Who are the better route running WR's in the NFL? (1 Viewer)

[Wheelhouse]

Accurate and dependable Route-running is a very underrated quality when trying to determine a WR's value or worth, IMO. Who are some of the better route-runners in the NFL, especially some of the younger guys?

For example: Guys like Devery Henderson, Jerricho Cotchery, Brandon Jones, Greg Jennings, etc.

 

[WhoDat]

Mark Clayton...always. He is the best.

G. Jennings...mostly. Rookie that is only going to get better.

R. Brown...mostly. I really like him. Many regrets that I made the homer move and took M. Williams over Brown in a few rookie drafts. Anyway, he is coming along in a very complex offense. Great hands and superior athlete. He is going to be a good one.

B. Edwards...sometimes. Amazing set of hands but he tends to drift in and out of the game and he will round a few off over the course of a game. More than a few of Frye's interceptions are due to Edward's not being in position to catch the ball.

B Jones is ok but he will gladly go over the middle. He'll do the dirty work and he has a solid pair of hands. That alone will see he stays around a couple seasons.

This is specific to the less than obvious guys like Holt, Johnson, Fitzgerald, etc.

 

[Marc Levin]

Torry Holt runs the best routes in the entire NFL.

Chad Johnson runs beautiful routes.

For the younger guys, Roy Williams is a great route runner.

Both Harrison and Wayne are expert route runners.

Mark Clayton's good, but he's not in the NFL elite with those guys.

 

[MarcO]

Torry Holt runs the best routes in the entire NFL.

Chad Johnson runs beautiful routes.

For the younger guys, Roy Williams is a great route runner.

Both Harrison and Wayne are expert route runners.

Mark Clayton's good, but he's not in the NFL elite with those guys.

both he and Bruce run the best routes in the league.

 

[RBM]

Holt, Harrisona and Bruce are the top 3 imo

Fitz is young, but close behind

 

[diesel7982]

Holt, Harrisona and Bruce are the top 3 imoFitz is young, but close behind

Fitz and Boldin are both excellent athletes and great WRs, but route running is a weakness in both of their games.

 

[jbz]

another vote for Holt. His double moves and cuts are smooth and transitionless. DBs are routinely juked by Holt's fake post then go route.

he's not young, but Terry Glenn runs great routes IMO. He gets by people and separates well.

 

[Wheelhouse]

Verdict on Berrian? IMO, I don't think he gets enough separation.

 

[diesel7982]

Verdict on Berrian? IMO, I don't think he gets enough separation.

Not hard to run a fly route.

 

[H.K.]

Ricky Proehl

 

[J R]

Torry Holt runs the best routes in the entire NFL.Chad Johnson runs beautiful routes.For the younger guys, Roy Williams is a great route runner.Both Harrison and Wayne are expert route runners.Mark Clayton's good, but he's not in the NFL elite with those guys.

Marc,please start another thread and indicate you're talking about already-established WRs, otherwise it will get too confusing, since this thread specifically asks

especially some of the younger guys?For example: Guys like Devery Henderson, Jerricho Cotchery, Brandon Jones, Greg Jennings, etc.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

For younger guys, Mark Clayton was the first name that popped into my head.

 

[zamboni]

Good call on Cotchery. I get to see him a lot in person, and his routes are very nice. He's fun to watch and is only going to get better.

 

[WhoDat]

Verdict on Berrian? IMO, I don't think he gets enough separation.

Not hard to run a fly route.

I agree.I view Berrian as a one trick pony and not someone that is technically proficient enough to operate underneath or over the middle.He has a limited skill set.

 

[s_ezy]

B. Edwards...sometimes. Amazing set of hands but he tends to drift in and out of the game and he will round a few off over the course of a game. More than a few of Frye's interceptions are due to Edward's not being in position to catch the ball.

Browns homer herei am not thrilled with Braylon's hands at allat least 3 INTs for Frye this year are because the ball goes off of Edwards hands, into the air and into the hands of a DB or Safety; also has too many balls that hit his hands and he doesn't catch. Watching Edwards weekly preformance on the field lately, has only been making my opinion of him go down

 

[WhoDat]

B. Edwards...sometimes. Amazing set of hands but he tends to drift in and out of the game and he will round a few off over the course of a game. More than a few of Frye's interceptions are due to Edward's not being in position to catch the ball.

