WR Review of 2004 Draft Picks

[Mickey]

Wide Receiver Review

 

Larry Fitzgerald: Taken with the third pick in the draft by Arizona, Fitzgerald started 15 games snagging 55 catches for 744 yards and 8 TDs not to mention 34 first downs.

 

Roy Williams: Taken by Detroit with the 7th pick in the draft. He started 11 games, made 50 catches for 7 TDs, 755 yards and 31 first downs.

 

Reggie Williams: Taken by J’ville with the 9th pick in the draft. He has started 15 games but only has 27 catches for 268 yards and one TD to go with 14 first downs.

 

Lee Evans: Taken by the Bills with the 13th pick, he has only started 11 games but has 46 catches for 780 yards, 9 TD’s and 37 first downs. His average per catch is over 17 yards.

 

Michael Clayton: Taken by Tampa Bay with the 15th pick in the draft, Clayton has started 12 games and has a whopping 78 catches for 1107 yards, 6 TD’s and 54 FD’s.

 

Michael Jenkins: Taken by the Falcons with the 29th pick. He hasn’t started a game and has only 6 catches.

 

Rashaun Woods: Taken by SF with the 31st pick of the first round. He has no starts, only 4 or 5 catches and 1 TD.

 

Devery Henderson: Taken with the 18th pick in the second rd., 50th overall by the Saints. He was a hold out, missed a week or two of camp. Hurt his hamstring in October and has only played in one game, zero catches.

 

Darius Watts: Taken by Denver with the 22 pick in the second Rd., 54th overall. Has only two starts but has played in every game, 31 catches and 1 TD.

 

Keary Colbert: Carolina picked him with the 30 the pick in the 2nd, 62nd overall. Has 14 starts, 45 catches, 715 yards and 5 TD’s.

 

Ernest Wilford: Taken by J’ville in the 4th round with the 24th pick, 120th overall. He actually has 16 catches though he is credited for 17 (the TD against Buffalo was not a catch). He has 215 yards and 2 legal TD’s to go with the illegal one in Buffalo.

 

Clarence Moore: Taken by the Ravens with the 34th pick in the 6th, 199 overall (comp pick). Moore has started 5 or 6 games and played in almost all of their games. He has 23 catches for 279 yards and 4 TD’s.

 

Jonathan “Fast Freddie” Smith: Buffalo took him in the last round with the 13th pick, 214th overall. He has 3 catches and has run 2 reverses. He has returned punts, one for a TD and several others for over 20 yards.

 

 

Patrick Crayton: Dallas picked him with the 15th in the 7th, 216th overall. He has 7 catches for 104 yards and a TD.

 

I skipped some who are basically complete non factors but who were expected to be. We obviously did very well with Lee Evans but Clayton so far is the stud of the first round group and of the upper echelon guys, none appear to be busts although I am sure Reggie Williams has been a bit of a disappointment so far. Jenkins, Henderson and Woods are possible busts but they were taken so late in the first and in Henderson’s case, the second, that I don’t think you can label them busts for not hitting stride in their first year.

 

Overall, I’d have to say that is one of the best WR draft classes ever. Evans, with his speed has a chance to be the best of the lot. To be fair, I haven’t seen much of Clayton and some of the others but even so, I don’t know if I have ever seen that much speed in a Bills uni. He reminds me of Marvin Harrison who I watched at Syracuse for 4 years. Harrison runs a sub 4.3 40 yard dash. That makes Torry Holt look slow.

[Rico]

Nice post. I don't think Clayton is "obviously" the stud of the WR draft, he's just had more balls thrown his way this year. He looked damn good yesterday, but I've got to dock him some style points for dating MANtasia from American Idol.

 

I rank the top 5 as such:

1. Lee Evans - gets better every week

2. Larry Fitzgerald - too bad he's on the friggin' Cardinals

3. Roy Williams - injuries hurt

4. Michael Clayton - super-solid

5. Kerry Colbert - 2nd-round steal

[Crows57]

Wide Receiver Review

 

Larry Fitzgerald: Taken with the third pick in the draft by Arizona, Fitzgerald started 15 games snagging 55 catches for 744 yards and 8 TDs not to mention 34 first downs.

 

Roy Williams:  Taken by Detroit with the 7th pick in the draft.  He started 11 games, made 50 catches for 7 TDs, 755 yards and 31 first downs.

 

Reggie Williams:  Taken by J’ville with the 9th pick in the draft.  He has started 15 games but only has 27 catches for 268 yards and one TD to go with 14 first downs.

