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A Look at Some 2020 WR Draft Prospects (Long)

TC : 2/21/2020 6:26 pm
The 2020 draft has been described as one of the richest ever for WR prospects, and so it seems. A half dozen, or so, who may go in the first round, and other WR picks who likely would have gone in the 1st in other drafts.

This isn’t a ranking of WR’s, but rather a sampling of some with promise, along with a video of their play. For years the Giants have lacked a larger quality receiver. We all remember what Plax’s combination of size and speed could do. Shepard is a quality WR, but not very big. Tate is rugged, but also smaller. Slayton surprised, but isn’t really big. Latimer was supposed to be a more physical presence, and he is, but hasn’t been terribly productive. Core and Sills are bigger, but as WR’s I don’t know much about them. PS player Reggie White sort of fit the bill, but came from low level competition. Whether the new coaching staff can develop him into a full time roster spots is yet to be seen.

So in looking at some of 2020’s prospects, I focused on WR’s 6’2” or more. And was delighted to find this draft seemingly made to order for what I’d like for the Giants; I.e., a larger, physical WR with great hands. Some also have speed, while others aren’t burners, but what they all have in common is the ability to come away with the ball on contested catches.

Sure, we’d all like WR’s with breakaway speed who leave defenders in their dust, but in the NFL games I watch most catches ARE contested catches. (Unless they’re playing the Giants!) There most often is just not a lot of separation, so would the ability to box out defenders, high point the ball and physically dominate the defender be just as valuable as pure speed?

These are the traits I looked for among some of the WR prospects. I’m not suggesting these are all of the WR prospects with them, or even the best among them, they’re just a sampling. And I also deliberately excluded a couple who fit those criteria because they’re already well known. Among such are CeeDee Lamb and Laviska Shenault, both of whom have the potential to possibly be a top 5 pick. And off course, there are other fine WR’s who fall outside these criteria that will go early, and likely before many which I mention; guys like Ruggs, Aiyuk and Reagor for example.

The Combine will affect the status of many of the picks. For obvious reasons, speed is valued more among WR’s than possibly any other position, so top performing 40’s and agility tests will raise some prospects, as much as poorer ones will lower others. I think some of the guys I mention will do OK. Then there are others who likely will skid. But frankly, since I’m not looking primarily for speed, I’m not sure that the Combine will really be determinative of whether they can play, and may actually be an aid if it drops them further down the ladder.

ANTONIO GANDY-GOLDEN – 6’4”, 222 – Liberty University. And the last shall be first – from football powerhouse Liberty comes a mid-round sleeper! (Except everybody knows about him!) With all the warts you’d expect from a small school, but with a lot of raw talent. Gandy is dandy and makes his living abusing double teams! Big, super physical with flypaper hands and a ridiculous catch radius. Did I say he was physical!?

Gandy-Golden - ( New Window )
Tee Higgins  
TC : 2/21/2020 6:27 pm : link
TEE HIGGINS – 6’4”, 215 – Clemson is the top rated prospect I will include here, and stands a good chance of going in the 1st. High cut, long-legged WR with good long speed. Polished, great hands and not afraid of contact. What’s not to like?

Higgins Video - ( New Window )
Justin Jefferson  
TC : 2/21/2020 6:28 pm : link
JUSTIN JEFFERSON – 6’3”, 192 – LSU is slender but strong, in fact, can be nasty. Great at positioning his body and out-wrestling defenders. Not sudden, but has sneaky long speed and great hands.

Jefferson - ( New Window )
Denzel Mims  
TC : 2/21/2020 6:30 pm : link
DENZEL MIMS – 6’3”, 206- Baylor is very physical, and high energy. Decent speed, good routes, hard to move off route in press. Great hands.

Mims - ( New Window )
Michael Pittman  
TC : 2/21/2020 6:31 pm : link
MICHAEL PITTMAN – 6’4”, 220 – USC is big, quick and agile, but doesn’t have fantastic long speed. Has great hands, is physical and tough using good body position in contested catches

Pittman - ( New Window )
Bryan Edwards  
TC : 2/21/2020 6:32 pm : link
BRYAN EDWARDS – 6’3”, 215 – South Carolina is EXTRMELY physical and very strong. OK, not great speed, but athletic with run after catch ability. Great hands!

Edwards - ( New Window )
Gabe Davis  
TC : 2/21/2020 6:34 pm : link
GABE DAVIS – 6’3”, 212 – Uni. Central Florida is for all the Giants fans who believe the Giants still need an OBJ replacement. Does he play just like OBJ? Not really, but you’ll see!

