They also arguably have the best starting group of anyone in the NFL. And then to grab Brown in the third round might end up being a steal. First, notice that McLaurin recognizes Indiana 14 is matched up on him. Cooper and McLaurin must receive extra praise for overcoming below average QB play, the Cowboys and Football Team's QB play has been down right terrible this year. Complimenting his speed, Reagor shows good ball-tracking ability and ability to adjust to the ball once its in the air. The Next Gen Stats analytics team provides a ranking of the top 10 players at the position in 2022, with some names that could surprise you. He has enough speed to get open deep, but also the physicality and jump ball ability to make himself open in contested short-yardage plays. He ran an unofficial 4.28 second 40 time at a private Pro Day after dropping some of that weight. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. This play highlights Coopers ability to sell fakes (hes excellent at selling fakes to get open) and his toughness and effort in fighting through contact for extra yards. Tate then stares down safety Jeff Heath and fakes inside to set him up before cutting outside, breaking another tackle attempt as he accelerates quickly to the endzone. ApplePodcasts|Google Play|Spotify|Stitcher|Art19|Watch on YouTube. Coopers ability to sell a fake will still get him open against younger DBs, which is why it really takes an experienced and fast DB playing press man to shut him down. The New Orleans Saints have . Playing on a loaded Ohio State offense, McLaurin only caught 35 passes in 2018, but did a lot with his opportunities (20.0 YPR average). The New York Giants have a desperate need at the wide receiver position this offseason. McLaurin again does a good job catching the ball away from his body (and away from Slay), keeping it safe. Although its an offense that deflates WR stats by distributing the ball a lot, its a cleverly designed offense that gets WRs open. [5:06] The Eagles had no answer for Slayton in this game and it may point to why they prioritized adding speed to their defense in the offseason. Commanders; Cowboys; Eagles; Giants; . [3:49] This time, Love wins the matchup, getting a hand in to break up the pass. Reagor is also a skilled kick returner, with 12 kick returns for 312 yards (a 26.0 average) in 2018 and 5 kick returns for 72 yards (a 14.4 average) in 2019. Jose Joaquin (JJ) Arcega-Whiteside was born in Spain, the child of two professional basketball players. Washington Football Team Terry McLaurin has solidified himself as one of the best young receivers in the NFL. Richardson plays his role very well here, and I think it shows not just his intelligence and attention to detail in getting the timing and nuance of a play like this down right, but also his selflessness in working hard to execute a play that ultimately benefits another pass catcher. Check out the NFC West's top 10 receivers. This is a play that could have benefited from a fake inside before starting the route though, and notice this is again a body catch. Gallup had 59 for 843 and 5 as third option. Were ranking the division by position group. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. Like Jefferson in Minnesota, Hill's presence forces defenses to become more predictable and one dimensional. In his rookie year in the NFL, he did an excellent job reaching out and catching the ball away from his body (hands-catching), which is critical to keep the ball safe from DBs that rarely allow as much separation as in college. Despite lack of deep speed, JJ was often able to make big plays like this one using fakes, quick feet, and good hands-catching ability. Alshon Jeffery doesnt have elite quickness, but uses his physicality to get open on short routes like this instead of relying on quickness and change-of-direction ability. Terry McLaurin flashes elite traits, but has enough problems in his tape that I can see why he fell to the 3rd round. Reagor is a bit more physical than you might expect from a playing weight under 200 pounds, though he still struggles a bit with press coverage. However, his best athletic trait isnt his deep speed so much as his short-area quickness. Cooper suddenly breaks and reverses direction on a comeback route. Former Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall made a plea to the Packers star via Instagram on Tuesday, during which he implored Rodgers to drift on into retirement. The Redskins probably have the least recognizable names in the division, even though the squad features former first round pick Josh Doctson and last years relatively high-profile free agent signing, Paul Richardson. Richardson is a very smart WR, aware of the field and good at improvising to keep himself open as a viable option when the play breaks down (he made a similar TD off of improvisation against the Panthers last year). So, who are the top dogs at the position in the early goings of the 2022 season? Golden Tate has consistently been one of the NFLs most underrated WRs. The breakout quarterbacks are among the Next Gen Stats analytics team's 10 players most likely to earn all-star accolades for the first time this season. Expect the QB play to dramatically improve next year as teams either move onto new starters or double down on weapons for their existing starters. Brown -- who is also the NFL's leader with 2,299 yards on in-breaking routes since being drafted in 2019 -- is among the biggest factors in Philly becoming the NFLs first team to clinch a playoff spot this season. Love was smart enough to avoid being fooled by the route, allowing little separation and having enough physicality to prevent getting boxed out. [12:06] This is the second of two plays that are representative of how Cooper gets open on many occasions. Your login session has expired. Despite the emergence of Isaiah Hodgins, who re-signed with Big Blue last week, the Giants are likely to. [2:35] Richardson lines up outside (bottom of screen) behind the line of scrimmage. CBS Sports Draft Analyst Chris Trapasso joined One Bills Live from the NFL Combine. The NFC East was a historically bad division in 