Rank em' (WRs) Now That We Have Landing Spots (1 Viewer)

Boone22 said:

No Mims?

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EBF said:

Still working to finalize rankings. Will probably have a full set of rookie rankings done next week.

First round guys are interesting because there are warts with all of them.

Ruggs - In addition to the obvious wheels, has pretty good route running skills and hands. He's a little thin and doesn't look ideally-suited for possession work or a high volume of targets. Could be prolific in a vertical passing offense, but may be system-dependent in order to become more than a FF WR3. People say he's a bust risk, but if anything, he may be a high floor-low ceiling guy. His deep stuff will translate. The only question is whether he's a 50 or 90 catch per year target.

Jeudy - Funky body type and style, with thin, active legs. Crazylegs. He is functionally quick in his routes, but it doesn't always look pretty. I struggle to find comparisons because I've honestly never seen a top level WR prospect quite like him. For better or worse, the way he is built and the way he moves are unique. He has a nice top gear, good initial quickness, and was the alpha dog in an Alabama WR room with 3-4 top 50 draft talents in it.

Lamb - Athletic and agile, but a one-speed player. No vertical threat. People frequently compare him to Hopkins, but he's fifteen pounds lighter at the same height. He's closer to Tyler Boyd or Keenan Allen in body type and play style. He will have to win with agility, routes, and hands because he can't run.

Reagor - Best pure athlete of the WR class, but there are question marks about position-specific skills. Routes? Hands? High ceiling, boom-or-bust player. If it clicks, you've got Roddy White 2.0. If not, you have Breshad Perriman or Cordarrelle Patterson. Will begin his career as a catch-and-run specialist, and may or may not develop into something more.

Jefferson - Jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type. Smooth route runner with a decent frame. Solid athleticism, but for a guy with 4.4 speed and a 37"+ vertical, there's not a lot of "wow" factor. Looks like more like a second option barring additional development.

Aiyuk - Catch-and-run possession type who evokes memories of Crabtree. Similar body type and play style, without the elite tier contested catch skills. May be faster than Crab was. Seems redundant with Deebo Samuel and doesn't look like a future top tier NFL WR1, but I do like the player in a vacuum. I see him being a useful piece for SF. Hakeem Nicks is another decent comp, but Nicks had more proven hands at this stage.

As for the day 2 guys, my top tier is probably Duvernay, Hamler, Claypool, and Pittman in some order. Pittman strikes me as overrated for a high 2nd rounder though. Biggish with just okay movement. St. Brown is the real talent at USC. In a dream scenario, Pittman is TJ Housh, but most likely a JAG-y #2-3 option. Claypool is big and runs okay, but doesn't play with any suddenness or burst despite his combine numbers. He's a lot like Miles Boykin from last year's draft. A really optimistic evaluator might see shades of Vincent Jackson, but VJax was a prolific return man in college and I just don't see any electricity when Claypool has the ball in his hands. Hamler is the "eyeball test" pick of the bunch. Instant speed and quickness. He's going to be a problem for secondaries in the NFL, but size and role limitations may put a low cap on his upside. He's really tiny and doesn't profile as a true #1. You're looking at something in the ballpark of Titus Young, John Brown, Hollywood Brown, or DeSean Jackson. Duvernay is an odd one because he's only 5'10", but built like a brick house. He draws comps to other "small" WRs, but that's misguided because he's actually huge for his height. He's musclebound, like a 5'10" Andre Johnson, which is a very strange thing to be. His routes are okay, but not great. 1v1 separation skills are just average. However, he's a good overall athlete and in Baltimore they can unleash him vertically while creating enough space with their other weapons to hide his weaknesses. Probably the "value" play of the day 2 WRs when you weigh talent, opportunity, and cost. I think when we look back on this class 3-4 years from now, he could be a player that people regret overlooking.

I'm likely to fade Higgins, Mims, Shenault, and Edwards at their ADP. Van Jefferson is like the day two version of Justin Jefferson. Decent player, but the "wow" factor is lacking a bit, so you wonder about his ceiling. Don't have a strong take on Bowden at this time.

I see some day three guys who might have a chance. I'll cover them when I do my full rankings.

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