The wide receiver landscape in the NFC East has changed dramatically over the past couple of seasons. Taking a closer look at his peers we can see Jalen Reagor the Philadelphia Eagle's 21st overall pick in the previous draft is experiencing regular rookie growing pains. Vikings top "player team report card," and . He is not just the first read on this play, hes the only read. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! -- Mike Band, Keegan Abdoo and Cole Jacobson contributed to this piece. Look at the difference in cushion the Eagles give him vs the other boundary WR at the top of the screen! Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) February 28, 2023. But the NFC North has four of the very best wideouts in football, including possibly the best wideout in the league in Adams. The Next Gen Stats analytics team provides a ranking of the top 10 shutdown cornerbacks right now. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. He grew in almost all of those areas as a WR in his first year, putting to bed my concerns about how he would translate to the NFL. [2:35] Richardson lines up outside (bottom of screen) behind the line of scrimmage. We are seeing more and more taller receivers that run well in a straight line, but arent great at changing directions, fall lower and lower in the draft. They bring two DBs down to bracket Slayton (bottom of screen). He is a nuanced route runner, so he excels at running his routes in such a way that he has leverage over DBs and can get quick separation after his break. Opposing defenses either shadowed him with their best CB or shaded coverage in his direction to account for him. This is one of those plays that shows even when Jeffery is covered, hes open. Known as a jump ball and contested catch specialist, he was a favorite target of Jay Cutler, who often didnt care about throwing into double and triple coverage so long as he trusted his WR. Hogs Haven looks at all four teams in the division in an effort to identify the best and the weakest of the NFC East. Sometimes we look around the NFL and see how a quarterback is only as good as his wideouts. 1 receiver. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. The Dallas Cowboys could sign their division rival's top wide . NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah joined Chris Brown and Steve Tasker on One Bills Live from the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. First, as much as Jim Schwartzs defense makes life difficult for the CBs, Doug Pedersons offense makes like easier for the WRs. As miserable as that 2020 season was for the Cowboys, he still had 92/1,114/5. Once hes caught the ball, this play is over, as McLaurin is too fast for any Eagles defenders to catch him. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Gilmore is on top of him the whole way and cuts back just as hard as Slayton, wrapping him up as the ball gets to him and knocking the ball away. Darby is a much better (and faster) CB than Douglas and runs with McLaurin down the sideline, but Terry turns back at just the right time, quickly locates the ball in the air, tracks it, and reaches out to make a very tough contested catch. Amari Cooper can play every WR position: X, Z, and slot, and the Cowboys used him all over the field to exploit matchups. McLaurin gets a poor angle on the block because of the DBs speed, but nevertheless uses his strength to hold his man in place and eventually follow him to the ground, forcing the defender to reach out for an attempted shoestring tackle. When St. Brown has been missing, Goffs EPA per dropback becomes negative (-0.10). Watching him play, Slayton seems like a great athletic prospect who still needs a lot of refinement. However, Cooks is a. Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports Flowers is another potential first-round option depending on how his combine week goes. Like Julio, Jeffery is tall, long-limbed, physical, fast, and a good route runner. Share. Were ranking the division by position group. 10 pick in Smith, who will become their No. Buy Chargers Tickets. If the Redskins are going to make any noise in the division, they will need at least two of their mostly young and unheralded receivers to hit big in 2019, and they will need a quarterback either veteran Case Keenum or rookie Dwayne Haskins to be throwing the ball effectively. Unfortunately, Kupps season was cut short by injury. Panthers saddled with another odd pick in latest NFL.com mock draft. The Packers' offense has faltered for most of the season without Adams to create explosive plays. He has been targeted on 39 percent of routes when defenses send the heat, trailing only the next receiver on this list, CeeDee Lamb. His most impressive area of improvement was in his catching ability. Coopers ability to sell a fake will still get him open against younger DBs, which is why it really takes an experienced and fast DB playing press man to shut him down. 1. He also does a great job using fakes to misdirect opposing CBs and create lots of early separation at the release. He primarily (though not exclusively) seemed to be used as a deep threat option in Seattle. He ranked top three in both receiving grade (91.7) and yards per route run (3.64) versus such looks. He has enough deep speed