What is up, dollphans, and welcome to the Draft Time Podcast. I am your host, Travis Wingfield. And on today's episode, we are right back to the positional capsules, a very important group to talk about today, both with Miami's incumbents, what might happen at the top, the draft prospects, the free agent possibilities out there. We're going to talk all
things wide receivers. Plus I have some thoughts on some of the comments and content that happened during the weekend or the week that was rather at the super Bowl at Radio Row from the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex. This is the Draft Time Podcast, Jeff. Before we dive into these wide outs, is my friend? OJ McDuffie might say, still feels very cool to call
him my friend. There was a lot of material to cover from the week that was at the super Bowl, but the Monday show was already so jam packed with content. I wanted to cover some of it with you guys here on the Wednesday show. And it all kind of ties together because I have four things and they're all
on the offensive side of the football. First up, Marino was talking about Tua at his Dan Marino, Tarn talked about his future, Tyreek talked about his future and the apology tour, and of course the Jalen Wattle injury prone narrative, I guess is the right word out there. Let's go ahead and start with Marino in Tua off the top. Marino revealed that it was an injury akin to a hit pointer, which we've discussed on this show a few times.
And you know, we know that two was adamant that he was going to play regardless of orders had we made the playoffs, and obviously a week eighteen did not allow for that. But let's just say, with his gusto about playing, it would have had to have been pretty bad, right.
Immobile is the term that I would use.
I don't think he physically could have done it for them to hold him back like their playoffs lives were on the line.
I just think we should keep that in mind.
And that was a pretty big hit to that hip on that scramble against the Texans, and again it comes with Tua as a runner. And so that's kind of the conversation you have to have if you're the Miami Dolphins brass this year is how the hell do you keep your quarterback safe. That hasn't proven an ability to do that, to do that outside of one season, and I don't think you can tell your quarterback to just
be a statue in today's NFL. And hell, we saw some of Tua's biggest plays over the last three years come as a result of his ability to move around a little bit. That famous you know, he's got to Tyreek going deep speed racer. That was him jumping off off the spot and attacking the last scrimmage and throwing
the ball down the field. The spin touchdown throw to River Craycraft against the Ravens back in twenty twenty two, the Buffalo touchdown last year on the move, that third and a mile conversion to Raheem Mostert against the Rams that kept our season alive at that juncture of the season.
I do not want to lose those plays.
But if we don't have Tua, we literally cannot beat anybody who's fielding an NFL team. And you know, we did beat Jake Brisket led Patriots, who have the worst offensive personnel in the league we've seen in the last half decade. And then Dory and Thompson Robinson, who will never start a game in the NFL ever again. So my take is I think Tua should have the same offseason regimens he had last year. But I think he just has to play smarter, which we all have asked
for that for a while now. That's all it is. And I always say I understand the Houston play because it was a critical down and a critical game. Any third down in the game of that magnitude is gonna be big. You can't give away possessions. I don't want him to give up on those plays, and I'll take the risks that come with that, But like the concussion against Buffalo down twenty one in Week two, we can live without those, right. That's where I come down on
the Tua debate. Let's just reduce the ones that we can control, and if it's still not enough, well then we kind of have our answer. At least we can remove that element of it, and if he can't stay healthy still, then you know where you have to go from there. But I also know there's a ton of players in this league that were once deemed injury prone and then went on to play like iron Man streaks and play for five to six years in a row
without missing games. So you know, it could be a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation, but we need you healthy to Let's just control as much as we possibly can.
Next up was to Ron Armstead.
Sure as hell sounds like a guy that thinks he's coming back to play for this football team. But we'll see how he feels, you know, come training camp and all that. But you know, will it be here, will it be somewhere else? A lot of options are punitive in terms of how it could affect the Dolphin's financial situation.
And quite frankly, I think Patrick Paul is ready to go, and I don't think that Armstead of it all makes you know, for a good option there, because to me, the only option is Paul to right tackle and Austin Jackson to right guard. But I think that makes both players worse than what they would be if they played left and right tackle respectively. You know, I've opined about this, and I think that I'm settled on the idea of leaving those guys all alone and addressing the two guard
spots this offseason. I like the idea of you know, will Hernandez coming over from the Cardinals giving you some more ability to run some inside zones and due at the point of attack. A mid round draft pick and re sign and win and have those two guys compete for the right guard spot, and then a heavy emphasis on a swing tackle like a Patrick McCary so that you're deep at every position and you are good with
reliable guys in the top five. Now, if Armstead comes back, I think you do have to go with Paul as the swing tackle. And given Tehran's history, you know he's going to play eventually, but that's the choice you'll have to make if they go that route. I think you can get out of the Armstead business even if he doesn't retire this season, and kind of take your medicine now,
but be okay down the road. And look, I'm not at all saying that Tehran doesn't make you a better football team, because he does, But when you have a finite amount of resources, you have to consider what that ripple effect of those moves could be. And I'm not so sure that him being a left tackle for this
team right now is the best thing. Now maybe it is, but right now I kind of think Patrick Paul needs those reps and needs that job, and Austin Jackson should stay at tackle, and I kind of feel like that's the best route they could take right now. Next, Tyreek Hill went on an apology tour, and my first thought regarding that.
