2010 prospect watch (WR edition) - Dec. 9th
by 3k on Dec 9, 2009 9:09 PM CST
in 2010 prospect watch
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PrintIn my last two boards (DT & QB), the polls asked for, nay, demanded a WR board. And so thee demand, so the k provideth. Or something like that. While it might not be the most apt board for the Rams, given the talent coming out in the 2010 and 2011 drafts at WR, if you ask, you receive.
For reference along with my two earlier boards above, here's my most recent mock. A * denotes underclassmen, and either a small 'd' denotes that underclassmen has already declared himself eligible for the 2010 draft or a 'u', as you could guess, means they haven't yet declared. Oh, and Terrance Tolliver, LSU, isn't on my board because I'm guessing he doesn't declare until the 2011 draft. Without further adieu-ishness, here's my WR board as it stands right now...
1 - Dez Bryant*d, Oklahoma St. (MTD)
In case you don't hit that MTD link, it's worth re-posting: Dez Bryant has humongous hands. In addition to the paws, Bryant has top level agility, which is why he's been on return duty for the Cowboys. He does exhibit lapses (whether it's mental or effort can be debated), and his route running could be improved, but his raw talents (strength and speed), hands and size (6'2", ~215 lbs.) make him my top WR.
Reminds me of: Terrell Owens
The rest of the board after the fold.
2 - Brandon LaFell, LSU (ESPN)
LaFell just wrapped up what should have been a much more productive career, if only LSU could recruit decent quarterbacks. When JaMarcus Russell if your modern standard bearer...I'm just saying. In any case, LaFell is a long, physical receiver whose experience shows. He needs to exhibit a bit more discipline in his routes and could use a bit more weight, but he could be a very reliable target immediately.
Reminds me of: Plaxico Burress
3 - Damian Williams*u, USC
D-Will's stock continues to increase as scouts look not only at the precision he's displayed, but the offense he displayed it in. Whereas Bryant and LaFell need to work on their routes, Damian Williams might have run the best routes of any draft-eligible WR this season. I only caught three USC games this season, and I couldn't help but wonder why USC didn't try to involve him more in their offense. He did handle punt return duties this season, but he wasn't as explosive as Bryant in that aspect. He'll also need more bulk at the next level if he wants to handle physical corners in the NFL with ease.
Reminds me of: Torry Holt
4 - Mike Williams*d, Syracuse (ESPN)
There might not be a greater enigma in the 2010 NFL Draft than Mike Williams. He was suspended in 2008 for cheating and missed the entire season. For a while, it looked like he might not return, something that was only exacerbated when he enrolled at a JUCO. In the end, he re-enrolled at Syracuse for this season and was playing very well. I say was, because on Nov. 2, after another academic incursion, Williams walked into his head coaches office and quit the team. Hell, just check out his timeline - pretty populated given how much football he missed.
Nevertheless, his talent is undeniable, and what's scary is that unlike the three aforementioned WRs, Williams has played on horrible Syracuse teams in completely anemic offenses. Pairing him with some talent at the NFL could produce as much headline fodder from his on-field heroics as his off-field exploits, much like the WR he remind me of.
Reminds me of: Brandon Marshall
5 - Arrelious Benn*u, Illinois
Worst offense ever. Seriously. The Ron Zook Spiral of Doom continues. In his sophomore season, Benn finished with 67 catches for 1,055 yards including his performance in Illinois' loss to Minnesota in which he snagged 12 throws for 181 yards. He had a lot of people salivating to see what he could do this season, but the combination of Zook at the helm and senior QB Juice Williams ruined what could have been a banner year for Benn. He certainly hasn't done himself any favors with his hands, though. This season has seen Benn drop numerous passes. Easy comparison...
Reminds me of: Braylon Edwards
6 - Golden Tate*d, Notre Dame
Reminds me of: Steve Smith
7 - Eric Decker, Minnesota (ESPN)
Reminds me of: Hines Ward
8 - Dezmon Briscoe*d, Kansas
Reminds me of: Miles Austin
9 - Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati (ESPN)
Reminds me of: Santonio Holmes
10 - Demaryius Thomas*u, Georgia Tech ()
Reminds me of: Javon Walker
Missed the cut
- Jeremy Williams (Tulane), Blair White (Michigan St.), Jordan Shipley (Texas), Danario Alexander (Missouri)
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Great job 3k...
