tvturner's Scouting Report 2022: Wide Receivers Edition

[tvturner]

All of these are my own personal opinions from the games I've watched of them

Feedback and comments are always appreciated.

 

There's a boatload of talent in this class not only at WR but TE too. Missing out on FA talent doesn't necessarily worry me.

 

 

Garrett Wilson

Pros: 

Release and step will beat most cornerbacks

Fluid and precise with his body movements

Has knowledge of a ton of routes

Long speed is where he shines

Isn’t afraid to get physical at the catch point

Not afraid of catching when there’s heavy traffic

Can be a punt/kick returner

He will win the majority of the 50/50 balls thrown his way

YAC is fantastic 

Body balance is among the best of the class

Very strong hands

 

Cons: 

He doesn’t have burner speed

Could add weight and muscle to his body

Needs to be a better hands catcher, can use his body often

Has struggled with good press corners

Footwork on breaks can be better 

 

Projection:  Top 20

 

John Metchie

Pros: 

YAC threat

Very tough and feisty receiver

Has experience running most routes you want out of an NFL receiver

Utilizes double moves to beat defensive backs

Footwork is very fast

Shines when exposing zone coverages

Willing blocker, even at his size

Body balance is above average

 

Cons: 

Tore his ACL

Burst out of routes can improve

Can give off certain body tells to inform the DB what he’s about to do

Release off the line isn’t the best

Plays smaller than he is

Good press/man corners can beat him

 

Projection: Round 2

 

Jameson Williams

Pros: 

Fantastic jumper

Route release is fantastic

Speed is instant off the line

Can return kickoff/punts

Explosive deep threat

Catch radius is among the best in the class

Very toolsy with his hands, knows when to chop and use them to have the advantage over DBs

Will blow past corners with ease

Hips are fluid with his body balance

Best vertical threat in the class

Short and long burst are fantastic 

Played at Alabama who has a history of delivering NFL talent

 

Cons: 

Coming off an ACL tear, could be a blow to his style of play

Route breaks can be smoother

Ball tracking can improve

Needs to add weight/muscle to his body, he’s very lean

Press corners can give him struggles

 

Projection: Round 1

 

Drake London

Pros: 

Size is incredible, 6’4

Very experienced slot receiver

Can exploit coverages with body movement

Creates space on route breaks and cuts

Has shown dominance in short-mid-long field areas

Catch radius and jumps are great

Will dominate deep balls

Decent YAC guy

Very high football IQ

Has the strength to be a dominant run blocker

 

Cons: 

Season ending ankle injury

Footwork at the release point can be sloppy

Played a ton of his football in the slot

Passed on the combine

Run blocking needs to improve

Vertical routes take time with him

 

Projection: Round 1

 

Treylon Burks

Pros: 

Great size at 6’2

Hands are huge at 10.75

Will put his body on the line to make a play

YAC threat

Reminiscent of Deebo, plays the game very similar to him, and has experience all over the field

Has shown he can burn DBs and flip their hips with body movements

Mismatch nightmare for defenses and DBs

Game speed is fantastic

Smooth with his cuts and breaks

Body balance is great, will bounce off defenders and keep going

Utilizes stiff arms and jukes efficiently 

Burst and line release is very fast

Has beaten a ton of press coverage with ease

 

Cons: 

Got beat frequently on 50/50 balls

Physicality in all phases can improve

Route tree needs to improve

 

Projection: Top 20

 

Chris Olave

Pros: 

Burst and release at the line is quick and effective

Acceleration to reach his top speed is among the fastest of the class

Body and feet balance are great

Will eat up defenses in the middle of the field

High football IQ

Will identify weak spots in zone quickly

Hands are very strong and among the best of the class

Fluid in routes, cuts, breaks, and hand fighting

Can get easy separation on deep balls

Won’t break stride on long balls

 

Cons: 

Weak run blocker

YAC needs to improve

Played in a receiver friendly scheme

Could benefit from adding muscle to his body

Boundary receiver traits need to be improved

 

Projection: Round 1

 

David Bell

Pros: 

Experience in the slot and as the boundary receiver

Varied releases at the line, has a different one for each route/play

Not afraid of the contact

Will get every yard he can after the catch

Will force a ton of missed tackles

Body adjustments on the fly are natural

Footwork is precise and quick

Burst is very good

Tricky receiver to cover, has a ton of fakes, head motions, and body pumps to play with the DB

Press coverage isn’t an issue for him

 

Cons: 

