2026 Draft: WR

[dliverey44]

Yhonzae Pierre also looking good.

I had not watched him at all and after the game put his name on my list of players to dig into

 

[BobDigital]

write up on Malachi Fields.

Fields to me is the kind of player who will let you see what you want to see to a good degree. He's 6'4 220lbs and has slightly sub 4.5 speed and plays like it. He has pretty fast feet and quickness for his size and uses his length well. He has plenty of highlight tape of sensational catches. IMO he isn't so much a contested catch guy as a guy who knows how to use his body to maximize his impressive wing span. While I wouldn't say he plays with a lot of power, you do see he fairly regularly uses his bigger frame to bully guys and push forward/fall down for more yards, but he doesn't do it with the violence I'd hope he would. He also has a pretty decent number of moves to get off the line to help him get instant separation. He plays the X 95%+ of the time (which he should) but you can see he has the ability to work the slot if called upon. Also i didn't see much in the way of drops, though i didn't see a drop rate stat so that could just be the sample size i saw.

As for his run blocking, you got to see plenty of it with ND's running game as they are a run first team, for good reason. I wouldn't call him elite per say, but he is good and willing in this area

So what's the problem exactly? Well a few things. His separation while decent isn't as good as I'd hoped it be. He doesn't win consistently and in a number of games he didn't do much. Part of this is ND not being a passing offense, but part of it is him just not winning enough. Yes, with his big body and length there were chances to get some balls to him in any one of those games, but you don't want to always have to use a guys length and abuse the sideline, getting open can be nice too. He also doesn't always seem as well coordinated and fluid as i'd like. Maybe he needs to grow into his size but a number of times i saw him off balance after making a deep catch when he shouldn't have been so off balance, and i always clock a lack of smoothness at the catch point. Everything is harder in the NFL and you want fluid athletes to make things easier for themselves, cause the defenders will make them more difficult

Overall you can look at him and say this is a slightly raw kid with he ability to be a solid #2 in the NFL and one of you core guys (I don't think anyone will think he is a #1 in the making). You could also look at him and think he is a depth/match up piece ALA the 'Hollins' role once some kinks are worked out. When i watch him personally i don't see the makings of an every down player. I see him as one of your rotational pieces. Important, but not core. But someone is probably going to see him differently and draft him higher. For my money, he is a bottom of the 4th kind of a guy at best, but personally I'd rather take him in the 5th. So I will grade him as a premier 5th round player as i don't believe in the upside enough to use a 4th on him. But someone will take him in the 3rd i'm sure, so it will be a mute point.

 

[mayoclinic]

Sorry, didn't realize this was WR thread.

 

[manxman2601]

write up on Malachi Fields.

Fields to me is the kind of player who will let you see what you want to see to a good degree. He's 6'4 220lbs and has slightly sub 4.5 speed and plays like it. He has pretty fast feet and quickness for his size and uses his length well. He has plenty of highlight tape of sensational catches. IMO he isn't so much a contested catch guy as a guy who knows how to use his body to maximize his impressive wing span. While I wouldn't say he plays with a lot of power, you do see he fairly regularly uses his bigger frame to bully guys and push forward/fall down for more yards, but he doesn't do it with the violence I'd hope he would. He also has a pretty decent number of moves to get off the line to help him get instant separation. He plays the X 95%+ of the time (which he should) but you can see he has the ability to work the slot if called upon. Also i didn't see much in the way of drops, though i didn't see a drop rate stat so that could just be the sample size i saw.