 

Lee Evans:  Taken by the Bills with the 13th pick, he has only started 11 games but has 46 catches for 780 yards, 9 TD’s and 37 first downs.  His average per catch is over 17 yards.

 

Michael Clayton:  Taken by Tampa Bay with the 15th pick in the draft, Clayton has started 12 games and has a whopping 78 catches for 1107 yards, 6 TD’s and 54 FD’s.

 

Michael Jenkins:  Taken by the Falcons with the 29th pick.  He hasn’t started a game and has only 6 catches.

 

Rashaun Woods:  Taken by SF with the 31st pick of the first round.  He has no starts, only 4 or 5 catches and 1 TD.

 

I suspect if teams got a chance to draft again now instead of back in April, Fitzgerald and Roy Williams would be the first two, and Evans and Clayton would be the next 2.

 

Their production seems to be higher than most rookie WRs.

[LabattBlue]

I remember touting Rashaun Woods before the draft, because so many of the draft publications labeled him as "he is ready to step in and adapt to the NFL game".

[Pete]

Good post. The 1996 draft had Meshawn, Marvin Harrison, Eddie Kennison, Eric Moulds, Joe Horn, Muhsin Muhammod, Terrell Owens, Bobby Engram, Amani Toomer. Not too shabby. Time will tell how this years WR class stacks up against that one.

[ganesh]

Nice post. I don't think Clayton is "obviously" the stud of the WR draft, he's just had more balls thrown his way this year. He looked damn good yesterday, but I've got to dock him some style points for dating MANtasia  from American Idol.

 

I rank the top 5 as such:

1. Lee Evans - gets better every week

2. Larry Fitzgerald - too bad he's on the friggin' Cardinals

3. Roy Williams - injuries hurt

4. Michael Clayton - super-solid

5. Kerry Colbert - 2nd-round steal

180577[/snapback]

Again, Kerry Colbert also got lucky because Steve Smith got hurt and he

got his chance to shine....Mushin Mohammed is going to the probowl from

the panthers...KC got the same deal as Evans got with the bills. He had a

stud WR to take the pressure off.

[ganesh]

Reggie Williams:  Taken by J’ville with the 9th pick in the draft.  He has started 15 games but only has 27 catches for 268 yards and one TD to go with 14 first downs.

 

180437[/snapback]

 

The JAX were adamant to not give up this pick on draft day when TD wanted

to jump ahead of Pitt and get big-ben. Damn, they could have got a better

WR...Now I thank that it did not happen and we got the stud WR.

[Pete]

The JAX were adamant to not give up this pick on draft day when TD wanted

to jump ahead of Pitt and get big-ben.  Damn, they could have got a better

WR...Now I thank that it did not happen and we got the stud WR.

180675[/snapback]

 

I watched Washington play a bunch last year and never understood all the hype for Reggie Williams. He never impressed me. Evans on the other hand was always a force at Wisconson. He was unbeleivable before his injury and recovered nicely since

[ACor58]

I really like Michael Clayton and would have been just as happy had the Bills chose him instead of Evans. I guess that TD had a bad taste in his mouth from the last LSU WR that we had drafted.

 

Evans has been great thus far, but the judegment is still out on whether he will become a true number one. Let's not forget that he has a stud on the other side of the field from him. Remember that guy that we traded to Atlanta.

[ATBNG]

Nice post. I don't think Clayton is "obviously" the stud of the WR draft, he's just had more balls thrown his way this year. He looked damn good yesterday, but I've got to dock him some style points for dating MANtasia  from American Idol.

 

I rank the top 5 as such:

1. Lee Evans - gets better every week

2. Larry Fitzgerald - too bad he's on the friggin' Cardinals

3. Roy Williams - injuries hurt

4. Michael Clayton - super-solid

5. Kerry Colbert - 2nd-round steal

180577[/snapback]

 

Mantasia...

 

I personally have been surprised at how slow Fitzgerald looks when he's out there, although I know that this could be mitigated somewhat by his ankle which he hurt in the preseason. It seemed to me though that he could not operate as a pure #1 and that he only began to get catches once Boldin came back.

 

In my mind Williams looked like the prize early on just because of his physical gifts, but there's little doubt that all these guys have come as advertised - the best WR class in a near-decade (since 1996). Can't quibble with your rankings too much Rico save for moving a guy down or up a spot. Evans has been very productive right when they needed him.

[jahnyc]

What a great group of rookie wrs. It usually takes a couple of years for a wide receiver to become effective. I wonder if there has ever been this kind of overall production from a group of first year wrs. I doubt it.

 

I really wanted the Bills to draft R. Williams and thought that M. Clayton was going to be a bust. Glad that the Bills selected Evans.