No more talk.
And I do apologize for the audio quality on that best I could find, but like, shut up, dude, you know, how are you gonna sit here and talk about being the same guy who's on time to meetings? Like we have examples of you not being that brother, So I
get really frustrated by it all. And to me, the worst thing a player can do is to put in less than one hundred percent and then go on control the fans after the fact, like Javon did on Super Bowl Sunday talking about Vic FANGI like, what the hell, man, what the hell like? And then you say they're too sensitive. I just don't understand that approach. These are people that love this team unconditionally. I don't think you should go after them for anything. So Tyreek as a player being
here is obviously great. He makes the football team better. I have no like disregard of his talent, but I gotta tell you, guys, to me, it points to a limited change, and I just don't see running it back as status quo is a viable option, and there's time to prove that that won't be how it is. But I'm telling you guys right now, even if they bring back Reek and they sign will Hernandez and they land
and Tyler Warren, it picked thirteen. Maybe they signed Milton Williams and they hit on a free agent linebacker in safety and guard the positions they have to find this year. I'm still gonna be bearish on the entire thing for the first time in a while, because I just don't think that you can administratively do all the same things
again and expect to be different. So that's my take on Tyreek, and last one here is, you know, the idea that all of Miami's core parts are either old or injury prone, and not that point in general, but the Wattle play that Waddle's name being listed among the injury prone players was what bothered me.
To me.
That's like saying this team has completely neglected the offensive line for the last decade or however far back that threshold goes when I hear that point.
But just want to be sure that we all.
Realize he's played sixty two games out of a possible sixty eight and five five years, four years. Just so we're clear, that's the same number as Jamar Chase, same number as Devonte Smith. I'm just impartial to nonsense. That's nonsense.
I don't know.
I mean, I might have to cut Jalen's third down reel here and show y'all how special that dude is, because I just can't understand some of the conversation around his game that I've seen out there.
So that's what I wanted to get off my chest.
Now We're gonna go ahead and pivot forward here to the next positional capsule. And it's a long When I have eleven draft prospects I watch, I think I have nine free agents I watch as well, So we have to talk about that and our own guys, just so real quick, just so you guys are with me, here going to be a long episode Bucker Room, So go
ahead and buckle up. Bucker Rooms wide receivers. In terms of what expectations were from a fantasy and counting stats perspective, I think you could say this room was the one that fell shortest of expectations. And those are three thousand yards and twenty touchdowns from your top two guys, right or at least close to that, at least you pay them that much, And it turned out to be the top two receivers were a back and a tight end
this year. But also you got that because of the presence of Waddle and Tyreek and where that fell off from the top. I think you could say this was the best number three wide we've had under the Mike McDaniel regime, with Maleague, Washington, River Craycraft battled injuries all year, and Stuffer had that shoulder injury that he had back
in August. Then you've got a glimpse of guys trying to carve out a role between ds Gridge Grant Dubo's Eric Azukama never really cracked the lineup, Braxton Barrios going down after the sixth game before his first catch in the season, Taj Washington getting hurt in the summer, Anthony Schwartz getting hurt in the preseason. I think there's a
ton of work. There's a ton to work with here up and down the roster, But the biggest domino or thing they have to figure out is how to get Tyreek back to twenty twenty two and twenty twenty three production, and of course by now you know that I feel the toothpaste has left the tube and I don't know how you put it back in. No matter how much he lies on sports talk shows like brother, you were not here all the time and at every like. You can say as much as you want, but that ain't reality.
So let's go ahead and get into the players here. And to me, Tyreek Hill number ten quitting on the team, skipping walkthroughs and not practice and then blaming your coach for that was weird. Being in the wrong spot, dropping critical passes in quite literally every big game this team has played. I mean, point to your quarterback in those games and measure their legacy in those games. Right, But everyone outside of Dolphins Land, all the nerds commentators will
tell you that Tyreek made Tua. Right, he's the best player, and he is the best player on the team. I'll give him that. But if that's the case, then how about his legacy as the best player and the guy that's in the MVP conversation with the quarterbacks every year, and that you know they put Tyreek up there last year not to in those conversations, Well, then we should probably evaluate him in the big moments the same way
you do quarterbacks. And I go back and watch a drop touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, I go back and watch a drop touchdown against the Ravens that would have given you a touchdown lead in the second quarter of that game for the number one seed in the AFC in week seventeen, the critical third down drops in the
finale against the Bills. A week later, and on the final drive before a pick the end of the game, The drop and the fumble against the Chiefs that same year, the two against the Niners this year, probably a third that if you want to count that way. A bad route against the Houston Texans and losing a fifty to fifty ball that led to two picks, including the one on the game's final drive. I mean, if he were a quarterback, we'd be calling this guy the biggest big game choker of all time.
