With Dave all but indicating that a slot WR will be a priority this offseason and with us missing out on Randall Cobb we now turn our attention to addressing this need in the draft. Here's a list of top prospects at the position for those who may not know.
<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.drafttek.com/2015-NFL-Draft-Prospect-Rankings/Top-College-Slot-WRs-2015-Draft.asp'>http://www.drafttek.com/2015-NFL-Draft-Prospect-Rankings/Top-College-Slot-WRs-2015-Draft.asp</a>
My favorite out of the group is Phillp Dorsett. He would fill our need in the slot and as a KR/PR and has legit 4.3 speed. I particularly liked this line in his NFL.com write up:
Quote:Takes the top off the defense and throws it in the trash.
<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/phillip-dorsett?id=2552424'>http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/phillip-dorsett?id=2552424</a>
The biggest knock on him is that he's somewhat raw as a WR and needs to work on catching consistently but the talent is there. He would have the luxury of working with one of the best WR coaches in the league if he's drafted by us though to speed up his learning curve.
Tyler Lockett is a close second in my book to Dorsett only because of Dorsett's elite speed. He's extremely good at everything else though, has a knack to constantly get open, and would also double as our KR/PR. His biggest knock is that he's more quick than fast but he's definitely a gamer. Here is his write up:
<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/tyler-lockett?id=2552430'>http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/tyler-lockett?id=2552430</a>
What say you? Do you have any guys that you can envision who may be on Dave's slot WR short list come draft day?
Quote:With Dave all but indicating that a slot WR will be a priority this offseason and with us missing out on Randall Cobb we now turn our attention to addressing this need in the draft. Here's a list of top prospects at the position for those who may not know.
<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.drafttek.com/2015-NFL-Draft-Prospect-Rankings/Top-College-Slot-WRs-2015-Draft.asp'>http://www.drafttek.com/2015-NFL-Draft-Prospect-Rankings/Top-College-Slot-WRs-2015-Draft.asp</a>
My favorite out of the group is Phillp Dorsett. He would fill our need in the slot and as a KR/PR and has legit 4.3 speed. I particularly liked this line in his NFL.com write up:
<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/phillip-dorsett?id=2552424'>http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/phillip-dorsett?id=2552424</a>
The biggest knock on him is that he's somewhat raw as a WR and needs to work on catching consistently but the talent is there. He would have the luxury of working with one of the best WR coaches in the league if he's drafted by us though to speed up his learning curve.
Tyler Lockett is a close second in my book to Dorsett only because of Dorsett's elite speed. He's extremely good at everything else though, has a knack to constantly get open, and would also double as our KR/PR. His biggest knock is that he's more quick than fast but he's definitely a gamer. Here is his write up:
<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/tyler-lockett?id=2552430'>http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/tyler-lockett?id=2552430</a>
What say you? Do you have any guys that you can envision who may be on Dave's slot WR short list come draft day?
I would take Lockett over Dorsett.
Lockett has better football instincts and pedigree. I also believe Lockett to have better routes and hands.
The only thing Dorsett has on him is top end speed. However, Lockett ran a legit 4.40 at the combine. So i don't know why someone would say hes more quick than fast.
If your response is "He plays quicker than that 4.40 speed" then that's only another reason to draft him over Dorsett.
You feel me?
Doesn't Dorsett give you the Troy Williamson feeling?
If we're looking at second-day prospects, I like Rashad Greene and Devin Smith. If we wait until day three, I like Kenny Bell a lot. I want to like Jamison Crowder after the career he had, I really do, but he just reminds me too much of Ace Sanders. He won't hold up in the NFL at his size, and he doesn't have the speed to make up for his short stature.
Justin Hardy 5'10 192 and Tre McBride 6' 210 are two of my favorite slot guys.
McBride has the size to play inside as well as outside but had the quickness in & out of breaks to play in the slot.
Quote:I would take Lockett over Dorsett.
