The 2010 wide receiver class has a solid group of well-built wideouts at the top end who have the ability to develop into legitimate starting-caliber receivers in the NFL. However, there are also some intriguing prospects in the backup/depth-caliber department who might not have the necessary skill set to play on the outside at the next level but can become mismatch-type players from the slot in sub package situations.
In order to break down each prospect, the National Football Post will again be using our own numerical grading scale, focusing on evaluating prospects’ potential in terms of “starter caliber,” “dirty starter caliber,” “possible starter caliber,” “backup/depth caliber” and “free agent caliber.” The full grading scale is listed below with explanations of each grade.
Here’s our initial look at the 2010 wide receiver class:
NFP Numerical College Grading Scale
Starter Caliber
8.0 Starts first game as a pro…a prospect who possesses rare physical attributes that have an obvious impact on the game…will instantly become one of the best players at his position in the NFL.
7.5 Becomes a starter in his rookie season…a prospect who possesses physical attributes that will create mismatches and have an obvious impact on the game…will become a premier player in the league.
7.0 Starts in first game as a pro…a prospect who possesses physical attributes that will create mismatches vs. most opponents…a featured player on a team.
6.9 Becomes a starter during his rookie year…a prospect who possesses physical attributes that will create mismatches vs. most opponents…a featured player on team.
6.8 Becomes a starter in his rookie year…becomes a solid NFL player who has no real weakness…can’t be exploited or consistently taken out of games.
Dirty Starter Caliber
6.7 Contributes first year and starts second year…must be able to get on the field and make a contribution as a rookie…expected to start his second year in the league.
6.6 Contributes first year but may need time to become a starter…has the ability to become a starter and will be expected to assume a starting role.
6.5 Clean player who is inconsistent in his play due to character, alertness or competitiveness…has all the physical tools needed to become a starter…if he overcomes his deficiencies, he will be a star in the league…if he doesn’t, he’ll be a complete failure…NO middle ground.
Possible Starter Caliber
6.4 Has one deficient area of his playing skills or physical attributes but should be able to overcome it and contribute to a team…has the potential to become a starter based on his abilities.
6.3 Has one deficient area of his playing skills or his physical attributes that will be difficult to overcome but will contribute in spite of it…has the potential to become a starter based on his abilities.
6.2 Has one deficient area of his physical attributes that he can never overcome but has been productive and has the potential to be a starter in the NFL despite his shortcomings.
6.1 A clean prospect who will need time and development in order to contribute…physically, this player has all the tools to be a starter in the NFL but has not yet developed the necessary skills due to level of competition, offensive or defensive schemes, injury, grades or lack of playing time…true developmental player who has the potential to become a starter.
6.0 An underachiever who has exhibited a deficiency in some area of his play...has the abilities to become a starter but hasn’t played up to them…has a problem with football instincts, character and/or competitiveness…boom-or-bust prospect.
Backup/Depth Caliber
5.9 Has a deficient area of his playing or physical skills that he should overcome and contribute as a backup and spot player only.
5.8 Has a deficient area of his playing of physical skills that will be difficult to overcome but will contribute as a backup and spot player only.
5.7 Has a deficient area of his physical skills that cannot be overcome but has been productive and can contribute as a backup and spot player only.
Free Agent Category
5.6 Free agent with speed, character and competitiveness.
5.5 Free agent with athletic ability, character and competitiveness.
5.4 Free agent with size, character and competitiveness.
5.3 Free agent at a high level of competition with size, speed or athletic ability.
5.2 Free agent with size or speed.
5.1 Free agent with character and competitiveness.
5.0 Camp body.
4.0 Reject…no qualities for professional football.
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It would be hard to argue against Dez Bryant.
Wes:
Time to go back to Walter.
Wes, do you have historical data for previous NFL prospects published anywhere on the site?
I'd like to see how Dez Bryant's 7.5 matches up to, for example, Michael Crabtree and Calvin Johnson from years past.
Thanks!
