Building your draft board position by position - week 3: Wide Receiver

[Box_O_Rocks]

Wide Receiver's are featured at the Combine today and week three of draft board construction addresses them.

Discussion during Training Camp focused on the two skills required to be a good WR; do they get open, and when they do can they catch the ball?

A third skill that is nice to have is blocking, or in the case of Tim Dwight who was not only the best blocker behind Givens, but also used his speed to run off CBs, clearing the run lanes or underneath passing lanes.

It also helps if they don't take running plays off, Troy, Deion, and D-Giv all do a nice job of coming across the field to block upfield ahead of the runner.

Yards after catch, either through making people miss or breaking tackles is
another nice to have. Not to mention Special Team's skills.

As in previous weeks, I'd appreciate knowing why you think a particular player fits in the Pats' system and where you dug up your information. The 2006 WR class is considered weak in comparison to past years, identifying receivers who can get the job done would seem to be critical for a team with only Branch, Johnson, and NFL Europe allotments on the roster.

 

[dryheat44]

I'm not sure he's a Pats prototype, but maybe that's a good thing. Hank Baskett I like for his size, hands, and blocking ability.

I know not many people here are high on Mike Hass, but he seems to be a great route-runner who catches everything thrown near him.

 

[mavfan2390]

i really like martin nance he may not fit the pats style (hes tall, not too fast), but when i saw him play with ben burger at miami (oh) i was beyond impressed, he cold block well, and he just found a way to get it done, not to mention he knew how to use his body, and his height to his advantage

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I'm not sure he's a Pats prototype, but maybe that's a good thing. Hank Baskett I like for his size, hands, and blocking ability.

I know not many people here are high on Mike Hass, but he seems to be a great route-runner who catches everything thrown near him.

If I based my board solely on the All Star games I watched, Hass is my hands down, number one WR, he got open and caught the ball in the Shrine Game. I want to watch today's efforts at the Combine before I start my board, but Hass is my draft standard for the position.

Basket made one really nice grab in the Senior Bowl on a come back/sideline route that was thrown low and away so he had to make a diving catch. He also dropped some. Bearing in mind the competition level, Brandon Marshall was the best BIG MAN WR based on his Hula Bowl performance. Stovall slides in at second, then Basket and Hagan tie for third.

 

[dryheat44]

If I based my board solely on the All Star games I watched, Hass is my hands down, number one WR, he got open and caught the ball in the Shrine Game. I want to watch today's efforts at the Combine before I start my board, but Hass is my draft standard for the position.

Basket made one really nice grab in the Senior Bowl on a come back/sideline route that was thrown low and away so he had to make a diving catch. He also dropped some. Bearing in mind the competition level, Brandon Marshall was the best BIG MAN WR based on his Hula Bowl performance. Stovall slides in at second, then Basket and Hagan tie for third.

Just watched Chad Jackson run. Sub 4.4, and he's chiseled like a Greek Statue. I watched a couple of UF games late in the season, and have him as my #3 WR. He most likely will be there at 21. I was against drafting a WR first round, but am reconsidering.

 

[Boston Tim]

As a very generalized rule, I tend to move players down as a result of a bad combine but am mostly unwilling to move them up after a good workout. I figure that a bad workout could be problem revealing, while a good workout only means that the player is a good athelete and not necessarily a good football player.

 

[dryheat44]

As a very generalized rule, I tend to move players down as a result of a bad combine but am mostly unwilling to move them up after a good workout. I figure that a bad workout could be problem revealing, while a good workout only means that the player is a good athelete and not necessarily a good football player.

Then why move them down? Maybe someone's not a great athlete, but not a bad football player?

I agree in the sense that the draft is overrated and just a tool in evaluating. For example, I tend to largely ignore the 40 for every position except WR. I do like to see the guys in comparison to each other though.

 

[drew4008]

Chad Jackson just ran a 4.32 and is now in contention for the #1 WR spot, depending on how Holmes performs at his pro day.

 

[Boston Tim]

Then why move them down? Maybe someone's not a great athlete, but not a bad football player?

That is possible, which is why I would move them down only if I thought that the bad workout was indicative of an underlying problem. For example, a player with an old injury has trouble with the shuttle run. Is it because he isn't a good athlete or is it something more serious?