Lockett has better football instincts and pedigree. I also believe Lockett to have better routes and hands.
The only thing Dorsett has on him is top end speed. However, Lockett ran a legit 4.40 at the combine. So i don't know why someone would say hes more quick than fast.
If your response is "He plays quicker than that 4.40 speed" then that's only another reason to draft him over Dorsett.
You feel me?
Doesn't Dorsett give you the Troy Williamson feeling?
Don't get me wrong I like Lockett. He's definitely a more complete WR at this stage. Again my only knock on him is his top end speed. He's much more effective when cutting and breaking than he is as a big play threat. I'm not the only one who shares that opinion either:
Quote:Tyler Lockett - WR - Wildcats
NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah believes a team "is going to get a steal" in Kansas State WR Tyler Lockett.
Jeremiah says Lockett is "always open" while looking at the depth of this receiver class. Lockett flashes playing big despite a smaller frame, but he is better when creating separation with burst and quickness. A second day selection is likely in Lockett's future.
Source: Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter Mar 5 - 10:47 AM
I would compare him favorably to TY Hilton, without the top end speed, but that's not as much of a big deal because he does everything else so well.
Quote:Justin Hardy 5'10 192 and Tre McBride 6' 210 are two of my favorite slot guys.
McBride has the size to play inside as well as outside but had the quickness in & out of breaks to play in the slot.
True McBride dominated at the FCS level. He could be someone to keep an eye out for.
I really like Dorsett, too since he'd also be an instant starter at return.
The problem is fit. He may be drafted too high for us to go after (or second is probably to early and our third too late.)
Tre McBride might be a more realistic get.
I'll take Kevin Lockett in the 3rd. If he's not there, Rashad Greene is the 2nd choice.
Lockett is absolutely my favorite slot WR in this draft. I've never seen someone open 100% of the time like he is. Hardy and Greene are 2nd and 3rd, and I do like Dorsett too. I don't feel like McBride is a slot guy personally.
Quote:Don't get me wrong I like Lockett. He's definitely a more complete WR at this stage. Again my only knock on him is his top end speed. He's much more effective when cutting and breaking than he is as a big play threat. I'm not the only one who shares that opinion either:
I would compare him favorably to TY Hilton, without the top end speed, but that's not as much of a big deal because he does everything else so well.
Definately agree but that, to me, is his value. We'll need him to run some go routes but i'd love to see him in a John Brown role where he's doing a bit in the screen game, using his suddenness to move the chains and then running some deep routes to keep the defense honest.
I think that Rashad Greene and Tyler Lockett are the two slot WRs I would favor. Both can be had in the 3rd Rd and in the case of Lockett, perhaps the top of the 4th Rd.
In the end, I believe the safest route is to trade a 4th and a 6th to move up into the late part of Rd 3 and take Lockett there.
My top 3 at the moment are Ty Montgomery, Tyler Lockett and Phillip Dorsett. I think Ty gives the most in the return game, but the other two give more all around.
I really like Lockett as a slot and return guy. I think Hardy is more of a possession/red zone slot guy with backup PR potential. Dorsett isn't a very good receiver, but he would be a good return man. I view Devin Smith as the superior version of Dorsett.
Quote:I really like Lockett as a slot and return guy. I think Hardy is more of a possession/red zone slot guy with backup PR potential. Dorsett isn't a very good receiver, but he would be a good return man. I view Devin Smith as the superior version of Dorsett.
Huh? You don't average 24 ypc and not be a good WR. Admittedly he has room to grow as a route runner (and he wasn't asked to do much of it in Miami's system so it may not be all bad) but he's made massive strides since 2012 where he couldn't catch a cold to where he is now. TBH I don't recall him dropping a pass last year. He's steady improved and I don't see why his development won't continue.
Quote:Huh? You don't average 24 ypc and not be a good WR. Admittedly he has room to grow as a route runner (and he wasn't asked to do much of it in Miami's system so it may not be all bad) but he's made massive strides since 2012 where he couldn't catch a cold to where he is now. TBH I don't recall him dropping a pass last year. He's steady improved and I don't see why his development won't continue.
