2010 NFL Draft Coverage – Wide Receivers Preview
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The NFL draft moves to primetime for the first time in 2010. The first round will be in PRIMETIME, and takes place on Thursday April 22nd at 7:30 p.m. ET. The NFL Draft second and third rounds are on Friday April 23 at 6 p.m. ET. Rounds Four thru Seven will be held on Saturday April 24th at 10 a.m. ET.
With all that said the 2010 NFL Draft is rapidly coming up on us and our College football handicapping expert James Hayes has begun analyzing player data from the Combine and PRO workout days.
He’s begun writing his online NFL draft position by position scouting reports.
Onto the 2010 Wide Receivers – (WR) Rankings –
DEZ BRYANT, Oklahoma State
Bryant is such an athletic marvel that he could just count on getting open in college, even when he ran sloppy routes. He’ll have to tighten that in the pros, and show teams’ top brass that his maturity level isn’t a problem. Still, there’s loads to like about this possible No. 1 receiver. Going at 6”2, 220 lbs, he shows impressive musculature, adequate speed given his size and the ability to adjust to throws in the air. He hardly gets beat on jump balls and he knows where the sideline is. This isn’t a stacked draft class at this position, but even with the potential red flags Bryant should be off the board in the middle of Round 1.
GOLDEN TATE, Notre Dame
This ‘Golden Domer’ has the golden top-tier speed that downfield passing games covet. Tate burned a 4.4 at the Combine and also impressed with 17 bench press reps, considering he is only 5”10 and under 200 lbs. Tate has been productive at Notre Dame and can add a new element to an offense; he could project to be a Joey Galloway-type wideout. Translation: expect plenty of yards-per-catch. Tate also has the ability to turn a short completion into a game-changer. He’s not a slam-dunk prospect, but all the same Tate should be off the board nearer the end of the first round.
ARRELIOUS BENN, Illinois
Benn was a madly hyped prospect coming out of high school and his college numbers may have suffered somewhat due to the crappy passing situation in Champaign. He’s a player with a tremendous overall skill set and likely possesses the tools to be a No. 1 wideout for a team at some point. Big, strong, physical and with enough speed, Benn will present match-up trouble for the majority of CBs. Different than some other WR prospects in this class, Benn runs polished routes, which is a bonus. His hands are a little inconsistent, but Benn should still straddle the first and second rounds.
DEMARYIUS THOMAS, Georgia Tech
Thomas comes from an offense that virtually never passed, but he has measurables that will make scouts drool. He goes 6”3, 225 lbs and has astonishing vertical speed for a man his size. He will use his large frame to his advantage and displays naturally soft hands. You’d expect a guy this big to be really physical, but Thomas is a piss-poor blocker – this must improve (it’s even more galling considering he came from Paul Johnson’s Yellow Jackets). Thomas couldn’t participate in the Combine due to a broken foot, but some team is going to take a chance and snap this guy up, maybe in the second round.
DAMIAN WILLIAMS, USC
This former Arkansas transfer quickly became the Trojans’ main target. He is explosive and shatters a defender’s confidence once he gets the ball in his hands. Williams is both fast and quick and hence gets very good separation from the defender. Combined with his savvy at catching away from his body, he doesn’t need a perfectly-thrown pass to garner a first down. He runs a very precise route and works hard. Williams has some injury history that’ll need to be looked into but he could make a positive impact for the team that drafts him.
BRANDON LaFELL, LSU
To those used to watching the Tigers, LaFell looks like a carbon copy of Dwayne Bowe, the possession receiver that thrived in Death Valley a few seasons ago and now snags balls for the Kansas City Chiefs. Like Bowe, LaFell is strong, physical, and is crafty using his body. He has good co-ordination, is hard to bring down and hones his focus on third down. At 6”3, 211 lbs he’s plenty big and has a knack for snagging the ball in traffic. He won’t ever be an A-1 deep threat, but LaFell still brings assets that any team needs for a balanced passing attack.
Honorable Mention: Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati Was a beast for the Bearcats this season and also could be a special teams stud.
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