2020, which is why all four teams were in the race deep into the season. Second, this is clearly a play designed to get the ball to Alshon Jeffery in the red zone. Goedert like the rest of the Eagles offense has been up and down but with rookie QB Jalen Hurts finally being ushered in as the starter expect the young QB to look for Goedert as a safety blanket when things are not going his way. Tate gets wide open and signals Wentz for the TD. The NFL's top 16 wide receivers Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts Jaguars Texans Titans AFC West Broncos Chargers Chiefs. The Washington Football Team stands at 72.6 inches, or 6'1". After the snap, Richardson soon breaks inside on his route while Davis (a little behind him) breaks outside, allowing Richardson to incidentally block the DB mirroring Davis and let Davis run free up the sideline for a huge gain. [3:05] This was the play that introduced McLaurin to a lot of us. Reagor also looks a bit like a running back with the ball in his hands, juking and finding running lanes to get yards after catch. 1 receiver out of the gate. This play highlights Coopers ability to sell the deep route as well as his short area quickness to stop and turn on a dime to get open. The addition of Samuel in the offseason gives the team another dynamic option who can take it to the house anytime he touches the ball. Cooper does a good job after the catch of fighting hard and leaning forward for a few extra yards, despite having already made the first down. Not many teams can present such a matchup, but the NFCE faced two such DBs last year in Darius Slay and Stephon Gilmore, each shadowing Cooper in their respective games. The additions of Golladay and Toney should actually help Slayton and Shepard take some of the focus off them. His biggest problem is his drop rate, which will need to improve in the NFL if he is to become a trusted target of Carson Wentz. The suddenness with which Cooper changed his direction and the degree to which the CB committed deep make it impossible for the CB to redirect in time, and Cooper gets open for an easy catch. He shows excellent ability to redirect himself, locate the ball in the air, and great leaping ability to go up to get the ball. Here are the pre-free agency wide receiver rankings for the NFC North. Lastly, he is more physical than one might expect from an undersized WR and never gives up on a play, so he will often drag a tackler for several yards and excels at improvising after a play breaks down to get open when other players thought the play was dead. 2022 NFL season's top 10 wide receivers: Justin Jefferson reels in No. [9:18] Tate lines up outside this time, fakes an out route, but then redirects to run deep and accelerate quickly while CB Anthony Browns head is turned to the QB, allowing him to get yards of separation and an easy catch that he turns into a TD. Although not invited to the NFL combine, JJ had a good pro day, measuring 62 and 223 lbs, and running a 4.49s 40 yard dash. Here are the current preseason depth charts at wide receiver for teams in the NFC East & NFC South. This play really shows off Slaytons physical traits; hes got speed, acceleration, and quick change-of-direction ability for days. Watching him play, Slayton seems like a great athletic prospect who still needs a lot of refinement. Eventually, Washington took it. Hard to tell. McLaurin keeps track of the play, and when he sees Peterson coming to his side of the field, does a great job blocking Mills out of the play. McLaurin gets a poor angle on the block because of the DBs speed, but nevertheless uses his strength to hold his man in place and eventually follow him to the ground, forcing the defender to reach out for an attempted shoestring tackle. This season, the division is up for grabs yet again. The "Cheetah" has put up historic efficiency numbers this season, gaining 3.7 yards for every route run. Indeed, the only games where he had less than a 50% catch rate were against the Patriots and Lions, where he was shadowed by Stephon Gilmore and Darius Slay respectively. He got off to a strong start to the season thanks to his dominance in the short game, as his 457 receiving yards on passes of fewer than 10 air yards from Weeks 1 to 9 were 68 more than any other player recorded in that span. Sometimes he would make an incredible contested catch, then in the same game have the ball hit him in the hands and bounce into a nearby DB for an interception. After the Giants signed Kenny Golladay, the NFC East is shaping up to be one of the most competitive divisions in 2021. Dallas Cowboys. It would have made more sense for Darby to press Slayton at the line, disrupt his route, then run with him and have the other DB start further back to act as insurance if Darby gets beat. This is a perfect example of why hands-catching is necessary against NFL-caliber talent, where the few inches of separation created by catching the ball arms length away is the difference between a big catch and an incompletion. I respectfully disagree with one aspect of this otherwise fine gallery Jeff Chadiha has put together of the NFL's top 10 wide receivers. Whenever defenses left him 1-on-1 against non-elite CBs, he was able to get open for a big play, though he was often missed by inaccurate Redskins QBs early in the season. Philadelphia Eagles. He then changes direction uphill so suddenly that Lewis overshoots him on the tackle attempt. Unless Eli Manning, who has averaged 3,800 yards, 20 TDs and 12 INTs over the past two seasons with OBJ on the field with him for 16 games, can find some magic in his 38-year-old arm, the Giants receivers are unlikely to make a big dent in the league receiving statistics. Then Richardson makes a great leaping catch, highpointing the ball and securing it at maximum extension away from the DB. And Waddle -- who was named our most likely first-time Pro Bowler back in November -- has displayed plenty of it this season. This time, instead of Mike Hughes, Cooper (top of screen) is facing off against Darius Slay. But against NFL-caliber talent, it might not be enough. 