2016 draft: Receivers

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VikingLord
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by VikingLord »

Texas Vike wrote: Well, I hope he DOES slide to the 3rd. I'd love to pick him up that late. He is the kind of WR we need.
I don't see Doctson making it anywhere near the 3rd come draft day. He seems like the kind of guy who is going to really impress during the evaluation process, and his tape doesn't lie. He has outstanding leaping ability and body control. He won't need to beat defenders outright down the field with that skill set. He just needs to get off clean at the line, get the defender turned and running with him, and then work his magic. He's going to work his way up draft boards and I wouldn't be surprised if he goes in the top 15 come draft day.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by dead_poet »

Some draftnicks absolutely love Sterling Shepard. One example/report below of why I need to study him some more.
Sterling Shepard, oh let me count the ways he impresses. Back in November when charting these players, I had no idea who he was before rolling the tape and pulling out the Reception Perception sheets. He made me take notice immediately, and earned the title of “my favorite” wide receiver in this class. Shepard is bar-none the best route runner coming out of college this year, already showing great ability to execute even the most in-depth and nuanced aspects of route assignments like an NFL veteran.

Revisionist history holds Odell Beckham in, deserved, elite company because of his eye-popping plays and athletic movements. However, what made him such an easy sell right off the bat to NFL scouting departments was his refinement as a collegiate. Carolina Panthers GM Dave Gettleman spoke on him after the draft and called him easily the best route runner among his peer’s in the 2014 class. I’ll never be so flippant to put a prospect in the special air that Beckham holds, but Shepard has that same easy to bite on refinement.

Shepard’s SRVC against man is a whopping 7.8 percentage points better than the next highest in this group. An 82.8 percent score normalizing at that high of a rate over a full sample is a feat to take notice of. He tops it only by a 91.1 percent SRVC score against press, also 7.8 percentage points higher than the next closest mark. There are holes to pick in Shepard’s game, and we’ll touch on those in the future, but his elite strengths in the route-running department make him tough to keep away from the second spot after Treadwell.
http://www.thebackyardbanter.com/top-fo ... rimer.html
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by Texas Vike »

VikingLord wrote: I don't see Doctson making it anywhere near the 3rd come draft day. He seems like the kind of guy who is going to really impress during the evaluation process, and his tape doesn't lie. He has outstanding leaping ability and body control. He won't need to beat defenders outright down the field with that skill set. He just needs to get off clean at the line, get the defender turned and running with him, and then work his magic. He's going to work his way up draft boards and I wouldn't be surprised if he goes in the top 15 come draft day.

You're preaching to the choir! I watched all of his games during his career at TCU. In fact, I've tooted his horn so often around here, it's become a bit of a joke.

You quoted my post from a while ago, when he was projected as a 2nd or possibly 3rd rounder. Draft "experts" discovered him since then, and his projections have climbed. I don't think he'll go top 15 as you believe he will (due to lack of top end speed), but I do think he'll go in the 1st. He'd be a great fit for our needs IMO.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by Banquo »

Doctson is almost certainly a 1st rounder, but the combine will be especially important for him. If he comes in small and runs slow, it could hurt him. Regardless, he's a really good fit for the Vikes.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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Josh Doctson - WR - Horned Frogs

Texas Christian WR Josh Doctson (wrist) is no longer listed on the Senior Bowl roster.
Though no public information has been offered about the situation, we assume Doctson pulled out due to injury. The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder broke his left wrist against Oklahoma State on November 7 and has been rehabbing since. Rotoworld's Josh Norris ranks Doctson as the No. 25 overall draft prospect.
Source: Senior Bowl Jan 21 - 12:17 PM
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2016 draft: Receivers

Post by dead_poet »

Interesting later-round prospect. Film room/analysis of the "other" Michael Thomas
Southern Miss WR Michael Thomas, Sleeper Alert bit.ly/1mC8g9g
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by dead_poet »

#Vikings met with Oklahoma WR Sterling Shepard on Tuesday at Senior Bowl. On the smaller side (5-10, 191), but has made some plays.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by Mothman »

Wide receiver class of 2016 offers big targets for Vikings
Oklahoma's Sterling Shepard, who met with the Vikings on Tuesday night, has been one of the better receivers in Mobile this week, showcasing an ability to cut near full speed and get away from defenders. He's been primarily a slot receiver, and could be an electrifying one in the NFL, but his challenge will be to convince teams he can do more than that at 5-foot-10.

