Justin Jefferson is arguably the best wide receiver in the league. This ability combined with the fact that less athletic DBs give him plenty of cushion to guard against deep routes makes Cooper very good at getting open on high-completion crossing, out, and curl routes. "Aaron Rodgers . He committed to Stanford, and although red shirted in his freshman year, became an increasingly important part of the offense after that, catching 63 passes for 1,059 yards in 2018 (top 5 in the nation). New York Giants tight end Evan Engram is a more talented overall player than both but the 3rd year TE is struggling with his catch percentage(it is sub 60%) as an offense safety blanket Engram has been a disappointment this year. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside does an excellent job using his size, strength, and body positioning to box out CBs and make contested catches (making him a big red zone threat). Hogs Haven looks at all four teams in the division in an effort to identify the best and the weakest of the NFC East. As we enter 2019, the Eagles may feature the most recognizable names with fans across the NFL with 32-year-old Desean Jackson, coming back for a second run in Philly, Alshon Jeffrey, who first built his reputation in Chicago, and Nelson Aghlor, who experienced a breakout season a year ago being joined by 2nd round pick J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. He has surprising physicality for his size, often fighting through contact on a contested catch to get extra yards. The Philadelphia Eagles have been active in the trade market under general manager Howie Roseman. Complimenting his speed, Reagor shows good ball-tracking ability and ability to adjust to the ball once its in the air. This play highlights Coopers ability to make tough catches, as well as the awareness and body control to keep both feet in bounds for the reception. Ron Rivera's culture revolution in Washington has provided the foundation for Logan Thomas to emerge as a respectable pass catcher in this league. CBS Sports Draft Analyst Chris Trapasso joined One Bills Live from the NFL Combine. Slayton had success early in this game when he was matched up on other CBs, but got completely shut down once Gilmore moved to shadow him starting with this play. McLaurin also breaks his route at around the first down line, ensuring that he has a good chance of getting the first down if he makes the catch. 1. [2:35] Richardson lines up outside (bottom of screen) behind the line of scrimmage. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Cooper working with Dalton and practice squad players has put up respectable numbers while McLaurin working with a revolving door of quarterbacks has emerged as a leader and playmaker in the culture Ron Rivera is trying to implement. I expect him to have just as much utility in the screen game as he does stretching the field. In his college tape, he almost always corralled balls into his body after getting several feet of separation from DBs. Dallas Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper edges out the competition to place as the NFC East's best receiver. Tate then stares down safety Jeff Heath and fakes inside to set him up before cutting outside, breaking another tackle attempt as he accelerates quickly to the endzone. On tape, Richardsons quickness and speed stand out. It's really impressive. [7:06] Very clever play design by Doug Pederson. This play highlights Coopers ability to sell the deep route as well as his short area quickness to stop and turn on a dime to get open. In our continuing series of ranking the players at different positions in the NFC West and also ranking the teams at each position, we now take a look at the four teams . Overall, I think Reagor is a skilled, explosive playmaker who can stretch the field vertically while also taking short passes or handoffs for big gains, using his sudden cuts and quick acceleration to juke defenders and get yards after the catch. Tate gets wide open and signals Wentz for the TD. Dorrell was most recently the head coach at the University of Colorado. Andrew is a self-taught film analyst with a pretty impressive resume. In this section, well offer a look at a few of the top players in the division, with an analysis of their styles, skills and limitations written by Andrew York, who has volunteered to co-author this series with me. There doesnt seem to be just one reason he is so good at this, but rather a combination of factors that all work together. Tate also does a good job maintaining awareness of the QB and tracking the ball almost the entire time its in the air. Although McLaurin isnt able to get much separation from Slay, he is able to body Slay out and break open just as the ball reaches him. Unless Eli Manning, who has averaged 3,800 yards, 20 TDs and 12 INTs over the past two seasons with OBJ on the field with him for 16 games, can find some magic in his 38-year-old arm, the Giants receivers are unlikely to make a big dent in the league receiving statistics. [8:53] This is the danger Jeffery can present going deep. This makes fitting the run more difficult for defenses, helping Josh Jacobs run away with the rushing title (so far) this season. They have the No. Overall, it seems like he relies on out-athleting his opponents, beating them with deep speed or strength rather than using the nuances of the WR position to win, which wont be enough at the NFL level. Having a terrific big muscular body for the position and running a great 40-yard dash time are wonderful attributes, but it doesnt always translate to success in the league. [1:45] Cooper