That's just how it is.
And aside from this tangent, that thing that is most inexcusable of all of that, bigger than quitting on the team is the way he handled the entire aftermath. Man to get on social media and ttrol your fan base, then to come back and not understand all the unrest and negative comments that come along with that.
I'm sorry.
Like this is when your friends is in a terrible relationship with a horrendous person, but he refuses to open his eyes to it. This is that, Like this is a toxic partner that will make you a worse person. Geez, Travis, tell you how you tell us how you really feel, and it probably comes back to bite me because it sounds like, you know, depending on who you listened to, Like, he ain't going anywhere, so I don't know. He's arguably the most talented player on the entire planet, even with
a dip in production. He commands attention and helps us have more multiple ways to play. I think the biggest obstacle here is earning back the goodwill of the teammates and the staff after refusing to go back in the game in the finale against the Jets. That's tough, and there's been a lot said about the approach and professionalism and all of that.
It has to get solved.
Number one up front this entire offseason, even above personnel. It starts with the best player on the team being your most committed player. I'm really curious to see how that all plays out. I think Jalen Waddle, number seventeen, could be the best player in the team if he was afforded the opportunity. I put on his third down reel the other day, and the dude just wins when he has to. And he'll get to that place. When they try to take it away from him, I will
argue until I'm blue in the face. He is number one receiver across all but like seven or eight teams in the NFL. He is so good off the line with his release. We heard Tua discuss the indicators that he gives and the importance of a player like him to help dictate coverage. And he counts on all those third and sevens, not on Reek, not on anybody else.
But Waddle's his go to guy.
When he has to win an out route against outside leverage from a squatting cornerback, he can still get there. He's a dog who competes his butts off butts. But go watch all the big plays by him or his teammates, and he's happier than those guys are to make the big play. There is no shortage of will in the run game, even if sometimes he's overmatched by a bigger safety. I've said this a lot in this series. Give me twenty two Jalen Waddles and I'll go win a championship.
If I have to nitpick.
He is not super creative as a runner like I thought he might be coming out of Alabama. I think he's regressed a bit in that regard in his career. Number eighty three Molik Washington. The way he closed the season has me jazzed about his projection, first off, to make an impact in this system with all the timing mechanisms, in the proficient, precise nature of how Tua plays the game, I think that says a lot about how he gets himself ready to play football. He made tough catches, he
bounced off tackles. He's an asset in the screen game and as a return man. I have to imagine there's an expanded role for him next season. Number eighty five River Creakcraft is scheduled to be a free agent. Remember him having the best camp of his life before that injury in the preseason game last year and then never really got back into the fold until like the very last game of the season. Exceptional blocker. He'll be where he's supposed to be. He'll catch everything. He just has
to stay healthy. The most games he's played his career was eleven back in twenty twenty two. Number eighty four Eric Azukama played in just two games, targeted twice. I was hopeful that his development would take off, especially after that running back role he played to open the year in twenty twenty three. But he's been hurt. He hasn't been available. I don't know how how prepared he is
to play in this offense. He'll be a free agent after next year, so he'll be in camp most likely this year and get another crack at it, but you know it's a long road. Braxton Burios scheduled to be a free agent zero catches this year. Number A two Dwayne Eskridge, also a free agent. I thought the fact that he got as much run as he did early on was a good sign for his long term prospects here because he's a run after catch guy. We know McDaniel loves that he has returnability, screen game impact.
He's a good blocker.