[stuckincincy]

What a great group of rookie wrs.  It usually takes a couple of years for a wide receiver to become effective.  I wonder if there has ever been this kind of overall production from a group of first year wrs.  I doubt it.

 

I really wanted the Bills to draft R. Williams and thought that M. Clayton was going to be a bust.  Glad that the Bills selected Evans.

181050[/snapback]

 

 

Rule changes, or more to the point, enforcement of rules that lets a flag fly if a db so much as breathes on a wr guaranteed a bumper crop.

[Albany,n.y.]

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/492890

 

You forgot Bernard Berrian of the Bears

[theNose76]

They've definitely been a good bunch. I wanted Evans before the draft as well, although I wishfully thought we could trade down and get him later in the 1st. I didn't see both Roy and Reggie going in the top 10, thought Reggie would fall a little further. Despite the success of Clayton and Roy W, I still think Evans was the correct guy for TD to have taken. He is exactly what the offense was missing - a consistent big play threat with great speed and hands. And a great compliment to EM. Check out the article in the Buffalo News about the two WRs, great read: http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20041...?tbd1060493.asp

[theNose76]

Also Mike Williams was supposed to be in this draft class, he was a top 10 prospect until the new ruling came down. He still looks like he will be a great NFL WR.

[alg]

Nice post. Definitely an amazing group of rookie WRs. Their early production bodes well, and they may end up passing the '96 group as the best WR draft of all time.

 

Because of the guys being discussed, I would like to ask a somewhat off-topic question. I have 2 dynasty FFB teams, one w/ Clayton and both w/ Fitz. I am trying to get Clayton on the 2nd, and am looking to deal Jerry Porter. Would you all give up Clayton for Porter? Would you all give up Evans for Clayton? Don't like to highjack a thread, but Im having a time of it figuring out these relative values...

[alg]

Rule changes, or more to the point, enforcement of rules that lets a flag fly if a db so much as breathes on a wr guaranteed a bumper crop.

181058[/snapback]

 

I actually think the rule enforcement favored TEs more then anyone.

[theNose76]

Nice post.  Definitely an amazing group of rookie WRs.  Their early production bodes well, and they may end up passing the '96 group as the best WR draft of all time.

 

Because of the guys being discussed, I would like to ask a somewhat off-topic question.  I have 2 dynasty FFB teams, one w/  Clayton and both w/ Fitz.  I am trying to get Clayton on the 2nd, and am looking to deal Jerry Porter.  Would you all give up Clayton for Porter?  Would you all give up Evans for Clayton?  Don't like to highjack a thread, but Im having a time of it figuring out these relative values...

181072[/snapback]

Clayton at this point is in a very good situation. Porter is a question mark because of his free agency status, he could end up anywhere after the season. Evans also, he makes a great tandem with Moulds but for now is the #2. It seems that Clayton is in the best spot, being the #1 target on a team with a QB who seems to be coming along finally in Griese and a great offensive mind at coach with Gruden. L Fitz is in a similar situation, although Boldin takes away some of that. I would think it'd be difficult for you to get Clayton for either of those, and if so, it would Evans.

[ATBNG]

Clayton at this point is in a very good situation.  Porter is a question mark because of his free agency status, he could end up anywhere after the season.  Evans also, he makes a great tandem with Moulds but for now is the #2.  It seems that Clayton is in the best spot, being the #1 target on a team with a QB who seems to be coming along finally in Griese and a great offensive mind at coach with Gruden.  L Fitz is in a similar situation, although Boldin takes away some of that.  I would think it'd be difficult for you to get Clayton for either of those, and if so, it would Evans.

181080[/snapback]

 

From a cold hearted fantasy perspective, the AFC East figures to be an excellent defensive division for a few years as it has been over the last three or four. I try not to think outside of three years because so much can happen - especially in the NFL.

 

Evans has great stats, but he's gotten a lot of them against the NFC West, who he won't see again for four years. He might be a tad inflated. I'd still take him over Porter, who hasn't shown much consistency. So, when it comes to Clayton, I'd keep him over Evans and Porter (and even Fitzgerald). Porter is four among those two - and Evans/Fitz is really close. I'm almost convinced Evans will be the better receiver, but those NFC West defenses mitigate that.

[alg]

So you all would look at it thus?

 

1. Clayton

2. Evans

3. Fitz

4. Porter

 

Dang, I was afraid of that. The guy who has Clayton also has Losman. I have been trying to get those guys all season, but Clayton has been getting more valuable every friggin week. What to do....what to do....

 

Thanks for the help.