Riley Cooper is rated far too high.
In Florida, it's well known that Cooper, an Obama supporter, routinely dropped passes and stopped his routes to embarrass Rev. Tebow.
Senator Tebow's truly loyal teammates often said that Cooper was just another Welfare Liberal with no personal responsibility who did nothing for the program.
FOX News Analyst Tebow had to plead with Cooper in the huddle, according to The Real American Gators, to put aside his personal hatred of Preacher Tebow and play for the program.
If it hadn't been for Cooper, General Tebow would be the highest rated quarterback ever to enter the Combine and even that much better once he left Indy.
Hi Wes,
Does Riley Cooper have the ability to play on the outside? Can he beat the jam off the LOS?
Wes,
What do you dislike so mich about D Willians from USC? I checked 4 or 5 other Wide Receiver rankings and he is ranked from 2nd to 8th yet you have him 17th......everyone seems to agree the guy has great hands and is the best route runner in the draft. Did his drop in production with a freshman QB influence your ranking?
Chris & JOhn:
He isn't a real explosive athlete, isn't a guy who can get behind NFL corners and just doesn't show me much acceleration out of his breaks. Looks like a guy who will need to play inside at the next level. I just don't see him as a true number one or two guy who can play on the outside. He is a smooth route runner and can catch the football, just just isn't dynamic enough for me to grade him out any higher.
the_lung:
No, this is my first year using this scale...sorry.
beauli7:
I think he could with some time. He's a better athlete then given credit for, can track the football and has some upside to his game.
I see Dez is good, and I never doubted him. I just wouldnt want to see my Broncos draft him. The need isnt great Bmarsh or no BMarsh, and the class at WR is so deep it would be wasteful to burn such a high pick, one so high we might not see again, on that position. And I am really surprised at Tate being so low. I feel as though he and Clausen are the 2 most NFL ready O players after playing for Weiss, but if this is only grading their physical abilities than I wouldnt disagree too much. I still see Tate as a top 3 WR in this class
Where's Terrell Hudgins and David Nelson?
wes, it seems your scale only takes into consideration "Skill Set" but there are alot of players that have other factors to consider: Dez (suspended, only played 4 games), mike williams (quit on team), Benn and LaFell (QBs held them back), D. Thomas (conservative offence held him back), Decker (injury), briscoe (doesnt turn 21 till training camp in august), shipley ( will be like 25 I think his rookie year). does your scale doesnt take PRODUCTION into consideration, or lack there of???
Any reciever from USC and/or named Mike Williams gets three demerits...Sorry Damian & Mike Wms.
Ray Small = Ahole...sorry, nothing funny there just the truth.
Dex Mc is a poor mans Reggie Bush, which means, he gets the fat Kardashian sister.
Get you some Mardyball cheap...
You say Damian Williams isn't explosive enough, but Riley Freakin' Cooper is. This is downright LAUGHABLE! Stick to your day job, and if this is it, start lookin' for another.
Wes,
Do you have any information on small school WR prospect Kelton Tindal , From school Newberry.
He has some decent size and sic speed numbers coming up. Starter for the last couple years.
Could you examine the name for me? Any chance his speed gives him a chance to to be a guy that could stretch the defense in the NFL and be an important part of a Sunday game plan?
Thanks for your work.
Dez Bryant? Ha! Bryant will equate to a Troy Williamson.
Your grade on Shipley indicates that you think he "has a deficient area of his playing or physical skills that he should overcome" and that he'll never be an NFL starter. What is the deficent area? And if he'll never start, wouldn't you expect Jordan and the rest of the players below him to, at best, be signed as undrafted free agents or not signed at all?
Also, Shipley looked like the best receiver who competed in the college all-star competition on Sunday. He wasn't the fastest, but he wasn't the slowest and he had the best hands. Are these competitions meaningless?
Wes,
You can sure tell football season is over, let whining and complaining begin!
Considering we got the combine and pro days to get thru, you have done an excellent job of centering the prospects.