1. With Amari Cooper off to Cleveland, and James Washington and Michael Gallup dealing with injuries this season, the window has been there for Lamb to step up, and hes done so with flying colors to help Dallas to its 10-3 start. Again, Slayton does the basic job necessary to run his route and make a play, but doesnt employ any subtlety or counters to beat a CB as athletic as he is. [2:38] Reagor does a good job as he approaches the CB of faking inside with his head and shoulders and planting his left leg inside, getting the CB to flip his hips inside. Cooper again lines up opposite Hughes, this time at the bottom of the screen. The NFC East is STACKED at receiver. NFC East. The Redskins highest profile receiver from 2018, Jamison Crowder, is now a New York Jet. Of course, no position group consists of just one star player. Its a big change from the pre-Gettleman Giants, who, for a while, fielded one of the highest-profile receiving groups in the league. This home run ability forces defenses to guard the deep field against Cooper and sometimes causes CBs to give up short crossing and out routes to him because they are afraid of him running deep. On the short end of the NFC East receivers, the Giants and Eagles have an average height of 72.2 inches, or 6 feet. Having a terrific big muscular body for the position and running a great 40-yard dash time are wonderful attributes, but it doesnt always translate to success in the league. In addition to football, in high school he was all-state in basketball and placed highly in track. This play showcases McLaurins acceleration, route running, hands-catching ability, and top-end speed. New York Giants. Alshon Jeffery was taken by the Bears in the 2nd round of the 2012 draft. The CB starts to close the distance, but cant stop JJ, who does a great job locating and tracking the ball in the air and catching it. Hughes gives a generous initial cushion to prevent getting beat deep, which allows Cooper to get an easy reception for a first down and then some. Amari Cooper can play every WR position: X, Z, and slot, and the Cowboys used him all over the field to exploit matchups. Still, this was overall a very positive play for Reagor. This play shows Tates nuanced route running, elite change-of-direction ability, elite quickness, and ability to shake tackles to get YAC. McLaurin is a very willing blocker in the run game and has the physicality to do it well, though his technique (body positioning and angles) need work. He can still run past many opponents, is more physical than many DBs (hes surprisingly strong for his size), and shows a lot of effort in run blocking. Despite this, Jeffery turns on a dime and immediately locates the ball in the air, leaping up to get the catch and first down. The Redskins seem to have a very high-quality group on the field, though the only well-known name in the bunch is Terry McLaurin, and his fame doesnt extend far beyond the fantasy football communityyet. Tate only has good speed, but has elite quickness, and plays like this highlight his ability to get separation quickly when in tight coverage if the DB doesnt maintain constant eyes and leverage on Tate. On the plus side, defenses respect his deep threat ability so much that opposing CBs often backed up away from the line themselves, where they were not in a position to jam him. It's really impressive. However, I noted he had a few flaws in his game that I thought would cause him problems. With this improved play expect a jump in production for all NFC East receivers in the upcoming 2021 season. Because you know what happens when a rookie receiver enters the league? March 1, 2023 6:03 am SBNation TomahawkNation. In a sport that is as physically demanding as football, one in which player injuries are common, the unit depth is as important a factor as the skill of the star players. CD Lamb is the best Wide Receiver in the NFC East . He finished the season with 48 receptions for 740 yards. The crew gets a bit motley after that, with some late-round draft picks and NFL veterans. At the Combine, he had posted a very good 4.42s 40-yard dash (showing good deep speed), but also produced an elite 6.71s 3-cone drill (agility), and 3.98s 20 yard shuttle (acceleration). The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. The team is left with newly-signed the veteran free agent, 30-year-old Golden Tate (who, for the record, I wanted the Redskins to sign in free agency this year) as the apparent top receiver on the roster. Darby is a much better (and faster) CB than Douglas and runs with McLaurin down the sideline, but Terry turns back at just the right time, quickly locates the ball in the air, tracks it, and reaches out to make a very tough contested catch. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. The Rams are simply not the same team when Kupp is off the field. [0:41] This is almost a mirror of the first play shown above against the Vikings. Gambling problem? This play shows good awareness by Richardson to read the defense and split the defenders, as well good speed (notice how quickly he runs by them) and good ability to locate the ball and adjust to it. He will break down film of some of the top receivers in the division: Click here to read the 2019 review of wide receivers which includes Golden Tate, Alshon Jeffrey and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside as well as last years look at Cooper and McLaurin. Jonathan Mingo - Mississippi Feb 2, 2023; Mobile, AL,. Tier 1: Elite 1. While gaining separation through great route running is fantastic, there are some great receivers like DeAndre Hopkins that just win time and time again at the catch point despite not gaining a lot of separation. 6 year vet Logan Thomas is having a career year. . Not only did he gain an impressive number of yards after catch with his explosiveness and quick cuts, but this play seems designed around getting the ball to Reagor, whom the coaches clearly see as their teams number 1 weapon. Also, Im not sure how much this will translate to the NFL, but I literally saw Reagor yelling at his QB after some plays where he expected a different read or better ball placement. 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