Browns homer herei am not thrilled with Braylon's hands at allat least 3 INTs for Frye this year are because the ball goes off of Edwards hands, into the air and into the hands of a DB or Safety; also has too many balls that hit his hands and he doesn't catch. Watching Edwards weekly preformance on the field lately, has only been making my opinion of him go down

If Edwards is in the right position, then he makes the catch. The problem is that he is often...many times...out of position. Shoulders are not square...he is not showing a number...he is looping his pattern. Very difficult for a young QB...any QB...to get him a catchable ball. Instead, Edwards is often leaping or either ahead or behind the ball. He is making Frye's job that much harder. If Edwards pays attention and gets to the right spot and presents himself, he'll snatch the ball out of the air. The problem is that Edwards has a hard time of late being where he should and it is killing Frye. I agree with your assessment. I have just attributed the drops or misses to Edwards' arriving late or exhibiting bad technique.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Excellent topic.

Size and speed are nice, but route running skill and ability to separate are often better predictors of success. I'm no Bloom, so I rely on this forum and a couple of scouting services to aid my evaluations. Of this year's class, I had my eye on Chad Jackson, Greg Jennings, Demetrius Williams, and Derek Hagan. All had scouting reports that suggested they were polished players and had a good shot of performing at the next level regardless of the level of their college competition.

Last season, Mark Clayton was at the top of this list but I also had Braylon Edwards, Mark Bradley, Reggie Brown and Brandon Jones reasonably highly rated on the route/separation skills scale.

 

[Marc Levin]

Holt, Harrisona and Bruce are the top 3 imoFitz is young, but close behind

Fitz and Boldin are both excellent athletes and great WRs, but route running is a weakness in both of their games.

Forgot those two guys - Fitz is a master, Boldin is pretty close to a master.

 

[Marc Levin]

please start another thread and indicate you're talking about already-established WRs, otherwise it will get too confusing, since this thread specifically asks

especially some of the younger guys?

For example: Guys like Devery Henderson, Jerricho Cotchery, Brandon Jones, Greg Jennings, etc.

Nice creative editing:

Who are some of the better route-runners in the NFL, especially some of the younger guys?

 

[Mister CIA]

Great thread.

 

[Ned]

Holt, Harrisona and Bruce are the top 3 imo

Fitz is young, but close behind

Fitz and Boldin are both excellent athletes and great WRs, but route running is a weakness in both of their games.

Forgot those two guys - Fitz is a master, Boldin is pretty close to a master.

 

[cr8f]

Randy Moss.



Harrison and Wayne and I also like Jennings.

 

[Garts]

Joe Horn runs great routes.....awesome routes actually.

He doesn't get open with his 4.8 speed...that's for sure.

 

[Marc Levin]

Holt, Harrisona and Bruce are the top 3 imo

Fitz is young, but close behind

Fitz and Boldin are both excellent athletes and great WRs, but route running is a weakness in both of their games.

Forgot those two guys - Fitz is a master, Boldin is pretty close to a master.

comprehension down?Fitz is a better route runner than Boldin - there is master and then there are levels below - Boldin is paduan - is that easier to understand?

 

[Marc Levin]

Holt, Harrisona and Bruce are the top 3 imo

Fitz is young, but close behind

Fitz and Boldin are both excellent athletes and great WRs, but route running is a weakness in both of their games.

Forgot those two guys - Fitz is a master, Boldin is pretty close to a master.

comprehension down?Fitz is a better route runner than Boldin - there is master and then there are levels below - Boldin is paduan - is that easier to understand?

BTW, implicit is that I disagree that Boldin and Fitz don't run good routes - I think they are EXCELLENT route runners.

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

Darrell Jackson runs great routes. I won't even mention Holt and Harrison because they're in league of their own.

