Wide Receiver

[Dantés]

After the "big three," my favorite receivers have come down to:

YAC/Slot: Jalen Reagor, Brandon Aiyuk
Size/Outside: Denzel Mims, Michael Pittman Jr.

Guys who interest me later:

YAC/Slot: Antonio Gibson, Devin Duvernay, Joe Reed
Size/Outside: Bryan Edwards
Route Runner: Van Jefferson

 

[HardRightEdge]

I'm down to these guys.

All of them have good hands, something you should not leave the draft room without. Besides the variety of types of receivers among the top 20 prospects, good hands seem to be a hallmark of this deep class. Lots to pick from.

Size/Perimeter: Higgins - #30 - upper 2nd. round trade down. I'm aware of his Pro Day 40 and vertical disappointments. Zierlein: "cheat-code body control and ball skills". That jumps out. Some of that cheat code shows after the catch.

Slot/YAC in space: Aiyuk - upper 2nd to mid 2nd round trade down or up

Slot-Perimeter Swing Man/Route Technician: Van Jefferson - #62 down to possible #94 on the injury drop; team insight into adverse surgical recovery would be cause for a further drop down the board

Multi-Tool/YAC after contact: Shenault - mid 2nd. to as low as #94 on the injury drop; again, adverse surgical recovery info could cause a futher drop

4 very different players for different fits. Maximize value on the board; the imaginative coach and a top QB mind are built to adapt to where the talent fits.

More often than not, I project picks lower than where they go off.

 

[GleefulGary]

Bryan Edwards of South Carolina deserves more talk. He's good.

 

[GleefulGary]

Bryan Edwards of South Carolina deserves more talk. He's good.

I'm kinda copying this comparison from Eric Crocker who had a great thread on him today on the twitter.

Edwards is reminiscent of James Jones with a bit more after the catch. He's really tough to bring down. Had a particular jet sweep on the first play of the game against Bama where he rocked a DB to the ground. He's 6'3 215 and plays every bit of it.

Really, really good option. Like him a lot.

 

[GleefulGary]

For the sake of transparency, I have to note that same Eric Crocker did make me a bit more nervous on Denzel Mims. I still like him, but maybe not as much.

 

[GleefulGary]

I'm kinda copying this comparison from Eric Crocker who had a great thread on him today on the twitter.

Edwards is reminiscent of James Jones with a bit more after the catch. He's really tough to bring down. Had a particular jet sweep on the first play of the game against Bama where he rocked a DB to the ground. He's 6'3 215 and plays every bit of it.

Really, really good option. Like him a lot.

I could be sold on him at #62.

 

[Dantés]

YAC/Playmaker:

• Ceedee Lamb, Oklahoma
• Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
• Jalen Reagor, TCU
• Laviska Shenault, Colorado
• K.J. Hamler, Penn State
• Lynn Bowden, Kentucky
• Devin Duvernay, Texas
• Antonio Gibson, Memphis

Speed/Vertical:

• Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
• Denzel Mims, Baylor
• Quez Watkins, Southern Miss
• Isaiah Coulter, Rhode Island
• Trishton Jackson, Syracuse

Size/Catch Point:

• Michael Pittman, USC
• Justin Jefferson, LSU
• Tee Higgins, Clemson
• Chase Claypool, Notre Dame
• Bryan Edwards, South Carolina
• Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty
• Gabriel Davis, Central Florida
• Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State
• Tyler Johnson, Minnesota
• Collin Johnson, Texas

Route-Runner/Separator:

• Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
• Van Jefferson, Florida
• Kalija Lipscomb, Vanderbilt
• K.J. Hill, Ohio State
• James Proche, SMU

 

[Dantés]

So here's my question-- if the Packers were to double up at WR in the first 4 rounds, what combo would you want to see?

Seems to me that YAC players and Separators are in shortest supply here, though there are some really, really good prospects that I thought fit most naturally in that size/catch point category that can do more than just catch jump balls.

 

[Dantés]

Combinations of Reagor/Edwards or Pittman/Duvernay would be super appealing to me.

 

[RepStar15]

With the exception of Justin Jefferson, Lynn Bowden is my favorite WR in this draft....Watch his tape and change my mind

 

[PackFan2]

Via info from scouts that went to the combine, Shenault had poor interviews with multiple teams.

 

[Dantés]

Some food for though here.

Because TT was the GM for the Packers for so long, he provided a huge sample size of draft picks to analyze. Many did just that, and discovered certain tendencies at certain positions.

At WR, it was noted that he really didn't draft guys under 5'11" 190, who were slower than 4.57, and whose 3C times were over 7.08.

Gutekunst has drafted three receivers since taking over, and the only tendency he broke was that Moore ran a 4.60 at the combine (which he improved to a 4.48 at his pro day).

So just for kicks, who are the guys who hit these marks in this class?

• Denzel Mims, Baylor: 6'3", 4.38, 6.66
• Michael Pittman, USC: 6'4", 4.52, 6.96
• Gabriel Davis, UCF: 6'2", 4.54, 7.08
• John Hightower, BSU: 6'1", 4.43, 7.07
• Freddie Swain, Florida: 6'0", 4.46, 7.05
• K.J. Osborn, Miami: 5'11", 4.48, 7.0
• Aaron Parker, Rhode Island: 6'2", 4.57, 6.94

A whole bunch of notables are missing data points: Aiyuk, Bowden, Claypool, Edwards, Gibson, Higgins, both Jeffersons, Jeudy, Lamb, Reed, Ruggs.

