2017 NFL Draft the Wide Receivers

He's the hot topic of the week....I still like Mike Williams and Smith-Schuster better...Not totally down on Corey Davis, but I'm not going to lie, the injury scares me a bit...

 

The injury shouldn't worry you.....It was expected that his ankle surgery would take him out of the combine and pro day.. IMO, Corey Davis is still the best receiver in this draft...The scouts will get to fill in the blanks in April. I will be very surprised if the first WR selected isn't Davis...Though if one does come off the board before Corey, it wouldn't shock me if it was John Ross...

 

I've had him listed there prior to the combine going back to around the second week of February and I mocked him to Tennessee at 18 the Thursday before. His athletic testing confirmed for me what I see on tape. His floor would be high end possession receiver but his ceiling is probably the highest in this receiver class. Get him in the right offense and he will be able to take over games early in his career.

With Smith-Shuster, I think the Anquan Boldin reference that I see is interesting. I think JuJu makes a good complimentary player/chain mover and I agree that the Browns could use that across from a healthy Coleman.

Mike Williams actually reminds me quite a bit of a player the Browns just signed when he was coming out of college. The frame is there and I think his ability to adjust combined with his body control is being undersold. The thing that I was most interested for at his pro day would have been the shuttle and 3 cone as I don't see Williams consistently beating NFL corners with his feet.

 

Re: Wide Receivers

In 2016 we took:

1-15: Corey Coleman
4-114: Ricardo Louis
4-138: Seth DeValve
5-154: Jordan Payton
5-172: Rashard Higgins

With the exception of DeValve, all those guys were multi-year starters who were productive at the NCAA level. But none of them, save Coleman, were highly drafted.

Louis, it could be argued, was over-drafted since many analysts thought he'd have to make a position change to the secondary since his hands were so bad... and he was the best one of the group. He was also the least productive in college and most of a "project" of the group.

Then, I think about Terrelle Pryor was far from a finished product as a wide receiver, but had a career season. Again, he was 100-percent projection.

When they put their stock in college production, it's simply not translating to the NFL yet. Whereas the projection guys or physical specimens are having some success - likely because they're measurables help adjust to the NFL game more than a guy who may be limited physically but refined from a technique standpoint (the "Brian Robiskie Effect").

If this regime is as smart as they think they are and they're learning from mistakes, taking a WR this year means they should go for the guy who looks great in shorts and runs like the wind.

That might be Noah Brown.

 

CHRIS GODWIN, WR - PENN ST.
per NFL.com
The Delaware Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2013 (state-record 18 touchdowns as a senior, 15 career return touchdowns) has helped Penn State make national headlines for the right reasons over the past three years. Rod Christopher Godwin contributed immediately for the Nittany Lions, starting three games (25-321, two TDs). He had a breakout sophomore season, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors with 69 catches for 1,101 yards and five scores. Though some of his receiving numbers were down in an honorable mention all-conference junior year (59-982), Godwin scored a career-high 11 times. He saved the best performances in his career for bowl games, first as a freshman (7-140, TD vs. Boston College in Pinstripe Bowl), then in 2015 (6-133 vs. Georgia in TaxSlayer.com Bowl) and finally in his last college game (9-187, 2 TDs vs. USC in the Rose Bowl).

btw: That's Adoree Jackson he's waving the ball at in the photo...So Cal had no answer for Godwin in that Rose Bowl.

 

Watching more film on Trubisky. #3 (Ryan Switzer) keeps jumping out at me. At 5'8" and 181 pounds, he's not going to be a premier guy at the NFL level, but he's ideally suited to the slot (a need for us) and was prolific as a punt returner (a huge need for us).



He should be available at or around our last three picks (180-range). Would be a good pick up for us.

Would also have an immediate rapport with our new QB.

Spoiler

Hint: This guy.

 

#Clutch



Who's that on the reception end? Oh, just #3 again.

 

Trubisky to Switzer. Killing that #12 FSU defense.

 

I have been saying Stewart for a long time....also watch out for Josh Malone

 

#24 didn't play after that game...he had a bad hip injury and they kept him out there...he was getting abused all game vs Switzer in the slot....bad coaching on their part hence the last second loss...smh

 

Sure it wasn't because of this guy?

 

He contributed but to play a guy that was hurt sure didn't help

 

We all witnessed Sashi walkin around on the sidelines at all the N.C. games...IMO It's felt like Trubisky has been our guy all along, minus a little Garoppolo interference....If we do end up making the move for MT, I wouldn't be shocked at all if we targeted Ryan Switzer later or possibly Bug Howard as a UDFA or late pick...

Bug Howard, WR - North Carolina
6'4"/225
If it was just about size, he'd be a first rounder...Not sure if he'll be able to separate in the NFL, but does have excellent hands...

It's hard not to think of Carolina as a basketball school, but they have talent on the football field too...

 

https://youtu.be/dHCwL5J8jyM

The more tape I watch of Chris Godwin, the more I want to see him in Cleveland. He'd be a steal at #52, but we could possibly get him at #65...I'd take him over JuJu.

This year?s class of wide receivers is being praised for its depth beyond the consensus top three in Mike Williams, Corey Davis and John Ross. But Chris Godwin has a case to be a name mentioned with those top prospects locked in for the first round.