Davis is big and physical with very good hands and body placement. So-so speed. A big deal in lower competition with some valuable tools to work with.

Davis - ( New Window )
Chase Claypool  
TC : 2/21/2020 6:37 pm : link
CHASE CLAYPOOL – 6’4”, 229 – Notre Dame is a big body, long-armed physical receiver with great hands. Doesn’t look quick twitch to me, or that fast, though others disagree. Could be a great possession receiver and red zone target.

Claypool - ( New Window )
With such a deep WR class......I hope someone.drops  
George from PA : 2/21/2020 6:46 pm : link
To the 4th or later....that meet your criteria.

Top 2 rounds should target stud defensive and OLmen
I like Bryan Edwards a lot  
Torrag : 2/21/2020 6:50 pm : link
Teams knew they had to stop him and generally couldn't. He'd be a great value pick with either our comp 3rd/early 4th rounder.
I like Higgins. I'll have to take a look at the others  
Ira : 2/21/2020 6:57 pm : link
.
Gandy-Golden (great name) looks very Plax-like  
Del Shofner : 2/21/2020 7:01 pm : link
in those highlights, but I wonder about the level of comp.

Beez's son's friend from Ithaca is 6'2" ... just sayin'.
Huge Claypool fan  
KevinBBWC : 2/21/2020 7:38 pm : link
Think he will blow up at the combine especially after what Boykin did last year. I think Claypool is a lot more athletic then him.
RE: Tee Higgins  
KeoweeFan : 2/21/2020 7:58 pm : link
In comment 14815862 TC said:
Quote:
TEE HIGGINS – 6’4”, 215 – Clemson is the top rated prospect I will include here, and stands a good chance of going in the 1st. High cut, long-legged WR with good long speed. Polished, great hands and not afraid of contact. What’s not to like? Higgins Video - ( New Window )

Tee is a good example of your preference for someone to grab the contested balls. He is one of the latest in the long line of Clemson WRs who fit Dabo's strategy of throwing 50-50 balls to tough tall WRs (e.g. Watson to Nuke Hopkins), in part because there was a good chance Venable's defense would get him the ball back. It also explained the above average # of INTs for his QBs. (Tee's replacements are already on board.)

Personally I think the depth at WR is strong enough to pass on Tee and still get someone to fill the need of someone to stretch the field.
WR Sleeper  
Mike in NY : 2/21/2020 8:30 pm : link
Van Jefferson/Florida
Call me crazy  
uncledave : 2/21/2020 8:35 pm : link
But Ceedee Lamb at 4
If they can find a way to get extra picks  
AcesUp : 2/21/2020 9:03 pm : link
They should grab two guys on Day 3. It’s probably the most volatile position to draft no matter where you take them and this has potential to be the best and deepest class ever. You kill two birds with this approach. You both capitalize on the ridiculous value later on in the draft, while at the same time hedging against the high bust rate at the position.
RE: Call me crazy  
AcesUp : 2/21/2020 9:05 pm : link
In comment 14815933 uncledave said:
Quote:
But Ceedee Lamb at 4


You’re crazy. Unless you’re staring at Calvin Johnson, under no circumstance should they take one of these guys at 4 given our other needs and the value that will be there at pick 100+.
RE: Call me crazy  
jnoble : 2/21/2020 9:48 pm : link
In comment 14815933 uncledave said:
Quote:
But Ceedee Lamb at 4


Not gonna happen. If the Giants go WR with their 1st round pick, Gettleman might be tossed out a window
RE: I like Bryan Edwards a lot  
TC : 2/21/2020 11:31 pm : link
In comment 14815889 Torrag said:
Quote:
Teams knew they had to stop him and generally couldn't. He'd be a great value pick with either our comp 3rd/early 4th rounder.

Right now it looks like Edwards could be there for either the comp pick, or the 4th rounder, but you can't know until it happens. Would be a sweet pick, and good use of a draft spot IMO.

So basically this draft is loaded with WR talent. Seems like the  
Jack Stroud : 2/21/2020 11:48 pm : link
Giants could grab a decent WR in the later rounds or even as an UDFA. Let's hope they get one that makes defenses have to account for him on every play!
That's a fine list of big WRs, but there's a gang of guys in the  
BlueLou'sBack : 2/22/2020 12:14 am : link
6'1"-6'2" range too that are really,really good and could be #1/#2 type guys depending on their desire and ability to do all the little things right.

As a 4/5 round pick I'd find Quintez Cephus quite the steal.

