2016 draft: Receivers

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dead_poet
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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Texas Vike wrote: 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.
Not to nitpick but 4 of the top 20 CBs for this draft may not be all that impressive. I mean, would even the 10th best corner be going in the third round?
Doctson in the 2nd would be a great fit for the Vikes
I'd be OK with that.
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2016 draft: Receivers

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Josh Doctson - WR - Horned Frogs

NFL.com's Matt Harmon does not disagree with RotoViz Radio host Matt Freedman's comparison between Texas Christian WR Josh Doctson and DeAndre Hopkins.

"I’m trying to avoid player comps this year, but that one stuck with me. Much like Hopkins, Doctson doesn't have one overwhelming physical trait, but just does everything well," he wrote. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Doctson doesn't get the credit he deserves as a prospect because he's expected to run in the 4.5s. We're with Harmon, though: Doctson can ball, a jump ball savant who can separate despite his perceived lack of wheels. "Not many collegiate receivers track the ball and contort in perfect fashion to play the pass in the air like Doctson," Harmon wrote. "However, don’t get fooled into thinking that is all he is. Doctson creates separation off press coverage. His 83.3 percent SRVC against press shows the refinement of his release moves." Not only that, but Doctson's SRVC against zone coverage is the best Harmon has charted in this class. NFL Media draft analyst Mike Mayock recently compared Doctson to a slower Justin Hunter.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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Sterling Shepard - WR - Sooners

NFL.com's Matt Harmon says Oklahoma WR Sterling Shepard is "bar none" the best route runner in this year's class.

That's not all. The analyst calls Shepard his "favorite" wideout in the draft. Shepard, he wrote, displays "great ability to execute even the most in-depth and nuanced aspects of route assignments like an NFL veteran." The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Shepard, who threw down 233 receptions and 14.9 yards per catch over his collegiate career, has drawn comparisons to Randall Cobb, Tyler Lockett and Antonio Brown. Because of his tremendous quickness and route execution, Harmon says Shepard is difficult to contain man-to-man.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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dead_poet wrote: Not to nitpick but 4 of the top 20 CBs for this draft may not be all that impressive. I mean, would even the 10th best corner be going in the third round?
I'd be OK with that.

I smelled some home conference bias in there, that was my point. Just because the Gophers have two somewhat decent CBs does not mean that the Big 10 is any better at defending the pass than the Big 12.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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Scouting Report: Michael Thomas and the False Dichotomy of Upside vs. Readiness

http://www.dailynorseman.com/2016/2/16/ ... -upside-vs
At the end of the day, it's safe to say Thomas gets open. Sometimes it's his quickness, technique, style or other deceptive capability but he gets open. And sometimes he's obscenely open, and not because the player's he's playing against are bad. At least once a game, the ball is thrown to him while the opposing defensive back is facing the wrong direction. He does so with precision and sharpness in his routes, running them at textbook depth and correct angles. After watching Doctson and Coleman lose the advantages they create with their athleticism, release or intuition by rounding out routes or signaling them with the subtlety of an elephant, Thomas' route-running is a refreshing and fascinating change. By preventing defensive backs from reading his routes and by taking angles instead of shortcuts, he preserves any advantages he creates in the first three steps of the route.
I like Michael Thomas a lot, and though I think the 23rd overall pick might be a little pricy for him, I wouldn't be upset if the Vikings traded into the bottom of the first round for him. He may not represent the prototype (despite his 6'1", 210-lb frame) but he gets open, gets catches and gets touchdowns.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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MONSON: WHY LAQUON TREADWELL IS NOT A TOP WR PROSPECT
His issue though is that he won’t separate regularly, and doesn’t actually take advantage of his ability to win contested catches as much as he should do. Treadwell reminds some of Dez Bryant or Michael Irvin, but to me he looks far more like Kenny Britt. Britt has had success at times in the NFL and was a first-round pick himself, so that’s not necessarily a disaster. He was taken with the 30th selection of the draft, in part because of exactly the same concerns over being able to separate. In my opinion, Treadwell is far closer to that area of the draft than a top-five pick.
http://goo.gl/Go3lLB
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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dead_poet wrote:MONSON: WHY LAQUON TREADWELL IS NOT A TOP WR PROSPECT
http://goo.gl/Go3lLB
I watched a little bit on him and I'd tend to agree. He didn't blow me away. I haven't seen enough to have confidence in my first reaction, but I'm not that impressed yet.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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New- Why Tyler Boyd Will Be a Project at WR in the NFL

http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/26 ... art-mid-75
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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For me, Sheppard is the guy you draft who has the potential to be a 10 year starter at his position. That doesn't mean he'll be a star per se, but he is a guy who is going to make the team better and add stability. Is he going to be better than Jarius Wright in the slot? That's harder to say, but given what I know about him and what I've seen of him I'd say he'd be a great pickup circa the 3rd round if Spielman can manage it.

