happyrid Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 These draft-week articles from Bob McGinn where he polls a bunch of scouts are one of my favorites. The WR one just came out: WIDE RECEIVERS1. LAQUON TREADWELL, Mississippi (6-2, 219, 4.64, 1-2): Third-year junior from Crete-Monee High School in south suburban Chicago. "He's got a lot of traits like Anquan Boldin," said one scout. "His physicality. He won't be the fastest but he does have size and stature. He doesn't run the whole route tree there. Plays with an attitude. A lot of people knock him on the speed but when the ball's at the catch point he comes down with it." Suffered a brutal leg injury in mid-2014 but was back for the start of '15. Finished with a school-record 202 catches (in just 35 games) for 2,393 yards (11.8-yard average) and 21 touchdowns. "Solid," said another scout. "Larry Fitzgerald didn't run well. Even Jerry Rice, he never ran better than 4.6. I hate to get scared off by the time but I would not take him (in the first round)." Won't turn 21 until June. Scored 20 on the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test. "He has no run after the catch ability," a third scout said. "He runs heavy-legged. I don't like him. Everybody's trying to make him out as a No. 1 receiver but he's not."2. JOSH DOCTSON, Texas Christian (6-2, 203, 4.48, 1-2): Caught 35 passes at Wyoming as a lightly recruited freshman before transferring to TCU, where he broke Mike Renfro's 38-year-old record for most receiving yards (2,785). "Very similar to Treadwell," one scout said. "Treadwell's probably a little bit stronger and more physical. Very polished route runner. Very good hands. Vertical guy. Tracks the ball well." Finished with 215 catches at the two schools for 3,178 (14.8) and 34 TDs. "Great kid," said another scout. "Quiet, smart, reserved. Never have an issue." Tied Sterling Shepard for best vertical jump (41 inches) among WRs and led the top players at the position in the broad jump (10-11). "First round," said a third scout. "Everybody was questioning his 40 time but he ran (fast) at the combine. That puts him in there automatically. He's got great hands." From Mansfield, Texas.3. COREY COLEMAN, Baylor (5-10 ½, 193, 4.38, 2): Fourth-year junior from Richardson, Texas. "He is a slot but he could play outside," said one scout. "He's a No. 2. His play speed is good and he's athletic. Baylor guys have a lot to learn because of the way they play. On their backside, they don't even come off the line and you don't really block." Vertical jump of 40 ½, broad jump of 10-9 and the second-fastest 40 of the top 15 WRs. "He's very thick and strong and short," a second scout said. "Explosive run after the catch guy. He's like Anquan Boldin." Finished with 173 receptions for 3,009 (17.4) and 33 TDs. "He doesn't have great hands but he has solid hands," said a third scout. "Part of his (catching) issue is they went through four quarterbacks this year at Baylor." Wonderlic of 10.4. WILL FULLER, Notre Dame (6-0, 189, 4.33, 2): Compared by one scout to Mike Wallace. "In that he doesn't have great hands and he's fast as hell," the scout said. "He can make somebody run deep and then throw the ball underneath. He's going to be a smoother route runner than Mike." His small hands (8 ¼ inches) no doubt contributed to a reported 21 drops the past two years. "He's been clocked as low as 4.28," another scout said. "Frail body so he'll have his drop issues across the middle in traffic. If you pressed him they went vertical fade. If they played off they ran a stop route. I never saw him come inside. DeSean Jackson is the same way." Third-year junior finished with 144 catches for 2,512 (17.4) and 30 TDs. "If you want somebody to scare a defense, that's the guy," a third scout said. "His hands aren't the best. Not a great route runner, not a lot of toughness inside. Somebody might take him bottom of the first round. Each year, somebody runs fast, they get taken high." From Philadelphia.5. MICHAEL THOMAS, Ohio State (6-3, 212, 4.56, 2-3): Fourth-year junior declared after starting 27 of 37 games. "Long strider, nonexplosive," said one scout. "Had his issues with drops. You like the size. He's somewhat of a diva. Takes after his uncle (Keyshawn Johnson) a little bit. Once you get to know him I think you can channel him. I see him as No. 3." Finished with 113 catches for 1,602 (14.2) and 18 TDs. "He's a build to speed guy," another scout said. "He's just so damn inconsistent. He could be the best blocker. He can crush people. He just doesn't do it all the time. He's got great catching range, all this and that. He also drops balls." From Woodland Hills, Calif.6. TYLER BOYD, Pittsburgh (6-1 ½, 196, 4.56, 3): Third-year junior from Clairton, Pa., where his high school team went 63-1 in four years and he scored a record 117 TDs. "Came from a tough area outside Pittsburgh," one scout said. "Poverty-stricken area, real street kid." Had a DUI in June. "You've got to have the right people around this kid but everyone (at Pitt) genuinely likes this kid," another