2017 WR prospect thread

[raven94]

2 hours ago, rossihunter2 said:

i might be late to the party on mike williams but i just assumed he was the best guy in the class before i really looked into it - then ive delved more into people like corey davis and he looks better and then finally ive actually watched a whole load of tape on mike williams and the more i watched the more i thought corey davis looked like the clear cut better prospect - i mean mike williams uses his physique well (like with yac and boxing out defenders) and is great at leverage and he extends well but he doesn't catch cleanly which makes the length he has less important because he really isnt a natural hands catcher, he only seems to get separation through leverage and some physicality which are obviously great traits to have but he feels quite 1-dimensional and way behind davis in terms of route running and just the different ways of getting open - i'm not worried about the speed per se but he doesnt really break well and he only has one real stem on most of his routes

im being overly critical here because i still think he's one of the clear top 2 guys but the more i watched both him and corey davis the more i thought he was lagging behind davis - am i missing something?

You're not missing anything. The consensus around here (and other places) is that Corey Davis is the more polished product at this point who has more variety and better hand catching ability, while Mike Williams is considered limited now but has a higher ceiling than Davis due to (IMO) better athleticism and speed

[raven94]

14 hours ago, Prouty78 said:

what do people think for Josh Reynolds from Texas A + M ?

 

 

Much like the other comments made on JR he's a limited route runner, and is more quick than fast if anything, i.e. decent agility, not great straight line speed, not the best footwork for route running. This equates to a guy who can kind of run routes and make some catches. His bread and butter is the go route. Due to his long arms, decent hands, and good catch radius he makes a lot of contested catches down the sideline. However against NFL corners I don't know if that's going to work which means he'll be limited, won't have great practices and might not see the field. At best he becomes a slightly slower Martavis Bryant, at worst he flunks out. I'd take him in the 5th or 6th

[rossihunter2]

5 minutes ago, raven94 said:

You're not missing anything. The consensus around here (and other places) is that Corey Davis is the more polished product at this point who has more variety and better hand catching ability, while Mike Williams is considered limited now but has a higher ceiling than Davis due to (IMO) better athleticism and speed

im not sure i see the higher ceiling element either - of course some of his problems like his route-running can be fixed more easily but he doesnt hands catch and has limited quickness or twitch which are harder things to change - he reminds me a lot of devin funchess

[raven94]

You're correct in that he's not sudden in his routes but there are certain aspects to his YAC that indicate he does have a little quick twitch athleticism. In the end he can be an A.J. Green clone. Long strider, tremendous catch radius. But if he doesn't refine the aspects that you brought up then you're right he's kind of destined to be just another guy. However for what it's worth I think he matches up great against Pitt, Cincinnati, and Cleveland just because they don't have great safeties or CB's

[JoeyFlex5]

watching voch lombardi on corey davis and he pointed out something i never knew, davis has really big hands, once the ball comes to his hands you cant see either nose of the ball anymore, he hands-catches, clamps down, and makes the ball disappear to the rest of the world. 

he doesnt do the best job of going up and getting it in tight coverage because it seems that his tenacity to the catch could be better and his body control could be better as well, but having those big strong hands means that he is capable of pulling off those tight catches more often than the average receiver. his ability to make tightly contested catches was always a concern i had for him, but noticing the big and strong hands makes me think less about that. 

and to be clear, im not saying hes bad in contested catches, im saying he could be better. and with those hands there is room for him to get better there(maybe some explosion and balance conditioning)

[BmoreBird22]

17 hours ago, rossihunter2 said:

im not sure i see the higher ceiling element either - of course some of his problems like his route-running can be fixed more easily but he doesnt hands catch and has limited quickness or twitch which are harder things to change - he reminds me a lot of devin funchess

Mike Williams doesn't hand catch...>.>

[raven94]

5 hours ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

watching voch lombardi on corey davis and he pointed out something i never knew, davis has really big hands, once the ball comes to his hands you cant see either nose of the ball anymore, he hands-catches, clamps down, and makes the ball disappear to the rest of the world. 

he doesnt do the best job of going up and getting it in tight coverage because it seems that his tenacity to the catch could be better and his body control could be better as well, but having those big strong hands means that he is capable of pulling off those tight catches more often than the average receiver. his ability to make tightly contested catches was always a concern i had for him, but noticing the big and strong hands makes me think less about that. 