I think he's worth developing in the system further should they bring him back. Number eighty eight Grant d Bo's an exclusive right free agent coming off that scary injury in Houston. His tape was one of excellent blocking and some run after the catch ability, but two long term injuries prevented us from getting a good look at him. I think he'll be back in camp with a chance
to make the team again. Number A two TODJ. Washington, was hurt back in the summer, but he was one of the most polished deep ball receivers in the nation his last year at USC Plenty of speed to burn, good ball tracking. I'm excited to watch him this spring in the summer. Number eighty four Anthony Schwartz was injured in the preseason. He's a restricted free agent who was making some real noise through camping in the preseason. Another speed guy that was finding his footing in the system
what this room needs. I think you solve a lot of problems by just moving off the top guy. Waddle becomes just peachy as your number one receiver. You remove that negative influence for how to go about your business and not give the rest of the skill guys the idea that it's okay to just be complacent, you know, in terms of not doing what needs to be done to be a great player and team and you can get more of a compliment in terms of how you
you search for your new number two receiver. Especially the three is also small, and you can pivot your offense to more of a twelve personnel base attack without the thirty million dollar guy. I think we need size, we need smarts, we need blocking, we need accountability, just like the rest of the roster. We're not looking for a star here, just a robin to go along with the batman one more time. I think the room needs audition
by subtraction. But if it doesn't happen, we're gonna have to play that way too and try to find our fit along along in those parameters too additional assets. Tarik Black is on the reserve of futurist contract. Let's go ahead and take our first break, come back and talk about the free agents. That's next Draft Time Podcast, your
host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by AutoNation. Back here segment to Draft Time Podcast, talking about the wide receivers as we get closer and closer to the scout and combine, which, by the way, we have some very fun coverage coming your guys away during the week of the combine gonna get some big time names on the show, and not just talking about media members. Maybe a certain coach of a certain football team might be.
Joining us on the podcast. Maybe we'll talk about that.
But this entire offseason kind of hinges to me on one move that may or may not happen.
I really don't know. I mean, I have expressed my thoughts.
On what should happen, but the entire makeup of this exercise changes with Tyreek Hill and his status on the football team, which at this point, you know, I don't have a lean on what's gonna happen. Rap sheet coming out saying he's not expected to be moved. Schefter on the Pat McAfee show had a face that when they asked him a question like, I don't know about that. So I think the good soldier routine has validity from two standpoints of go say nice things and we'll get
you the hell out of here. It also would fit the approach of Reek not wanting to leave South Florida because trust me, he likes it here a whole heck of a lot. So I'm I'm all out of leans on how this might go. I have what I want to happen but what might happen, I don't know, And if he's back, even if he's not, I don't think you're dipping your toe too much into the top of this class and free agency. This position is akin to That's got a funny text from Kyle. This position is
at the tackle spot. These days, you're better off going young or reclamation because you're you're paying above average players top dollars.
Like what Christian Kirk got.
I like Christian Kirk, but he got way too much money on the open market.
Look at what Zay Jones got.
I don't like him at all, and he got ten million bucks a couple of years ago from the Jags. Curtis Samuel got three for thirty. I like Curtis Samuel, but ten million per year. I mean, you cannot tell me that's money well spent. He had basically the same numbers as Malik Washington, and Eliite costs one twentieth of his salary compared to what the Bills played Samuel. So I'm not gonna do mega workups on all these guys.
Some I'm not even gonna do. Sound good all right, two two at well all gas all the time, every part of his game has built off the ability to get vertical, and he was so valuable for the Rams because they would often motion him. He's the one that you know has the most issue being pressed between him Nakua and Cup and then into minimal safety, help threaten vertical, get on that back hip, and then break that route off. So he's a crisp route runner that's only added Polish
as a pro. My conclusion is there's no reason to think.
That at Will.
At Will won't get an eight figure per year contract the way Zay Jones and Curtis Samuel did, and without Tyreek or with him, I don't think you can justify another one hundred and sixty pound wide receiver to this mix, especially when a lot of his catches come off clean releases from pre snap motion. Feels like if you brought him in, you basically remove any pre snap motion for Reek or Waddle because you can only have one guy
go to time right. I love his game, his speed, his quickness has familiarity, but this is a luxury that we cannot afford. Can you win in a short amount of space and be unimpeded by physicality? I don't think he can. I think we kind of need that Diami. Brown has patience and length and can high point the football that makes a really good second fiddle vertical option without help over the top. But six foot one, long
arms and exceptional tracking skills make him a threat. He averaged twenty yards per catch in college and wasn't really even a downfield type of player. He builds to speed to get vertical, not super explosive in a short area. A lot of his production came in the same vein as at Will. You know, with attention going to McLaurin and zach Ertz and credit to him for doing that, But we need a rookie contract in that role, not a player who's for sure going to get wide receiver
to money from somebody eight figures. My conclusions the exact same is at Will not a luxury store we're shopping from. Those playoff performances are going to get him paid. Now he had he stayed quiet and didn't go off in the playoffs, sure I would be interested in three or four million bucks a year, but that's a fraction of what I think he'll get Hollywood. Brown essentially had like a red shirts season for the Kansas City Chiefs, and
not because he you know he was just hurt. I wouldn't use this year's tape to evaluate him, so I thought he was a little bit slower. At his best, he destroys man coverage with pace and timing, the ability to alter his stem to attack the leverage without losing acceleration. And then there's a whole acceleration thing right Like, he can run away from you vertically, horizontally, has really good body control on throws all over his frame could be a key in a timing offense.
