Final Pre-Combine look at 2009 Rookie class (Updated 2/18/09)
Lists are based upon the fantasy upside of players in their best potential situation (PPR)
WRs
95-92 Perennial WR1
91-84 Potential WR1
83-76 Potential WR2
75-68 Potential WR3
67-55 Potential fantasy backup
54-50 Longshot fantasy contributor
[87] Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech**
[83] Jeremy Maclin, Missouri**
[79] Percy Harvin, Florida*
[79] Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland*
[78] Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina*
[75] Kenny Britt, Rutgers*
[71] Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma
[70] Brain Robiskie, Ohio State
[69] Louis Murphy, Florida
[68] Derrick Wiliams, Penn State
[67] Mohamed Massaquoi, Georgia
[66] Ramses Barden, Cal Poly
[65] Brandon Tate, North Carolina
[65] Brandon Gibson, Washington State
[64] Jarett Dillard, Rice
[63] Mike Thomas, Arizona
[63] Austin Collie, BYU*
[62] Mike Wallace, Mississippi
[62] Brooks Foster, North Carolina
[60] Aaron Kelly, Clemson
[60] Kenny McKinley, South Carolina
[59] Demetrius Byrd, LSU
[59] Darius Passmore, Marshall
[58] Quan Cosby, Texas
[58] Sammie Stroughter, Oregon State
[58] Patrick Turner, Southern Cal
[58] Deon Butler, Penn State
[56] Kevin Ogletree, Virginia*
[56] Dominique Edison, Stephen F. Austin
[55] Pat White, West Virginia
[55] Tiquan Underwood, Rutgers
[53] Greg Orton, Purdue
[53] Jeremy Childs, Boise State*
[52] Marko Mitchell, Nevada
[52] Brennan Marion, Tulsa
[51] Johnny Knox, Abilene Christian
[51] Manuel Johnson, Oklahoma
[50] Jamarko Simmons, Western Michigan
[50] Taurus Johnson, South Florida
[50] Andrew Means, Indiana*
[50] Jordan Norwood, Penn State
[50] Quentin Chaney, Oklahoma
Pre-Combine rankings listed above for reference.The group was impressive as a whole compared to the RBs at the combine with most guys clocking at or around where they were expected in the 40 yard dash. Robiskie gained the most at the combine, while guys like Heyward-Bey, Butler, and Ogletree were more than impressive.
Crabtree remains atop the mountain here as expected. I might have overrated his game a bit as a whole, but he is probably the #1 overall guy on my list after the draft.
Maclin couldn't do anything but hurt his stock at the combine, but he stepped up and performed as expected.
Harvin could have showed the doubters he was fully capable of running routes and catching passes, but he did not step up and perform in any of the pass-catching drills. Instead he showed up and proved only that he was a bit stronger than people gave him credit for. Okay, but his stock won't go up until he proves to scouts he can run routes will the same knack and quickness that he can run out of the backfield.
DHB ran very well and proved his long speed will give defenders nightmares in the NFL. Steady stock.
Hakeem Nicks ran faster than expected but didn't appear to be as cut as the other top wideouts. His huge hands give credence to the Boldin comparisons. No major change.
Kenny Britt showed up cut and ready to jump into the 1st Round mix. He appeared to kick into a second gear on his 40 yard dash, helping him time almost as fast as Maclin. He is comparable to DHB at this point, but he was not as explosive overall. 23 reps on the bench press proves the work he put in.
Iglesias did not stand out in any drills, and now has to prove the doubters who say he's nothing more than a possession WR. Pro day will be telling.
The guy that might have fought his way into my top WR tier was Brian Robiskie. He performed admirably and made some great catches in drills. His work ethic will give him the chance to start at the next level and produce sooner than most of these guys will.
Louis Murphy go to show his stuff against his peers on an even playing field for the first time in his college career. He performed well and worked hard, giving pro scouts a reason to label him as a potential future starting wideout. He's starting to remind me of a faster version of former Gator, Reche Caldwell. Not a terrible thing.