and to be clear, im not saying hes bad in contested catches, im saying he could be better. and with those hands there is room for him to get better there(maybe some explosion and balance conditioning)

You are correct. But for the most part he does all of the really important things that a receiver needs to be successful really well. He has very savvy and great route running, he is a big body that has length (I'm curious about his vertical though, I want to know if he can go up and get the ball), he has underrated speed and agility although not a total burner, and yes his hands are what will make him special. I have a high grade on him and if he's there at 16 I would need a compelling argument/player there to convince me not to take him

[Robbyrobbass]

The kid Zay Jones  could  be a steal in the 2nd round 

[BmoreBird22]

4 hours ago, Robbyrobbass said:

The kid Zay Jones  could  be a steal in the 2nd round 

Best hands in the draft 

[PurpleHorseman]

On 2/9/2017 at 5:36 PM, GrimCoconut said:

Right and a possession WR described above can be a #1 WR. Everything he described is pretty much that type of guy. Hell, Mason was a #1 WR here 

I like Malachi Dupre and Dede a lot

[raven94]

2 hours ago, PurpleHorseman said:

I like Malachi Dupre and Dede a lot

Malachi is a very interesting prospect. He's got pretty darn good speed, decent agility, he's a pretty good catcher, he runs good routes most of the time, and he's long and just naturally athletic. However his development at LSU was subpar and it hindered him, plus it was a run first and always scheme under miles. On top of that they never had a decent QB until this year and by then it's too late. Not a good blocker either. I'd take him around 3 just because that's where he's projected, but I can easily make the case he deserves a 2nd round grade

[trevorsteadman]

I have warmed up to the idea of drafting a tight end with a high draft pick. One of Howard, Njoku, or Engram will likely fall to the team's second round pick. After hearing about utilizing tight ends more (like I guess we do every year) I think the Ravens would like getting younger and more athletic at th position. Maxx Williams showed glimpses his rookie season and was unfortunately out most last season. I think cutting Pitta and Watson would be beneficial if the team drafted one of these guys. I think Maxx can grow with any of these guys and hopefully create mismatches in the middle of the field.

[JoeyFlex5]

10 hours ago, trevorsteadman said:

I have warmed up to the idea of drafting a tight end with a high draft pick. One of Howard, Njoku, or Engram will likely fall to the team's second round pick. After hearing about utilizing tight ends more (like I guess we do every year) I think the Ravens would like getting younger and more athletic at th position. Maxx Williams showed glimpses his rookie season and was unfortunately out most last season. I think cutting Pitta and Watson would be beneficial if the team drafted one of these guys. I think Maxx can grow with any of these guys and hopefully create mismatches in the middle of the field.

Engram has been one of my favorite players for the ravens for a while. He would fit in that pitta role like a glove and a healthy maxx as the inline TE would be a lethal duo. Engram is a big play waiting to happen, he's basically a more refined and twitchier and harder running version of ebron. He would be an elite security blanket who turns catches into big plays

[terps85]

On 2/11/2017 at 2:48 PM, Robbyrobbass said:

The kid Zay Jones  could  be a steal in the 2nd round 

Clicked this thread to post this. He dominated at the Senior Bowl.

[trevorsteadman]

1 hour ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

Engram has been one of my favorite players for the ravens for a while. He would fit in that pitta role like a glove and a healthy maxx as the inline TE would be a lethal duo. Engram is a big play waiting to happen, he's basically a more refined and twitchier and harder running version of ebron. He would be an elite security blanket who turns catches into big plays

I actually think that Engram would be fantastic especially since Maxx Williams is one of the best blocking tight ends in the league and I'm hoping he breaks out in the reception department. Would be a deadly duo. Also Engram may be there in the 3rd round depending on where the other tight ends stack this draft. 

[PurpleHorseman]

7 hours ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

Engram has been one of my favorite players for the ravens for a while. He would fit in that pitta role like a glove and a healthy maxx as the inline TE would be a lethal duo. Engram is a big play waiting to happen, he's basically a more refined and twitchier and harder running version of ebron. He would be an elite security blanket who turns catches into big plays

 

6 hours ago, trevorsteadman said:

I actually think that Engram would be fantastic especially since Maxx Williams is one of the best blocking tight ends in the league and I'm hoping he breaks out in the reception department. Would be a deadly duo. Also Engram may be there in the 3rd round depending on where the other tight ends stack this draft. 

