WRs to watch

[CaptainKirov]

Percy Harvin + 3 inches + 31 lbs - bad attitude = Cordarrelle Patterson

DeAndre Hopkins = Reggie Wayne/Roddie White

If Patterson falls to the vikings they not only replace Percy and his swiss army knife like play, they get the tall WR that can beat corners with his size that everybody has wanted since Rice or Moss left....at a fraction of the price. And you cant say he wasnt productive. 1st player to score a TD 4 different ways in a single season. 1800+ total yards and 10 total TDs. Not a great rout runner but that can be fixed. Drop problems? There isnt a WR in this draft class outside of Aaron Dobson(Didnt drop a pass last year) that doesnt have some drop problems. Patterson only had a 4.5% drop rate as compared to teammate Justin Hunter's 12.1%.

I want Patterson over any WR in the draft. But if he's off the board, Hopkins is my next man up.

[CaptainKirov]

I like the way you think Patterson is a beast. My only issue is how much of an impact is he going to make down the field at the beginning of his career? He was reportedly very immature in the interviews and on the white board. Hopefully he would spend every moment holding on to the pocket lining of Greg jennings pants. Daddy GJ can teach lil Patty how to decorate that route tree

That's another thing. With Greg Jennings, Kyle Rudolph and of course Adrian Peterson in the mix the Vikings don't have to rely on Patterson right away. He would be able to take his time developing while getting rout running tips from one of the masters. Jennings to Patterson would be like Carter was to Moss. And you never know he could explode onto the scene like Moss did.

[Mothman]

I can't get over Hopkins making a mockery of the LSU defense. I dont see any huge games like that from Allen, thats why he isn't of desire to me.

He's had some similarly huge games. Check out this 3 game stretch from 2011:

10 catches for 197 yards and 1 TD against Washington
9 catches for 170 yards and 1 TD against Oregon
13 catches for 160 yards against USC

Hopkins tore up every team he played against.

I wouldn't go quite that far, but he had a tremendous season. One catch for 43 yards against South Carolina isn't exactly tearing it up, even though that catch was for a TD.

[Texas Vike]

off topic but not really...

How do they figure that Aaron Dobson didn't drop any passes last season. this video shows him drop a ton of balls that were right in his hands. It doesn't mae sense that those drops don't count against him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB7QRqAphso

Good eye. He clearly drops several balls in this video, some are right into his hands. So claims like the following just don't make sense:

According to John Pollard of STATS.com via Twitter, Dobson had the best hands in college football last season—he didn't drop a single pass.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1592 ... ron-dobson


Even so, my main take away from that video is that Dobson is an awesome target and I'd love to have him!

[mondry]

I think people get a little too carried away with the "raw" label, which immediately brings Troy Williamson to mind for a lot of people. I understand that, but there are plenty of examples of "raw" players with incredible talents succeeding. Most people may not remember this, but Percy Harvin was (and still is) an extremely "raw WR". He's not a technician, he's not an advanced route runner, he's simply a player who has a special physical gift. Look at a scouting report of Julio Jones and you'll see that he was a gifted athlete with exceptional size and speed, but was a raw route runner who had some issues with drops. Again, look at Demaryius Thomas from a few years ago, extremely gifted physical talent, but VERY raw route runner with questionable hands.

The problem for me isn't just that he has the raw label, he played ONE year at a real school, and he's more raw than any of those other raw guys you listed! It has more to do with just route running, how about ACTUAL experience! At Hutchinson OC he had 908 and 924 yards receiving in two seasons there, the following season he transfers to a big school with actual competition and he drops to 778 yards. What happens when he transfers to the NFL with even better defenders and he can't simply run away from them and rely on that "talent"? 500 yards receiving? Dust off the Percy Harvin bubble screens for this guy because that's all he's gonna be able to handle for the first two years.

