WR
GOING DEEP TO FIND THIS YEAR'S Odell Beckham Jr. TO SLAY SECONDARIES
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1 LAQUON TREADWELL
Ole Miss (6'2", 221 lbs.) 82 rec / 1,153 yards / 11 TDs
Treadwell is a physically imposing specimen who pushes DBs around on passes and (especially) as a run blocker. At his size, he may not create huge gaps in coverage, but he makes up for it by dominating in the air. He plays smart too, knowing where to break off his routes.
CONCERNS
Broke left fibula, dislocated ankle late in 2014. Lacks top-end speed.
NFL COMP
Dez Bryant
2 JOSH DOCTSON
TCU (6'2", 202 lbs.) 79 rec / 1,327 yards / 14 TDs
The 4.5-second 40 he ran at the combine is less meaningful than his blazing short-shuttle time (4.08 seconds) or his vertical jump (41 inches). In other words, he's more of a well-rounded athlete than a straight burner. He has the body control to go up and over corners. He's a potentially dominant No. 2 WR.
CONCERNS
Will be 24 as a rookie. Could get pushed around by press coverage.
NFL COMP
DeVante Parker
3 TYLER BOYD
Pittsburgh (6'1", 197 lbs.) 91 rec / 926 yards / 6 TDs
The Panthers struggled to drum up consistent offense this season, so they asked Boyd to do a little bit of everything: 19 kick/punt returns, 40 carries, 91 receptions—even three pass attempts. That versatility overshadows how good he is as a pure receiver. He boasts terrific hands and can pick apart underneath coverage.
CONCERNS
Doesn't break a ton of tackles. Limited deep-threat ability.
NFL COMP
Marvin Jones
4 STERLING SHEPARD
Oklahoma (5'10", 194 lbs.) 86 rec / 1,288 yards / 11 TDs
The receiver most likely to make a substantial impact in '16? Try Shepard. While he won't overpower or outleap NFL DBs, he has the route-running prowess to frustrate them. He is quick and efficient from the slot and outside.
CONCERNS
Must play stronger. Size could land him in the slot.
NFL COMP
Emmanuel Sanders
5 COREY COLEMAN
Baylor (5'11", 194 lbs.) 74 rec / 1,363 yards / 20 TDs
A home run hitter capable of blowing past DBs or battling for contested passes, he scored on 27% of his catches last season. Don't sleep on Coleman's creativity; he's a threat out of the backfield.
CONCERNS
Playing in a spread O limited his route tree.
NFL COMP
T.Y. Hilton
6 MICHAEL THOMAS
Ohio State (6'3", 212 lbs.) 56 rec / 781 yards / 9 TDs
Thomas will be more productive as a pro than he was at Ohio State, where there were too many mouths to feed. He has strong hands, he makes tacklers miss, and he keeps defenders guessing by not tipping his plans.
CONCERNS
More potential than finished product.
NFL COMP
Eric Decker
7 BRAXTON MILLER
Ohio State (6'1", 201 lbs.) 26 rec / 341 yards / 3 TDs
Through limited opportunities, the former QB showed a natural ability as a WR. Miller's footwork has the effect of making him appear to be moving at twice the speed of his defenders. There's simply way too much athleticism here to ignore.
CONCERNS
Very raw. Can he work between the hashes?
NFL COMP
Tavon Austin
8 WILL FULLER
Notre Dame (6'0", 186 lbs.) 62 rec / 1,258 yards / 14 TDs
Time and again, Fuller proved he could get behind college corners. And when he did so, he made a bevy of tough clutch catches. His speed (4.32-second 40) spooks defenders into giving him an extra cushion.
CONCERNS
One-trick pony right now. Too many unforced drops.
NFL COMP
Ted Ginn Jr.
9 RASHARD HIGGINS
Colorado State (6'1", 196 lbs.) 75 rec / 1,062 yards / 8 TDs
His numbers dipped in 2015 after his old QB, Garrett Grayson, headed to the NFL and his Rams coach, Jim McElwain, bolted for Florida. But Higgins's talent remains. He has an understanding for how to get open, backed by wiggle after the catch.
CONCERNS
Lacks NFL physicality. Won't scare pro defenses over the top.
NFL COMP
Michael Crabtree
10 MALCOLM MITCHELL
Georgia (6'0", 198 lbs.) 58 rec / 865 yards / 5 TDs
The Mitchell we saw in '15? That might just be scratching the surface. He can fire into routes over the middle, and once he does, defenses must dedicate multiple people to him, as he's tricky to tackle.
CONCERNS
Physical CBs keep him from getting into routes.
NFL COMP
Robert Woods
11 PHAROH COOPER
South Carolina (5'11", 203 lbs.) 66 rec / 973 yards / 8 TDs
So many possibilities here. Cooper not only caught a combined 135 passes over the past two seasons, he also averaged 7.2 yards per carry during his career and 22.4 yards as a freshman kick returner.
CONCERNS
More puzzle piece than star. Doesn't fight through contact.
NFL COMP
Stefon Diggs
12 LEONTE CARROO
Rutgers (6'0", 211 lbs.) 39 rec / 809 yards / 10 TDs
Carroo got into a load of trouble (curfew violation; domestic violence charges, which were dropped), but when he was on the field he often dominated, setting up defenders with crisp routes and embracing contact.
CONCERNS
Off-field red flags. Plays big but lacks height.
NFL COMP
Pierre Garçon
13 TAJAE SHARPE
UMass (6'2", 194 lbs.) 111 rec / 1,319 yards / 5 TDs
Sharpe puts CBs on their heels by bursting off the line, planting and breaking routes on a dime. His QBs often didn't provide him much room for receptions, and he didn't need it—Sharpe attacks the ball.
CONCERNS
Small hands could push him down some boards.
NFL COMP
Allen Hurns
14 AARON BURBRIDGE
Michigan State (6'0", 206 lbs.) 85 rec / 1,258 yards / 7 TDs
At MSU, he bailed out Connor Cook a good number of times by making acrobatic grabs in traffic. He positions himself well along the sideline, finding gaps between coverage, and he has excellent hands.
CONCERNS
He's a bit of an outside/slot tweener.
NFL COMP
Jared Abbrederis
15 KEYARRIS GARRETT
Tulsa (6'3", 220 lbs.) 96 rec / 1,588 yards / 8 TDs
Garrett's body fits the profile of an NFL receiver. Should he develop a complete repertoire to go along with it, he could be a draft steal. He'll be a deep threat and a red-zone option out of the gate.
CONCERNS
Can he only go deep?
NFL COMP
Malcom Floyd
2015 FBS receiving yards leader KEYARRIS GARRETT, Tulsa 1,588
Top 40 time at combine WILL FULLER, Notre Dame 4.32
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MICHAEL CHANG/GETTY IMAGES
PHOTO
JUSTIN EDMONDS/GETTY IMAGES
ILLUSTRATION