We play that.
He has quiet, soft hands to pluck tough catches and small windows on verticals on a sprint sprint while contested in zones over the middle of the field. My conclusion is if he takes a one year prove it deal, I'm all for it, especially in the absence of the Reek.
This to me is a good Tyreek.
Replacement if you go that route, But I doubt it because he was the top guy available for a couple of years or trade option, and I think he'll be that once again. Brandon Cooks, this is alphabetical, guys. You want a top tier route runner, ultimate professional, detail oriented individual who can beat you with his traits and his brain and isn't that what it sounds like we need? This is the guy, the way he competes, the feat the way he can win in short areas. I am
such a huge fan of his game. He catches everything, the way he celebrates his own plays. Plus his teammates has that psycho mentality. His quickness matches with his understanding of how each move impacts the defender and how he can exploit the leverage that he creates with all those moves.
And I think that his play strength is good enough to make all of this effective even undersized conclusion, you have to pick your spots in free agency, and this feels like the right combination of ingredients to give you a good player at maybe an affordable cost, or maybe he retires, who knows, but he can play, and I do not imagine he costs a time. Plus, you want the receiver room to be more accountable than get unkin there. Chris Godwin truly one of the best wide receivers in
the game. We're talking about raw skills of go lineup and beat this defensive back with your collection of moves, tough dog, attention to detail, hands, coverage recognition, quarterback friendly, big catch radius, I love Chris Godwin and his game. However, even with the injury, I imagine he'll be very pricey. Copy and paste the conclusion here. For Brandon Cooks, maybe it's a one year, get healthy deal and we can be the beneficiaries. But man, when he got hurt, he
was rolling as he usually is. Go look at any team and the fan base that has a need a wide receiver. They're gonna be posting about signing Chris Godwin. It will not be cheap. Te Higgins, top twenty wide receiver gonna get paid like it. Don't even have to go over this one. Just don't go to the Patriots, Big Doug, can you do this that favor?
Please? Cool?
All right?
Sounds good.
Little Jordan Humphrey, that's his name, the best downfield blocker of this group that with the height, I think makes him a target as a fourth. Remember here, it's not like you don't play because we sub a lot. So he can be part of your screen game. He can be part of your red zone. Twelve personnel eleven personnel packages give you a bigger body to thwart those robbers
that want to try to undercut stuff. Think about him running that Claypool route versus the Bills in twenty twenty three, but not running the way he ran the way Claypool ran it. I love him as a runner on the screen game just as much as a blocker. Like imagine having the John hu Now screen option to either side of the formation out of double stacks. That's what you get with little Jordan Humphrey six foot four, two twenty five.
You could essentially sign him as an f who's probably a better blocker than John hu I really see the fit here. Maybe your ben' skeronic type for the Rams, same build. His career high was this year two hundred and ninety three yards, But I think you're looking at him for situational football, an area we all agree has to get better. Plus there's a reason his projected market is only two million bucks.
Elijah Moore.
This could be another possible like Tyreek replacement like a poor man's obviously, but probably the best short space mover breaker of the list of guys that fall in the affordable range. Plays low out of his release, sinks the hips into the break, takes the extra step in his route to further sell the fake and generate separation. Shifty slot type of guy some tackle breaking ability, polished release game that can get to his spots against the preferred
leverage of the defender. He lacks the second gear and downfield explosiveness off of that cut as well, so he has to get to the to the point unencumbered. My conclusion here as if Maleak didn't hit like he did last year, I think more would be a very viable number three. If you move off of Riek, you can bring him in as well as number three and kind of, you know, replace that number two role maybe, but he
can uncover against the opponent's third. Best option has the shakes and pacing, the defeat zone coverage, nothing special, but a nice like Jarvis Landry type of player. Josh Palmer is a big slot X option that can run the full route tree from more than just that ex position. Wins with more more with detail that he does with quickness and hip syncing. He presses vertical, then tries to swim or box out and stack, which he's quite good at, and he builds to speed but probably won't outrun a
lot of cornerbacks. His ability to make a contested catch does create pressure that he uses to his advantage in terms of setting up his routes. He's adept at out physically in cornerbacks to prevent their ability to go up to make a play on the football. The ball tracking, the quiet hands, the adjusting eye line all qualities of his game, along with the body control and field awareness.