I agree in the sense that the draft is overrated and just a tool in evaluating. For example, I tend to largely ignore the 40 for every position except WR. I do like to see the guys in comparison to each other though.

That is probably the most useful part of the combine. The other useful thing I take from it is to ignore any player that was largely unknown before the combine but that started shooting up draftboards after the combine.

 

[mavfan2390]

i dont have acces to the nfl network, so can someone tell me how martin nance does? thanks a lot

 

[patchick]

That is probably the most useful part of the combine. The other useful thing I take from it is to ignore any player that was largely unknown before the combine but that started shooting up draftboards after the combine.

I'm generally skeptical of combine phenoms too, but small-conference players can be an exception. The combine is often their first chance to overcome the "low level of competition" questions and demonstrate that they stack up with the big boys. Brian Urlacher was a classic example.

 

[borisman]

I know not many people here are high on Mike Hass, but he seems to be a great route-runner who catches everything thrown near him.

Yeah, I saw a couple of OSU games this year and Hass catches everything in his area code. Their QB was always under pressure & not too accurate so if he was on a team with a good QB then his stats would look even better. He reminds me of Ricky Proehl but with less speed. He probably runs a 4.58-4.62. But he has good size and as you said runs great routes and gets open. He'll be a great pick-up if he's on the board in round 4.

Re: Chad Jackson

If you look at his sophomore season when Zook had them throwing the ball downfield you'll see Jackson with a 20 ypc ave. Everyone knew he had good speed but 4.37? Ouch! He's still young & needs to run crisper routes but has separation speed and quickness that can't be taught.
Chad Jackson could = Chad Johnson. That's his upside.

edit: spelling

 

[Mark Morse]

Avant is my #1 choice

Jason Avant a Big WR from Michigan ... runs all out on every pass patten, has great hands and terrific moves to seperate himself from DB's. Just saw him do the gauntlet drill and he was spectacular. Caught all the passes away from his body and ran the perfect line, then caught the last pass and got both feet down before going out of bounds.

I was alos impressed with Mike Haas. Chad Jackson looks like Adonis and runs like Mercury, but can't catch to save his life. He is not on my draft board at all.

 

[borisman]

Another thing to keep in mind when evaluating Florida U receivers and their track record in the NFL is all of them were in Spurriers system, which was WR friendly.

 

[Water Boy]

Chad Jackson looks like Adonis and runs like Mercury, but can't catch to save his life. He is not on my draft board at all.

I'm curious how you came to that assessment? Game performance or the combine?

 

[drew4008]

Chad Jackson looks like Adonis and runs like Mercury, but can't catch to save his life.

When he tore up my FSU team, he caught everything in sight. He is a very "reliable" target, and his main strength from what I've seen is that he can find the open part of the field very easily, a trait I'd say is one of Branch's main strengths as well. I wasn't expecting this kind of blazing time though, so his stock continues to rise. Some sites had this guy as low as an early 3rd rounder, but I knew he wouldn't go that low.

 

[DaBruinz]

Another thing to keep in mind when evaluating Florida U receivers and their track record in the NFL is all of them were in Spurriers system, which was WR friendly.

But Spurrier has been gone from Florida U for 3 years now. So, at best, Jackson was a rookie under him.

On a different note, I'd like to find out how BYU's Todd Watkins and Wisonsin's Jonathan Orr have done at the combine.

 

[drew4008]

But Spurrier has been gone from Florida U for 3 years now. So, at best, Jackson was a rookie under him.

On a different note, I'd like to find out how BYU's Todd Watkins and Wisonsin's Jonathan Orr have done at the combine.

Watkins - 4.41
Orr - 4.49

Both unofficial for now.

 

[DaBruinz]

Watkins - 4.41
Orr - 4.49

Both unofficial for now.

I am also interested in their 225lbs numbers... If they both put up good reps then they both could be potential candidates.

Watkins is intriguing because he actually has kicked field goals in his career. He could, potentially, be the Pats version of Wes Welker.

 

[nickw308810]

Did anyone watch the challenge on ESPN where Chad Jackson destroyed everyone else on the jugs machine? Can't catch? Yeah right. With his 4.32 or whatever he ran I wouldn't be surprised if Jackson was the first WR taken and probably goes top 15 with a Troy Williamson type rise.