Might
April 25th, 2008, 12:45:27 PM
*Based on the opinion of a guy who has watched them play live (on TV) here and there, caught most of their YouTube highlite reels, saw them perform at the combine, read their stats, and picked up the analysis of various reporters and journalists (none fo whom work for ESPN)
It became apparent to me that a big WR was our biggest need, based solely on the fact that we had such a tough time punching it in the RedZone throughout the year. So in November/December I started looking closely at the big WR prospects... names like Adarius Bowman, Demarco Fagg and Something Carr from FSU were on the radar, along with guys like Limas Sweed, Malcolm Kelly, and James Hardy. Mario Manningham, Early Doucet, and DeSean Jackson were well known, but I ignored them mostly due to their lack of size. Jordy Nelson and Devin Thomas I knew of, but didn't consider them really at the time. So clearly, alot has changed. Somethings haven't though.
JAMES HARDY
Pros - This is a guy I targeted in December or so, when the playoffs became a no-go. He's always been "the guy" in my gut, before workouts, before the pre-draft hoopla. What's not to like? Seriously... his size and production in college had me thinking he'd possibly be the top WR in the class. He turned in a real good combine too. He's played against some of the top teams and defenses in the country and was really the only threat on the IU offense... yet he consistently produced for seasons. He's perfect for what we're looking for in a WR and would make a huge impact in the redzone.
Cons - There's that whole domestic violence blemish. Who knows what really happened, but his stock will depend greatly on whether or not he's convinced teams that it was a misunderstanding, and that he'll be a hardworker, solid teammate, and not cause distractions. Also, not so sure about the impact he'll have between the 20s. Didn't see alot of plays around midfield, that required nice route-running on crosses.
Verdict - Yeah, people have him going in the late 1st/2nd, but something in my gut says this guy could come close to having a Randy Moss-like impact. I thought the same thing about Calvin Johnson though... so who knows? Regardless... if the Bills took him at 11 I wouldn't be upset. I'd be pretty happy just to land this talent. It would be considered a reach, but who cares? A slight trade down to land him would be a solid option. He's a weapon this offense could use. It's all on whether or not the staff thinks he's a solid guy.
DEVIN THOMAS
Pros - Looks like a great all-around receiver. Turns short passes into big gains. Has great speed. He's a weapon/big play guy on any route he runs. A nice option as a KR too. Looks the part. Put up great numbers in the only year he was featured.
Cons - Drops a decent amount of passes (saw some 3rd and 4th down drops too). Only has 1 year of production, and I'm generally skeptical of anyone who rises from a 2nd/3rd round fringe receiver to the best in the class.
Verdict - Could turn into a great receiver but that's a huge question mark. If he spent another year in college and had a similar season he'd probably be a surefire top 5, top 10 pick next year. Anyone who grabs him is taking a chance that he has just scratched the surface of his potential. If you take him at 11, you have a good idea of his practice habits and his desire to get better. Kind of reminds me of a cross between Donte Stallworth and Eric Moulds. I'm guessing his career could end up like either of those two receivers.
JORDY NELSON
Pros - Exceptional production in college in a tough conference. Has performed well when matched up against top CBs. Looks very fluid in his route running and makes good adjustments to catch poor passes. His hands look good, he made some impressive one-handed stabs. Love the fact that he was a walk on, started as a DB and later became a WR. That is some serious dedication and commitment to becoming a better player... considering he was one of the best WRs in the big 12 (arguably the best from a production standpoint), and I love having those types of guys on our team. A good punt returner. He also has a knack for making big plays on short passes. He can get deep, despite poor straight ahead speed in testing. Good size.
Cons - He played alot of slot in college, and we're covered there with Josh Reed and Roscoe. Would have to learn to play out wide. Didn't blow anyone away with his physical skills in testing.
Verdict - I have a tough time finding many cons. I don't know why he's ranked behind alot of the big name guys. The transition from the slot to the outside could be a tough learning curve in addition to the speed of the game. But, look... the guy's done this before. He's done the walk-on thing. He did the position switch. He worked for everything as a player, and I imagine he'll do the same in the NFL. His production in college is alot like Wes Welkers... and so is his story. He has a little more size, so I think he could play on the outside and be moved inside occasionally. I like him in the 2nd if we forego a WR in Rd1.
