to come.

I grade him as a late second rounder, and he will likely be picked between 50-100.

Honorable Mention

11. Cody Latimer, Indiana (6’2”, 215 lbs.)

12. Donte Moncreif, Ole Miss (6’2”, 221 lbs.)

13. Allen Robinson, Penn St. (6’2”, 220 lbs.)

14. Martavis Bryant, Clemson (6’4”, 211 lbs.)

15. Jared Abbrederis , Wisconsin (6’1”, 195 lbs.)