does a great job seeming to run deep and selling a slant route inside. [9:35] Gilmore again lines up opposite Slayton at the top of the screen. Reagor was selected by the Eagles in the 1st round of the 2020 draft. However, this is all based on his rookie year alone, and he is still developing. Justin Jefferson gained 190 of his 223 yards against press coverage in Week 14, the most in a game since Julio Jones in Week 4, 2016 (254 yards).Most Yards vs Press Coverage (since 2020): Jefferson: 1,889 Davante Adams: 1,416 Diontae Johnson: 1,168#MINvsDET | #Skol pic.twitter.com/YyD7Q94fIU. The 6-foot-3, 229-pound Ole Miss product was one of the best wide receivers in the league against man coverage. Goedert like the rest of the Eagles offense has been up and down but with rookie QB Jalen Hurts finally being ushered in as the starter expect the young QB to look for Goedert as a safety blanket when things are not going his way. Although Reagor is a deep threat, I think hes similar to Amari Cooper in that hes a bit more quick than fast; defenses have to respect his deep speed, but his suddenness in changing direction is actually more of a threat than his ability to take the top off a defense. [2:13] McLaurin takes off deep again, almost immediately beating the CB, and the CB knows it. Both are big, strong, physical WRs who are great at making contested catches, highpointing the ball, and serving as their teams WR1. But that couldnt have just been a fluke. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. NFL Wide Receivers 2021 : For a division that is considered one of the weakest in the history of the NFL, the NFC East boasts one of the best receiving groups in the whole league. With Amari Cooper off to Cleveland, and James Washington and Michael Gallup dealing with injuries this season, the window has been there for Lamb to step up, and hes done so with flying colors to help Dallas to its 10-3 start. At 61 and 211 lbs, he also has very good (though not elite) size for a WR. This year, were going to look at the division again, but were gonna try to ramp things up a bit by adding some film review to some of the position group reviews. Washington Football Team v Dallas Cowboys. Richardson is prone to being jammed at the line of scrimmage, and I often saw him positioned behind the line to avoid getting jammed. Last year, the Giants fan site, Big Blue View, published a very good series on the topic, What do scouts look for?. When you pair those two together with Slayton, Shepard and another former first-rounder in Ross, all of a sudden, this is a great receiving corps. Check out the NFC West's top 10 receivers. First, as much as Jim Schwartzs defense makes life difficult for the CBs, Doug Pedersons offense makes like easier for the WRs. At the bottom of the depth chart, Watkins, Hightower and J.J. Arcega-Whitesid might be in a battle. He never quits on plays. However, Cooks is a. Then Reagor explodes off that planted left leg to go outside and uses a bit of a shove to knock the CB off balance and shoot past him. Also, the fact that the Lions had Slay shadow McLaurin all game, even traveling with him into the slot, shows the respect they had for him. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. He has NFL bloodlines as his father, Paul Richardson, played several years as an NFL wide receiver as well. Jeffery is the closest thing to a WR1 on the Eagles offense. Former Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall made a plea to the Packers star via Instagram on Tuesday, during which he implored Rodgers to drift on into retirement. To prepare, we at Chargers Wire are previewing players from every position. Where does Jets rookie Sauce Gardner land? Getty The Cowboys could be the perfect landing spot for Giants WR Richie James. He is an excellent route-runner, excellent (and prolific) at selling fakes, and has elite change-of-direction ability to shake DBs loose in order to get open or break tackles. Washington: Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, Kelvin Harmon, Adam Humphries, Cam Sims. Tight ends. Andrew is a self-taught film analyst with a pretty impressive resume. This season, the division is up for grabs yet again. Dez Bryant, Pierre Garcon, Odell Beckham Jr., and Victor Cruz all added luster to the divisions marketability. Ross has been a disappointment in the NFL but anything the Giants get out of him will simply be a bonus. Jefferson makes the improbable look routine, with six more receptions (24) than any other player this season on passes with less than a 50 percent completion probability. The Cowboys are 6-1 with an NFL-leading average of 35.7 points per game since Dak Prescott returned from injury in Week 7. With this improved play expect a jump in production for all NFC East receivers in the upcoming 2021 season. Unfortunately, Kupps season was cut short by injury. His basketball roots are also evident on plays like this. He is a capable deep threat, not quite as fast as DeSean Jackson or Terry McLaurin, but fast enough to break big plays and force defenses to respect the deep pass. HONORABLE MENTION: Terry McLaurin, Commanders; Tee Higgins, Bengals; Garrett Wilson, Jets; Chris Olave, Saints. He makes a perfect hands catch, reaching out and securing the ball away from his body (and away from the DB), then tucking it under his outside arm to run. Former Jacksonville Jaguar Allen Hurns, who hasnt been able to break 500 yards in a season since 2015, when he put up 1,031 yards and 10 TDs, is probably the headliner of the bottom half of the depth chart. One major reason for that success has been Lambs consistency, as