He grew in almost all of those areas as a WR in his first year, putting to bed my concerns about how he would translate to the NFL. That top three of Cooper, Gallup and Lamb might be the best trio in the NFL. In the off-season, Washington went out and signed speed-threat Curtis Samuel to a three-year, 34,500,000 contract. Hes still only an average run blocker, but thats a step up from what he was and traditionally means a lot to the Cowboys offense. Though hes only 511, Reagors leaping ability allows him to go up pretty high to make a catch. It depends on whether you favor production or efficiency on who wins out. The only reason I put him below elite is that he rarely faced double teams, but was neutralized by them when he did. His most impressive area of improvement was in his catching ability. He had two years remaining on his $72 million contract. JJ has an extensive bag of tricks, using good fakes and foot quickness to get open at the release and good body positioning to make tough, contested catches. Its a big change from the pre-Gettleman Giants, who, for a while, fielded one of the highest-profile receiving groups in the league. McLaurin releases and expertly fakes outside, causing Douglas to flip his hips outside while Terry turns back inside and easily runs past Douglas in the 1-on-1 matchup and gets open to make a big catch. Alshon Jeffery doesnt have elite quickness, but uses his physicality to get open on short routes like this instead of relying on quickness and change-of-direction ability. Running a sub-4.4 40 time himself, Slay isnt afraid of getting beat deep, and keeps his eyes moving between Cooper and Dak the entire time he runs with Cooper. It also shows how much teams have to respect his deep-threat ability and how that opens up opportunities for short passes. This makes fitting the run more difficult for defenses, helping Josh Jacobs run away with the rushing title (so far) this season. 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. I thought he wasnt as shifty as one might expect for a player so fast, he was a body-catcher rather than a hands-catcher, and he relied too much on out-athleting his opponents using speed or physicality to get open, which wouldnt necessarily work at the next level. Sims caught 32 passes last year and Harmon had a promising rookie season in 2019 before an ACL tear forced him to miss last year. It could happen, but it requires a lot of things to go right for Washington that didnt go right in 2018. 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 . Note, however, that he didnt make the big play by simply running past everyone with deep speed, but, rather, by using his sudden acceleration and route running ability to get open, and then using his agility to break tackles until the defenders were left behind. New York Giants. He does a good job of positioning his body to box out CBs and gives himself the leverage advantage in making plays on the ball. 1 receiver. Since joining Josh Allen and the Bills, Diggs leads the NFL with 2,953 receiving yards when aligned wide, and his 1,077 yards on hitch routes over that span are 370 more than the next-closest player (Tyler Lockett, 707). Kupp averaged nine receptions and 101.6 receiving yards per game in the eight contests he started and finished this season, providing a bright spot for a Rams offense that has struggled all year. ApplePodcasts|Google Play|Spotify|Stitcher|Art19|Watch on YouTube. Every team has at least one . This was the TD that tied Walter Paytons career rushing TD record, and Adrian Peterson gave Terry the ball after the play because he knew the TD wouldnt have been possible without his blocking. He was traded to the Cowboys in the middle of last season (the 4th year of his rookie contract) for a 1st round pick in 2019 draft, and Cooper had an immediate impact, seemingly jump-starting the Cowboys offense and helping them to a division championship. Here are the top 25 wide receiver prospects in this year's draft class according to the consensus big board. Is the Jaguars' decision to make a big investment in Christian Kirk paying off so far? Zach Ertz was once the NFC East's undisputed best TE but injuries and the declining play of his quarterback has seen him fall off the radar the last two seasons. 1 spot over Tyreek Hill Position Power Rankings 2022 NFL season's top 10 wide receivers: Justin Jefferson reels in. Lamb leads the way here and is also the youngest of the three, while . [1:32] This is an example of being open when covered. 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. Last off-season, Hogs Haven published articles that focused on ranking position groups and head coaches in an effort to identify what the division would look like in 2018. Jeffery is just a bit less gifted in each of these areas than an elite player like Julio Jones, and isnt really elite in any area. They really don't have a choice, as Hill's yards-per-route figure jumps to 4.2 against man coverage and 4.6 when left on an island against single-high coverages. Opposing defenses either shadowed him with their best CB or shaded coverage in his direction to account for him. Dak breaks to his right (Coopers side) almost immediately after the snap despite little pressure and is looking for Cooper the whole time. [5:06] The Eagles had no answer for Slayton in this game and it may point to why they prioritized adding speed to their defense in the offseason. Who's the Best Wide Receiver in the NFL? Carolina Panthers. Vikings top "player team report card," and . This home run ability forces defenses to guard the deep field against Cooper and sometimes causes CBs to give up short crossing and out routes to him because they are afraid of him running deep. He discussed areas where this year's draft class looks strong . 300 routes run). Although hes a big, physical WR who is good at contested catches, he is also fast enough to blow past some DBs when going vertical. The crew gets a bit motley after that, with some late-round draft picks and NFL veterans. And then to grab Brown in the third round might end up being a steal. Gilmore is on top of him the whole way and cuts back just as hard as Slayton, wrapping him up as the ball gets to him and knocking the ball away. Reagor is also a skilled kick returner, with 12 kick returns for 312 yards (a 26.0 average) in 2018 and 5 kick returns for 72 yards (a 14.4 average) in 2019. In a sport that is as physically demanding as football, one in which player injuries are common, the unit depth is as important a factor as the skill of the star players. 