Notably disqualified (again, not necessarily, but if the tendencies hold) would be Reagor (3C), Shenault (forty), Duvernay (3C), Gandy-Golden (forty, 3C), Hamler (weight).

It may all be worth nothing. And the agility numbers aren't very reliable this year. However, I do have to say that Mims and Pittman, especially Pittman, *feel* like Packers to me.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Yes, I don't mind taking a TE in a later round but some are advocating taking another one high and I hope we target other areas of need in the first 3 rounds instead.

Yeah and the TE pool is not deep this year. Taking a TE before the 3rd round is not a good idea, IMO.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I'm down to these guys.

All of them have good hands, something you should not leave the draft room without. Besides the variety of types of receivers among the top 20 prospects, good hands seem to be a hallmark of this deep class. Lots to pick from.

Size/Perimeter: Higgins - #30 - upper 2nd. round trade down. I'm aware of his Pro Day 40 and vertical disappointments. Zierlein: "cheat-code body control and ball skills". That jumps out. Some of that cheat code shows after the catch.

Slot/YAC in space: Aiyuk - upper 2nd to mid 2nd round trade down or up

Slot-Perimeter Swing Man/Route Technician: Van Jefferson - #62 down to possible #94 on the injury drop; team insight into adverse surgical recovery would be cause for a further drop down the board

Multi-Tool/YAC after contact: Shenault - mid 2nd. to as low as #94 on the injury drop; again, adverse surgical recovery info could cause a futher drop

4 very different players for different fits. Maximize value on the board; the imaginative coach and a top QB mind are built to adapt to where the talent fits.

More often than not, I project picks lower than where they go off.

I actually like Higgins a lot, and he may be there at #30.

 

[GleefulGary]

I actually like Higgins a lot, and he may be there at #30.

He'll be there a lot later than that too.

 

[HardRightEdge]

At WR, it was noted that he really didn't draft guys under 5'11" 190, who were slower than 4.57, and whose 3C times were over 7.08.

For what it's worth, Cobb measured 5' 10 1/4" at the Combine. Not that it matters with your list. I think all those guys are 5' 11" or taller.

 

[Dantés]

For what it's worth, Cobb measured 5' 10 1/4" at the Combine. Not that it matters with your list. I think all those guys are 5' 11" or taller.

Yes, he was the outlier of the TT era.

 

[OldSchool101]

If Laviska Shenault slides down the board due to combine/injury concerns, I think GB should consider him. He reminds me of a turbo version of Ty Montgomery. At 6-2"225+-, he's got flexibility to be slid into the backfield as an option for short yardage RB either in goal line or 3rd and short etc.. His appeal is that he'd be a versatile weapon (leaning X or slot) for Aaron Rodgers in both phases.

 

[Heyjoe4]

He'll be there a lot later than that too.

Maybe, bit I don’t think he’ll be there in the late 2nd round. Now maybe Gluten can trade back into the early 2nd round, grab some extra picks, and still get Higgins. Because if you’re right, I don’t want him reaching when he doesn’t have to reach.

 

[Heyjoe4]

He'll be there a lot later than that too.

Hey Gary I respect your opinions. Who do you like at #30?

 

[GleefulGary]

Hey Gary I respect your opinions. Who do you like at #30?

Josh Jones

Denzel Mims

Brandon Aiyuk

Jalen Reagor

AJ Terrell

Jaylon Johnson

Patrick Queen

 

[Heyjoe4]

Josh Jones

Denzel Mims

Brandon Aiyuk

Jalen Reagor

AJ Terrell

Jaylon Johnson

Patrick Queen

Thanks Gary. I’m familiar with most of these guys. I still like Higgins, and would like him even more if he could be drafted late second round. I wouldn’t complain about Mims, Aiyuk, or Reagor in round 1 either, and if it falls that way, with a WR selected in round 1, then I’d opt for an OT in round 2.

I’ve seen some mocks with Higgins going around #20. We’ll find out in a few weeks. I think.....

 

[GleefulGary]

Thanks Gary. I’m familiar with most of these guys. I still like Higgins, and would like him even more if he could be drafted late second round. I wouldn’t complain about Mims, Aiyuk, or Reagor in round 1 either, and if it falls that way, with a WR selected in round 1, then I’d opt for an OT in round 2.

I’ve seen some mocks with Higgins going around #20. We’ll find out in a few weeks. I think.....

Higgins is good, but he's a big WR that doesn't separate well, isn't a vertical athlete, and had an awful 10 yard split. He's fairly similar to what we have already. I don't like the fit for him in this offense or with what we have.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

So here's my question-- if the Packers were to double up at WR in the first 4 rounds, what combo would you want to see?

Seems to me that YAC players and Separators are in shortest supply here, though there are some really, really good prospects that I thought fit most naturally in that size/catch point category that can do more than just catch jump balls.

Mims in the first, KJ Hamler top of the third (obviously would require a trade-up) or Van Jefferson in the 4th rather than Hamler.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Higgins is good, but he's a big WR that doesn't separate well, isn't a vertical athlete, and had an awful 10 yard split. He's fairly similar to what we have already. I don't like the fit for him in this offense or with what we have.

Interesting, thanks. You’ve done more homework. I watched a few clips of him at Clemson. I’d certainly be happy if we got Mims, Aiyuk, or Reagor. It really is a WR-rich draft.