Hopkins - 82 receptions, 1405 yards, 18 TDs - (school record, 12, 100+ yard receiving games)

Patterson - 46 catches, 778 yards, 5 TD's

You guys are really that caught up in Patterson's hype that you can ignore basically twice the production in catches / yardage and more than TRIPLE the touch downs? Probably quadruple things that actually matter to a WR's success in the NFL like route running? I just see Patterson as being really far BEHIND in his development, (as a WR) this guy is going to take at LEAST 3 years, maybe more just because his starting point is so far back. That's what is really hanging me up on him, the small amount of receptions at a big school, 46 catches. Now Hopkins had 51, 72, and 82 receptions over 3 years, that is much more experience being a targeted and depended on as a WR and against good competition.

Look I get it, he's athletic, looks special, and that makes a lot of people wet in the pants if you could magically turn him into an actual WR but cmon, you'd be mad if we didn't take him at 23 over all in favor of a WR like Hopkins? Who when playing against LSU in a bowl game, put up 13 catches, 191 yards, and 2 TD's? That's a big time performance in a big time game against a decent defense. That to me amounts to much more useful in the NFL than anything Patterson has done.

And let me clarify here, all I'm saying is if it's pick #23 and the choice is between Hopkins and Patterson, I want Hopkins for sure! If hopkins was off the board for some strange reason and patterson was there I'm fine with them drafting Patterson. I'm just not so in love with the kids potential to ignore the lack of production as a WR, experience, "rawness" and the fact that as his competition improved his production declined. Patterson supporters / fans, do you think in one year at Tennessee he learned enough to not only do better against other college teams (since he was invisible as a WR in a lot of games) but can now dominate the NFL? That seems like a monumental amount of faith in the guy who didn't prove it on the field.

Vs Akron 2 catches for 25 yards (his team put up 47 points!)
Vs Mississippi state 2 catches for 25 yards
Vs Alabama 1 catch for 25 yards
Vs South Carolina 3 catches for 26 yards
Vs Georgia 2 catches for 31 yards
Vs Missouri 3 catches for 53 yards
Vs Vanderbilt 3 catches for 52 yards

7 out of 12 games he looks very lack luster to me... 4 "decent" games, and 1 game he went crazy against Troy in a shoot out with 219 yards! In fact that one game made up for about 28% of his season receiving yardage. I suppose Troy's weak, 97th overall total defense is about the competitive level Patterson can thrive at currently. If we do take him I'm hoping they're vastly selling his learning ability short.

edit - sorry to sound so confrontational, I see further down you mention you'd be fine with Patterson, austin, or Hopkins and overall I agree with that. I just really like hopkins, he definitely is a safer pick but I don't think that means he'll be "average." Nearly everything supports him being a solid pro WR.

[Mothman]

LOL! That was quite a rant, Mondry, but I know where you're coming from and despite Patterson's obvious athletic gifts, I'd be reluctant to spend a first round pick on him. If the Vikes do draft Patterson, I hope they will use him extensively as a return man because to me, that's where a great deal of his value would lie, at least early in his career.

Saint33 made a good point when he wrote that "safe" picks can backfire on a team and that getting caught up in the negative can lead a team to miss out on incredible talents. However, the flipside (putting too much emphasis on unrefined talent) can also lead to trouble. Patterson could refine his game and become a terrific WR or he could be another Devin Hester at the position, a gifted athlete who never translates those gifts into great receiving production. It would be a big roll of the dice and I'm not sure I'd do it. It would depend heavily on what other options were on the board at that point.

[dead_poet]

Hmmm.....

The next Miles Austin/Marques Coleston?

Every few years a player comes out of nowhere to take the NFL by storm. It’s become a fact of NFL life. Consider Kurt Warner, Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson, Victor Cruz, Miles Austin, and Marques Colston; one minute they’re as anonymous as the clerk at your local grocery store, the next minute they are plastered on TVs across the country. The question isn’t whether or not it will happen again. The question is, “where will the next guy come from?”
Here’s a guess: Elsmere, Kentucky.