scout said. "Where he's from there is nothing. He's not a bad kid." Rewrote the Pitt record book, finishing with 254 catches for 3,361 (13.2) and 21 TDs in 38 games (33 starts). "Nifty, quick feet," a scout said. "Can really snap routes off. He's not going to win any tough-guy contests. He'd sooner play on the perimeter than in the middle." Didn't run well and his athletic numbers were pedestrian. "Even though he may not have the great speed I think he's underrated," another scout said. "He will be a good pro."7. STERLING SHEPARD, Oklahoma (5-10, 193, 4.44, 3): Started 41 of 50 games. "He's a slot," one scout said. "He's quick, he's shifty, knows how to play. Not the biggest and toughest. He doesn't play as fast as he times but he should do well in there. Randall Cobb has more grit, versatility, big-play stuff." He and Aaron Burbridge tied for most reps (20) on the bench press among WRs. "He is (just a slot), but most teams run 60, 65% of their offense in a three-wide receiver package," a second scout said. "So he's going to be on the field a lot. He's very steady. Really good hands. Very good route runner." Finished with 233 catches for 3,482 (14.9) and 26 TDs. "He's not a real fast guy and not a real (big) guy, but he just has that knack and he's a pretty good punt returner," a third scout said. Father, Derrick, was an NFL WR from 1987-'91. From Oklahoma City.8. BRAXTON MILLER, Ohio State (6-1 ½, 202, 4.45, 3): Moved to WR in 2015 because of a right shoulder injury that required two operations and the Buckeyes' surplus of QBs. Went 22-2 with an NFL passer rating of 100.0 and rushed for 33 rushing TDs as a QB; Big Ten MVP in 2012 and '13. "Kind of like the Percy Harvin kid where they just get him the ball and let him be an athlete," one scout said. "He's still raw at receiver. Kind of an introverted kid. Not a big personality. I wouldn't take him before the third. Just average smarts." Scored 9 on the Wonderlic a year ago before improving to 19 on his second attempt. "He is a project, but a worthwhile project," a second scout said. "He's got speed, and he's probably the best runner of the football of the whole group." Started seven of 13 games in the slot, catching 26 for 341 (13.1) and three TDs. "I really have my doubts right now," said a third scout. "There's a long way for him to go. He's an athlete, but draft him high? Not me." From Huber Heights, Ohio.9. LEONTE CARROO, Rutgers (6-0, 211, 4.48, 3-4): Scarlet Knights' MVP last season. "He's a better player than Mohamed Sanu coming out of there," one scout said. "He's a No. 2 for sure, and if he's a No. 3 you've got a hell of a receiving corps. He can play inside or outside. He's got speed, he's tough, got ball skills, good run after (the catch). In and out of the lineup with injury and character issues." Two-year starter with 122 receptions for 2,373 (19.5) and 29 TDs. "He's James Jones," another scout said. "Little faster, but big and strong hands and a strong runner after the catch." From Edison, N.J.10. DeMARCUS ROBINSON, Florida (6-1 ½, 203, 4.58, 3-6): Third-year junior from Fort Valley, Ga., who has admitted to three failed drug tests and has undergone rehabilitation. "Father shot himself (suicide) when he was 2 years old," said one scout. "Not arrogant or surly or anything. But I wouldn't even mess with him." Managed to play 32 games (20 starts) in three years despite repeated suspensions and benchings. Finished with 106 catches for 1,355 (12.8) and nine TDs. "He's a gifted kid but you've got to get past all the off-the-field stuff," another scout said. "He has a whole slew of things but somebody will ignore it. Third round." Wonderlic of 15. Added a third scout: "I don't care. He is (expletive) talented. You should see him run after the catch."11. AARON BURBRIDGE, Michigan State (6-0, 205, 4.50, 4): Finally got a chance to be theguy in 2015 and hauled in 85 passes. "Physical," said one scout. "Strong hands. Had some drops latter part of the season. Had a great pro day. Not a burner. Less than 9-inch hands (8 ¼), and that always scares you." Finished with 165 catches for 2,174 (13.2) and 10 TDs. "You can have him," another scout said. "Drops too many footballs. Why do you think the quarterback (Connor Cook) struggled a little bit this year? He had receivers that dropped balls." Wonderlic of 27 was best score by a top-15 WR. From Farmington Hills, Mich.12. MALCOLM MITCHELL, Georgia (5-11 ½, 197, 4.43, 4): Blew out his ACL in the 2013 opener and was still having problems with the knee at the Senior Bowl. "The key will be the medical," said one scout. "The knee is a concern. He's got talent. At his pro-day workout he worked out as a corner." Highly rated CB out of Valdosta, Ga., and actually started three games there in '12. Finished with 174 catches for 2,350 (13.5) and 16 TDs. "Steady eddie," another scout said. "Very bright kid. Great character kid. Been a good producer." OTHERS: Charone Peake, Clemson; Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina; Tajae Sharpe, Massachusetts; Jordan Payton, UCLA; Keyarris Garrett, Tulsa; Kolby Listenbee, Texas Christian; Chris Moore, Cincinnati; Trevor Davis, California; Roger Lewis, Bowling Green; Ricardo Louis, Auburn; Moritz Boehringer, Aalen University (Germany). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyrid Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Would love any of the top 3 in the first round. Leaning more and more towards Coleman as the draft gets closer. Like that even though he is short, he's really solidly built and he brings that sub-4.4 speed that is so rare and hard to find.Like Carroo in the 3rd or 4th round. Just seems like a real solid, safe option for what we need.Kind of intrigued by Demarcus Robinson. He always jumped out at me when I watched him at UF. If he's there in the 5th round or so and you already have a guy like Coleman/Doctson drafted early, the risk/reward makes sense. Maybe you end up with a steal if he gets his head on straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who Dey Forever Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 It's comical that people rate Fuller higher than Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyrid Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 It's comical that people rate Fuller higher than ThomasCompletely disagree. Fuller was way more productive in college and he's way faster.Size isn't everything. And people put way too much importance on whether a guy drops 5% vs. 7% vs. 10%. Everybody has drops. A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert, Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu all had some big drops last year. Too many drops was also the main negative on Tyler Lockett this time last year. Wasn't an issue for him. I'm a Buckeye fan and like Thomas. He has his own positives. But acting like he's a slam-dunk over Fuller is just wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Wil be happy if they get one of these three:Doctson,Coleman or Fuller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Love Bob's stuff. Always interesting to read the different takes. He has the QB's up as well since there is a chance, albeit slim, that we take one in the middle-to-late rounds.http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/later-round-gems-can-be-found-even-in-down-years-b99704533z1-376579591.htmFaulty link. Needs an l at the end of it. I'd do it but I'm on my phone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michigan Muskie Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Remy Abell, Xavier (6'5", 4.65) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SocalBengalEd Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Coleman wonderlic of 10 is kinda worrisome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyrid Posted April 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Coleman wonderlic of 10 is kinda worrisome Yeah, definitely noticed that and it's not ideal. A.J. Green had a 10 also though, so it's not quite as big a deal at WR as at other positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelWeston Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 I'd take Coleman Treadwell and Doctson in the first likely in reverse order. I'd also take sterling Shepard in the first. To me he is a clear future stud. Elite everything but size. My second wr would be hunter sharpe in the 5-6 range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Tigre Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Coleman wonderlic of 10 is kinda worrisome "Fourth-year junior..."Says a lot too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimKrumrieFan Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 "Fourth-year junior..."Says a lot too. Because he redshirt as a freshman because they wanted him to gain some more strength before playing? That couldn't be less related to intelligence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Tigre Posted April 22, 2016 Report Share Posted April 22, 2016 Whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfeet4real Posted April 23, 2016 Report Share Posted April 23, 2016 1. Doctson2. Treadwell3. Coleman If all three aren't at 24 I'm picking DT or BPA. Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|BlackJesus| Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 Coleman wonderlic of 10 is kinda worrisome I think Wonderlic is more tied to upbringing and childhood development, than natural intelligence. Coleman comes from the streets and his father is imprisoned as a cocaine dealer until 2021, so that likely plays into it. I wouldn't be worried about his ability as a WR though. Baylor star WR Corey Coleman weighs reconciling with imprisoned father Oct 21, 2015 Chris LowESPN Senior Staff Writer WACO, Texas -- Corey Coleman learned to play football in the streets against a backdrop most of us couldn't begin to imagine. Maybe that's where he gets his passion for the game and his steely toughness, two things Baylor coach Art Briles says separates the Bears junior receiver, who's torching cornerbacks, shattering records and blazing his way into serious Heisman Trophy