A Vikings coach recently described the ideal mix of wide receivers like a basketball team: a smaller wideout who can use his agility like a point guard, two players with a mix of speed and strength like a shooting guard or small forward, a bigger target who can use his size on defenders like a power forward, and a tight end who can control the red zone and the middle of the field like a center. The Vikings still need to get their power forward from somewhere; Charles Johnson could be a factor again after a nagging rib injury made him the odd man out in 2015. But if the Vikings decide to add a bigger receiver in this year's draft, they'll have some options to consider.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by PurpleMustReign »

Shepard is good but he reminds me of Jarius Wright... I wouldn't complain if we draftrd him, because he is an awesome receiver and has an ability to get open, but i still don't think we need WR help before ound 4 in the draft.

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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by dead_poet »

Measured (but still good) take on Doctson:

Scouting Report: Josh Doctson has Value to the Vikings, But Not In the First Round:

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2016/2/8/1 ... ce=twitter
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by HardcoreVikesFan »

As long as we don't take Michael Thomas, I am cool with whoever the team takes.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by dead_poet »

HardcoreVikesFan wrote:As long as we don't take Michael Thomas, I am cool with whoever the team takes.
What don't you like about Thomas?
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by HardcoreVikesFan »

dead_poet wrote: What don't you like about Thomas?
No disrespect to the guy personally, but I don't view him as a legitimate NFL receiver.

His best three games came against vastly inferior secondaries. When he had to play against legitimate secondaries (Minnesota (who has two great corners who should get drafted in at least round 3) Michigan, and Michigan St.) he was pretty pedistrain. Throw in the fact that he was the 'deep ball threat,' and his play really doesn't inspire confidence that he can consistently run an NFL route tree.

The guy is fast, but I don't know if that speed will translate well into the NFL. Moreover, the guy is not overly agile (then again, at 6-3 (if he truly is), it is hard to be the most agile player).

He reminds me of a poor man's Devin Smith, except that Devin Smith actually dominated superior competition.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by dead_poet »

Ledyard's Top-10 receivers: http://thedraftwire.usatoday.com/2016/0 ... -rankings/

What he says about Thomas (#2 on his list):
Michael ThomasAt the end of the day, I just don’t think there is a whole lot that Michael Thomas doesn’t do well as a wide receiver. He’s a natural hands catcher, flashing his mitts outside the frame to make smooth adjustments despite contact. Thomas isn’t the most explosive route runner, but he is savvy in his footwork to separate from man coverage and has enough deep speed to stretch opponents vertically. I think his trajectory will be Michael Floyd-like at the next level.
He ranks them:

Treadwell
Thomas
Shepard
Boyd
Doctson
Thomas (the "other one")
Coleman
Carroo
Miller
Fuller
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by Texas Vike »

dead_poet wrote:Measured (but still good) take on Doctson:

Scouting Report: Josh Doctson has Value to the Vikings, But Not In the First Round:

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2016/2/8/1 ... ce=twitter

Thanks for posting that. Really thorough, but not without problems. The author is WAY too dismissive of the competition Doctson has faced. 4 of the top 20 CBs projected for this upcoming draft are from the Big 12, and Doctson has played well against them over the past two years. He also handled the Gophers' CBs just fine (though not spanking them like he did Texas Techs', but who goes for 267 Yds and 3 TDs EVERY week?).

Another issue I had was the bombastic and self contradicting language used in this piece. The author needs to tone it down a bit.

Overall, I mostly agree with the gist of his take. Doctson in the 2nd would be a great fit for the Vikes and Doctson's lack of physicality may be an issue at the next level.
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