Balance can be improved on routes

Beaten on 50/50 balls

Not a burner

Limited route tree, needs more experience in complicated routes

Run blocking is weak

 

Projection: Round 2-3

 

George Pickens

Pros: 

Strong burst beats press coverages

Hands are among the strongest of the class

Doesn’t drop a lot of passes

Will dominate and wreck small DBs

Tough to bring down in open fields

Catch radius is huge

Route running specialist, very slick with his cuts/breaks, able to fake out defenders 

Red zone threat

High football IQ

Will exploit middle field coverages

Very fluid athlete, game comes easy to him

 

Cons: 

ACL tear

Needs to improve separation and space between him and the DBs

A lot of off the field issues

Needs to add more strength to his body

The very physical press corners will beat him

 

Projection: Round 1-2

 

Jahan Dotson

Pros: 

Release is quick and instant

Punt/kick return experience

Footwork is quick and sudden

Smooth in open fields

Hip flips are fluid and don’t break his stride

Has 3 different game speeds

Route tendencies are similar to Antonio Brown

Big play merchant

Can shake and bake corners with fakes

 

Cons: 

Smaller build

Won’t win many 50/50 balls

Can get knocked offline on his routes

Press coverage will beat him

Catch radius and hand strength needs to be better

Easy to take down in the open field

 

Projection: Round 2

 

Jalen Tolbert

Pros: 

Has hung with the big dogs and top talent of CFB and produced

Route running is stick and go

Excellent foot and hip combos to sink and rip in and out of routes/breaks

Ball tracking is among the best in the class

Will fight and beat physical corners

Hand chops and usage against DBs is great

Press coverages get beat by his lightning quick releases and head fakes

Speed is great

Body balance is fantastic at his size

Isn’t afraid to lower his head and lay the boom against defenders

 

Cons: 

Needs to be more disciplined when bringing the ball in

Can lose concentration and turn his head before securing

Deep ball win rate needs to improve

Run blocking needs to get better
Elusiveness can improve

Route tree can improve

 

Projection: Round 2

[Hawkeyecolt]

Missing Christian Watson. 

[Matabix]

Doing mock simulator I've been getting Pickens or Bell in the 3rd round after Strong in the 2nd. Pickens intrigues me but not sure about off field issues.

[Defjamz26]

Did you say Garett Wilson lacks long speed? He ran in the 4.3’s at the combine.

[Colt.45]

6 hours ago, Hawkeyecolt said:

Missing Christian Watson. 

Skyy Moore is another guy to keep an eye on. Blazing speed, good YAC ability, can play slot and outside.

 

Anyone who's watched Carson Strong will have noticed Romeo Doubs as well. May be worth a mid round pick. Strong, FAST, reminds me of a quicker Anquan Boldin in that he can play really physically.

[Colt.45]

I forgot Wan'Dale Robinson. In one word - shifty. 

Can do a lot of damage with the ball in his hands. A bit smaller though.

[tvturner]

5 hours ago, Defjamz26 said:

Did you say Garett Wilson lacks long speed? He ran in the 4.3’s at the combine.

40 times don't equate to game speed

[Defjamz26]

3 hours ago, tvturner said:

40 times don't equate to game speed

Yeah it does. It doesn’t equate to quickness and shiftiness, but that is more or less “game speed”. You’re not running full speed on every route, but a 40 time is legit game speed minus the extra weight that comes from having full pads on. 

[tvturner]

16 minutes ago, Defjamz26 said:

Yeah it does. It doesn’t equate to quickness and shiftiness, but that is more or less “game speed”. You’re not running full speed on every route, but a 40 time is legit game speed minus the extra weight that comes from having full pads on. 

40 times are a straight line sprint from A to B

 

There's no defenders sticking you, safeties hovering over top, or players trying to hit you

 

It's much different

[MikeCurtis]

7 hours ago, Colt.45 said:

I forgot Wan'Dale Robinson. In one word - shifty. 

Can do a lot of damage with the ball in his hands. A bit smaller though.

He might be there in round 3

 

[Colt.45]

7 minutes ago, MikeCurtis said:

He might be there in round 3

 

Most mocks i've seen have him going in round 4. Half the mocks i've seen have got Watson going 3-4. The Colts are going to pick a seriously good wide receiver in the mid rounds if they want. This is how good teams operate.

[NorthernColt]

Great class for WR. We should be able to grab atleast one weapon. Love Khalil Shakir, Calvin Austin and Wandale Robinson for later value.

