Choosing between the Big-4

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CaptainKirov
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Choosing between the Big-4

Post by CaptainKirov »

I always find myself torn between prospects year after year. Last year it was between Mo Claiborne, Matt Kalil and Justin Blackmon. All separate positions but this year my conundrum is between 4 WRs and they are Cordarrelle Patterson, Justin Hunter, DeAndre Hopkins and Keenan Allen. Im going to make my case for all 4 WRs with strengths, comparisons and weaknesses

Cordarrelle Patterson. 6-2/210lbs Tennessee

Strengths
One of the most elusive players i have seen not named Adrian Peterson. Great acceleration and speed to get past defenders. Very good with slants, quick head fake out allows for inside release, strong step forward, body catches to prevent pass breakup. Not afraid to hand fight all the way along the sideline on vertical routes to create a sliver of separation. As versatile as they come. First player to score a TD 4 different ways in the same year.

Weaknesses
Consistently a body catcher, even when it is not necessary. Dropped a few very catchable balls, including easy bucket throws over shoulder. Outside of his short routes the rest of his route running needs alot of work.

Compares to: a taller Percy Harvin . Like Harvin, Patterson is incredibly versatile and elusive. He may be considered raw with his ability to handle physical coverage, but Patterson is one of the more naturally talented pass catchers(And overall football players) to come along in the last few years.


Justin Hunter. 6-4/195lbs Tennessee

Strengths
Ideal size for the position. Great combination of size and speed mixed with incredible leaping ability. Lined up all over the place at Tennessee. He has strong footwork in/out of his breaks with sharp route quickness to sell patterns and create some separation. He tracks the ball beautifully, adjusting with outstanding body control.

Weaknesses
Obvious drop problems. His frame is real thin, could use to add a few pounds to his frame. Not the explosive athlete after the catch like former teammate Patterson is. Lacks the build to break tackles and the elusiveness to get away from tacklers. Durability issues, tore his ACL in 2011 and his lean build again becomes a factor as an injury risk.

Compares to: an inconsistent AJ Green . Like Green he has the size and leaping ability to be a true #1 receiver. BUT he has a major concern with his drops and durability.

DeAndre Hopkins. 6-1/215lbs Clemson

Strengths
Crisp route runner with strong hands with above average body control and focus to highpoint and attack the ball in the air. Tracks the deep ball and shows a second gear to separate at the final moment and finish. Very good short-area burst in his cuts with some beautiful stop-and-go moves and route acceleration to create room. Super productive the past three seasons, leaving with school with numerous school and conference records.

Weaknesses
Will attempt to corral the catch at times instead of using his palms. Lacks track speed and won't be able to leave NFL cornerbacks in his dust on foot speed alone. Showed steady progression each year, but still improving his consistency and is not yet a finished product. Immaturity concerns(Even before the hotel room) Coaches did note that he matured more and more every year.

Compares to: Roddy White
Like White, Hopkins plays alot bigger than his 6-1 frame and utilizes his soft hands and crisp route running to make up for his lack of elite track speed.

Keenan Allen. 6-2/210lbs California

Strenghts
Has a long, narrow build with prototypical height for the position. Very good all-around athlete. Good initial quickness, balance and lateral agility. Is a smooth accelerator with sneaky build-up speed. Attentive downfield blocker. Rarely allows passes to get past his hands and into his chest. Typically snatches passes out of the air. Experienced route-runner who has extensive experience lining up outside and in the slot. Quick hands and feet to slip past press coverage.

Weaknesses
Lacks elite straight-line speed. Is quicker and more agile than he looks but does not possess the elusiveness to consistently make defenders miss. Lingering injury problems hurting his knee in October and just recently being cleared to participate in football related activities.

Compares to: Jordy Nelson
Like Nelson, Allen possesses just enough straight-line speed to beat defenders on the outside, as well as the size, toughness and sure hands to attack over the middle.