He had a short interview with Draft Wire and I thought came off well during it. He's a very serious young man who's been through a lot.
Quintez Cephus 2019 highlights - ( New Window )
RE: RE: I like Bryan Edwards a lot  
BlueLou'sBack : 2/22/2020 12:16 am : link
In comment 14815999 TC said:
Quote:
In comment 14815889 Torrag said:


Quote:


Teams knew they had to stop him and generally couldn't. He'd be a great value pick with either our comp 3rd/early 4th rounder.


Right now it looks like Edwards could be there for either the comp pick, or the 4th rounder, but you can't know until it happens. Would be a sweet pick, and good use of a draft spot IMO.


Read and heard a few very positive notes about Edwards too. If he lasts to our 3rd round comp pick, he'd be an attractive get pending his health.
Talented players get drafted early.  
giantBCP : 2/22/2020 7:07 am : link
If the draft is deep with talented receivers, then there will be a run on them in the early rounds. Teams aren’t going to sit back and let quality players get passed them in hopes of getting lucky in the later rounds.
Hands...Physicality...  
Rafflee : 2/22/2020 7:27 am : link
Lot's of crowded and bumped catches for GG--The Ball doesn't touch his body...he coems back...he goes up

The questions would be physical skills...speed and elevation. Catches are Catches--- HANDS Appplies at any level of competition.

The questions would be about separation and reading defenses at a higher level.

Looked a little smaller than the 6-4/220
Edwards broke his foot in training for Combine  
Rick in Dallas : 2/22/2020 11:40 am : link
That’s 2 injuries in a year. Very talented but is he injury prone??
RE: Talented players get drafted early.  
TC : 2/22/2020 12:02 pm : link
In comment 14816030 giantBCP said:
Quote:
If the draft is deep with talented receivers, then there will be a run on them in the early rounds. Teams aren’t going to sit back and let quality players get passed them in hopes of getting lucky in the later rounds.

I think so too. To the extent a given team thinks a particular prospect has question marks, that prospect may slip further than he otherwise might. But those who are universally valued will go early, irrespective of the size of the talent pool.
RE: Hands...Physicality...  
TC : 2/22/2020 12:10 pm : link
In comment 14816035 Rafflee said:
Quote:
Lot's of crowded and bumped catches for GG--The Ball doesn't touch his body...he coems back...he goes up

The questions would be physical skills...speed and elevation. Catches are Catches--- HANDS Appplies at any level of competition.

The questions would be about separation and reading defenses at a higher level.

Looked a little smaller than the 6-4/220

There's definitely some awkwardness about Gandy-Golden's play. And he may well not be as big as listed. Every year at the Combine when prospects get weighed and measured there are often differences between where they're listed in school, and what they actually are; sometimes wildly so. But at the end of the day, he is big, and has some authentic skills that MAY allow him to develop into a better NFL WR. However he's not a plug and play prospect, and will need development.I see him as going no earlier than the mid rounds, but more likely the late ones.
That’s 2 injuries in a year. Very talented but is he injury prone??'  
Torrag : 2/22/2020 12:19 pm : link
Given that it's a serious foot injury that takes him off my Draft board. These guys literally make their living with their wheels. Terrible luck for the young man.
RE: That’s 2 injuries in a year. Very talented but is he injury prone??'  
BlueLou'sBack : 2/22/2020 12:55 pm : link
In comment 14816168 Torrag said:
Quote:
Given that it's a serious foot injury that takes him off my Draft board. These guys literally make their living with their wheels. Terrible luck for the young man.


Where did you get "serious injury" from? And "injury prone" seems like a highly exagerated claim too.

From CBS sports like 20 minutes ago, and they DON'T claim to have details of the injury:

Quote:
Edwards will not participate in the NFL Combine next week after reportedly breaking his foot.

The news comes by way of Edwards' personal Twitter account, halting momentum on the 21-year-old's fast-rising draft stock. It's unclear what foot Edwards broke, or how severe the break might be, but given when the injury occurred, it's possible the senior could still participate in South Carolina's pro day. Edwards missed the final two games of his collegiate career with a knee injury, but otherwise was a reliable force, never missing a game in his previous three collegiate seasons. While he never totaled over 1,000 receiving yards in a given campaign, he was still regarded as one of the premiere wide receivers in the SEC and would have been a lock to be selected no later than Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft had the injury not occurred.


It's a "serious" injury apparently so far as missing the combine NEXT WEEK. Beyond that, there's no info. Dude didn't miss a single game for almost 3 years prior to missing his last 2 games in 2019 "with a knee."

Heck I'd need more info than that to take him off my board - though it's likely NOW he slips into round 3, or maybe 4.
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