Damian Williams not an explosive athlete? You've got to be kidding yourself! You must be a ND grad or something. Did you not see him be the only target for SC this year? He was the only big play threat we had this year. Not explosive? So that why he had 2 punt return TD's! His being explosive is what helps him as a route runner, and a returner. If you ever watched him play, you would realize that he is probably one of the best WR's in the draft at YAC. YAC comes from being an explosive athlete. Now, if you had any skills as an analyst, you might have said, "He doesn't have the top end speed to beat a consistent deep threat." Even if that is the case, which I couldn't argue with (but his route running will still allow him to make big plays deep), his route running, the way he makes his cuts, and his sure hands will allow him to make the short and intermediate plays all day long. So, teams like the patriots, who don't rely heavily on the vertical game, will love this guy. He will also be very valuable to teams that already have big time deep threats. Point is, Damian Williams will be gone by the end of the first, or middle of the second. There is no way he is the 17th best WR.
Wes, I think you do great work here but it seems like you haven't watched tape on a lot of these guys or something. I have been a loyal reader of your stuff since the site has been up but Im sorry your rankigns here have sooo many things I disagree with. Go and watch tape of D. Alexander the guys is elite and explosive, breaks tackles and is a complete mismatch for anybody trying to cover him. He looks to me like the next Burress minus the hole in his thigh. I was absolutely unimpressed with Benn I have been hearing for 3 years he is supposed to be the top WR out there but his play showed nothing when I saw him play. What do you use to come up with the point scale, all we get is the explanation of where the number puts the player I would love to hear what your evaluating to get the numbers though. Hope this doesnt come out as whining or bitching I am writing this because I enjoy your work and would like to see you consistently step your game up. Keep up the good work thanks for all you do for this site
NateYinKC:
Thanks for reading and you are certainly entitled to your opinion....But from my perspective, Alexander is far from elite. It takes him far to long to get up to speed, needs to breakdown out of his breaks and struggles to beat press. I will admit he looks good once he gets up to speed down the field, however, he isn't going to be given a ton of space to get going in the NFL.
Benn on the other hand is so physical and tough to bring down. He played with terrible QB play this year, but the guy looks like an Anquan Bolden type prospect.
i think anyone that equates Dez Bryant to Troy Williamson immediately loses all credibility and any other statements by them should be ignored....thats just ignorant
Damian Williams, McCluster, and Hodge are way to low. The first two will be gone in the top two rounds and hodge by round five.
Mike Williams will be lucky to get drafted after quitting on his team. Tate may wind up going the Mario Manningham route and wind up a sixth round pick. Mitchell, Easley and Jeremy Williams are also grossly overrated.
Easley has finally gotten the spotlight he deserves, he is a great route runner with sub 4.40 speed, catches with his hands, and has no problem going over the middle or giving up his body for the spectacular catch... He is also a tremendous blopcker, as the knock on Uconn used to be that when Easley was in, it was a running play (his first 3 yrs)...
Easley has finally gotten the spotlight he deserves, he is a great route runner with sub 4.40 speed, catches with his hands, and has no problem going over the middle or giving up his body for the spectacular catch... He is also a tremendous blopcker, as the knock on Uconn used to be that when Easley was in, it was a running play (his first 3 yrs)...
Yes, where is Terrell Hudgins on this list?
lol both easly and Carlton Mitchell are way to high. Easley has had one productive season, and Mitchell hasnt had any really.
lol both easly and Carlton Mitchell are way to high. Easley has had one productive season, and Mitchell hasnt had any really.
Mike Williams will be lucky to get drafted after quitting on his team. Tate may wind up going the Mario Manningham route and wind up a sixth round pick. Mitchell, Easley and Jeremy Williams are also grossly overrated.
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Feb 08, 2010
02:10 PM
Wow, so you're really high on Marcus Easley and don't like Damian Williams all that much. Easley seems to have all the physical tools and the hands as well, but is a raw route runner. What's the knock on Damian Williams?