…and I’m glad you were able to catch some USC games this season. Let’s hope they weren’t the Stanford/Oregon debacles.
On Damian however, I think his hands are somewhat underrated in this aspect, and I think the Torry Holt comparison is fair (though Torry was a bit faster). That said, Damian catches pretty much anything, and for the life of me I don’t know why we didn’t get him the ball more. He would make a fantastic second round choice, but something tells me the combine/future scouting might push him into round 1.
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
you know what they say
about big hands
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by Ryan Van Bibber on Dec 10, 2009 6:28 AM CST reply actions
this is awesome
thanks 3k – I love the comparison WRs, helps get a visual for the prospects.
Future Redbirds! www.futureredbirds.net
Rams Gab! www.ramsgab.com
Bear in mind
This is just the vein of WR they fit into. Obviously, not all ten of these prospects are going to pan out to be as productive as the people they remind me of. It’s just to give you an idea of what kind of receiver they’ve been at the college level.
The problem is that some of them play in unusual offenses (Benn, Briscoe, Thomas), so you can’t assume they will be able to translate their production to the NFL.
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.
Gotta ask...
…why no love for Danario Alexander? Gotta be the injuries, right? Otherwise, he’s bigger, stronger, faster and has better hands than LaFell. He seems to have completely recovered from his knee injury. He’s 6’5, 215, and has been outrunning defenders with angles on him for the last 6-8 weeks. I can see why some people might be scared until he proves what he can do at the Combine, however. Was just going to see if that was the logic.
Rock M Nation
Thrust nunchuk upward!
A couple reasons
Mainly, injuries, strength and technique.
The injuries speak for themselves. If he can gain some bulk (which I don’t see being the case. He looks pretty filled out to me), he could be more effective against physical NFL corners; if not, I expect him to struggle in that area. Bear in mind, he’s roughly the same weight as LaFell, but about 3 or so inches taller. And his route running didn’t impress me at all. I watched Missouri this year against Illinois, Nebraska, Texas and Kansas (in that order), and, obviously, the only game in which he stood out was Mizzou’s last against the Jayhawks who offer a pretty weak secondary. In that game, Briscoe looked more impressive to me.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he went early 2nd round based on his stats and height.
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.
I'm sold on Bryant as the best WR
I never seriously looked at WRs until your post. I like Bryant. I wish we could afford to go after 1-2 WRs of his caliber.
I don't understand
why you put Benn so high. Any team that puts a physical, bump and run corner on him pretty much takes him out of the game. Bradley Fletcher completely shut him down last year when they played Iowa. I don’t see him being anything more than a return man and slot receiver.
Because he hasn't had the experience
Benn hasn’t played against many physical corners, and his offense isn’t designed to allow him that kind of experience. The Illini have run a very low-risk, low-reward offense, which Rams fans should recognize. He’s not that high for what he has done, but what he could do with some development. And he’s got to catch passes with more consistency anyway. His hands have been garbagio this year.
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.
by 3k on Dec 10, 2009 4:13 PM CST up reply actions
So he has bad hands
and lacks experience, but he’s the 5th best WR in the draft? What am I missing? Why is he any better than the guys we’ve already got?
I never said he was better than the guys we've got.
Besides, he’s 5th on my board. Just because he’s 5th on my board doesn’t mean he’s automatically better or worse than anyone on the Rams. One has nothing to do with the other. Some years are just weak for WRs.
In 2008, the top 5 WRs were (in order drafted) Donnie Avery, Devin Thomas, Jordy Nelson, James Hardy and Eddie Royal. In 2006, the top 5 were Santonio Holmes, Chad Jackson, Sinorice Moss, Greg Jennings, and Travis Wilson.
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.
And by that first sentence
I meant to emphasize he was 5th, not 1st, although looking at the ’08 and ’06 drafts, you have to feel sympathy for teams who needed a WR.
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.
This is a very good illustration
of why I would NEVER EVER draft for need. Team needs should strictly be a tie breaker between to BPs A.
I think that's a fair assessment
You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In *St. Louis* his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well, *Steven Jackson* was the best.
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