[MikeCurtis]

28 minutes ago, Colt.45 said:

Most mocks i've seen have him going in round 4. Half the mocks i've seen have got Watson going 3-4. The Colts are going to pick a seriously good wide receiver in the mid rounds if they want. This is how good teams operate.

Its funny...... every year a quality person slides in the draft, then a person that is an unknown gets drafted ahead of time

 

The big question...... does CB trade 2nd and 3rd round pick to move up to get our LT of the future?   

 

Bernhard Raimman could be our new starting LT and could be available in the mid 20s in round 1

 

We would have to wait or trade for the other WRs

 

There are also going to be a round of June 1 cuts as well as final cuts

 

 

 

 

[Colt.45]

4 minutes ago, MikeCurtis said:

Its funny...... every year a quality person slides in the draft, then a person that is an unknown gets drafted ahead of time

 

The big question...... does CB trade 2nd and 3rd round pick to move up to get our LT of the future?   

 

Bernhard Raimman could be our new starting LT and could be available in the mid 20s in round 1

 

We would have to wait or trade for the other WRs

 

There are also going to be a round of June 1 cuts as well as final cuts

 

 

 

 

Yup. Ballard always makes sure he's not a a position of desperation heading into the draft. 

 

Running back is another place to keep an eye on. Mack is a FA. We'll pick up a guy for sure, just a matter of when we decide to dive in. Lots of good backs will be available mid to late.

[MikeCurtis]

10 minutes ago, Colt.45 said:

Yup. Ballard always makes sure he's not a a position of desperation heading into the draft. 

 

Running back is another place to keep an eye on. Mack is a FA. We'll pick up a guy for sure, just a matter of when we decide to dive in. Lots of good backs will be available mid to late.

I could see us adding a RB

 

I also see CB biting his nails trying to decide

LT or WR and TE

LT or WR and TE

LT or WR and TE

 

I get the sense that he will grab his LT for the next 10-12 years in Bernhard

 

Its SO much easier to fit underneath the Cap, when one or more of the QB, DE, and LT are on a rookie contract

 

 

[Colt.45]

19 minutes ago, MikeCurtis said:

I could see us adding a RB

 

I also see CB biting his nails trying to decide

LT or WR and TE

LT or WR and TE

LT or WR and TE

 

I get the sense that he will grab his LT for the next 10-12 years in Bernhard

 

Its SO much easier to fit underneath the Cap, when one or more of the QB, DE, and LT are on a rookie contract

 

 

Yeah, that line issue is real. You cant be paying all 4 out of 5 starters premium dollars. 

I think there's some depth in tackle so they truly have leverage. It's not the worst year to need a tackle, lets put it that way. All of a sudden, it's no longer gloom and doom here  

 

[OhioColt]

17 hours ago, Colt.45 said:

Skyy Moore is another guy to keep an eye on. Blazing speed, good YAC ability, can play slot and outside.

 

Anyone who's watched Carson Strong will have noticed Romeo Doubs as well. May be worth a mid round pick. Strong, FAST, reminds me of a quicker Anquan Boldin in that he can play really physically.

I like Moore as well and hoping he falls to us in Round 3.  Another positive have read about Moore is he has a low drop rate.

[OhioColt]

8 hours ago, MikeCurtis said:

Its funny...... every year a quality person slides in the draft, then a person that is an unknown gets drafted ahead of time

 

The big question...... does CB trade 2nd and 3rd round pick to move up to get our LT of the future?   

 

Bernhard Raimman could be our new starting LT and could be available in the mid 20s in round 1

 

We would have to wait or trade for the other WRs

 

There are also going to be a round of June 1 cuts as well as final cuts

 

 

 

 

Wouldn't be shocked to see us draft a LT in Round 2 but with RYS being traded who do we start at LCB?  

 

If we don't replace RYS in FA than kind of expect us to draft either Matt Hankins (Iowa) or Joshua Williams (Fayetteville St) in Round 2.

 

[Hawkeyecolt]

On 3/21/2022 at 3:12 PM, Colt.45 said:

Most mocks i've seen have him going in round 4. Half the mocks i've seen have got Watson going 3-4. The Colts are going to pick a seriously good wide receiver in the mid rounds if they want. This is how good teams operate.

No way Watson lasts until the 4th.   After his senior bowl week and combine the Colts will be lucky if he's there at 42.  I don't see him lasting until the 3rd.  

[Colt.45]

Another guy i've been watching, solid hands, does everything at an above average level, and at the right place, he will be a steal. Jaivon Heiligh