consideration. Coleman spent the first part of his childhood growing up in one of the toughest sections of South Dallas, the Highland Hills neighborhood in Oak Cliff. "We'd be playing tackle football on the street, and you'd hear gunshots," Coleman recalled. "My mom would come out and make me come in. And after an hour, I'd sneak back out to play again. That's just the way it was. Police were always coming around. People were getting arrested, and sometimes people got shot. I guess you got used to it." In such a dangerous environment, it would have been easy for Coleman to wind up as just another statistic. But thanks to his mother's will and his own determination, he's now putting up staggering numbers for the No. 2 Bears. He has already broken the Baylor single-season record with 16 touchdown catches in just six games and is on pace to break the FBS record of 27, set by Louisiana Tech's Troy Edwards in 1998. Coleman speaks softly and reverently about his mom, Cassandra Jones, who raised three children on her own. Coleman's father, Melvin Coleman, has drifted in and out of his life and is currently serving time at Texarkana Federal Correctional Institution. He was convicted of felony cocaine distribution last year and has a release date of Nov. 26, 2021. Coleman has two older sisters, Ashley Coleman and Kenosha Jones. He and Ashley share the same father, and both have managed to forgive him over the years for not being there. Ashley, who's 14 months older than Coleman, has gone to visit her father in prison a handful of times. He hasn't reached that point yet, although he has communicated with his father via letters and phone calls since he has been incarcerated. "It's been hard. All of it has," Coleman said. "Growing up, you've got your mom and two sisters, and just about everybody else has their dad in their life. I had to learn a lot of stuff on my own, learn from my mistakes, because I didn't have my dad there to help me through them. That's hard for a little kid, but it worked out. "My mom was there and so were my sisters, and here I am today. I made it." Coleman's mother worked two jobs when her kids were little. She took the bus to work because she didn't own a car, and she still gets teary-eyed thinking back to how much they struggled. The children went to a different elementary school just about every year because Cassandra was desperate to move her kids to a safer neighborhood. "Where we were living, there were a lot of things that weren't good for my kids, and I was going to do whatever I could to get them out," Cassandra said. "It had to be better somewhere else. It just had to be, and I was going to find it." They moved from Oak Cliff to Garland to Irving and finally to Richardson. Coleman was in the sixth grade by the time they made that last move, which he says opened up a whole new world for him. About the time Coleman turned 9, he was introduced to former Baylor star Ray Crockett, who would become his godfather. A family friend knew Crockett, who took Coleman under his wing. Coleman traveled with Crockett to compete in track meets and play in AAU basketball tournaments. During that time, on some nights he would stay with Crockett at his home in Southlake. "He helped show me the bigger picture," Coleman said of Crockett, who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos. "You see a lot of people growing up with a lot of talent, but they don't make it. I pictured myself living the way Ray does in Southlake, and that pushed me even harder to stay out of trouble and distance myself from anything and anybody that might lead to trouble." Despite his dad being absent for much of his life, Coleman said his mother never tried to turn him against his dad and in fact has encouraged him to reconnect. Ashley, who for a long time was understandably bitter toward her father, has also helped him cross that bridge. "I just told him that when he's ready [to visit his father in prison] that I'll go with him," Ashley said. "It's hard for both of us. Who wants to see their dad in that situation? I've told Corey that the only thing we can do is move forward and forgive him. We can't go back and undo what's been done. I'm glad that Corey's at a point that he can answer his phone calls and talk to him." This isn't the first time Melvin Coleman has been incarcerated, so it's only natural that Coleman would be apprehensive about what kind of relationship they can build. Cassandra said she was pregnant with him when Melvin went to prison for two and a half years and that Melvin wasn't around much after he was released. But as Coleman's football career started to take off at Pearce High, they started to reconnect. "We started talking, and he was trying to come around a little bit," Coleman said. "But before we could ever build a strong relationship or even have a chance to, he got sent away." Melvin was indicted by a grand jury on felony cocaine distribution charges on May 7, 2012. A little more than a month later, Coleman reported to Baylor as a freshman, wondering whether his father would ever be