that he can completely blow past most CBs given a few seconds to run in a straight line, though he doesnt have the lateral agility to juke a DB out of his shoes, nor does he utilize fakes to misdirect opponents and get free early. Reagor is also a skilled kick returner, with 12 kick returns for 312 yards (a 26.0 average) in 2018 and 5 kick returns for 72 yards (a 14.4 average) in 2019. He is also an ace gunner on special teams and the Skins reportedly had him ranked as the number 1 ranked special teams player in the draft. The on-field portion of the NFL Combine begins on Thursday, marking the start of the testing circuit that propels some prospects into the stratosphere while ruining the stock of others. Jeffery rewarded Cutlers trust with two 1000-yard seasons in his first 3 years in the NFL, though he hasnt been able to replicate that production since, due to repeated nagging injuries he seems to suffer every year. The Next Gen Stats analytics team provides a ranking of the top 10 players at the position in 2022, with some names that could surprise you. And, sure, Reagor had a disappointing rookie season in 2020 but its way to early to write him off, especially with a new offensive scheme coming to town. The Raiders have faced Cover 6 at an outlier rate this season (17 percent, the only team over 13 percent), as defenses "cloud" Adams' side of the field, drawing a safety farther away from the ball. Overall, I think Terry McLaurin is a somewhat raw WR who flashes elite traits and potential, but will probably take a while to see the field on offense, except as a one-dimensional deep threat. Tier 1: Elite 1. New York Giants. Wide receiver Kenny Golladay's time with the Giants is reportedly coming to an end.Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Giants will cut Golladay when the new league year begins on March 15. Eagles: DeVonta Smith, Jalen Reagor, Greg Ward, Travis Fulgham, Quez Watkins, John Hightower. Where does Jets rookie Sauce Gardner land? As was the case in his rookie season, Chases bread and butter has been passes thrown outside the numbers, where he ranks sixth in the NFL with 515 receiving yards this season. Slayton doesnt fake inside before breaking outside, he doesnt fight for inside leverage while running down the sideline, he doesnt body out Gilmore when he jumps for the ball, he doesnt grip the ball strong enough that Gilmore cant knock it out of his hands. I wanted to include this play for 2 reasons. He got off to a strong start to the season thanks to his dominance in the short game, as his 457 receiving yards on passes of fewer than 10 air yards from Weeks 1 to 9 were 68 more than any other player recorded in that span. His biggest problem is his drop rate, which will need to improve in the NFL if he is to become a trusted target of Carson Wentz. That good deep speed coupled with elite agility and acceleration shows up on tape as well. But after McLaurin, Washington didn't have many other weapons. Again, Slayton does the basic job necessary to run his route and make a play, but doesnt employ any subtlety or counters to beat a CB as athletic as he is. The NFL's top 16 wide receivers Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans AFC West Broncos Chargers Chiefs. Cowboys: Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb, Cedric Wilson, Simi Fehoko That top three of Cooper, Gallup and Lamb might be the best trio in the NFL. However, he has a limited route tree and doesnt show much subtlety in terms of using fakes, counters, leverage, body-positioning, or physicality to get open. Not only did the Giants sign Golladay to a four-year, $72 million contract this offseason, but they also used their first-round pick on Toney, the explosive rookie wideout from Florida. Cooper is the true No. In addition to football, in high school he was all-state in basketball and placed highly in track. Gambling problem? This play shows Slaytons deep speed, ball tracking ability, and ability to haul in long passes. Despite the emergence of Isaiah Hodgins, who re-signed with Big Blue last week, the Giants are likely to. Minnesota Vikings. He talked about position groups that Bills fans should look at here in In. He had two years remaining on his $72 million contract. Washington Commanders. Non-Redskin fans could be forgiven if they were unfamiliar with Cam Sims, Trey Quinn, Terry McLaurin and Kelvin Harmon, though the latter two, taken in the 3rd & 6th rounds of Aprils draft, got a lot of good press during the pre-draft buildup this year. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. When I reviewed McLaurins college tape for this ranking last year, I noted that he was a tremendous athlete, good route runner, and a willing and physical blocker. Having a terrific big muscular body for the position and running a great 40-yard dash time are wonderful attributes, but it doesnt always translate to success in the league. McLaurin also breaks his route at around the first down line, ensuring that he has a good chance of getting the first down if he makes the catch. He will break down film of some of the top receivers in the division: Click here to read the 2019 review of wide receivers which includes Golden Tate, Alshon Jeffrey and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside as well as last years look at Cooper and McLaurin. Gilmore starts close to the line and runs with Slayton, looking back to see when Slayton cuts back for a curl route. Tight ends. As it pertains to this season specifically, Diggs has not slowed down, leading the league with 10 receiving TDs when aligned wide. . He even manages to keep his feet in bounds when he lands despite a shove by Darby, showing excellent body control and awareness. Sometimes he would make an incredible contested catch, then in the same game have the ball hit him in the hands and bounce into a nearby DB for an interception. Best Wide Receiver Duo (Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports) There are many potential choices for the best receiver pair in the game today. Being able to abuse coverage with slants and out routes over and over is more valuable than a receiver that can occasionally win deep downfield. Ross has been a disappointment in the NFL but anything the Giants get out of him will simply be a bonus. He has enough speed to get open deep, but also the physicality and jump ball ability to make himself open in contested short-yardage plays. The Commanders are interviewing former UCLA receiver and head coach Karl Dorrell for their WRs coaching vacancy, per source. If they want to plug him into the slot, theyre getting a sure-handed guy who can move the chains. [7:30] This time, McLaurin lines up in the slot. Although his deep speed is only good (not great), he has elite quickness/acceleration and change-of-direction ability. A touch under $40 million was fully guaranteed at signing, with another $17.221 million becoming guaranteed at the start of the 2023 league year. With Dak Prescott healthy, this offense could be fun to watch. Washington Football Team running back Antonio Gibson has emerged as a very efficient catcher out the backfield, if he can raise his yardage he can transform into an all round running back. With defenses afraid to leave a corner on an island, the Vikings have faced the lowest rate of single-high coverages this season (45 percent). Although not invited to the NFL combine, JJ had a good pro day, measuring 62 and 223 lbs, and running a 4.49s 40 yard dash. [6:10] Tate lines up outside and runs an out route, changing direction uphill immediately after the catch so quickly that Stroman whiffs on his tackle and Tate gets tons of YAC. His only obvious weakness is as a blocker in run support, where he doesnt quite have the strength and physicality to excel. In the off-season, Washington went out and signed speed-threat Curtis Samuel to a three-year, 34,500,000 contract. This play showcases McLaurins sense of timing (looks back just as the ball should be arriving, making it tough for Darby to react in time), toughness, contested catch ability, body control, and situational awareness (to stay in bounds). 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Watching tape of McLaurins 2019 season, it became clear that other teams saw him as the number one threat in the Redskins passing game. [7:59] McLaurin lines up opposite Jalen Mills at the top of the screen. It's really impressive. Although he suffered from poor QB play in 2019 (40.2% of passes thrown his way were uncatchable, 3rd worst in this years draft class), he also had a terrible 9.8% drop rate, one of the highest in this years draft class. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). [7:17] Cooper, in the slot, runs a slant route, blowing by Fabian Moreau to get open and secure the catch; he then does a good job redirecting outside to break Moreaus poor tackle and run free. It could happen, but it requires a lot of things to go right for Washington that didnt go right in 2018. Unlike many other speedy WRs, McLaurin is tough and physical enough to support the run game. After the snap, Richardson soon breaks inside on his route while Davis (a little behind him) breaks outside, allowing Richardson to incidentally block the DB mirroring Davis and let Davis run free up the sideline for a huge gain. This was a 37 yard play. Featured Promo: Get any full-season NFL Premium Pass for 50% off and win big in 2023. Cooper releases as if hes running deep down the sideline. It depends on whether you favor production or . The team is left with newly-signed the veteran free agent, 30-year-old Golden Tate (who, for the record, I wanted the Redskins to sign in free agency this year) as the apparent top receiver on the roster. By releasing Golladay, the Giants save $6.7 million against their salary cap. He has good deep speed, but is more of a home run threat due to his ability to get open and break tackles, rather than just because he just runs past everyone. [1:52] Slayton lines up bottom of screen on the outside. Despite being one of just four players at the position with a $100 million tag, Brown is just fifth on the list of highest-paid wide receivers. If you look at all the players at this position that have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, you might be shocked that a good percentage of them are not elite speedsters. With combine measurements of 60 tall, 175 lbs, and running a 4.40s 40 yard dash, Richardson has the height and speed of an NFL WR, but is greatly lacking in body mass. 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