That is the hometown of 2013 wide receiver prospect Charles Johnson.

http://rotoviz.com/index.php/2013/03/is ... s-colston/

[CaptainKirov]

The problem for me isn't just that he has the raw label, he played ONE year at a real school, and he's more raw than any of those other raw guys you listed! It has more to do with just route running, how about ACTUAL experience! At Hutchinson OC he had 908 and 924 yards receiving in two seasons there, the following season he transfers to a big school with actual competition and he drops to 778 yards. What happens when he transfers to the NFL with even better defenders and he can't simply run away from them and rely on that "talent"? 500 yards receiving? Dust off the Percy Harvin bubble screens for this guy because that's all he's gonna be able to handle for the first two years.

Hopkins - 82 receptions, 1405 yards, 18 TDs - (school record, 12, 100+ yard receiving games)

Patterson - 46 catches, 778 yards, 5 TD's

You guys are really that caught up in Patterson's hype that you can ignore basically twice the production in catches / yardage and more than TRIPLE the touch downs? Probably quadruple things that actually matter to a WR's success in the NFL like route running? I just see Patterson as being really far BEHIND in his development, (as a WR) this guy is going to take at LEAST 3 years, maybe more just because his starting point is so far back. That's what is really hanging me up on him, the small amount of receptions at a big school, 46 catches. Now Hopkins had 51, 72, and 82 receptions over 3 years, that is much more experience being a targeted and depended on as a WR and against good competition.

Look I get it, he's athletic, looks special, and that makes a lot of people wet in the pants if you could magically turn him into an actual WR but cmon, you'd be mad if we didn't take him at 23 over all in favor of a WR like Hopkins? Who when playing against LSU in a bowl game, put up 13 catches, 191 yards, and 2 TD's? That's a big time performance in a big time game against a decent defense. That to me amounts to much more useful in the NFL than anything Patterson has done.

And let me clarify here, all I'm saying is if it's pick #23 and the choice is between Hopkins and Patterson, I want Hopkins for sure! If hopkins was off the board for some strange reason and patterson was there I'm fine with them drafting Patterson. I'm just not so in love with the kids potential to ignore the lack of production as a WR, experience, "rawness" and the fact that as his competition improved his production declined. Patterson supporters / fans, do you think in one year at Tennessee he learned enough to not only do better against other college teams (since he was invisible as a WR in a lot of games) but can now dominate the NFL? That seems like a monumental amount of faith in the guy who didn't prove it on the field.

Vs Akron 2 catches for 25 yards (his team put up 47 points!)
Vs Mississippi state 2 catches for 25 yards
Vs Alabama 1 catch for 25 yards
Vs South Carolina 3 catches for 26 yards
Vs Georgia 2 catches for 31 yards
Vs Missouri 3 catches for 53 yards
Vs Vanderbilt 3 catches for 52 yards

7 out of 12 games he looks very lack luster to me... 4 "decent" games, and 1 game he went crazy against Troy in a shoot out with 219 yards! In fact that one game made up for about 28% of his season receiving yardage. I suppose Troy's weak, 97th overall total defense is about the competitive level Patterson can thrive at currently. If we do take him I'm hoping they're vastly selling his learning ability short.

edit - sorry to sound so confrontational, I see further down you mention you'd be fine with Patterson, austin, or Hopkins and overall I agree with that. I just really like hopkins, he definitely is a safer pick but I don't think that means he'll be "average." Nearly everything supports him being a solid pro WR.

In all of that you failed to mention his contributions in returns and on the ground. Hes more tham a receiver. He's a bigger Percy harvin

[Demi]

In all of that you failed to mention his contributions in returns and on the ground. Hes more tham a receiver. He's a bigger Percy harvin

IMO that makes him less than a receiver. Because the skills he lacks are what makes you a receiver. End arounds and returns and a lack of receiving ability? Let's get someone in here who can run crisp routes, and make hard catches!

[losperros]

And let me clarify here, all I'm saying is if it's pick #23 and the choice is between Hopkins and Patterson, I want Hopkins for sure! If hopkins was off the board for some strange reason and patterson was there I'm fine with them drafting Patterson. I'm just not so in love with the kids potential to ignore the lack of production as a WR, experience, "rawness" and the fact that as his competition improved his production declined. Patterson supporters / fans, do you think in one year at Tennessee he learned enough to not only do better against other college teams (since he was invisible as a WR in a lot of games) but can now dominate the NFL? That seems like a monumental amount of faith in the guy who didn't prove it on the field.