the third-year wideout has posted 70-plus receiving yards in five of those seven games. It depends on whether you favor production or efficiency on who wins out. The prospect with perhaps the best potential to become a true No. Gilmore held Cooper to no catches on 2 attempts (one of which went for an interception). Here are the top 25 wide receiver prospects in this year's draft class according to the consensus big board. [7:50] Cooper again lines up top of screen opposite Mike Hughes. Not only did he gain an impressive number of yards after catch with his explosiveness and quick cuts, but this play seems designed around getting the ball to Reagor, whom the coaches clearly see as their teams number 1 weapon. This play showcases McLaurins sense of timing (looks back just as the ball should be arriving, making it tough for Darby to react in time), toughness, contested catch ability, body control, and situational awareness (to stay in bounds). The NFC East in 2020 has been described as the most atrocious division in NFL history. He suffered a 2nd torn ACL in 2014, and, in the 5 years he has been in the NFL, he has only played 16 games once (2017, his contract year with Seattle). He has a PhD in Experimental Particle Physics and has spent several years doing research with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, and now does R&D work as a US government contractor. Updated Jan 5, 2023 at 10:27pm. He takes off and blows past his DB to get about 6 yards of separation vertically. [7:17] Cooper, in the slot, runs a slant route, blowing by Fabian Moreau to get open and secure the catch; he then does a good job redirecting outside to break Moreaus poor tackle and run free. This was a 37 yard play. Doug Pederson trusts Alshon more than any other WR to be his TD threat in the red zone. Despite this, Jeffery turns on a dime and immediately locates the ball in the air, leaping up to get the catch and first down. At the quarter mark of the 2022 NFL season, the Next Gen Stats analytics team ranks the top 10 defensive lines. Wide receiver is next up in our position-by-position breakdown of the NFC East. If the Redskins are going to make any noise in the division, they will need at least two of their mostly young and unheralded receivers to hit big in 2019, and they will need a quarterback either veteran Case Keenum or rookie Dwayne Haskins to be throwing the ball effectively. I wanted to include this play for 2 reasons. Terry McLaurin flashes elite traits, but has enough problems in his tape that I can see why he fell to the 3rd round. [1:17] Arcegna-Whiteside makes a great fake outside to over-commit the CB, then uses quick feet to explode inside and get great initial separation. You can see Reagors style with the ball in his hands is similar to a RB, with sharp cuts and good vision picking out running lanes to get 19 yards after the catch. Diggs went from good to great following his trade from Minnesota to Buffalo in 2020. The additions of Golladay and Toney should actually help Slayton and Shepard take some of the focus off them. One of the first things a receiver needs to do at the NFL level is to win against outstanding press man coverage. The Giants are expected to add wide receivers in the draft and free agency, given their current depth chart at the position. Jeffery rewarded Cutlers trust with two 1000-yard seasons in his first 3 years in the NFL, though he hasnt been able to replicate that production since, due to repeated nagging injuries he seems to suffer every year. Slay is in position to easily break the pass up instead. Brown recently said he feels like he "won" the trade that sent him from Tennessee to Philadelphia during the 2022 NFL Draft, and it's hard to argue with him, based on the results. He committed to Auburn and was a big play threat throughout his college career, but didnt get to show much versatility in a simple offense with poor QB play for much of his college career. 6 year vet Logan Thomas is having a career year. That good deep speed, with elite agility and acceleration shows up on tape as well. But the NFC North has four of the very best wideouts in football, including possibly the best wideout in the league in Adams. Your login session has expired. Basically everything about this matchup is tilted in McLaurins favor, and I think its the type of matchup he isnt likely to receive now that teams have had a look at him. Also, Im not sure how much this will translate to the NFL, but I literally saw Reagor yelling at his QB after some plays where he expected a different read or better ball placement. I think smart, physical CBs will give JJ trouble in the NFL as well, at least early in his development. Metcalf also recorded five touchdowns on vertical routes against man coverage, tying for the most in the league. 