By Rick
Wide Receiver is becoming crucial in this up tempo pass happy NFL. Look at the teams that have won the Super Bowl most have an amazing group at WR. The Giants this year with Nicks and Cruz, and last year the Packers had Jennings, Nelson, and Jones. The real difficulty is that when it comes to WR it is tricky to figure who is really any good and who will work in what offense. Some years we get one just simply can’t miss WR in the draft. Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, and AJ Green come to mind. But as the Bears, Lions, and many other teams can attest, you mainly draft and hope. But there are the equally amazing low draft or UDFA that make it and blow away the NFL. Donald Driver(7th), Marques Colston(7th) and Victor Cruz(UDFA) are poster children for that group.
I feel most of this year’s group has warts. None of the first couple of WRs excite me especially where they are 1st round valued on my big board. A lot of the top guys are really 2nd or 3rd grades in my honest opinion.
Justin Blackmon is a little slow as a #1 receiver and takes long strides and does not know how to defeat serious press coverage and jams at the line of scrimmage. He could be developed like a Jordy Nelson. He is the highest ranked WR in the draft and I would have no interest as a Packer unless he slid into round 2.
Kendall Wright from Baylor is a great WR and runs great and everything but at 5-10” he is a little short for a 1st round pick. Like Blackmon he would be a great second round pick if he slid.
Michael Floyd from Notre Dame should be the top WR but he is proving to be a possible alcoholic. 3 issues while at Notre Dame make him a serious red flag. He will still go in one of the first 2 rounds but I would just not draft him here in Green Bay. He would have to fall down into the 5th round before I would endanger a pick if I were TT.
So who do I like? Who do I want to see get a shot?
Rueben Randle from LSU 6’3” and 210lbs was one of the top deep threats in the SEC and even though Alabama stymied the LSU offense he has been one of the WR to be effective against one of the toughest college defenses in football. He does not have 4.3-4.4 speed that you think would be necessary but he seems to get separation and runs crisp routes. He is a strong 2nd round pick up much like Jennings was for Green Bay.
Stephen Hill from Georgia Tech is a raw receiver that needs work to improve his route running and hands. He was a round 4 to 6 prospect according to my post season rankings but on the big board he may sneak as high as round 2. That is because at 6’4” and 210 lbs and the spectacular catches he has made all season are just to dang hard to find. Some GM will stretch and take him. So my early mock call is round 3. He would be a great #3-4 or 5 and could work to improve for a few years and be a #1.