Before I respond, I want to be clear that I love DeAndre Hopkins and very much want him to be a Viking. However, I actually saw Cordarrelle Patterson play football and I have to question just how much you truly have seen of the guy. Apparently some want to believe otherwise, but watching someone through entire games really is essential in judging what kind of contributions they offer.

Vs Akron 2 catches for 25 yards (his team put up 47 points!)
Vs Mississippi state 2 catches for 25 yards
Vs Alabama 1 catch for 25 yards
Vs South Carolina 3 catches for 26 yards
Vs Georgia 2 catches for 31 yards
Vs Missouri 3 catches for 53 yards
Vs Vanderbilt 3 catches for 52 yards

7 out of 12 games he looks very lack luster to me... 4 "decent" games, and 1 game he went crazy against Troy in a shoot out with 219 yards! In fact that one game made up for about 28% of his season receiving yardage. I suppose Troy's weak, 97th overall total defense is about the competitive level Patterson can thrive at currently. If we do take him I'm hoping they're vastly selling his learning ability short.

Saying that Troy's weak defense is all Patterson can thrive on is beyond ridiculous, but that was hopefully just hyperbole on your part. Patterson wasn't alone on the field and played for a Tennessee offense that quite simply couldn't get the job done, so solely blaming him for their inability to win doesn't work. I didn't see the Akron game but I saw four of the ones mentioned above and in each Patterson made great plays against superior teams, including some almost inhuman circus catches, solid run blocking, and considerable contributions as a rusher and especially as a returner. And we're talking TDs here. Again, did you actually see the games??? They may have highlights of Patterson's efforts in the games on Youtube.

edit - sorry to sound so confrontational, I see further down you mention you'd be fine with Patterson, austin, or Hopkins and overall I agree with that. I just really like hopkins, he definitely is a safer pick but I don't think that means he'll be "average." Nearly everything supports him being a solid pro WR.

No big deal. I get the same way when I really like a player and other people are talking about another player that I think didn't do as much. However, keep in mind that you don't have to hate Cordarrelle Patterson to appreciate the many things DeAndre Hopkins brings to the field. Hopkins is the more experienced WR of the two and I feel he should be taken before Patterson, though I don't know if that will be the case. But it's beyond my control, so I'm not going to worry about it.

That said, Patterson proved last year on the field that he is loaded with talent. Will he need refinement? Yes. So will Hopkins. I won't complain at all if either guy ends up being a Viking.

[PacificNorseWest]

To the guys clamoring about wanting a WR that knows how to run routes...The Vikes did just get Greg Jennings.

Not saying we need one thing or the other at all here, but if there is a playmaker like Tavon or CP availabe...Why not? You can never have too many guys who can break games open in my opinion.

[saint33]

To the guys clamoring about wanting a WR that knows how to run routes...The Vikes did just get Greg Jennings.

Not saying we need one thing or the other at all here, but if there is a playmaker like Tavon or CP availabe...Why not? You can never have too many guys who can break games open in my opinion.

EXACTLY!!!


This is not to say that we "need" a play maker or anything, but we lost that "change the game in one play" aspect from Percy Harvin when he left. I think with addition of a polished WR such as Greg Jennings, we now have the freedom to address the WR position however we want. We don't need that "polished" WR right away, because we have that in Jennings. We can afford to have a guy who brings game changing ability early, but may take a few years to develop his technical side.

As for mondry, as you alluded to in your last sentence, let me start this off first of all by pointing out that I would be exstatic if we landed DeAndre Hopkins. Like you, I am a true believer in Hopkins and I think he will be a very solid starting WR in the pros for many years.