My conclusion is the tape tells me spot racks four point three million dollars per year apy or that's a million per year means is woefully too small, but he's had an issue staying healthy. He played fifteen games this year, just ten last year. But that's part of the equation that makes my preference. One for five would be a good deal for this player, and I would take that to the bank all day long. Rondell Moore, nobody stands
a short king like us. Right in terms of the screen game return game, this is kind of the ideal fit. His career never took off like we thought it might, but he has suddenness and burst run after the catch ability off the charts. I love how shifty he is at the top of the route and some of the stuff he can do to four tackles beside or rather bides him separation. As a route runner, he can lean on you, he can armbar you and get that subtle push off which aids him in that explosive lateral step.
My conclusion is that he had a horrific injury down here last year in training camp. The resulted in the air cast. So if you want your Brent Grimes like one year, prove it off an injury contract. He's your scratch off undersized wide receiver who has not lied up to expectations. Option in this realm, I don't know. Checks a lot of the boxes, but also leaves a few of the big ones to be unchecked. Unlike Nick Westbrook, a kine from Tennessee Titans. What he lacks in foot quickness,
he makes up for strength, leverage, and catch radius. I think he's adept enough at setting up routes to allow those traits to flourish. He's not breaking you down with a snap move. He's not running by you with some sort of you know, without some type of deception. He's not even Devonte Parker pulling down deep shots. He's a master of none, but good at plenty. Hence his position as a wide receiver two or three in your offense.
I love his feel most of all. He knows what type of footwork and timing of his break, how it times up with route requires. He knows how to collision settle in the tight areas against zone and in the red zone. He adjusted the ball really nicely and plays a rebound style when coming back down the stem that I think a quarterback would really trust. My conclusion here is this is what my preferred options provided the spot
rack projection of four million ap ys on. I think that everything we don't have in the receiver room and isn't crazy expensive fits with what he does to me. This could be your Cedric Wilson redo or perhaps what he should have been. Maybe Erica As would comment to
that regard as well. Free agent receiver rankings removed t Hollywood and God went from our projected interest, so not to fudge up my one through three, so it would go like this, Brandon Cooks number one, Josh Palmer number two, westbrook A keen A number three, Rondell Moore number four, Little Jordan Humphrey number five, two to two at Will Diami Brown, and Elijah Moore round out six through eight.
I also did not work up Stefan Diggs, Amari Cooper, and Alan Mike Williams, Darius Slayton, fifteen million per year for Darius Slayton. Huh, Mac Hollins, Noah Brown. There's a lot of names just like there are every single year, like there are in the draft. And we're gonna go ahead and put a pin in this right now and come back and talk about my receiver rankings, which are all over the map in terms of what you've seen from a national perspective. Stay tuned for the wackiest wide
receiver rankings in the universe. That's next Draft Time podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by AutoNation.
All right, we are.
Coming up on like minute number twenty eight of the podcast, and I have eleven players to tell you about, So strap in, buckle up, bookaroo for this last portion of the wide receiver capsule. Again, the work is far from complete what I've done so far. We always start with that disclaimer and this disclaimer that I stacked these guys in order that I found them on a draft publication site, and then I had significant changes to my rankings.
So if the language doesn't always.
Add up here, I do apologize, But the way I ranked them was nowhere near the order that I watched them in let's go ahead and start with my top receiver in the entire class. And I always try to find a way to pair projection of physical traits to polish at playing football. Like Tua is an incredibly polished quarterback that plays the position as well as anybody in the NFL, he doesn't have high end upside physical traits. When you get those two worlds together, you get legendary
Hall of Fame players. But I think that when you're that good at football, because Zach Thomas, for instance, you can make the Hall of Fame. If you're just traits based, you can have a fun four or five year flash in the pan. And I heard this conversation about DK Metcalf the other day on a podcast I listened to about how there's concern about a guy that had a limited route tree, isn't a crafty route runner, and how if you're not an incredible, like world class route runner,
you have to get by on your physical traits. And then once those begin to diminish in any sense, and at wide receiver it happens a lot earlier than a quarterback, for instance, then you become a fraction of the player that you were. So you look at a guy like Terry McLaurin, who is still a monster top ten receiver all day, every day because he is he came out as a great route runner and was as a rookie
and has been every single year since then. Or you look at a Devonte Parker who ran like five routes at Louisville and you know, never really took off because he just that wasn't part of his game. He couldn't create separation through route running. But because he was fast and taller than you, he could win that way. And the minute he slowed down a fraction of a second, he became, you know, a twenty five catch per year type of guy. So I think all that's important. We
are already at thirty one minutes. Let's go ahead and get into these players here. My number one player that I watched on tape, and I watched eleven of these guys was elk Ao Minor from Stanford, the six foot two, two ten receiver who moves like a lot of the five foot ten, one hundred and seventy five pounds guys coming out that your boy falls in love with every single year.
