watching some wrs today, gonna give some scouting reports.
Cedrick Wilson, Boise St.
pros:
- long and tall, he appears lanky but a closer look shows a pretty damn solid dude who can get physical
- highly explosive and great top speed, defenses will be afraid of him going deep every snap
- rapid chopping feet and exaggerated cuts, when he makes a cut he chops his feet at a ridiculous speed and scares the shit out of defenders, he leaves guys falling on their asses quite a bit
- can make some great adjustments on the ball when coverage compromises the easy catch
- shields off well in crossing patterns to secure the ball in his gut, can secure passes behind him on crossers as well, gets upfield well in these situations
cons:
- can occasionally make a 50/50 catch but doesnt appear to do it often, not a strong suit of his
- the great cuts and choppy feet i mentioned above are inconsistent, he tends to round off high-breaking crossing routes almost as if hes afraid to break stride once he builds speed, if he learned to stomp and cut on these 10+ yard ins/outs/slants he would be deadly
- doesnt beat press with physicality, if he doesnt shake the defender off the line he will struggle big time to get upfield
- doesnt find soft spots, plays impatient
- doesnt attack the ball the way you would like, could stand to learn the concept of coming toward the qb to gain the extra step of separation, seems to think the deeper the better
- solid, but could still stand to thicken up
pro comparisons: marqise lee.
match for the ravens: i really like cedrick wilson on film, he looks like he could be the NFLs next household name big play threat, just a super exciting prospect, but for some reason i worry about his fit with us. he has a very solid route game that features some strong and explosive cuts that gain immediate separatiion, but the downside that stands out most to me is his inability to find the soft spots and sit and be patient and make himself available in these pitch and catch situations, which is something we desperately lack and ultimately why i prefer some other guys over this very exciting prospect. however, i would be thrilled with him in the second based on his upside and his basement of basically being a big play waiting to happen.
Christian Kirk, TA/M
pros:
- natural route runner, shifty, sudden, highly aware, savvy, creative, and adapts to the defense well to slip past the coverage
- respectable speed, but the shiftiness and fluidity is where he wins, he makes strong sharp cuts without breaking stride
- cuts come very sudden, will change direction without giving much indication of it and gets separation by surprise
- as reliable a set of hands as youll see in this class, if a ball hits his hands/gut/arms he will almost certainly catch it
- plays patient, plays smart, plays savvy. can make those small mid play adjustments to make himself an easier target
- changes gears well to lull defenders to sleep, uses this exceptionally well on inside breaking routes to get the db backpedaling then stomps that outside foot to cut in and gears up for easy separation
- runs an elite comeback route, attacks ball well on comebacks and shallow crossers
- built strong despite smaller stature, broad shouldered and tough, good center of gravity
- ultra competitive, chip on his shoulder
- just a straight up natural wide receiver and ball player, i will put money up that this guy will be top 10 in the league in the "clutch" stats, like 3rd down conversions, red zone touchdowns, etc.
cons:
- not the flashiest guy, has made big plays in college, but his savviness and awareness played a big part, in the NFL he wont be an elite explosion kind of guy
- despite being a focal point for gadget plays he seemed to struggle with breaking/evading tackles, lots of failed end-arounds, humphrey made kirk his bitch multiple times in 2016 on bubble screens
- isnt a contested catch kinda guy, if the defender has his back turned to the ball he most certainly can catch it, but he doesnt excel in the body positioning/body adjusting/boxing out/highpointing department
pro comparisons: golden tate, jamison crowder.
match for the ravens: ill take this kid, maybe at 16, id prefer others, but i wouldnt hate it. hes gonna have a solid career, and its gonna start solid because hes as nfl ready as they come. you see the IT factor with this guy, he just understands the WR position and has the physical tools to allow him to play his own game. he should be a high volume target who gets a lot of catches on easy targets due to his ability to separate and secure the ball regardless of his surroundings.
im gonna do some more when my son stops being a dick and "accidentally" kicking my laptop
