NFL Draft – Wide Receiver Rankings
Trevor Ruszkowksi-USA TODAY Sports
13.) Cody Latimer, Indiana (6’2, 215): Big receiver who was productive as a junior (72, 1096, 9) but probably should have stayed in school one more year to improve the finer points of his game. Lattimer couldn’t work out at the combine, but had a great pro day running two sub 4.5 40s. He has shown great hands at times but also drops some easy ones. Latimer’s route-running needs work as well, but he has tons of potential. Draft Projection: 2nd-3rd round
14.) Devin Street, Pittsburgh (6’3, 198): Good size, good hands, smooth route-runner and tough enough to absorb contact over the middle and make the catch. Street is a classic possession receiver and maybe more after running a surprising 4.48 at his pro day. Street had a productive career at Pitt (202 receptions) and is one of my favorite under the radar receivers in this year’s draft. Draft Projection: 3rd-4th round
15.) Paul Richardson, Colorado (6’0, 175): Dangerous deep threat that should be able to take the top off defenses and open things up underneath. Richardson isn’t strong enough to beat press coverage or be a move the chains type, but deep threats have value and he will be a nice complement to an already established receiving core. Draft Projection: 3rd-4th round
16.) Bruce Ellington, South Carolina (5’9, 197): Ellington is a phenomenal athlete (he was South Carolina’s starting point guard as a freshman). He lacks height, but is thickly built and with a 39.5″ vertical can go up and get the ball. Ellington’s best trait is his quickness and should be a dangerous underneath receiver. Draft Projection: 3rd-4th round
17.) Brandon Coleman, Rutgers (6’6, 225): Impressed at the combine with a better than expected 4.56 40-time and caught the ball well in the drills. He isn’t as physical as he should be, but Coleman is so much taller than DBs that he’s going to win his share of jump balls in the NFL. Coleman looked like a 1st rounder after his sophomore year (43, 718, 10) but had a disappointing junior season (34, 538, 4). He was hindered by a run first offense, so it’s hard to tell what Coleman could do in an NFL passing attack. There are plenty of question marks here, but 6’6 receivers with good hands and 4.5 speed don’t grow on trees. Draft Projection: 3rd-4th round
18.) Jared Abbrederris, Wisconsin (6’1, 195): He could make the claim that he is the best route-runner in this draft and only Jordan Matthews would have a legitimate complaint. Abbrederis could be a reliable number #3 WR with great hands and the aforementioned route running ability. He is quicker than he looks, will lay out for the tough catch, and just knows how to get open. Draft Projection: 3rd-4th round
19.) Josh Huff, Oregon (5’11, 205): Classic slot receiver. Undersized, but has excellent speed and agility. Huff has also shown both the ball skills to be an effective deep receiver and the toughness to make catches over the middle. Besides his lack of size, the main knock on Huff is a lack of concentration; Huff dropped plenty of catchable balls and was called for too many dumb penalties. Those are correctable issues and his production as a senior in a running offense (62, 1140, 12) was impressive. Huff can also contribute on special teams as a kick/punt returner and a gunner in coverage. Draft Projection: 3rd-4th round