As for his run blocking, you got to see plenty of it with ND's running game as they are a run first team, for good reason. I wouldn't call him elite per say, but he is good and willing in this area

So what's the problem exactly? Well a few things. His separation while decent isn't as good as I'd hoped it be. He doesn't win consistently and in a number of games he didn't do much. Part of this is ND not being a passing offense, but part of it is him just not winning enough. Yes, with his big body and length there were chances to get some balls to him in any one of those games, but you don't want to always have to use a guys length and abuse the sideline, getting open can be nice too. He also doesn't always seem as well coordinated and fluid as i'd like. Maybe he needs to grow into his size but a number of times i saw him off balance after making a deep catch when he shouldn't have been so off balance, and i always clock a lack of smoothness at the catch point. Everything is harder in the NFL and you want fluid athletes to make things easier for themselves, cause the defenders will make them more difficult

Overall you can look at him and say this is a slightly raw kid with he ability to be a solid #2 in the NFL and one of you core guys (I don't think anyone will think he is a #1 in the making). You could also look at him and think he is a depth/match up piece ALA the 'Hollins' role once some kinks are worked out. When i watch him personally i don't see the makings of an every down player. I see him as one of your rotational pieces. Important, but not core. But someone is probably going to see him differently and draft him higher. For my money, he is a bottom of the 4th kind of a guy at best, but personally I'd rather take him in the 5th. So I will grade him as a premier 5th round player as i don't believe in the upside enough to use a 4th on him. But someone will take him in the 3rd i'm sure, so it will be a mute point.

One of my most frustrating prospects in this draft. I so want to like him but someone of that size and ability to high point the ball should be dominating college corners ad he just doesn't do it consistently enough for my liking. I like him more as a move TE a la Darren Waller. Get him in a weight program.

 

[BobDigital]

Sorry, didn't realize this was WR thread.

It's all gravy. : )

 

[dliverey44]

I have not been following all the names in here, so I apologize if this young man has been addressed. Ted Hurst listed at 6-2 195 has some good highlights, but I know that doesn't tell the story. He is on my list to dig into but was wondering if there are any preliminary thoughts on him.

 

[mayoclinic]

Manx loves him.

He is a riser. James Foster has him at 54 on his big board, Sam Teets at 69.

 

[manxman2601]

Manx loves him.

He is a riser. James Foster has him at 54 on his big board, Sam Teets at 69.

I don't love him actually. He's fine but I'd probably stay clear.

 

[mayoclinic]

I think I've found my Tory Horton for this year.



I really like his body control, ability to decelerate and his quick cuts. Strength of opposition is a problem but if he can hit 22mph, he has plus NFL speed.

Both Dane Brugler and James Foster are bullish on him and the fact that he got a Senior Bowl invite suggests the NFL are too.

Thought you were higher on Hurst.

 

[manxman2601]

This is why he only has a 3 yard depth of target but averages 14 yards after the catch

 

[manxman2601]

Thought you were higher on Hurst.

He's got a really low completion percentage against man coverage I think. I bought the James Foster Kool-aid on him but the more I looked at him, the less interested I became.

 

[manxman2601]

De'zhaun Stribling has made a couple of nice catches tonight.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

He's got a really low completion percentage against man coverage I think. I bought the James Foster Kool-aid on him but the more I looked at him, the less interested I became.

The skill is so unique it is very hard to project. I prefer to stick with more traditional skill sets, but I could have my head up my butt.

 

[manxman2601]

The skill is so unique it is very hard to project. I prefer to stick with more traditional skill sets, but I could have my head up my butt.

Are you confusing Ted Hurst and Zachariah Branch? That post was about Hurst. I agree on Branch. Still love him though because that explosion is pretty unique.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Are you confusing Ted Hurst and Zachariah Branch? That post was about Hurst. I agree on Branch. Still love him though because that explosion is pretty unique.

Thanks. You are right. I was commenting on Branch. Unique explosion does he run routes?

 

[PatsFan2]

This is why he only has a 3 yard depth of target but averages 14 yards after the catch

That won't fly in the NFL: I want a WR with Size and climb the ladder ability like Barefoot.

 

[PatsFan2]

De'zhaun Stribling has made a couple of nice catches tonight.

De'zhaun Stribling.

 

[manxman2601]

Not a sleeper on Patsfans

 

[mayoclinic]

The draft needs to be held in November, so the "experts" don't have time to catch up to us.

 

[PatsFan2]

Not a sleeper on Patsfans

Nice find manx.