As far as which one i want the most I am going to stick to my guns with Cordarrelle Patterson. The kid is lightning in a bottle whenever the ball is in his hands. The vikings could use him to replace Harvin in pretty much every way as a returner, receiver and runner. And with Jennings on the roster as the #1 receiver the vikings wont need to rely on Patterson's play as heavily as they would have if they hadn't signed Jennings(Duh). The situation the vikings are in is ideal for Patterson to go to.
In victory,magnanimity; In defeat, defiance! - Fredrick The Great


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CaptainKirov
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Re: Choosing between the Big-4

Post by CaptainKirov »

Its games like NC State and Mississippi St that make me love Patterson. Then games like Alabama that show that he can disappear for many plays then the second he gets the ball in his hands he's a split second from taking it to the house. (The catch over Lester all over him just shows what he can do as a pure receiver as well)

I am in the same boat as you but switched around. I would be ecstatic if we get Hopkins but i will be giddy as a schoolgirl if we draft Patterson(Especially if we dont have to trade up)
In victory,magnanimity; In defeat, defiance! - Fredrick The Great


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big deli Vike
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Re: Choosing between the Big-4

Post by big deli Vike »

pretty good analyses. this is going to be a tough pick. there are also guys like Woods, Patton, Dobson that are "second tier" but could end up being just as dominant. i think if they take WR in round one, it'll be hopkins, because patterson and austin would probably be gone. In round two they could get Woods or dobson. I've watched dobson and havent seen anything i dont like.
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Re: Choosing between the Big-4

Post by PacificNorseWest »

Good stuff Captain. It's all subjective though, because not all of these guy would be dubbed my big-4. Of the choices, I would personally be choosing between Patterson and Hopkins, but I would also have Austin and Woods as part of my big-4. In that case, I may just go Woods.
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Mothman
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Re: Choosing between the Big-4

Post by Mothman »

PacificNorseWest wrote:Good stuff Captain. It's all subjective though, because not all of these guy would be dubbed my big-4. Of the choices, I would personally be choosing between Patterson and Hopkins, but I would also have Austin and Woods as part of my big-4. In that case, I may just go Woods.
LOL! I was going to say something similar. I don't think Patterson, Hopkins, Allen and Hunter even constitute my big 4 at WR. In fact, I'm not even sure who that big 4 would be ... I'm pretty conflicted about this position.

Of the 4, I like Hopkins and Allen best. I like Woods better than Patterson or Hunter. ALL of these guys have a chance to be good, productive NFL players but I have no idea which ones will actually make it and which will be disappointments. That's one of the reasons that, at this point, I'd be much more inclined to skip over the WR position in R1 and draft receivers later.

Jim
CaptainKirov
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Re: Choosing between the Big-4

Post by CaptainKirov »

The reason i called them the Big-4 was because of all the mock drafts and vikings talk. Those 4 have been discussed the most of all the WRs there are. If i were to expand it to 6 i would have added Woods and Austin.
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Mothman
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Re: Choosing between the Big-4

Post by Mothman »

CaptainKirov wrote:The reason i called them the Big-4 was because of all the mock drafts and vikings talk. Those 4 have been discussed the most of all the WRs there are. If i were to expand it to 6 i would have added Woods and Austin.
I figured as much. :)
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Re: Choosing between the Big-4

Post by VikingLord »

All I can say is with Hopkins and Allen what you see is what you are going to get in the pros. While both are talented, neither one has any special burst or top-line speed or special size. They are going to run solid, crisp routes, but both will likely struggle to get consistent separation in the pros. So buyer beware in both cases. I think either will succeed when paired with a QB who has the confidence to get the ball into the tight windows that either of these receivers are likely to present, but Ponder hasn't been known to make those kinds of throws consistently.

I think the kind of receiver that Ponder needs is a guy who is either big enough to consistently win one-on-one matchups ala Rudolph, or a guy who has the speed, suddeness of movement, and burst to create clear separation ala a Tavon Austin or a Cordarrelle Patterson. In this draft there are one or at most 2 WR's who clearly fit into either the big-tall camp or the fast-burst camp, and if the Vikes are going to go WR in the 1st they would be wise to focus on those players unless Ponder greatly improves in his ability to find and hit receivers in tight windows. Great hands are wonderful, but only if the ball is thrown and thrown where the receiver can make a play on it.
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