Derrick Williams apparently caught the flu bug, but decided to participate in all of the tests and drills anyway. Didn't really help his stock with some poor times. The time for him to live up to his billing as a top prospect (as he was out of High School) is running out.
Massaquoi ran a much slower 40 than expected, which will hurt his overall profile. Lack of production in college is now under the microscope.
Ramses Barden didn't stick out as much as he should've given his size. Still looks to be a project kind of receiver, but he still warrants being one of the first WRs looked at after the top 6.
Brandon Tate's ranking will remain fairly conservative given he has yet to run in front of scouts.
Brandon Gibson did not run the 40 which is curious. Otherwise, he measured well. Stock won't fall too far unless he clocks over a 4.6 on his Pro Day.
Jarrett Dillard proved why he was so productive with his impressive vert, but also raised another set of questions with his small hands. He is still an intruiging option who may slip into Round 3 of the NFL draft.
Mike Thomas made a few great catches and ran very fast, though his height will put him at a huge disadvantage against taller, more physical corners.
Austin Collie flashed quickness, but still lacks long speed as evidenced by his 4.6 40. He caught well in the drills, which bodes well for teams looking to add him as a possession-type.
Brooks Foster did the most bench reps among receivers, but he did not run a 40. He's in the same boat as Gibson at this point.
Aaron Kelly really fell off the map after his Junior season, and his workout won't save him. He looks slow on film (though he did run a respectable 40), and he could only do 11 bench reps.
Kenny McKinley looked like a poor man's version of DeSean Jackson at the combine. Like fellow Gamecock, TE Jared Cook, McKinley really elevated his stock showing great quickness and deep speed.
Demetrius Byrd had a great showing, as some predicted, but will he be able to run crisper routes? Motivation remains a question.
Darius Passmore looked slow and did not run well in drills. He can no longer be considered among the top 25 on this list.
Quan Cosby didn't do much to elevate his stock. Questions remain about his ability to make up for his lack of size given his mediocre athlaticism. He didn't get any younger.
Sammy Stroughter might be one of the shortest in this group (okay, not maybe)... but he has superb route-running ability and can catch any pass. Will be more of a specialist at the NFL level unfortunatly.
Patrick Turner looked smooth and confident in drills. The fact that he did not run a 40 is not good, and we'll have to wait until his pro day to see if he can post a sub-4.6 (doubtful).
Deon Butler turned in one of the most impressive performances at the combine, giving his stock a big boost. He's had one of the better postseasons of any receiver, and his 40 time will make him alot more money in the draft than orginially expected. Dynasty leaguers will probably fall over themselves trying to get who they hope will be the next Eddie Royal.
Kevin Ogletree answered alot of questions about his recovery from his knee injury. He posted above average times for nearly all of his drills, including a combine-best 4.08 in the short shuttle. He's definitely someone to watch, although there are some questions about his character.
Tiquan Underwood posted a great 40 time and displayed good overall athleticism, but he's gonig to need to bulk up if he wants to make it an as NFL wideout.
Overall, the rest of the class went largely unnoticed, with the exception of Johnny Knox's 40 yard dash. Even still, he did not dominate his competition in college like an NFL-ready guy would at that lower level. Pat White may be the only other guy worth noting, even though he did not work out with the wideouts. He posted a respectable 4.55 and may work out as a receiver at his Pro Day.
, but he simply does not have the overall profile to put the fear of god in an NFL defense ala Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez. Brandon Pettigrew's case may be the most interesting as he could be used mostly as a blocker ala Daniel Graham. But if he can become a more natural pass-catcher, coaches may use him like Alge Crumpler. If he gets impatient with his role ala Vernon Davis, he won't see the field one way or the other. I still see the upside, and I'm not dropping him too far even though lots of people seem to be knocking him for his added value of being a good blocker. Shawn Nelson, Travis Beckum, Chase Coffman, and Cornelius Ingram round out this deep class of pass-catching TEs, and deserve a draft pick in any TE-required league.