Go watch the Colorado tape.
That's a top five pick cornerback that he was giving fits to all game long, and Travis Hunter. His release game, the purposefulness of each step, the way he condenses gaps and can hit an explosive stride from choppy steps in any direction with that body composition and play strength, this is my guy. If you try to arm tackle or don't bring your feet through, he'll bounce right off that hit and run away from you. I saw him win
inside releases against inside leverage. I saw him take verticals against cover two and find that soft spot in the honey hole he blocks his butt off.
I'm a little bit shook.
I have not seen him talked about as a first round pick, and I see a first round player on tape all day long.
For this guy.
A mecca Atgbuka from Ohio State is my number two receiver. He is either the best route runner on the class or second best behind Ao Minor, but surprise, he played for Brian Hartline at Ohio State. I love the way he comes out of his breaks and how he can utilize sharp footwork to make setup steps look like breaks. Like his setup step will make a cornerback like bail when they're trying to mirror and then he has one more move for them and it puts him in the
complete spin cycle. He's outstanding on broken plays coming back to the football, very quarterback friendly that way, has clean hands he can pluck it off of his frame.
He did damage from every.
Single position and has exceptional body control and quiet and late hands to make him a real red zone threat. He's also got an awesome blocking reel. He's a fiery competitor, akin to what Malik Washington put on tape at Virginia. He also had that great clip of him instructing the Ohio State offense to throw the game winning go ball to Jeremiah Smith based on the Notre Dame cornerback leverage he had been showing on that drive. He is a late first round pick for me. That's when my first
round pick's end. But I have a bunch of guys here that I'm kind of projecting more than I am going off the actual tape, and so I want you guys to be very well aware of that when you hear these next few names. Save Yon Williams from TCU, I put number three. If you want zero to sixty speed in short spaces, a high hurdler who can carry the football fifty times a year and be a wildcat short yard guy. I saw him leap over the pile on the goal line on a one yard touchdown run.
I saw him split two safeties with ten yards of angles at him, and he just ran right by him and split them for a long touchdown. I saw him take wildcat snaps around the corner for touchdowns or just toast linebackers down the middle of the field for eighty
yard touchdowns. You know, like this is the man. And of course when I watch prospects, I think how they might fit here, and I see some Devon eight Chan in terms of the suddenness, the competitiveness, the ability to play both from the backfield and from different alignments and run multiple routes from those alignments. And having watched the film, I didn't know this after before I went and looked at his.
Name on Google.
He's six foot four, two twenties, so he's not Devon eh Chan that way. You talk about sinking your hips too. He will square up the leverage, press the toes, then just snap the route. And did I mention he's six foot four. I think this might be the next quarter Ole Patterson, one of my favorite players I ever watched the entire process. I think he's a Day two pick all day long, and probably earlier than later. Isaiah Bond
from Texas is number four. This is the position where I'm straying from group thing here because Bond moves on a different level than the other guys I watched that I've seen slotted in these positions of the rankings. His wiggle and balance to sustain acceleration while he dips around coverage or tacklers just jumps off the screen unlike anybody else I saw in this class. He's efficient, He's a smooth mover that can turn guys around and hit home runs when he gets the ball in his hands. He
has some availability issues. That's why I think he falls onto into Day two. Number five is Jack Besh from TCU. We don't do character references here on these seconds because I don't know any of these players, but the tragic death of his brother gave us a peek into what his mindset is and how he's to me inherently driven. And I can validate that on the tape because he's the best blocker in the class, and that's not even close quite Frankly, he can also be the best contested
ball receiver. And here's the kicker. I'm usually down on the big target who doesn't move super well, and I think he's above that threshold in terms of how he moves around the football field, hence this ranking in the top five strong hands, strong lower hand. I have to combat contact at all levels of the route. Every tackle on him is a tax on the defense. If you
can even get him to the ground. He knows how to use his body to shield the defender away from the football, then he can hang on as they rake at his arms and try to get the incompletion. His game is strength, positioning and wanting it more than you. Big fan of his game, I think he hears his name on day two as well. Tees Johnson talk about a size discrepancy here. You know, I'm a huge fan even at one fifty six. If he were one seventy, he'd be my top player on the board here. But
nobody moves like him. You're probably not gonna get hands on him at the line of scrimmage. He can hit that hesy and eurostep like crossover as a ball carrier without losing acceleration. And at leads to a lot of long touchdowns. He went nuts in the postseason, turning short throws into big gains and getting vertical after Tank Dell and two to two at Will came out and had success at their size. I think his game will translate, but you just can't put him up on the line
of scrimmage and expect him to win. You probably have to use a lot of pre snap stuff like motion stacks and bunches ends a rounds, which kind of limits your offense if you have to do that, But you can manufacturer touches for this guy. I think he goes early Day three because of his size, but I think someone's gonna get a steal at that part of the draft with him. Number seven is Luther Burden, the third
from Missouri. Some folks have him receiver one. I would stake my reputation on the idea of this guy being a high school running back, but then I watch the way he adjusts the ball in flight. It's like, oh, never, Bind, he's a receiver. He is so shifty with really good burst out of the blocks, and he can set up tacklers before he even secures the football. He's compactly built tacklers bounce off of him, screen game jet sweeps, deep
overs verticals from the slot. He can help you be a three level threat offense in terms of short, intermedia and deep. I don't think he's super polished as a route runner. In fact, I think he has a long way to go there, but there is some creativity that kind of reminds me of the I don't care how you get there or just get their chan Gaily philosophy.