I agree guys on everything. However somebody is likely going to take Engram before we pick in round 2. Max Williams and Engram would be tough to defend. I'm open to Howard in round1. He is as explosive as Engram and will block. He and Williams would be potent. Howard and Williams can block so coordinators could move them around. 

[Davesta]

If we ain't cutting pitta and Watson before the draft, no way are we drafting a TE with our top picks. Maxx can't even get on the field. 

[trevorsteadman]

6 hours ago, Davesta said:

If we ain't cutting pitta and Watson before the draft, no way are we drafting a TE with our top picks. Maxx can't even get on the field. 

Funny how injuries work that way

[Jacquouille]

Carlos Henderson is my new draft crush.

[jboy19]

I've been seeing a lot of buzz about Jalen Robinette (Air Force) on Twitter lately. Personally, I'm having some trouble seeing him as anything more than an average vertical threat with some talent for contested catches. But I was curious if any of you have spent some time looking at him? 

[FastEddie]

I don't see how you miss on Corey Davis.

No doubt a #1

[JoeyFlex5]

Darreus rogers reminds me so much of boldin it's weird, they look like twins on film all the way down to their strides. 

I love the third round for WRs this year. Rogers, Godwin, ford, darboh, all guys that don't look like superstars but look like legit NFL starters, especially rogers who I think is gonna make some noise just catching everything thrown his way. Godwin is lethal on deep back shoulder throws, ford is one of the best route runners in the class with solid speed and body control, darboh looks like a steady possession guy with a big body and solid routes and room for improvement. 

If we take a wr this year I hope we wait til the third, the value is great 

[Jacquouille]

3 minutes ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

Darreus rogers reminds me so much of boldin it's weird, they look like twins on film all the way down to their strides. 

I love the third round for WRs this year. Rogers, Godwin, ford, darboh, all guys that don't look like superstars but look like legit NFL starters, especially rogers who I think is gonna make some noise just catching everything thrown his way. Godwin is lethal on deep back shoulder throws, ford is one of the best route runners in the class with solid speed and body control, darboh looks like a steady possession guy with a big body and solid routes and room for improvement. 

If we take a wr this year I hope we wait til the third, the value is great 

I think Juju is falling to the third as well. He was ranked the 11th WR on Draftwire, which is a pretty good site. Just tells you how much he's falling on boards.

Don't think they will be there in the 3rd but I have a crush on Zay Jones and Carlos Henderson.

[JoeyFlex5]

6 minutes ago, Jacquouille said:

I think Juju is falling to the third as well. He was ranked the 11th WR on Draftwire, which is a pretty good site. Just tells you how much he's falling on boards.

Don't think they will be there in the 3rd but I have a crush on Zay Jones and Carlos Henderson.

I haven't checked out Henderson. For zay jones I'd be shocked if he isn't gone possibly by our 2nd round pick. He's got a lot of hype and he's one of the craftier pro ready guys in this class but I really don't like his blend of size and athleticism, he's a skinny guy who really lacks speed and burst and that's always a concerning trait, so if he goes in the second and rogers or Godwin falls to us in the third I'd be ecstatic 

[Willbacker]

3 hours ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

Darreus rogers reminds me so much of boldin it's weird, they look like twins on film all the way down to their strides. 

I love the third round for WRs this year. Rogers, Godwin, ford, darboh, all guys that don't look like superstars but look like legit NFL starters, especially rogers who I think is gonna make some noise just catching everything thrown his way. Godwin is lethal on deep back shoulder throws, ford is one of the best route runners in the class with solid speed and body control, darboh looks like a steady possession guy with a big body and solid routes and room for improvement. 

If we take a wr this year I hope we wait til the third, the value is great 

Ford would probally be the only one I'd consider with our 3rd pick. Like you said runs great routes and has good balance(some nice sideline catches). Godwin I really like (Penn St fan) but it'd be 3rd day only for me. Darboh never stuck out to me and Rogers I don't remember real well (so I take your word for your comparison) but I did watch the USC/Penn St game and Godwin was the one that shined. Josh Reynolds could be a good 3rd rd option but I have trouble determining whether spread option players can translate well to the NFL.