However, as far as Patterson goes, comparing college stats between players is something I rarely do, time and time again difference in stats has proven to be a very poor indicators of the difference in future success in the NFL. Really you complain about Patterson's receiving stats, but compare them to AJ Green's 3 year career in Georgia. He averaged 870 yards and just under 8 TDs a year. Not a far cry away from Patterson's stats, yet he was drafted in the top 5 and was one of the best WRs in the game in one year. Now I'm not comparing the two WRs in any sense, as they are much different prospects, my only point is that stats only tell a very small percentage of the whole story, when evaluating players, you must look beyond the stats to gauge a player's future success.

What you also seem to ignore is Patterson's complete stats. Sure his passing stats look like:

46 Rec. 778 yards 5 tds.

Not disappointing, but not incredible either. But what about his rushing stats?

25 attempts 308 yards 3 tds

and his returns?

4 PRs 101 yards 1 td
25 KRs 671 yards 1 td


Yes it's only one year, but he was the #1 JUCO prospect entering the year. When a kid can tear up JUCO, and then come to the SEC and prove himself to be a productive player against a much higher level of competition, it's a very good sign.

As I alluded to earlier, I think a lot of fans who don't follow college ball as closely as others often get caught up in the online scouting reports they read, which often use over-simplistic and generalized terms that don't give you a full understanding of the player your analyzing. You see simple terms like "struggles with drops" or "body catcher" and you make an immediate correlation to Troy Williamson. You see the term "raw" or the term "one year wonder" and red flags pop up. But those are very simplistic general terms that can be misconstrued if you don't break them down and compare the differences between the player at hand and previous players who've been labeled the same.

Let me just give a simple break down of why those terms concern me a lot less with Patterson then they do with a guy like Williamson or other NFL busts who shared similar labels.

First off the concerns with catching the football. I think Viking fans especially see this concern and immediately Williamson comes to mind and it turns them off before they really delve deeper into the issue. With Williamson, he had a very serious concern with his hands and ability to judge the ball when it was in the air. Yes he had a tendency to "body catch" as well, but the main concern with this was that he really struggled with the ability to snatch the ball out of the air. His hands were very poor, he didn't not have natural WR hands. Also judging the ball in the air, he very rarely made proper adjustments to the ball, and we saw that when the ball would bounce of his helmet, shoulder or arm. Now when you break down Patterson's "catching" concerns, how does it compare? There's no doubt that he often lets the ball into his chest far too often. This however is actually a very common concern with raw WRs who are still learning the intricacies of the WR position. It's a bad habit that WRs get accustomed to because at the level of competition they face, it's something they can get away with. To differentiate this from Williamson however, you must look at the other aspects of Patterson's ability to catch. Is it simply a bad habit that Patterson has, or does he simply struggle, like Williamson, to be a natural catcher of the football? This is where I draw the line, because IMO, Patterson does not have at all the similar concerns that Williamson had. Patterson judges the ball in the air well, you don't see him misjudge many passes. And while he does let the ball into his body too often, when he doesn't let the ball into his body, and "snatches" the ball, he more often then not does indeed show natural hands. So what it comes down to with Patterson is that he simply has a bad habit that needs to be corrected at the next level. He can be developed into a "hands catcher", because he shows the ability to be that type of WR. It just comes down to coaching his bad habit out of his game, and making him become more comfortable with snatching the ball. This is something you'll see can and has been coached into players like Julio Jones and Demaryius Thomas.


Now onto the "one year wonder" concern. Immediately off the top of my head, I can't think of many WR prospects who fall into the same category of "one year wonder" as Patterson, however one player at another position does immediately come to mind when I think of the type of one year wonder Patterson is. And that player is Jason Pierre-Paul. Now let me explain. Often times, the term "one year wonder" is used to describe players who have a few years of college ball. They struggle for most years in college, but have that one "breakout year" that gives so many scouts hope that they can be successful at the next level. But you have that full college career to break down and evaluate, and it becomes a concern of why was that player so underwhelming for the majority of their college career, and what allowed them to be so successful in that one year. This is often what we see out of so many "one year wonder" busts, because more often than not, the one year that they produce is actually the aberration in their career, and can be attributed to other factors than the players themselves. However, with Patterson (and Pierre-Paul) it's a very different story. Patterson's success was only for one year, however there is no proof mediocrity in the grand scheme of Patterson's career. Pierre-Paul was the same, he came to football very late, and showed that his god given ability alone was enough to produce at an adequate level once he did come to USF. Patterson was out of football for a year before catching on in JUCO. After a year at the JUCO level, he was so successful that he was considered the top JUCO player in the country. He then took that JUCO success and immediately showed his talents were not simply a matter of level of competition, as he then went to the SEC, arguably the best division in all of college football, and showed off his immense god given ability against a much stronger level of competition. IMO this is a great sign as to what his transition to the NFL will be like. He has been able to produce at every level of football he's played, and has never shown that disappointment that so many "one year wonders" show. His talents have been directly apparent at every level of football he's played.

