List your top 5 guys here and reasons why. If you don’t have a top 5, just tell me who you like and why
This will probably change tomorrow (I really like all these guys for different reasons) but here is mine:
Treylon Burks - 6’3" 230. He reminds me a little of Calvin the way he is too much for DBs who bounce off, but smaller and can do more RAC and accelerate faster with quick passes. He’s gonna be a handful in the NFL. His highlight reel is fun. He seems ultra competitive too.
Drake *London - I also think he translates to the NFL very well. Plays a little like Burks but bigger and has an even more Calvin like contested catch post up game with less ability to RAC. I think he can run routes better than Burks too.
Garrett Wilson - IMO he is unique because he can play sorta of small man’s ball with the RAC and coordination but he has huge hands that secure the ball on contested catches. I can see him being very productive in the NFL.
Chris Olave - uncanny ability to get wide open. I do wonder how it will translate as he has a thin frame a little like Devonte Smith. But it just seems like he is always like eight yards open at Ohio State and we need that kind of threat to unlock our offense.
Jahan Dotson - Its weird watching him, then Garrett Wilson. They are about the same height and weight. Wilson seems more twitchy, but I think he is more meant for the slot in the NFL. Dotson can get deep a little better and might be better suited on the outside in the NFL. I thought Diontae Johnson was a good comp. He is not the Penn State guy who is all athlete and no ball skills. This guy has hands and some grit at the catch point.
Honorable mentions: David Bell and Jameson Williams.
The real question is which of these guys fits best with Amon Ra St Brown? And possibly Goff? At least next year? I think we need a compliment to Amon Ra. He’d probably be best complimented by a guy who can vertical but also win some 50/50s.
Garret Wilson - Has a preternatural knack for getting open. Insane body control.
Drake London - Catch radius monster with surprisingly good feet and YAC.
Treylon Burks - AJ Brown 2.0. Probably a slightly better version as a prospect. Faster for sure.
David Bell - Has all of the little things about playing receiver down pat. Great at the line, great when he breaks, great hands. Not much YAC but not awful either.
Alec Pierce - Athletic freak who is all upside. FOs aren’t gonna be able to resist themselves after he tests, and I think his tape is already pretty good.
I’m intrigued to see if Brad Holmes was showing us his philosophy last draft, when in a loaded WR draft, he let all the big guys go as he focused on the trenches, then targeted Amon-Ra in the 4th.
Is it a position where Holmes is confident he can find a guy who fits the bill in the middle rounds, so he prioritizes other positions ahead of it? Or is every draft different, and the Lions will be targeting one of the big-name WRs at, like, the Rams pick or the top of the 2nd?
I think Williams will probably still be a 1st rounder, I dropped him but only just out of my top 5. That kind of speed is too enticing to pass up for FOs. That said he always made me a little nervous, so now that he’ll be discounted I’m much more intrigued.
I wouldn’t be shocked if Metchie went back to Alabama but even if he doesn’t, I had him ranked much lower than others before the injury. Like outside of the top 100 low. Do I think he’d fall that far in the draft? Probably not, but now that he’s coming off the injury who knows?
Out of the first round. The lost year and training camp, and the fear that the other knee will go at some time will put them in mid 2nd round. Yeah, like GMs come to me for draft and medical advice…
Jameson Williams was my pipe dream at WR. #2 was way too high, but I thought he would go in the teens for sure. With the ACL, I doubt he goes over guys like Wilson, Burks, London, and Olave. I think he may be sitting there with the Rams pick and if so I’d pounce. ACL injuries areno longer a long term concern, and even if he isn’t 100% by the opener, we are building for the long run.
We need someone who can stretch the field. Goff showed with Brandin Cooks that a speedster like that can really open up the offense for him. Where as a guy like London, who is great in contested situations, Goff has never really played with someone like that. He may be a fit, he may not.
6’2 190 is a solid body type for a WR, IMO. That is Calvin Ridley, Robby Anderson, Cooper Kupp, etc. Less than 10 pounds lighter than CeeDee Lamb who has taken quite a few shots over the past couple years. IMO, his body type isn’t much of a concern to me.
I think his legs are twitchy twigs and I have some concerns, but I can’t argue much here. I can see why you like him. He might have an argument for the best highlight reel as well. He would be an excellent compliment to Amon Ra with his deep game and burst.
And…. that is why I asked my question!
Titans took Jeffrey Simmons a few years ago after his ACL injury during draft prep.
It worked out pretty well.
Every pick has risk…
I think Holmes has a pretty established history now when you factor in who he got in FA as well even if they didn’t work out.
Aman-Ra was the most Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Van Jefferson (who he was involved in drafting) like WR in the last draft. They all have +hands, +route technique, +versatility out of the box. None of the 4 are blazing fast. None are huge 50/50 monsters. Just good all around WRs.
Josh Reynolds was the tallest WR that Holmes drafted. He’s been just OK for the last 5 years and does have familiarity with Goff.
I could see Holmes getting an outside burner with more upside than Kalif, or a bigger jump guy to eventually replace Cephus (T Williams/Perriman body types). No matter what, they should have good hands, be football type players (coaches sons), and fairly well developed for a college WR.
He doesn’t want character divas, guys with dropsies, or guys afraid of contact no matter their 40 time.
Does London have a hands issue? I know he had 80 something catches but I heard it was on 120+ targets. Does anybody watch USC football that can answer this?
What about George Pickens? Obviously coming off an ACL injury but he has probably as high a ceiling if not higher than everyone listed thus far. He seems like he would complement St. Brown nicely as well lining up on the outside.
I probably should have added Pickens to my honorable mentions. I haven’t heard anything, but it wouldn’t shock me if he stayed at UGA for another year after the injury. I think his ceiling is very high, but he was used so sparingly in the playoffs I was surprised how quiet he was. Nice catch though last night.
I think you have to judge the bigger guys to a little bit different benchmark on separation, but I thought he didn’t really have issues. I would have liked to see how fast he ran though. We have a GM that uses technology for these type of things so maybe an actual 40 isn’t such a big deal.