I personally wouldn't hesitate to take Williams or Davis in the 1st and grab defense later. If they're available I say DO IT! DO IT!! If neither are available then a tradeback would be our best scenario and if we can garner an extra 3rd or 4th imo we have to draft a receiver before the end of the 4th. Straight up.

I've seen Juju being mentioned but what other receivers are 4th rd and earlier worthy of being drafted.

 

[JoeyFlex5]

1 hour ago, Willbacker said:

Ford would probally be the only one I'd consider with our 3rd pick. Like you said runs great routes and has good balance(some nice sideline catches). Godwin I really like (Penn St fan) but it'd be 3rd day only for me. Darboh never stuck out to me and Rogers I don't remember real well (so I take your word for your comparison) but I did watch the USC/Penn St game and Godwin was the one that shined. Josh Reynolds could be a good 3rd rd option but I have trouble determining whether spread option players can translate well to the NFL.

I personally wouldn't hesitate to take Williams or Davis in the 1st and grab defense later. If they're available I say DO IT! DO IT!! If neither are available then a tradeback would be our best scenario and if we can garner an extra 3rd or 4th imo we have to draft a receiver before the end of the 4th. Straight up.

I've seen Juju being mentioned but what other receivers are 4th rd and earlier worthy of being drafted.

 

Rogers is just one of those guys who won't be denied the reception. He is big and tough as nails, he plays loose and limber and moves very well, doesn't let his weight carry him too far and controls all his movements, he times his jumps well, boxes out well, he looks like he's got some verticals too as seen on his back shoulder fades, vice grip hands, quality routes for a man who plays so big and strong, and he is a bully all around. 

Hes the kind of guy that could really bring some character to our wr corps by being the big bully nobody wants to mess with and making those tough tight catches. 

[Willbacker]

1 hour ago, JoeyFlex5 said:

Rogers is just one of those guys who won't be denied the reception. He is big and tough as nails, he plays loose and limber and moves very well, doesn't let his weight carry him too far and controls all his movements, he times his jumps well, boxes out well, he looks like he's got some verticals too as seen on his back shoulder fades, vice grip hands, quality routes for a man who plays so big and strong, and he is a bully all around. 

Hes the kind of guy that could really bring some character to our wr corps by being the big bully nobody wants to mess with and making those tough tight catches. 

Will try to check him out and his name is in my memorybank. If he's like Boldin then that's precisely what we need since we got deep speed already covered even if we release Wallace.

You got any opinion on Josh Reynolds?

[Willbacker]

Just watched a vid and man can the dude catch in traffic and definitely see the comparison to Boldin. Only problem I noticed is he doesn't get initial separation but coverage is tight in the NFL anyways.

[JoeyFlex5]

51 minutes ago, Willbacker said:

Just watched a vid and man can the dude catch in traffic and definitely see the comparison to Boldin. Only problem I noticed is he doesn't get initial separation but coverage is tight in the NFL anyways.

Of all the receivers that ravens fans clamor for because they're "the next boldin!" This guy is the one who actually fits the description. And strangely nobody is clamoring for him lol

[Somerset Ravens]

On 2/20/2017 at 10:45 AM, JoeyFlex5 said:

Rogers is just one of those guys who won't be denied the reception. He is big and tough as nails, he plays loose and limber and moves very well, doesn't let his weight carry him too far and controls all his movements, he times his jumps well, boxes out well, he looks like he's got some verticals too as seen on his back shoulder fades, vice grip hands, quality routes for a man who plays so big and strong, and he is a bully all around. 

Hes the kind of guy that could really bring some character to our wr corps by being the big bully nobody wants to mess with and making those tough tight catches. 

I just watched some video of Rogers and I must say he is very impressive. He will win more than his share of 50-50 balls. He seems very adept at finding the soft spots in a zone defense and has great hands. The only negative I noticed is that he is not a burner but he would be a great possession receiver and a good target in the red zone.

I know he is not draft eligible this year but QB Sam Darnold impressed me as well.