28 Feb 2023 13:06:39 Panthers saddled with another odd pick in latest NFL.com mock draft. It should be extremely worrying when Daniel Jones is the only guaranteed player who will start for their franchise next season. Buy Chargers Tickets. Darby is a much better (and faster) CB than Douglas and runs with McLaurin down the sideline, but Terry turns back at just the right time, quickly locates the ball in the air, tracks it, and reaches out to make a very tough contested catch. Is the Jaguars' decision to make a big investment in Christian Kirk paying off so far? This play shows again that McLaurin has more ways to win than just speed, and even against the best of CBs, he found a way to get open through physicality, smart positioning, and excellent route running and timing. The Redskins probably have the least recognizable names in the division, even though the squad features former first round pick Josh Doctson and last years relatively high-profile free agent signing, Paul Richardson. Despite being one of just four players at the position with a $100 million tag, Brown is just fifth on the list of highest-paid wide receivers. [3:34] Reagor again goes deep, this time going inside (maintaining early inside leverage against the boundary CB), then outside a little later (maintaining outside leverage against the deep safety). Its a big change from the pre-Gettleman Giants, who, for a while, fielded one of the highest-profile receiving groups in the league. However, his best athletic trait isnt his deep speed so much as his short-area quickness. Be the first one to comment on this story. This is almost a right of passage and wide receivers must show the ability to win at the line of scrimmage and make defensive coordinators pay for playing them in this manner. Being able to abuse coverage with slants and out routes over and over is more valuable than a receiver that can occasionally win deep downfield. 1 receiver. Although not invited to the NFL combine, JJ had a good pro day, measuring 62 and 223 lbs, and running a 4.49s 40 yard dash. Watching Reagor play, I would describe him as explosive, sudden, fast, smart (good at recognizing coverages and exploiting soft spots in zones), and a good route runner. Waddle has reached 20+ mph on four offensive touches this season, tied for the third-most among all wide receivers (behind Christian Watson and teammate Tyreek Hill). [1:05] Tate lines up in the slot on a crossing route, but sees the play break down as Wentz breaks the pocket and changes directions so quickly that CB Greg Stroman slips on the grass trying to cover him. But forcing him to start so far off essentially gives Slayton a running start as he passes Darby. Jared Goffs comeback season has been a lot prettier when St. Brown has been on the field -- he averages +0.22 EPA on those dropbacks, a number that would only trail Patrick Mahomes in the category this season. Not only did the Giants sign Golladay to a four-year, $72 million contract this offseason, but they also used their first-round pick on Toney, the explosive rookie wideout from Florida. [0:41] This is almost a mirror of the first play shown above against the Vikings. Gilmore starts close to the line and runs with Slayton, looking back to see when Slayton cuts back for a curl route. Reagor dealt with some poorly thrown balls and did an amazing job adjusting to them as shown earlier, but he also had too many easy misses and drops like the one shown here. Cooper again lines up opposite Hughes, this time at the bottom of the screen. Playing like this opens up the risk of Cooper getting behind them if he wins the foot race on a deep route, which is why only equally fast DBs can play him this way. But he is good in all of these areas, and is a very reliable WR - one a quarterback can throw to in almost any situation, particularly in the red zone. As Slayton makes the reception, he stops on a dime and cuts so hard back outside that the CB whiffs on the tackle. Despite lack of deep speed, JJ was often able to make big plays like this one using fakes, quick feet, and good hands-catching ability. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Despite pass interference from the CB (and what looks like an uncalled facemask penalty), McLaurin fights through the contact to make a tough catch and get the first down. After the Chiefs traded Hill in the offseason, he presented an ideal case study for how important an elite receiver can be to an offense. McLaurin is an ideal Z receiver, though not quite big enough to play X and not able to consistently beat the best CBs in the NFL. He really emerged after that though, acting primarily as a deep threat early in the season, but leveraging his early success to get more snaps, run a few more routes, and demand more attention from opposing defenses. At 63, 216 lbs, and running a 4.48s 40 yard dash, he checked a lot of the boxes for a WR1 in the NFL. This division has new faces all around, and some of the best talent in all of football. Indeed, the only games where he had less than a 50% catch rate were against the Patriots and Lions, where he was shadowed by Stephon Gilmore and Darius Slay respectively. Despite the down year, Reagor had a pretty good Combine, measuring in at 511, 206 pounds, and running a 4.47 second 40 yard dash. East Carolina: R: NAME: TEAM: COLLEGE: You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! Lastly, no discussion of Terry McLaurin is complete without discussing his blocking and special teams value. Try and press Jefferson to disrupt his route? The Allen-Diggs connection leads all QB-receiver duos with +61.0 expected points added this season, helping the Bills surge to the top spot in the AFC entering Week 15 and giving both players plenty to be thankful for. His time with the Raiders was productive, but wildly inconsistent. [1:53] Tate lines up in the slot, but maintains outside leverage on the CB Jourdan Lewis (stays on Lewiss outside shoulder) so that he can break outside uncovered on a comeback route to get open for the catch. [1:52] Slayton lines up bottom of screen on the outside. At 61 and 211 lbs, he also has very good (though not elite) size for a WR. Richardsons injury history served as prologue to his time in the NFL. When I reviewed McLaurins college tape for this ranking last year, I noted that he was a tremendous athlete, good route runner, and a willing and physical blocker.
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