If you drafted Anquan Boldin in the last round of your draft last year, you know that finding a rookie Wide Receiver who puts up big numbers can put some wins on your record. If you drafted Bryant Johnson last year and put any stock in him, you know the disappointment of your logic not prevailing.
That's why we debate like politicians, argue like children and laugh ourselves silly at the thought that someone else may know something we don't. So get those opinions ready because here is what we think of this year's rookie Wide Receivers drafted in the First Round.
Larry Fitzgerald - 1st Round (#3) - Arizona Cardinals: It's rare to say that a guy just coming out of college is a "can't miss" prospect; but if there is such a thing, Larry Fitzgerald is it. He has a unique and incredible combination of mental and physical tools that will assure him of having plenty of opportunities to get his hands on the ball. You may think that being on the same team as Boldin will hurt his chances to get his touches but consider the fact that Boldin is going to draw the double team on some occasions and there's only a select few corners who can keep up with Fitzgerald. Then throw in that Dennis Green has been a friend of Larry's father for years now and is one of the best coaches out there and it's hard to imagine a better situation for him to excel in.
Our Prediction: Easily a #3 receiver on our team and could be our #2 as he progresses through the season.
Roy Williams - 1st Round (#7) - Detroit Lions: If Fitzgerald is a "can't miss" project then Roy Williams is a "not likely to miss" project. A physically superior athlete, his speed, his vertical leap and his strength are going to be hard to slow down let alone stop. What separates him from most other gifted athletes in the NFL is that he is a football player first; he has sticky hands, is a strong blocker and can beat the corner on a fly pattern or go head-on with the safety. Teaming up with Joey Harrington and Charles Rogers will give him plenty of opportunities at one-on-one coverage and playing in Detroit for Steve Mariucci ensures him the chance to be what will be at times a potent offense.
Our Prediction: Certainly worth a bench spot on our roster and could work his way into our starting line-up.
Reggie Williams – 1st Round (#9) – Jacksonville Jaguars: You can take the above paragraph and insert ‘Reggie’ for ‘Roy’ and on paper you wouldn’t have to change too much. Reggie is a bit bigger but doesn’t have as much speed but has the ability to separate himself from the defense. He should get the opportunity to play along side Jimmy Smith as the rest of the Wide Receivers are very average and Byron Leftwich has a cannon for an arm. The deciding factor here is the running game, if Fred Taylor gets injured again or the Offensive Line doesn’t block well, it’ll be hard for Reggie to get his chances. If Taylor can stay healthy and Leftwich can run the play-action to keep the safeties closer to the line, Reggie should have his chances to catch the long ball.
Our Prediction: We wouldn’t draft him unless he was available in the late rounds and would keep him on the bench until he proved his skills in college would translate in the NFL.
Lee Evans – 1st Round (#13) – Buffalo Bills: Standing under 6 feet tall and weighing less than 200 pounds, Lee Evans must rely on his quickness, his hands and his route running to be successful in the NFL. Good thing he runs the 40-yard dash in the 4.3 range, has hands similar to Velcro and executes his routes with the precision of a surgeon. The Bills thought that Josh Reed could step-up and fill the void created when Peerless Price left but were so frustrated with his lack of progress that journeyman Bobby Shaw ended being the #2 option. If Evans can earn the trust of Drew Bledsoe and be the #2 Receiver across from Eric Moulds, he could put up nearly the same numbers that Peerless Price did two years ago.
Our Prediction: Evans is worth taking a chance on, as he is the only Receiver coming out of college whose team has a proven and specific role waiting for him. If he becomes a starter before the first kick-off, we would spend a mid-round pick for him and expect him to be our #3 Receiver.
Michael Clayton – 1st Round (#15) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Michael Clayton runs like a gazelle and seems to be able to catch anything thrown within his vicinity. Coach Gruden would like nothing more than to have Clayton come in and earn a starting spot so he could give Keenan McCardell the Keyshawn treatment. If he can live up to Gruden’s lofty expectations and work his way onto the field he could make some noise. The problem is that the Buccs have a crowded receiving corps and there are only so many opportunities to go around.
Our Prediction: Clayton is worth a bench spot on our team and at some point he will get his chance, it’s just a matter of knowing when that breakout game comes.
Michael Jenkins – 1st Round (#29) – Atlanta Falcons: If you saw him play in college you know that at 6-feet 4-inches and with a vertical leap like he was on a trampoline, no one is going to out-jump him for the ball. You also know that he came through in the clutch on more than one occasion and has excellent concentration skills. With the strength of Michael Vick’s arm, we can envision many broken plays where Vick waves Jenkins down the field and throws either a 65-yard bomb that Jenkins out-jumps everyone for or 45-yard laser that only Jenkins can reach.
Our Prediction: You heard it here first; Michael Jenkins will be the #2 Receiver for Atlanta by mid-season. In most leagues we’ll be able to pick him up as a free agent but we may want to spend a late round draft pick on him. He may start the season on our bench but will earn us some points when his time comes.
Rashuan Woods – 1st Round (#31) – San Francisco 49ers: Did you ever think you would feel sorry for a Wide Receiver getting drafted in the 1st round by the Niners? Rashuan Woods has plenty of talent and is as tough nails and on a different team he may put up some numbers but we find it hard to fathom that the rebuilding process that Dennis Erickson is instituting will allow for anyone to put up the big numbers we are so accustomed to coming out of San Francisco. Our Prediction: With no other receiving threats and either Tim Rattay or Ken Dorsey as the Quarterback, things don’t look too good from a Fantasy perspective for Woods, we see him spending the year being more frustrated than productive.
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