Revisiting last year's WR prospects and what it can tell us...

Originally posted by JamesGatz83:
45 for 562 as a rookie with arguably the worst QB situation in the entire league for the majority of the year. Not too bad.

I agree that his ceiling is probably as a #2, but I think he'll be significantly more productive than Hill.

Talk to some Cardinals fans about him, he was thoroughly outplayed by Andre Roberts, no superstar himself. That'd be like Michael Crabtree being outplayed by Josh Morgan. I wasn't impressed by him before the draft and I'm not really impressed right now, I think he and Randle will go on to have very similar careers, except Randle was a late 2nd round pick and Floyd was an early 1st rounder. Cardinals should have gone OL early instead.

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
You forgot:

- Kendall Wright from Tenn: 64 catches, 626 receiving yards and 4 TDs
- Denarius Moore from Oakland: 51 catches, 741 receiving yards, 14.5 YPC and 7 TDs
- Josh Gordon from Cleveland: 50 catches, 805 receiving yards, 16.1 YPC and 5 TDs
- Chris Givens from St. Louis: 42 catches, almost 700 receiving yards, 16.6 YPC and 3 TDs

Denarius was a 2nd year. Gordon was supplemental draft.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
The answer is simple.....just draft Quinton Patton and don't worry about the WR position anymore.

Agree 100% on Patton. Lacks elite measurables (though decently sized at 6'2",195), but the guy just gets open.

So many examples around the league of guys at the position with poor measurables who just produce.

Wes Welker is tiny and runs a 4.65 40, but how many guys have been more productive?

Anquan Boldin ran a 4.70 at the combine, and we've certainly seen over the years how effective he's been.

The GOAT himself, Jerry Rice, only ran a 4.71 40.

Very tricky position to evaluate. For every Randy Moss or Calvin Johnson, there's a Jerry Rice or a Wes Welker.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
Talk to some Cardinals fans about him, he was thoroughly outplayed by Andre Roberts, no superstar himself. That'd be like Michael Crabtree being outplayed by Josh Morgan. I wasn't impressed by him before the draft and I'm not really impressed right now, I think he and Randle will go on to have very similar careers, except Randle was a late 2nd round pick and Floyd was an early 1st rounder. Cardinals should have gone OL early instead.

As a general rule, I prefer not to talk to Cardinals fans.

Roberts was a third-year player. Takes a while for it to click for WRs in a lot of cases (see: Crabtree, Michael).

Originally posted by JamesGatz83:
Agree 100% on Patton. Lacks elite measurables (though decently sized at 6'2",195), but the guy just gets open.

So many examples around the league of guys at the position with poor measurables who just produce.

Wes Welker is tiny and runs a 4.65 40, but how many guys have been more productive?

Anquan Boldin ran a 4.70 at the combine, and we've certainly seen over the years how effective he's been.

The GOAT himself, Jerry Rice, only ran a 4.71 40.

Patton's going to be a star, he's got one of those backgrounds that people later look back on and go "hmm, why did Michael Jordan get cut from his high-school team again?"

He's a guy who has had to struggle for everything he's gotten, in high-school, in community college, at Louisiana Tech, but the thread is the same, he adapts and then he dominates. His ability to cut without slowing down, moving seamlessly around the field is tremendous, that will give him the ability to separate against most pro level cornerbacks. If the 49ers draft him, I'd be done, I think he can be the next great 49ers small Southern-school WR.

I think it tells us we'll draft defense with our first two picks (DEFINITELY our first-rounder), then take a WR and/or TE somewhere in the rounds 3-5 and hope they pan out.

Originally posted by guillotine31:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:
You forgot:

- Kendall Wright from Tenn: 64 catches, 626 receiving yards and 4 TDs
- Denarius Moore from Oakland: 51 catches, 741 receiving yards, 14.5 YPC and 7 TDs
- Josh Gordon from Cleveland: 50 catches, 805 receiving yards, 16.1 YPC and 5 TDs
- Chris Givens from St. Louis: 42 catches, almost 700 receiving yards, 16.6 YPC and 3 TDs

Denarius was a 2nd year. Gordon was supplemental draft.

My bad on Moore. I was just pointing out the success of rookie WRs so I included Gordon, who we could've drafted in the supplemental if we wanted to.

Nice little big of perspective here.

WR is a position you have to wait a few years before claiming to know anything about their career. Way too premature to make any bold statements.
That being said, the guy on my board in the second round (I had Peter Konz as my first rounder), was Mohamed Sanu, who had four TD receptions in his last three games before going out with injury. Sanu also threw for one TD, to AJ Green.

Originally posted by captain_planet:
I think it tells us we'll draft defense with our first two picks (DEFINITELY our first-rounder), then take a WR and/or TE somewhere in the rounds 3-5 and hope they pan out.

I agree. I would feel a lot more comfortable spending high picks on positions that are more difficult to find value at deeper in the draft.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
WR is a position you have to wait a few years before claiming to know anything about their career. Way too premature to make any bold statements.
That being said, the guy on my board in the second round (I had Peter Konz as my first rounder), was Mohamed Sanu, who had four TD receptions in his last three games before going out with injury. Sanu also threw for one TD, to AJ Green.

Personally, I wanted Fleener in the first and Hilton later in the third. In hindsight, I wish we took a DL (Derek Wolfe or Kendall Reyes, ideally).

Last season i was firmly in the Fleener camp. Although when Martin was there i really wanted us to take him. Never thought he would fall that far with so many RB needy teams ahead of us.

My WR last season was Alshon Jefferey in the second. Really liked the kid, although alot of people called him fat and lazy.
24 Rec. 367 Yds. 15.2 Avg. 55 Lng. 3 TD.

I think it's also telling that of the other rookie receivers that we could have drafted, none of their teams had more rushing yards or receiving yards by tight ends than we did.

Originally posted by JamesGatz83:
Just posted this in a thread regarding Jenkins, and I thought it was interesting. Here are a bunch of WR prospects this forum discussed for us at various points in the 2012 Draft.

Hilton was far and away the most productive of the bunch, despite being by far the smallest. Granted his success had a lot to do with Indy's scheme, depth chart, etc., but I think this should be taken as a reminder that we all get way too caught up in measurables.

For example, people were drooling over Streeter because he's tall and fast, but he fell all the way to Round 6 and couldn't even dress for a game in his first year.

Stephen Hill, 21 rec for 252 yds and 3 TDs

Rueben Randle, 19 rec for 298 yds and 3 TDs

Brian Quick, 11 rec for 156 yds and 2 TDs

Tommy Streeter, inactive all year for Baltimore

Marvin Jones, 18 rec for 201 yds and 1 TD

Marvin McNutt, played in 4 games, 0 catches

T.Y. Hilton, 50 rec for 861 yds and 7 TDs

Greg Childs, inactive all year for Minnesota

Nick Toon, inactive all year for New Orleans

had Hilton in my mock last year. Wanted so bad. Him and Brian Quick are the only two rookie WR I wanted

Originally posted by IdahoNiner:
Last season i was firmly in the Fleener camp. Although when Martin was there i really wanted us to take him. Never thought he would fall that far with so many RB needy teams ahead of us.

My WR last season was Alshon Jefferey in the second. Really liked the kid, although alot of people called him fat and lazy.
24 Rec. 367 Yds. 15.2 Avg. 55 Lng. 3 TD.

I liked Jeffery too. A lot of people knocked his 40 as well, but he's another guy who can just make plays. He's another example that you don't always need burners and guys that get massive separation.