 

[Garts]

I watched Steve Smith run an out and up on Sunday vs. Wash. and it looked like the laziest route ever. Totally din't cut hard on the out and rounded the up really bad.

I think he must have been tired as h***, because he's normally quite sharp with his routes.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Holt, Harrisona and Bruce are the top 3 imo

Fitz is young, but close behind

Fitz and Boldin are both excellent athletes and great WRs, but route running is a weakness in both of their games.

Forgot those two guys - Fitz is a master, Boldin is pretty close to a master.

comprehension down?Fitz is a better route runner than Boldin - there is master and then there are levels below - Boldin is paduan - is that easier to understand?

BTW, implicit is that I disagree that Boldin and Fitz don't run good routes - I think they are EXCELLENT route runners.

I agree with Marc and I think most scouts would say that route running is a strength for both Fitzgerald and Boldin. Diesel, are you saying route running is a relative weakness and that strength and body control are more important to their success or that neither run good routes?

 

[Marc Levin]

I watched Steve Smith run an out and up on Sunday vs. Wash. and it looked like the laziest route ever. Totally din't cut hard on the out and rounded the up really bad.I think he must have been tired as h***, because he's normally quite sharp with his routes.

Well, SS is awesome at getting separation - not so sure he runs clean routes.Same thing with Lav Coles - awesome at getting separation in and out of his cuts, but not necessarily a particularly clean route runner.BTW - Keyshawn Johnson and Hines Ward- maybe the two best route runners in the NFL, actually, since they have limited physical tools.

 

[Garts]

I watched Steve Smith run an out and up on Sunday vs. Wash. and it looked like the laziest route ever. Totally din't cut hard on the out and rounded the up really bad.I think he must have been tired as h***, because he's normally quite sharp with his routes.

Well, SS is awesome at getting separation - not so sure he runs clean routes.Same thing with Lav Coles - awesome at getting separation in and out of his cuts, but not necessarily a particularly clean route runner.BTW - Keyshawn Johnson and Hines Ward- maybe the two best route runners in the NFL, actually, since they have limited physical tools.

Horn has got to be right there too...he isn't that fast....lots of smarts.

 

[Marc Levin]

I watched Steve Smith run an out and up on Sunday vs. Wash. and it looked like the laziest route ever. Totally din't cut hard on the out and rounded the up really bad.I think he must have been tired as h***, because he's normally quite sharp with his routes.

Well, SS is awesome at getting separation - not so sure he runs clean routes.Same thing with Lav Coles - awesome at getting separation in and out of his cuts, but not necessarily a particularly clean route runner.BTW - Keyshawn Johnson and Hines Ward- maybe the two best route runners in the NFL, actually, since they have limited physical tools.

Horn has got to be right there too...he isn't that fast....lots of smarts.

definitely, but a couple people already mentioned Horn, so I didn't.

 

[Garts]

I watched Steve Smith run an out and up on Sunday vs. Wash. and it looked like the laziest route ever. Totally din't cut hard on the out and rounded the up really bad.I think he must have been tired as h***, because he's normally quite sharp with his routes.

Well, SS is awesome at getting separation - not so sure he runs clean routes.Same thing with Lav Coles - awesome at getting separation in and out of his cuts, but not necessarily a particularly clean route runner.BTW - Keyshawn Johnson and Hines Ward- maybe the two best route runners in the NFL, actually, since they have limited physical tools.

Horn has got to be right there too...he isn't that fast....lots of smarts.

definitely, but a couple people already mentioned Horn, so I didn't.

lol...that was me.

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

I wouldn't label Keyshawn Johnson as a great route runner. I think it's his size, toughness, and hands that make him a great WR. He usually has a tough time getting open.

 

[ExtraPoint]

Havent seen Wayne mentioned nor Branch.

Young players are rarely good route runners. Its a skill most receivers get better at over time. A receiver like Colston can be great at running routes in comparison to other's in his age group, but still not be nearly as good as the veterans being mentioned. Its a tough question. I've seen some great young players mentioned who I dont consider route runners.

 

[Marc Levin]

He usually has a tough time getting open.