Having just turned 21 a few days before he wowed scouts during the drills at this year?s NFL Scouting Combine, Godwin not only confirmed he has the desired measurements of a top receiver, he showed he has the explosion and speed to stand out among a strong group of pass catchers.

He spent time training for the combine with NFL legend Calvin Johnson. Probably a good move. As a Buckeye fan, it was hard not to notice Chris Godwin. I know, I'm a homer, but those were some talented DB's at Ohio State, and Godwin was a handful...The Rose Bowl game against USC was just flat out amazing...

3 year production at PSU was fantastic. Even when Hack was having his struggles last year, Godwin delivered....Great hands...Great route runner....Outstanding at high pointing the football and making the contested catch....6'1"/212....19 reps on the bench...4.42 speed...top 5 in the 3 cone drill...and ranked #4 in SPARQ among WR's....

 

Damn. sorry. Just click the link... I don't know how to post video's properly.

 

O.J. Howard is a popular choice with Browns fans and for good reason. No doubt he would be a dynamic weapon for the offense and a solid pick at #12....That said, I remain unconvinced that he would be a better weapon, or pick, than this guy;



A couple months ago, it seemed like Corey Davis was the more popular pick. Then O.J. skyrocketed up the board, and here we are. Howard was impressive during Senior Bowl week and his combine backed it up. Both are outstanding prospects at their given positions, and each would bring his own dynamic to the team, but I'm still in the Davis camp if given the option between the two....There are only a couple players in this draft that I grade higher than CD...

Even though all indications are that Davis's ankle surgery was minor, and he'll be good to go, I believe not being able to participate in the Combine and pro day has caused Corey to slip a little bit...It was bound to happen. I've always said I'm trusting the tape on him.

 

[notify]top dawg[/notify]...

If we hadn't invested so heavily into the wide receiver position in 2016, I'd be inclined to agree with you. Even if we had but hadn't signed Kenny Britt to a four-year deal, I'd probably agree. But it's simply too many mouths to feed - even before the potential of Josh Gordon's return.

O.J. Howard doesn't occupy a wide receiver spot, but could be every bit as good as Mike Williams and Corey Davis at catching the football. He's actually a very good blocker and got to do a lot of that at Alabama because he was criminally under-utilized by the coaching staff in the passing game.

Lastly, especially given the nature of our F/O, has to be the long-term impact of wide receiver versus tight end costs. Gronkowski is under contract at $9M a year. Antonio Brown just signed a deal worth $17M a year. The top five average TE contracts are just a shade under $9.25M. Wide receivers? $14.85M.

Now, I know I'm an outlier when it comes to my opinion of Antonio Brown, but if you put him on the Browns and he'd produce Ricardo Louis-type numbers. If you put Gronkowski on our team, he's our best player.

 

Valid points SAS....I just can't endorse Howard as a better prospect than Davis. I want to hit both positions in the draft if possible. If we take Howard at #12, then I want Godwin at #65....If we take Corey Davis at #12, then I want Bucky Hodges at #65....

That said, if we go Hooker at #12 and Awuzie at #65, I'm all about that too! *THUMBSUP*

I guess that's the "beauty" of the Browns draft...There's a need and an easy case to be made for any number of strategies...

 

I didn't mean that ^^^as a joke at all...It's an unfortunate truth with our favorite football team. We have major needs throughout the roster, and there are countless ways this team could approach the draft that would make perfect sense...If EVER there was a team primed to take BPA, it's the 2017 Browns...

 

I really agree TD, there are so many different ways this draft can go with the Browns having 5 of the top 65 picks..I really can't wait to see what happens...

But, to jump in on this conversation.

At #1, we already have the opportunity to take what could be a generational player (according to some on this board and nationally). At #12, we may have the opportunity to take a player that not only is the top player at his position, but because of the heavy talent at the top, may slide further than he should in O.J. Howard.

The thing is, I'm still a believer in Gary Barnidge, but Howard is head and shoulders above what Big Play Gar has for a ceiling.

The Browns invested heavily in WR a year ago, and despite us not having 4 receivers on the Pro Bowl roster, I believe they will develop that group. I can't talk enough about the receiver's that don't excel until their 3rd year in the league. There are many factors that go into that, but to invest in 4 players, one of which was a mid-first, and then do it again the year following seems a bit neglectful to the rest of the roster. I would like to see them invest time and energy into developing what we already have and improve another aspect of the roster in this draft. If there are not improvements made to the ones we drafted last year, in year two, then move on and make some more investment in the future at the position.

Right now, with the signing of Kenny Britt, I just don't see WR as a priority. NOW...if someone the caliber of Mike Williams or Corey Davis would somehow drop out of their ranking category...in other words, they are my tier 1 WRs, so if you get to tier two in all your other categories and one of them somehow drops to #33, then it is a no brainer. I just think there will be as talented, or more talented, players at other positions when we go on the clock at #12.

For the record, Corey Davis is my #1 receiver in this class, but the ankle injury has given him a red flag that Mike Williams doesn't have to carry(Williams came through with flying colors on his own injury to his neck a year ago, proving his ability to overcome injuries, we simply don't know how Davis body will react to an injury which is why I have my feelings on it.)...so as my 1a and 1b, Mike Williams moved ahead of Davis and quite frankly some other players moved ahead of him as well.