Sunday, January 25, 2009

TOP 5: Wide Receivers

(1) Michael Crabrtree, Texas Tech
(2) Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
(3) Percy Harvin, Florida
(4) Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina
(5) Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland
(5) Brandon LaFell, LSU

There's no doubt that Crabtree is the top of the class. He's a physical specimen with a world of talent, and if the Detroit Lions didn't have the first overall pick, I'd say Crabtree had a shot to be the top selection in April. (If Detroit takes another wide receiver, all hell may break loose).

After Crabtree clearly comes Maclin, who is quite the talent himself. I wanted to put Nicks above Harvin, because I think Nicks is a better route-runner and pure receiver than Harvin. But the Florida product is more explosive and a pure playmaker. Don't discount Nicks, though.

After those two come two fine receivers. I know this is a top five, but I can't differentiate between Darrius Heyward-bey and Brandon LaFell. Both are similar in size (LaFell has an inch and a half and nine pounds on Heyward-Bey) and skill, and I think they're largely interchangeable on draft boards.

Other names to watch: Juaquin Iglesias (Oklahoma), Mike Thomas (Arizona)
I've always liked Iglesias' style of play and his big-play ability. He thrived with Sam Bradford at the helm, and I think he could slot into a third receiver role very well in the NFL. As for Thomas, he is certainly undersized (5'8", 197), but he plays with a lot of heart and he's a very quick receiver. With some good workouts, he could rise up teams' boards. He also has a bit of special teams potential.

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