Yes - his separation is not so good b/c he has limited physical skills - but his route running is very well known.

 

[Marc Levin]

Havent seen Wayne mentioned nor Branch.Young players are rarely good route runners. Its a skill most receivers get better at over time. A receiver like Colston can be great at running routes in comparison to other's in his age group, but still not be nearly as good as the veterans being mentioned. Its a tough question. I've seen some great young players mentioned who I dont consider route runners.

I mentioned Wayne.Branch is a good route runner, but he is another guy who actually excels at SEPARATION more than route running. He has quick cuts and great upfield burst. He is not asked to run difficult routes or routes that require precise cuts.

 

[flranger]

A young guy who I think could be strong the rest of this season that runs pretty good routes is:

Ronald Curry

 

[Ned]

Holt, Harrisona and Bruce are the top 3 imo

Fitz is young, but close behind

Fitz and Boldin are both excellent athletes and great WRs, but route running is a weakness in both of their games.

Forgot those two guys - Fitz is a master, Boldin is pretty close to a master.

comprehension down?Fitz is a better route runner than Boldin - there is master and then there are levels below - Boldin is paduan - is that easier to understand?

tool it down, k? your post was contradicting and made no sense. "forgot those two guys" sounds like you agree that route running is their weakness. then you go and call them masters....

 

[Marc Levin]

next post down?

 

[Ned]

A young guy who I think could be strong the rest of this season that runs pretty good routes is:

Ronald Curry

nice wr with some bum luck. great stash player....

 

[This_Is_Not_VRR]

He usually has a tough time getting open.

Yes - his separation is not so good b/c he has limited physical skills - but his route running is very well known.

His ability to catch the ball in traffic is amazing but how much does that have to do with his route running ability? All the QB has to do is put the ball up high and in his area and he'll go get it.On a side note, I think Terry Glenn deserves to be mentioned. He runs amazingly crisp routes.

 

[pfalvey]

Excellent topic.Size and speed are nice, but route running skill and ability to separate are often better predictors of success. I'm no Bloom, so I rely on this forum and a couple of scouting services to aid my evaluations. Of this year's class, I had my eye on Chad Jackson, Greg Jennings, Demetrius Williams, and Derek Hagan. All had scouting reports that suggested they were polished players and had a good shot of performing at the next level regardless of the level of their college competition.Last season, Mark Clayton was at the top of this list but I also had Braylon Edwards, Mark Bradley, Reggie Brown and Brandon Jones reasonably highly rated on the route/separation skills scale.

I'm a little surprised Santonio Holmes hasn't been mentioned yet, espescially in the above post which outlined rookie WR's. Having watched alot of Holmes at OSU I think he is a very good route runner, has great acceleration and gets great separation. I really think he has a good chance to be a great NFL WR once he fully understands the pro game.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Excellent topic.Size and speed are nice, but route running skill and ability to separate are often better predictors of success. I'm no Bloom, so I rely on this forum and a couple of scouting services to aid my evaluations. Of this year's class, I had my eye on Chad Jackson, Greg Jennings, Demetrius Williams, and Derek Hagan. All had scouting reports that suggested they were polished players and had a good shot of performing at the next level regardless of the level of their college competition.Last season, Mark Clayton was at the top of this list but I also had Braylon Edwards, Mark Bradley, Reggie Brown and Brandon Jones reasonably highly rated on the route/separation skills scale.

I'm a little surprised Santonio Holmes hasn't been mentioned yet, espescially in the above post which outlined rookie WR's. Having watched alot of Holmes at OSU I think he is a very good route runner, has great acceleration and gets great separation. I really think he has a good chance to be a great NFL WR once he fully understands the pro game.

I had a hard time deciding on Holmes. I saw mixed scouting reports on him among the sources I usually use and I don't trust myself to evaluate college competition well enough to make close calls on separation skill and elusiveness. Most evaluators praised Holmes' strength as his primary separation skill but not all were as quick to praise his route running skills. Chad Jackson was much the same. I can't remember why I chose to target Jackson more than Holmes -- it probably had something to do with surrounding cast and opportunity -- time will tell on these guys. Jennings was the only guy I was particulary high on in June from a skill set/opportunity perspective.