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. Other than that, he is good to elite in all the traits of a WR. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Watching tape of McLaurins 2019 season, it became clear that other teams saw him as the number one threat in the Redskins passing game. He does a good job locating the ball, but realizes hes been a bit underthrown and slows his route down to adjust to the ball and make the catch (another body catch). Washington Commanders. The Next Gen Stats analytics team reveals its ranking of the 10 best edge rushers entering Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season, with the Browns' Myles Garrett leading a list of star defenders. McLaurin does a good job turning around and locating the ball in the air, but the ball is again underthrown, so he has to slow down, allowing the CB and an assisting safety to catch up. In addition to showing Tates change-of-direction ability yet again, this play shows his improvisational ability and persistence. He never quits on plays. Chase ranks in the top 10 in both receiving yards over expected (+157) and yards after catch over expected (+122), even though hes only played in nine games. Not many teams can present such a matchup, but the NFCE faced two such DBs last year in Darius Slay and Stephon Gilmore, each shadowing Cooper in their respective games. One minor difference in his game from last year is that I think Cooper has visibly improved in run blocking. [7:19] Slayton lines up on the boundary top of screen opposite Stephon Gilmore. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. Overall, I think Terry McLaurin is a somewhat raw WR who flashes elite traits and potential, but will probably take a while to see the field on offense, except as a one-dimensional deep threat. 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. [9:18] Tate lines up outside this time, fakes an out route, but then redirects to run deep and accelerate quickly while CB Anthony Browns head is turned to the QB, allowing him to get yards of separation and an easy catch that he turns into a TD. There are plenty of talented wideouts that call the division home, so let's take a look at the top eight heading . In 2018 tape I thought he was severely lacking as a run blocker, sometimes just phoning it in or getting brushed aside by a DB, but in 2019 he looked much improved in both effort and technique. He finished the season with 48 receptions for 740 yards. [7:30] This time, McLaurin lines up in the slot. However, I think Slayton has a very high ceiling and could be really good if he continues to develop. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. The Rams are simply not the same team when Kupp is off the field. Cooper again runs down the sideline and seems to get open by selling the deep route, but breaking it back to shake loose. Washington: Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, Kelvin Harmon, Adam Humphries, Cam Sims. This play shows excellent route running ability, strength, and effort, though it would be nice if he trusted his hands enough to make the catch without using his body to corral the ball. As was the case in his rookie season, Chases bread and butter has been passes thrown outside the numbers, where he ranks sixth in the NFL with 515 receiving yards this season. NOTE: The composite score for each player is based on a series of advanced receiving metrics, courtesy of Next Gen Stats. 2022 NFL season's top 10 wide receivers: Justin Jefferson reels in No. Minnesota Vikings. Richardson is a weak (though willing) run blocker. 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. Also, Coopers ability to keep both feet inbounds as he secures a catch right on the edge of the sideline showcases his body positioning and control. Slayton tested extremely well at the 2018 NFL Combine, posting good size (61 and 190 pounds), explosiveness (vertical and broad jump), and speed (4.39 second 40 yard dash). NFC East . This play highlights Richardsons deep threat ability, change-of-direction, ball tracking, body positioning, leaping ability, and strong hands at the catch point. CD Lamb is the best Wide Receiver in the NFC East . 100 routes). 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. 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. The New York Giants have a desperate need at the wide receiver position this offseason. March 1, 2023 6:03 am SBNation TomahawkNation. He was also a competent kick returner, with 9 returns for 189 yards (21.0 Y/R). Slayton doesnt have much in the way of counters, tricks, or physicality to get open if his athleticism isnt enough. He doesnt do it often enough to be a big issue, but maybe because his cuts are so sharp, he seems to trip himself up and miss out on extra yards now and again. Dallas Goedert was likened to Zach Ertz even before the draft. Overall, he is big, strong, has good hands, and is nuanced at many aspects of playing WR, but shows a lack of deep speed on film. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). St. Brown has been a revelation for the Lions -- and his impact has played a big role in the teams opportunity to end its five-year playoff drought. 0 Comment. Lastly, he is more physical than one might expect from an undersized WR and never gives up on a play, so he will often drag a tackler for several yards and excels at improvising after a play breaks down to get open when other players thought the play was dead. Where does he land in the Next Gen Stats analytics team's ranking of the top 10 off-ball linebackers right now? Look at the difference in cushion the Eagles give him vs the other boundary WR at the top of the screen! In the video I reviewed of Cooper (all after the trade to the Cowboys), he looked like a very good WR, just one step down from elite (not quite a Julio Jones or Antonio Brown). [3:05] This was the play that introduced McLaurin to a lot of us. This is a perfect example of why hands-catching is necessary against NFL-caliber talent, where the few inches of separation created by catching the ball arms length away is the difference between a big catch and an incompletion. He does a great job turning on a dime to locate the ball in the air, then boxes out the deep safety Marcus Gilchrist to keep him out of the play (though Gilchrist isnt able to change direction in time anyway). Of us looks strong who & # x27 ; s top 10 wide receivers: Justin Jefferson reels No... 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