LIMAS SWEED
Pros - Has been on the radar for awhile. Has good size and tested really well in workouts. He also has put up some pretty good numbers throughout his career. Looks like he has real good hands and would just be a solid all-around player, anywhere on the field. Has a cool name.
Cons - There's the wrist thing. But not too big of a concern. While his overall production has been good, he never seems to dominate a game. He seems to be a complete nonfactor in a lot of games too (but to be fair, Texas has a lot of talent and needs to share the wealth). You never know what your getting with Texas players... they can be soft.
Verdict - I think he'll be a good pro. He just kind of has this "mehhhh" to him... but those are the guys that are the best sometimes (Dwayne Bowe had it last year... didn't blow anyone away in workouts or anything, but had a solid career at LSU). He didn't dominate in college, but it could be attributed to the talent of the Texas offense. I like him, he just doesn't intrigue me as much as the 3 above. Which could be a good thing. If we take him at 11 I'll be okay with it, but will be nervous he'll just be a slightly above average receiver and we'll go on to see guys like Hardy and Thomas have spectacular careers. But Limas is safe.
MALCOLM KELLY
Pros - Has the best hands in the class. He's got great size, and he's produced in college. Almost the total package at WR. A pretty good blocker too.
Cons - There was the bad 40 time which isnt that big of a deal, but the fact that he blamed anyone he could is a red flag for a WR. He also hasn't finished any of the bowl games he's played in. Injuries are a concern.
Verdict - I still think he's a real good WR, but worry about his attitude in adversity. Everything else I've heard about his character is positive. He's a real good talent and can do it all on the field, but the blame game could cause headaches. I don't think he'd be a T.O. stomping up and down on the sidelines if his QB doesn't get him the ball, but he could have the occasional frustrations. He's not flashy by any means, but he's good at everything.
This is all I can manage for now. I'm getting a headache and don't feel like dissecting anyone else because you can only say "good size" so many times before you lose interest in the exercise at hand. Notice how the entries get shorter and shorter.
Add anyone else you feel like. Do some other positions too if you feel like it.
It became apparent to me that a big WR was our biggest need, based solely on the fact that we had such a tough time punching it in the RedZone throughout the year. So in November/December I started looking closely at the big WR prospects... names like Adarius Bowman, Demarco Fagg and Something Carr from FSU were on the radar, along with guys like Limas Sweed, Malcolm Kelly, and James Hardy. Mario Manningham, Early Doucet, and DeSean Jackson were well known, but I ignored them mostly due to their lack of size. Jordy Nelson and Devin Thomas I knew of, but didn't consider them really at the time. So clearly, alot has changed. Somethings haven't though.
JAMES HARDY
Pros - This is a guy I targeted in December or so, when the playoffs became a no-go. He's always been "the guy" in my gut, before workouts, before the pre-draft hoopla. What's not to like? Seriously... his size and production in college had me thinking he'd possibly be the top WR in the class. He turned in a real good combine too. He's played against some of the top teams and defenses in the country and was really the only threat on the IU offense... yet he consistently produced for seasons. He's perfect for what we're looking for in a WR and would make a huge impact in the redzone.
Cons - There's that whole domestic violence blemish. Who knows what really happened, but his stock will depend greatly on whether or not he's convinced teams that it was a misunderstanding, and that he'll be a hardworker, solid teammate, and not cause distractions. Also, not so sure about the impact he'll have between the 20s. Didn't see alot of plays around midfield, that required nice route-running on crosses.
Verdict - Yeah, people have him going in the late 1st/2nd, but something in my gut says this guy could come close to having a Randy Moss-like impact. I thought the same thing about Calvin Johnson though... so who knows? Regardless... if the Bills took him at 11 I wouldn't be upset. I'd be pretty happy just to land this talent. It would be considered a reach, but who cares? A slight trade down to land him would be a solid option. He's a weapon this offense could use. It's all on whether or not the staff thinks he's a solid guy.