So to me, what you have in Patterson is an elite athlete, with exceptional god given ability, who is simply behind in the learning curve. He is not the type of "height/speed/size" athlete who is gifted physically, but underwhelming when transferred to the football field. He is a productive player, with special talents, who has the physical gifts to be even more impressive with proper coaching. I know a lot of people get caught up in the idea that we need a player to come onto our team and be that starting WR from day one. The "safe" type of prospect. However, those players are very hard to find outside of the top 5 or so picks. Drafting a player because he's more of a technician can turn out to be a mistake, because no matter how developed a WR is in college, the learning curve in the NFL is steep, and those more "polished" players in college can often struggle once they encounter the more physically gifted as well as technically sound players they face at the NFL level. Successful drafting ball clubs don't draft a player for day one success, they draft players based on the entirety of the career they hope to get out of a player. It's obviously a balancing act, and drafting a player based on pure potential alone often results in a mistake. But Patterson fits the mold of nice balance between long term potential and production at the college level. This is a kid who can have an immediate impact on a team in if used in the proper role (gadget player/return game/etc). But he's also the type of a physically gifted player who can develop into an elite WR if developed properly.

For me, after I broke down all the supposed red flags that come with this kid, I see a kid who's talent and production far outweigh the concerns that are linked with him. To me, passing up on this kid for a player who is less physically gifted, but more technically sound is a mistake, because you're passing up a player with "elite" or "special" talent for a player who may fit an immediate need more quickly, but will never live up to the potential ceiling that Patterson has. Patterson is a playmaker who has the potential to be an elite star in the NFL down the road. A player like Hopkins, who I do really like, doesn't have that same ability. He is more so a player that will be a quality NFL starter, but will never truly be considered amongst the NFL elite WRs. But, that is merely my opinion.

[mondry]

LOL! That was quite a rant, Mondry, but I know where you're coming from and despite Patterson's obvious athletic gifts, I'd be reluctant to spend a first round pick on him. If the Vikes do draft Patterson, I hope they will use him extensively as a return man because to me, that's where a great deal of his value would lie, at least early in his career.

Saint33 made a good point when he wrote that "safe" picks can backfire on a team and that getting caught up in the negative can lead a team to miss out on incredible talents. However, the flipside (putting too much emphasis on unrefined talent) can also lead to trouble. Patterson could refine his game and become a terrific WR or he could be another Devin Hester at the position, a gifted athlete who never translates those gifts into great receiving production. It would be a big roll of the dice and I'm not sure I'd do it. It would depend heavily on what other options were on the board at that point.

hahaha yeah man, it was fun writing all that like I know what I'm even talking about. All I got going for me is common sense so to me the guy with 1400 yards and 18 touchdowns sounds like a good pick heh.

IMO that makes him less than a receiver. Because the skills he lacks are what makes you a receiver. End arounds and returns and a lack of receiving ability? Let's get someone in here who can run crisp routes, and make hard catches!

Exactly Demi, I purposely left the rushing and return game out because I'm focusing on pure WR skills. Obviously that is going to put Patterson on the short end of the stick and I admit it's unfair. I just want a victor cruz compared to a percy harvin, someone else can return punts / kicks and why would we want to take hand offs away from AD?

Before I respond, I want to be clear that I love DeAndre Hopkins and very much want him to be a Viking. However, I actually saw Cordarrelle Patterson play football and I have to question just how much you truly have seen of the guy. Apparently some want to believe otherwise, but watching someone through entire games really is essential in judging what kind of contributions they offer.