 

[Marc Levin]

That's the hardest thing for anyone to evaluate - why is the player open? Was it the player's ability to get separation or is it his clean route running?

 

[Billy1x]

Jenning was a NFL level route runner when he came out of college. His only knock was he was considered slow with only a 4.5 sec 40 (seems like that used to be fast but then they ran on a fast track).

All he had to learn was the offense and of course getting off the line which didn't seem to be a problem. Several people thought he was Donald Driver the first week of training camp when they saw him running routes.

 

[Blackjacks]

I'll go (2) 3rd year wr's with Roy Williams and A. Johnson. They are both freaks of nature but Andre has really been running crisper routes this year, with his size and speed he'll be tough for years to come. Roy is on his way to becoming one of the elite wr's in the league. If Martz can stay there for 2 more years he'll be the #1 wr to get in a dynasty league this next coming year in my opinion. I don't know why Detroit doesn't just run a deep post to him 4 or 5 times a game. Every time I see them run it they get a big play. If he gets one on one coverage you can count it for 6pts. I am owners of both of these guys in my dynasty league and looking forward towards next year :( unfortunetly.

 

[Woz]

For youth, believe it or not I think Troy Williamson runs good routes. The guy is always open.

He just can't catch the ball at all.

 

[Highway Robbery]

Great topic.

I heard a Ricky Proehl interview this year in preseason when he was retired and he talked a lot about route running and how important it was. He said it was a lost art. Each play sets up the next. You have to run hard every time. (He is the anti Randy).

To name a few, IMO: Cotchery and Givens,

 

[Biabreakable]

For youth, believe it or not I think Troy Williamson runs good routes. The guy is always open. He just can't catch the ball at all.

This is true and it's very frustrating because he does such a great job of getting open. He runs awesome slants and drag routes and breaks really sharp. If he could just learn to catch a higher percentage of the passes thrown to him and get his confidence and the confidence of the coaching staff back. :( He could really be a special player. I totally expected him to break out this year.Mark Clayton is very good at this and I expect to see his numbers to spike in the near future because of it. He suprisingly seems to have moved ahead of Mason allready this year in targets (they are both very close). That really shows just how good he is because Mason is a master of this himself, and all the history and chemistry that Mason has with McNair.. thats what really makes Claytons performance suprising to me. I thought he would take more of a backseat to Mason at least this year.Clayton 79 targetsHeap 78 targetsMason 75 targetsMark Clayton looks poised to be a break out Wr next year.Greg Jennings is another one. The comparisons of him to Marvin Harrison are not as far fetched as it may sound. This guy is really good. He has a great teacher and mentor in Driver. Who is also a great route runner who does all the little things well working hard and paying attention to detail.Brandon Marshall could be. I have not seen him play enough to know. He is currently the understudy of one of the best in the league right now Rod Smith. Time will tell but hopefully he learns all he can from Smith before Smith retires.Devery Henderson. This guy has been on fire lately. He has great speed and also is a good route runner. His drawback has been similar to Williamson's in that he has trouble catching the ball smoothly at times. But he has really improved on that lately. His catch percentage is great this year 73% I think Colston is even better than Henderson is and they are going to be a awesome tandem for a long time once Horn retires.Andre Johnson has finaly emerged. He has everything you want in a Wr. The only thing that has held him back is coaching and when he was hurt last year. Very nice to finaly see him being used properly.I think this is one of Michael Claytons strengths. But he has gotten really lazy since his rookie year and its been all downhill from there. I wonder if he will ever turn it around. Maybe Galloways bad attitude has rubbed off on him. :(

 

[Wheelhouse]

That's the hardest thing for anyone to evaluate - why is the player open? Was it the player's ability to get separation or is it his clean route running?

Exactly. I would love to see FBG interview an NFL WR (past or present) and ask him this question, among others. Why do certain players have a knack for getting open? How critical is route-running? What do the WR coaches teach the young players? Who are some of the best WR coaches in the NFL?