DEVIN THOMAS
Pros - Looks like a great all-around receiver. Turns short passes into big gains. Has great speed. He's a weapon/big play guy on any route he runs. A nice option as a KR too. Looks the part. Put up great numbers in the only year he was featured.
Cons - Drops a decent amount of passes (saw some 3rd and 4th down drops too). Only has 1 year of production, and I'm generally skeptical of anyone who rises from a 2nd/3rd round fringe receiver to the best in the class.
Verdict - Could turn into a great receiver but that's a huge question mark. If he spent another year in college and had a similar season he'd probably be a surefire top 5, top 10 pick next year. Anyone who grabs him is taking a chance that he has just scratched the surface of his potential. If you take him at 11, you have a good idea of his practice habits and his desire to get better. Kind of reminds me of a cross between Donte Stallworth and Eric Moulds. I'm guessing his career could end up like either of those two receivers.
JORDY NELSON
Pros - Exceptional production in college in a tough conference. Has performed well when matched up against top CBs. Looks very fluid in his route running and makes good adjustments to catch poor passes. His hands look good, he made some impressive one-handed stabs. Love the fact that he was a walk on, started as a DB and later became a WR. That is some serious dedication and commitment to becoming a better player... considering he was one of the best WRs in the big 12 (arguably the best from a production standpoint), and I love having those types of guys on our team. A good punt returner. He also has a knack for making big plays on short passes. He can get deep, despite poor straight ahead speed in testing. Good size.
Cons - He played alot of slot in college, and we're covered there with Josh Reed and Roscoe. Would have to learn to play out wide. Didn't blow anyone away with his physical skills in testing.
Verdict - I have a tough time finding many cons. I don't know why he's ranked behind alot of the big name guys. The transition from the slot to the outside could be a tough learning curve in addition to the speed of the game. But, look... the guy's done this before. He's done the walk-on thing. He did the position switch. He worked for everything as a player, and I imagine he'll do the same in the NFL. His production in college is alot like Wes Welkers... and so is his story. He has a little more size, so I think he could play on the outside and be moved inside occasionally. I like him in the 2nd if we forego a WR in Rd1.
LIMAS SWEED
Pros - Has been on the radar for awhile. Has good size and tested really well in workouts. He also has put up some pretty good numbers throughout his career. Looks like he has real good hands and would just be a solid all-around player, anywhere on the field. Has a cool name.
Cons - There's the wrist thing. But not too big of a concern. While his overall production has been good, he never seems to dominate a game. He seems to be a complete nonfactor in a lot of games too (but to be fair, Texas has a lot of talent and needs to share the wealth). You never know what your getting with Texas players... they can be soft.
Verdict - I think he'll be a good pro. He just kind of has this "mehhhh" to him... but those are the guys that are the best sometimes (Dwayne Bowe had it last year... didn't blow anyone away in workouts or anything, but had a solid career at LSU). He didn't dominate in college, but it could be attributed to the talent of the Texas offense. I like him, he just doesn't intrigue me as much as the 3 above. Which could be a good thing. If we take him at 11 I'll be okay with it, but will be nervous he'll just be a slightly above average receiver and we'll go on to see guys like Hardy and Thomas have spectacular careers. But Limas is safe.
MALCOLM KELLY
Pros - Has the best hands in the class. He's got great size, and he's produced in college. Almost the total package at WR. A pretty good blocker too.
Cons - There was the bad 40 time which isnt that big of a deal, but the fact that he blamed anyone he could is a red flag for a WR. He also hasn't finished any of the bowl games he's played in. Injuries are a concern.
Verdict - I still think he's a real good WR, but worry about his attitude in adversity. Everything else I've heard about his character is positive. He's a real good talent and can do it all on the field, but the blame game could cause headaches. I don't think he'd be a T.O. stomping up and down on the sidelines if his QB doesn't get him the ball, but he could have the occasional frustrations. He's not flashy by any means, but he's good at everything.
This is all I can manage for now. I'm getting a headache and don't feel like dissecting anyone else because you can only say "good size" so many times before you lose interest in the exercise at hand. Notice how the entries get shorter and shorter.
Add anyone else you feel like. Do some other positions too if you feel like it.