Saying that Troy's weak defense is all Patterson can thrive on is beyond ridiculous, but that was hopefully just hyperbole on your part. Patterson wasn't alone on the field and played for a Tennessee offense that quite simply couldn't get the job done, so solely blaming him for their inability to win doesn't work. I didn't see the Akron game but I saw four of the ones mentioned above and in each Patterson made great plays against superior teams, including some almost inhuman circus catches, solid run blocking, and considerable contributions as a rusher and especially as a returner. And we're talking TDs here. Again, did you actually see the games??? They may have highlights of Patterson's efforts in the games on Youtube.


No big deal. I get the same way when I really like a player and other people are talking about another player that I think didn't do as much. However, keep in mind that you don't have to hate Cordarrelle Patterson to appreciate the many things DeAndre Hopkins brings to the field. Hopkins is the more experienced WR of the two and I feel he should be taken before Patterson, though I don't know if that will be the case. But it's beyond my control, so I'm not going to worry about it.

That said, Patterson proved last year on the field that he is loaded with talent. Will he need refinement? Yes. So will Hopkins. I won't complain at all if either guy ends up being a Viking.

Not very much, just highlights that have been floating around. I just wonder where all this impressive stuff is happening. Maybe it's in the run game or kick returning cause I haven't been trying to look at him do that. If anyone feels up to it, I'd love to see it, got any links?

The Troy thing was definitely a half hearted joke. But it is funny that his best game receiving wise did come against one of the most generous defenses.

I don't hate Patterson, I just "strongly disagree" about where so many seem to have him ranked heh. I even said if Hopkins was gone and Patterson was there some how I'd be okay with the pick!

[mondry]

For me, after I broke down all the supposed red flags that come with this kid, I see a kid who's talent and production far outweigh the concerns that are linked with him. To me, passing up on this kid for a player who is less physically gifted, but more technically sound is a mistake, because you're passing up a player with "elite" or "special" talent for a player who may fit an immediate need more quickly, but will never live up to the potential ceiling that Patterson has. Patterson is a playmaker who has the potential to be an elite star in the NFL down the road. A player like Hopkins, who I do really like, doesn't have that same ability. He is more so a player that will be a quality NFL starter, but will never truly be considered amongst the NFL elite WRs. But, that is merely my opinion.

Thanks for taking the time to write that up, I see where you're coming from a little bit better. I will say key words and draft reports haven't been much of a factor for me, it's more of a limited eye test. I don't think anyone can compare to T.will so that hadn't really crossed my mind either. The main thing for me is I'm just not AS convinced he will "get there" and if he does, it'll be a while. Hopkins on the other hand, looks very much like a reggie wayne clone to me. Now Reggie Wayne isn't a huge receiver with a ton of ability but he has enough physical talent to just out work everyone with good technique, I think Hopkins is similar. Wayne was the 30th overall pick where we could probably get Hopkins at 25. 2001 was a long time ago but in that draft Wayne was the 6th WR taken behind prospects like Korren Robinson and Freddie Mitchel. Of course now it's pretty clear Reggie Wayne ended up being the best receiver out of that bunch as the guys with more "potential" didn't really pan out. If hopkins put up 1200-1300 yards a year like Wayne I think we'd all be happy with that, even if he isn't the size you'd expect.

Perhaps I am selling Patterson short and perhaps you may be with Hopkins but I think we're both really just supporting the WR we like and I've said I'd be okay with Patterson and you said you'd be okay with Hopkins. I think we can agree that the draft will be exciting though, hopefully it gets here soon so we can stop debating one talented player for another heh. If patterson's concerns are what you say they are, teachable and correctable, etc. he'll be LONG GONE by the time we pick or 22 other teams will be kicking themselves!

[PacificNorseWest]

Does anyone else find it humorous that we're going back and forth over two receivers who arguably weren't even the best receivers on their own teams?

Not to mention that the best receiver from Tennessee may not even be Cordarelle or Hunter.