Easter/Passover Weekend 2012...let's look at the top WR's in upcoming Draft...

This blurgger will have to stand for the next 48 hours on its own, due to my marital obligation to escort wifey to her Eastern Shore roots to fulfilll her Easter promise to her relatives (to prove we still exist!)....

Meanwhile, I wish all my treasured readers and commenters here a lovely Easter/Passover weekend...

So please pardon me if I get a little hypothetical with the ensuing premise:

If a "Best Player Available" falls to the Eagles at #15 (assuming they don't trade out of that position), and it's a wide receiver, would you pull the trigger?

Here are the possibilities as conceived by Eric Galko, of Optimum Scouting....

As with most draft classes, followers of the draft want to instantly compare it to previous years. In short, there is no A.J. Green or Julio Jones or Calvin Johnson in this year's draft class. There are no clear-cut feature receivers that can make an instant impact because of their ability to consistently out-match double teams and/or being nearly impossible to cover one-on-one.

Despite not having any of those classically clear, Top-10 worthy receivers in this class, there are three featured (and maybe a few more) top first-round targets that could have a significant impact on a team's offense. Here is the case for each one of the "big three" to be the top wide receiver in this class...

Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
Why He's #1: Blackmon's ability to take over a game in the Oklahoma State offense has made his draft stock soar, but it's the little things he does to dominate games the way he has that make him so unique. Maybe Blackmon's two best qualities as a receiver are his outstanding body positioning in short routes as well as in the redzone, and his ability to keep stride with explosion, speed, and vision after the catch. Those abilities makes him a threat in the slot as well as the outside receiver position.

Why He's Not: Blackmon had most of his success in the offense when he was moved around in different positions and sets. When he was kept outside and forced to consistently beat double teams as well as some of the more feisty cornerbacks, he struggled. He needs to work upon his ability to win match-ups on the outside against NFL-like cornerbacks (see Iowa State's Leonard Johnson)---


Justin Blackmon, WR, 6-1, 207, Okalahoma State...Blackmon is not as quick off the ball as his athleticism would suggest. He has good top-end speed and acceleration in the open field, but struggles to get enough burst to separate in short areas. An elongated stride makes it difficult for him to run sharp routes. Much of his production came from making plays at the point of the catch and after; he doesn't get himself open through route-running. He is an all-or-nothing blocker who can't recover after whiffing, and will have to improve in that area. His stride hampers his ability to change direction and could be his biggest problem in the NFL, where he'll be covered by premier athletes.


Michael Floyd, Notre Dame
Why He's #1: Michael Floyd likely would have been an early first or late round pick had he come out a year ago, and now stands to be taken somewhere in the middle of round one. First off, his character concerns from the past, from all reports and what I've heard are completely reconciled... and he has absolutely turned a corner in becoming mature off the field. Along with the lack of character concerns, Floyd is a fantastic short and mid- area route runner, grabs the ball out of the air extremely well, and attacks the ball in air with great concentration and body control. He has the size, focus, ball skills, and body type to be a great middle-of-the-field threat in the NFL.

Why He's Not: At times downfield, Floyd doesn't jostle as well as you'd like for a downfield receiver, and he sometimes tries to out-finesse defensive backs, something that will be much harder to do against NFL cornerbacks. While he's a good athlete and has downfield speed, I'm not sure he has the elite quickness in his breaks downfield to gain consistent separation as a deep receiver, limiting his abilities as a complete, top receiver option. He's an ideal fit as a short-mid-range consistent and reliable target, with solid run-after-catch ability, but his limitations downfield along with his occasional over-finesse are somewhat of a concern...

Kendall Wright, Baylor
Why He's #1: Few players were as difficult to consistently contain as Kendall Wright this year. While the (unfair) question of who helped whom more, Wright or Griffin, has come up, it's safe to say that both made an impact on the other's success. What makes Wright so unique and difficult to cover is his burst after the catch, his elite quickness with the ball, and his ability to catch away from his body with balance and control. He's not quite the in-air athlete Steve Smith (Carolina) is in my opinion, but has similar screen and short-route run-after-catch abilities, and is suddenly explosive at every level of the route tree. He could play a slot position, but he's got a chance to be among the best "z" receivers in the NFL.

Why He's Not: The biggest knock on Kendall Wright is obvious: he lacks ideal size. He's around 5'10 and under 200 pounds, and will struggle to be a short-route receiver in traffic in the NFL with physical consistency. Also, he does and will continue to struggle to win jump balls and to shed more physical defensive backs, especially in man coverage. He'll need a complementing receiver who can play physically and open up the deep middle of the field to be successful, again limiting his potential as a consistent, impact receiver...

Other Top Receivers
Those three receivers above are tops on most boards, but some prospects with unique skill sets may crash that party as a "first round draft" receiver as well. Alshon Jeffery of South Carolina dominated as a sophomore and has that rare, number-one receiver ability, but concerns about his staying in shape and his ability to achieve consistent separation may still keep him out of round one. Joe Adams of Arkansas is an ideal slot-receiver with great recognition in his routes and big-play ability. Brian Quick of Appalachian State is raw and has obvious concerns coming from a small school, but he has great ball skills, basketball-type receiver ability, and lots of upside. And finally, Stephen Hill of Georgia Tech, who blew up at the Combine and has elite receiver tools to work with, but lacks great explosiveness in his cuts, has an under-developed route tree, and is still raw in overall receiver techniques that could take some time to develop.

Good Friday (4/6/12) notable transactions:

--- Bengals signed guard Jacob Bell (Rams) to a 1-year deal, terms undisclosed...
--- Bengals released S Chris Crocker...
--- Raiders signed DE Dave Tollefson (Giants) to a 1-year contract, terms undisclosed...
--- Seattle signed LB Barrett Ruud to a 1-year deal, terms undisclosed...
--- St. Louis signed DE William Hayes (Titans) to a 1-year deal, terms undisclosed...
--- Arizona re-signed RB Alfonso Smith to a 1-year contract worth $465,000...

Enjoy the holiday weekend, dear friends...