a meaningful part of his life. "You have to learn to forgive people, and I've forgiven him," Coleman said. "But I don't want to be anything like that. I want to be a man and take care of my kids. But at the end of the day, he is my dad. And hopefully, when he gets out, we can try to build something, but he has to know my mom and two sisters come first." Coleman, who also has two half-brothers on his father's side, said his dad has apologized for all of the hurt he has caused the family. "My dad's got a lot of pride. So for him to say that he's sorry, that's a good start," he said. "He's like me. He has a lot of pride. For him to say that, that meant something." Baylor has another bye week the last weekend in October, and Coleman has thought about going to see his dad then. He might also wait until after the season. "It's going to break me down, but my sister will be with me," he said. "I've been holding off for the longest. I want to go see him, but it's kind of hard because I don't know what it will do to me to see him in there. I don't want it to mess me up emotionally during the season." Melvin is able to watch his son's games in prison, according to Ashley, and can't stop talking about his son's exploits when she goes to visit him. "He's so proud of Corey and says he deserves everything he's getting," Ashley said. And while he is willing to give his father another chance, he makes it clear he owes everything to his mother. As he's grown older, he marvels at how his mother juggled everything she did with three young children and sacrificed the way she did so that her kids could beat the odds. Kenosha, 28, has a family and is a teacher in Irving, while Ashley, 22, plans to go to nursing school. "My mom's the reason I play so hard," Coleman said. "She was everything. She was our mom and our dad, and it's amazing to see what a strong woman she is, the way she raised us on her own and how we all turned out." "He's a passionate, tough individual, and a lot of times that doesn't go hand in hand with receivers. But he's got skill, speed, versatility and toughness. He's definitely got it all." Art Briles Baylor offensive coordinator Kendal Briles recruited Coleman and remembers thinking then what a rock Cassandra was and how Coleman was a reflection of his mother. "She's an unbelievable lady, and you see so much of her in Corey," Briles said. "There was nothing she wouldn't do for her kids, and there's nothing Corey wouldn't do for this team." Coleman has caught at least two touchdown passes in every game this season and is averaging 21.3 yards per catch. Good luck finding a more explosive player in college football. West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen last week called him the best player in college football. His teammates occasionally refer to him as "Savage" because he blocks (all 5-foot-11, 190 pounds of him) with the same passion as he runs pass routes. "He's a passionate, tough individual, and a lot of times that doesn't go hand-in-hand with receivers," Art Briles said. "But he's got skill, speed, versatility and toughness. He's definitely got it all." The Bears have even lined him up in the backfield and handed him the ball on some plays this season. "He'll do it more and more as the season progresses," Art Briles said. "Maybe the defense is saying, 'Good, you don't have him out there at receiver.' I don't know. I just know that he's thinking touchdown every time he touches it." The same way he was some 15 years ago in the Highland Hills streets, right there near the intersection of Bonnie View and Ledbetter. "I get emotional when I watch him play now," Cassandra said, her voice trailing off. "I think about him as a small child and how I'd tell him he couldn't play football in the street, that he was going to get hurt. The minute I'd turn my back, he'd be right back out there again. "He just had that willpower, the kind that says, 'I'm going to make it no matter what.'" http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/13937774/baylor-bears-wr-corey-coleman-had-tough-road-becoming-nation-most-productive-player Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|BlackJesus| Posted April 24, 2016 Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 In my view ... 1. Treadwell 2. Coleman3. No more year 1 starters available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyrid Posted April 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2016 "Fourth-year junior..."Says a lot too. Not being a smart-ass here, but what point are you trying to make? The player's class always refers to his football eligibility. There are a ton of guys who redshirt because most freshmen aren't ready to play. I believe Ohio State redshirted something like 20 of their 26 freshmen last year. All of those guys will be 4th year juniors down the line.Just amongst the top receivers, Doctson's a 5th year senior, Michael Thomas is a 4th year junior, Braxton Miller's a 5th year senior, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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