That said, he doesn't really solve the immediate need of a true #1 WR for the Vikings, and honestly, I'm not sure there is a guy in this draft who will solve that need. Doctson can go over the top and make plays, but he's not really a dominant prospect in terms of size or speed. Thomas strikes me as a guy who could develop, but is far from a sure bet and doesn't really flash anything I would say warrants the #23 slot. Ditto for Treadwell. I'm just not sold on WR at #23 in this draft. I think there will be better 10-year starter prospects at other positions when that pick comes around (several on defense), and I hope Spielman doesn't force a pick here. If he really loves a WR in this draft, he'd be better off staying pat at #23 and taking the BPA there, then maybe trying to move up into the top of the 2nd to get his WR IMHO.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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Gap between Treadwell and Doctson narrowing significantly.
Over the last 17 draft classes, there have been only 13 wide receivers to match the speed, vertical, broad, and height of Josh Doctson.

That group includes Calvin, Allen, and Andre Johnson. (as well as Greg Little and Justin Hunter, but Doctson is good at football)
Top WR vertical jumps:

GOLD (tied): Josh Doctson, Sterling Shepard, 41.0
SILVER: Corey Coleman, 40.5
BRONZE: Trevor Davis 38.5
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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TCU WR Josh Doctson's killed it with the jump drills. 10'11" broad, 41" vertical. #MedalsCount
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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4.50 / 4.49 for Sterling Shepard. That's actually a little better than I expected
Only 20, too. 2nd youngest WR at Combine RT @NathanZegura: Treadwell's hands are SICK. Just plucks the ball out of the air with 1 hand or 2
Michael Thomas 2nd unofficial forty: 4.57. 10 yd of 1.56
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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Later round WR target?

Malcolm Mitchell deserves more attention in fantasy
Malcolm Mitchell is one of my personal favorite sleepers in this draft class and makes me be honest with my process
@MattWaldman Strong routes. Fights for ball well. Tough.
http://www.nfl.com/fantasyfootball/stor ... in-fantasy
Strengths

» Smooth acceleration with little trouble changing speeds
» Shows the flashes of strong, nuanced route-running skills
» Can go up and high point the ball in traffic
» Strong separation at the break points in routes


The athleticism that once made Malcolm Mitchell such a desirable product out of high school is still present despite the injury history. Mitchell glides when he runs, and can change gears with the ball in his hands and as a route runner. He backed up his film with a strong combine performance, including a 4.45 40-yard dash and a really strong 129-inch broad jump. At times you see Mitchell flash some polished route running, particularly with the use of deception and fluid ability to drop his hips.

Mitchell also showed up at the combine with 10-1/2-inch hands, good for the 97th percentile among participants since 1999, and it's another attribute that shows up on film. He has strong hands running routes over the middle, even when the defender bears down for a hit. Plenty of times in 2015, Mitchell made the play the offense needed in contested situations. He mixes strong ball-tracking ability and timing to make up for a lack of height and leaping ability.
Via Matt Waldman:
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

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Treadwell, Docston and Coleman will be gone, if not, I bet we snatch on of them. It sure would be nice to get Thomas later in the draft with some work by Rick.
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Re: 2016 draft: Receivers

Post by HardcoreVikesFan »

I am an ESPN Insider. They recently just published an article about the receivers in the draft class. While I cannot publish the entire article, I can give you guys two interesting snippets. Before I do, I want to personally state that I believe that Corey Coleman is the best wide receiver in the draft. Better than Treadwell. Better than Doctson. Better than Fuller. This article backs my bias lol.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft201 ... -nfl-draft
1. Corey Coleman, Baylor: 709 yards/season

Scouts Inc.: No. 43 overall
Similar historical prospects: DeAndre Hopkins, Steve Smith

Coleman has a monster projection. As a junior, Coleman gained 1,363 receiving yards and caught an eye-popping 20 receiving touchdowns. Because Baylor passed the ball only 389 times in 2016, Coleman scored a touchdown on 5.1 percent of Baylor's passes. That's an incredible ratio, which has been topped by only four elite players: Randy Moss, Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, and Larry Fitzgerald. Coleman also tested out well physically, posting a position-best 40.5-inch vertical jump at the NFL combine.

Notwithstanding these numbers, there are certainly legitimate concerns regarding Coleman's ability to transition to the NFL level. Baylor coach Art Briles' innovative offense may have inflated the WR's stats, and Coleman did not run a full route tree at Baylor. Nevertheless, Coleman's upside and potential are well worth the price of a first-round selection.

Doctson (someone I really do not want in the first round):
4. Josh Doctson, TCU: 474 yards/season

Scouts Inc.: No. 20 overall
Similar historical prospects: Mark Clayton, Michael Jenkins

Doctson's numbers are similar to Fuller's, but there is one important difference: Fuller posted his numbers as a junior and enters the draft as an underclassman, while Doctson enters the draft as a senior. Senior wide receivers fail at a much greater rate than their junior counterparts. The four least productive wide receivers drafted in the first round from 1996 to 2013 were all seniors (A.J. Jenkins, Rashaun Woods, R. Jay Soward and Marcus Nash), even though most of the first-round picks in this time period were underclassmen.
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