2018 Draft Prospects: Eugene’s Top 5 WRs
Draft time is here and it’s time to get to know some of the hot names coming out. It’s a fairly deep class so I’ll be throwing more names out there as time goes on. To start here are my top 5 Wide Receivers coming out of college:
Calvin Ridley Alabama 6’1 190 – Speed, route running, hands….the kid has it all. He has legit speed to beat his man deep. He ran an array of routes in college and was very precise at each route. Very good lateral quickness allows him to explode out of his breaks, creating instant separation. Very reliable catching the football. catches with his hands and doesn’t let the ball into his body. Can play outside or in the slot. The only knock on him would be his strength. Generously listed at 190, he may need to bulk up to deal with stronger defensive backs at the next level. PRO COMPARISON: Nelson Agholor
Anthony Miller Memphis 5’11 190 – Very similar to Ridley, Anthony Miller is blessed with a great combination of speed, hands, and route running ability. Add to that a special type of tenacity and fire and you’re looking at potential game-changer. Miller aggressively goes after the football in a way you wouldn’t expect from a player his size. Routes are sharp and he shows deep speed along with quickness to gain separation underneath. Again size is the only concern. He’s probably smaller than what he’s listed as and may need to add muscle. Also, there are medical concerns that must be addressed. PRO COMPARISON: Steve Smith (former Panther)
Courtland Sutton SMU 6’4 218 – A big body type Receiver. Sutton uses his height and big-body to his advantage every snap. Shields defenders from the ball with his wide frame. Goes up and gets the jump ball with his long arms and leaping ability. Not a burner, but has decent speed and offers some run after the catch ability. Doesn’t gain a ton of separation because he lacks the lateral quickness and explosiveness, but he makes up for that by making the contested catch. PRO COMPARISON: Alshon Jeffery
James Washington Oklahoma State 6’0 205 – A total deep threat. Average 20 yards per catch in college. Excellent at tracking the ball in the air and making the catch. His thickly built and muscular frame allows him to make catches with defenders hanging on him. Good strong hands when catching, doesn’t let the ball get into his body. Gets good separation on comeback routes because his speed must be respected. Didn’t run a variety of routes in school. Washington is fast, but not explosive. The OK product has more of a build up speed, not sudden explosion. Will need to work on beating press coverage and route running at the next level. PRO COMPARISON: Dez Bryant
Michael Gallup Colorado State 6’1 202 – Strong route runner, shows good speed for deep routes as well as twitchy explosiveness for underneath routes. Gains separation with precise route running. Shows good flexibility in his hips to get defenders to lean to one side then explode out of his break to create room for the catch. Strong enough to fight through press coverage and fast enough to get over top of a defender. He looks like the total package but lack of talented competition may lead him to be overrated. has some drops where he simply loses focus. PRO COMPARISON Marvin Jones
*Bonus* Some good names that could easily jump into the top 5
Christian Kirk
Daesean Hamilton
DJ Chark
J’mon Moore
DJ Moore
Dante Pettis
Auden Tate
Equanimeous St. Brown
Darren Carrington
Antonio Callaway
Eugene Holt is a Writer for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.