I do recall him dropping passes. He has bad route running, bad hands, small catching radius, and often times is slow to get his head around. He's an elite athlete playing receiver. He needs a few seasons to develop into more than a situational player.
Stephen Hill averaged almost 30 ypc. He wasn't and still isn't a good receiver. It's more than just cherry-picked stats.
I think Tavarres King is a good player comparison.
I say put Marqise Lee at the Slot and draft Amari Cooper.
Cooper/Robinson/Hurns outside with Lee in the Slot.
Thomas and Lewis as the 2 tight ends.
The only thing we need is a stud RB and I can see that offense be really good.
Quote:I do recall him dropping passes. He has bad route running, bad hands, small catching radius, and often times is slow to get his head around. He's an elite athlete playing receiver. He needs a few seasons to develop into more than a situational player.
Stephen Hill averaged almost 30 ypc. He wasn't and still isn't a good receiver. It's more than just cherry-picked stats.
I think Tavarres King is a good player comparison.
You can't be talking about this year. I swear I'm not making any of this up.
Quote:#2 Hands - Early is his career this was not the case at all. UM fans certainly remember two costly drops back at Soldier Field Vs Notre Dame back in 2012. But this past season I can not remember a single drop by Dorsett. He also made quite few difficult catches this past season.
<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.stateoftheu.com/2015/2/18/8061771/miami-hurricanes-football-2015-nfl-draft-profile-phillip-dorsett'>http://www.stateoftheu.com/2015/2/18/8061771/miami-hurricanes-football-2015-nfl-draft-profile-phillip-dorsett</a>
Quote:Miami WR Phillip Dorsett debuted at No. 45 on NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah's board.
"Dorsett is an undersized wideout with rare burst and speed," Jeremiah wrote. "He defeats press coverage with his quickness and he quickly eats up cushion when cornerbacks play off coverage. He is an easy/fluid route runner and he explodes at the top of his stem. He tracks the ball naturally down the field and he doesn't shy away from balls in traffic. He has a couple extension drops, but his hands are solid. After the catch, he isn't very elusive or powerful, but if he gets a crease he can run away from everybody on the field. Overall, this player lacks ideal size and physicality, but he's a valuable weapon in the vertical passing game." Dorsett will run one of the fastest 40 times at the combine. He's hoping to break the 4.3 barrier. Doing so would put him in the Round 1 discussion.
Source: NFL.com
<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/cfb/132345/phillip-dorsett'>http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/cfb/132345/phillip-dorsett</a>
He's not the perfect prospect but the talent is there. I'm sure Jerry Sullivan would have a blast molding him into a top notch WR.
Quote:I say put Marqise Lee at the Slot
Well yeah, this is the clear best answer to me, but it seems like they still want to give Lee the chance outside for now.
Quote:You can't be talking about this year. I swear I'm not making any of this up.
<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.stateoftheu.com/2015/2/18/8061771/miami-hurricanes-football-2015-nfl-draft-profile-phillip-dorsett'>http://www.stateoftheu.com/2015/2/18/8061771/miami-hurricanes-football-2015-nfl-draft-profile-phillip-dorsett</a>
<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/cfb/132345/phillip-dorsett'>http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/cfb/132345/phillip-dorsett</a>
He's not the perfect prospect but the talent is there. I'm sure Jerry Sullivan would have a blast molding him into a top notch WR.
Yeah, I'm definitely not knocking him. I still view him as probably a late 4th rounder type prospect. He just has a ways to go before he can be an effective slot receiver in the NFL.
I remember him dropping a touchdown against Florida State this year.
Quote:Well yeah, this is the clear best answer to me, but it seems like they still want to give Lee the chance outside for now.
The good thing about potentially having Blackmon back is that he can play on the outside or in the slot. Whichever is best for the team.