But you can also lose some of your pattern with that as well, So he could be a bit of a burden on the offense no pun intended while he gets up to speed, but his ability to track and secure tight window vertical throws is why I think he could sneak into the first round. I think he's probably a top fifty pick. I wouldn't take him that high, but I think he probably does go that high. Matthew
Golden from Texas, guys, where has the speed gone? The whole speed of this class besides Savian and Tez, it's kind of not there. I feel like the knock on all these guys of the saying that there's no high end speed and separators in this class until you get to the guys that weigh one hundred and fifty six pounds like Ted Johnson. He's probably the next best route runner behind Abuka in this class. But I've seen a handful that I think are a bit telegraphed or slow developing.
But it's a tough living at the next level. Now, why was he so productive? He just competes to the catch point and makes a lot of tough catches. But that's always a tough evaluation because if it doesn't happen in college, it's not going to happen in the pros against NFL cornerbacks. His body control off frame highlight reels are awesome. He's not physically imposing. He doesn't create a lot after the catch. He offers nothing as a blocker. This is like a day too limited player for me.
Maybe I'm wrong.
A lot of prognostic aaries think he's a first round pick. I just don't see it. The next one to be the one that shocks the entire universe here in Ted McMillan from Arizona. I hate doing this on a player that's going to probably go in the first round, but I just don't see it. I think he's sloppy as hell on his routes, his releases, the way he sets up his moves is elongated. He consistently fails to hold
the line on vertical shots. I'm watching the BYU tape and they throw different coverages at him and he has no chance to go anywhere ever, Like, that's not you have to beat double teams to be a number one in this league.
Man.
There's a rep where they press him up the lines at the sideline and take him into the bench like he's covering a damn punt. It's a labored process for him to create separation, and quite frankly, the best catches he makes are blanketed by a college cornerback that doesn't get better in the pros. I came into the tape hoping to see Drake London, but I see more Devonte
Parker or Dare I say keyon Coleman. I think this is the weakest top of the wide receiver class we've had in a while because of guys like this being pushed up, and I don't see it with this player. I think he's gonna run a four or five. He's like your deep shot X backside receiver. I don't see it. I just don't think. I think he's a Day two pick at best, and I would even take him there.
Number ten Shrey Harris from Old Miss. At his size six foot three two ten, he can sync the hips into his routes and really defeat man coverage with separation, which obviously pairs well with his ability to make plays when he's not open. Evident by his contested catch production, I think some of those fakes in his routes is part of guys being worried about him getting downhill, because once he's stacked you on a deep shot, you're not
gonna be able to keep up with him. I always question how the type of movement works at the next level, but I think the run after the catch and boundary vertical game is good enough to get him NFL production, even if the route running is not up to standard. But I think it could be with some work. I have him as an early Day three pick. Jalen Royal's out of Utah State also have him on the third day.
He's got some Albert Wilson to his build in terms of the tree trunk legs and the strength he plays with. He's a monster with the ball in his hands and in the screen game quick enough to reduce the target and run by corners. And that physicality plays at the
catch point and off the last scrimmage as well. When I watch him as a route runner, I see a student of the game that understands the importance of running his route at proper depth, good pacing into zone, and just a general feel for the coverage that he's facing. I don't think I'll run a super quick time at the combine, and that with some production dips at a program that show go to quarterback, including playing at the smaller school, I think makes him a Day three pick.
That's my time on the show here. Let's go ahead and get out of here.
Long episode On Friday, I'm gonna have Jilan Phillips and Braxon Burials on the show talking about their involvement in the DCC. You don't want to miss that. In the meantime, you all please be sure subscribe to the podcast rate review Us, follow me on social at winkfle NFL, the team at Miami Dolphins. Check out Seth and Juice in the fish Tank podcast. The Deon Jordan episode just dropped
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Fins up Carolin and Cameron. Daddy, He's coming home.