2024 Draft Class: WR

Originally posted by Rathof44:

Originally posted by adrianlesnar:

Originally posted by Rathof44:
I hear you, but I don't like Worthy because of his size, mid route running ability, and inability to make contested catches consistently. But also the fawning over the speed is funny, the two guys that come to mind are Ruggs and Ross and neither were successful. Also IMO, teams won't play off him, because he so tiny, they will press him and knock him off his routes. I like Pearsall more, I like Ladd more, I like Mitchell more but I'm no scout. Name one blazing WR, other than HIll, who was been successful after all the hype around a 40 time. He's a niche receiver, he may fit perfectly with Mahomes. Purdy doesn't have that arm talent. But he won't be Hill, not even close. My .02

Speed is just one piece of the puzzle. No one should advocate to draft a guy because he runs fast. That's my issue (if you want to call it that) with people talking about Worthy; they see he runs fast and immediately think he's nothing more than a fast guy trying to play football. Basically, they're doing what you're saying shouldn't happen, just in the other direction.

Now elite speed IS one part of what makes Worthy as a prospect. But you're using speed as a disqualifier. Afterall, no one can name one blazing WR other than Tyreek Hill that has become a good WR. (Not true btw..what is your cut off for blazing? 4.29? Is 4.41 not fast? 4.35? Plenty of fast successful wide receivers). But would Aiyuk not be even better if he had 4.3 speed? Would Tyreek not be good if he ran a 4.5 flat?

If teams want to consistently jam Worthty at the line, they better keep a safety over top. But now you're dedicating 2 defenders to Worthy...that's a win. Otherwise, you better hope it works, or he's leaving for a chunk gain.

Contested catch ability is valuable, but it's value is dependent. Obviously, the best wide receivers can do it all, but contested catch ability matters less when you can create separation, and you have a QB who throws on time. And Worthy is a pretty good route runner with the hip sink ability and start/stop quickness to develop well beyond "mid"

Lastly, I'm not exactly sure who here has been "fawning" over speed, or really where that has even been mentioned in the context of our interaction. Ross has knee issues and Ruggs killed a person. They didn't fail because they run fast.

My whole premise was based on the 40 yd dash champion at the combine (Worthy) not other fast receivers (20 WRs at the combine ran sub 4.5, so there's plenty of fast WRs) but only one gets the subsequent attention that the fastest guy at the combine receives. Mitchell ran a 4.34 and Legette a 4.39, which is extremely fast as well, still didn't garner the attention Worthy did. And those guys are also 200lb+.

Not saying people in the Webzone fawn over speed, that's putting words in my mouth. Referring to some teams, in general, fall in love with speed. You know that's true.

I think a clearer way of saying what I think you are trying to say is........ There is a limited amount of tiny WRs in the NFL that have been a proven success.

Clearly to get in the NFL and be Tiny, you have to be fast..... Fast is not the problem....being Small is the problem.

If 5-11 160 was workable in the NFL, the potential WR pool for the NFL would grow 1000%....but as we know, short of the old run and shoot days...that does not work in the NFL, and to even attempt it...the WR has to be not just fast, but NFL game changing speed and quickness.....and even then it fails...a ton.....

We got one NFL game to look at right now, in that game Worthy looked like he was the fastest guy in the history of the NFL combine....so right now...two thumbs up, let's see if he can continue on that as the NFL season progresses.....the knock on small guys has always been durability....so we shall see....but right now...dude lives up to the billing.

Since this draft is considered to be a deep WR class The top 10 or so Wr's,are projected to go off the board between Rd1-and-thru-Rd 4.
I don't think that SF is Interested in investing a pick on a WR earlier than Rd 4 (b/c of all the other needs that are more pressing than Wr.) ...Maybe? But we know that b/c of Brandon Aiyuk injury ,And the question of (When in the season will he come back "fully" again from his injury?) and (SF also needs to replace D.Samuel departure, Not to mention that Jauan Jennings is in his last year of his rookie contract. "That being said" I am just looking at Wr's that are good prospects to value from Rd 4 on.

1a) Tez Johnson Oregon- He is small 5'-10"' and light 154. (His size and weight will affect where he gets taken) But He is considered a "Space Creator"
he has a 73" wingspan which is big for his size. A team that is looking for a slot player with the high production and a high ceiling at a value Rd "Tez is one of those players ..He brings His ability to win quickly underneath creates opportunities to catch and run into the open field.
Johnson is dynamic with the football in his hands; he can make defenders miss with quick, decisive movements and angle-beating burst/acceleration.
He excels in post and flag routes, He is a fearless player as he made a living doing most of his damage up the middle, Between the hatch marks.
He is a threat to take any play for a big splash play ,b/c of his fluid moves. He is hard to cover even for his size .He is one of the best route runners in this draft Tez will add value as a punt and kick returner he has returned a punt for a Td.

1ab) Pat Bryant Illinois He is a bigger type Wr. he is more ln the Jauan Jennings mold he is 6'2" (His 4.61 in the 40 will hurt his draft position) but,He has plenty of game speed P.Bryant leverage and route-running nuances fit seamlessly into timing-based offenses that create one-on-one matchups outside the numbers. While he lacks elite separation skills, his proficiency in winning through technique and body positioning establishes him as a legitimate X-receiver at the next level.he has an 89% dominator rating, an 82% yd per pass attempt rating and he averaged 18.2 yd per reception, and he blocks very well. Pat Bryant has some of the best hands in this Wr Class.and he has some of the most amazing one-handed acrobatic catches in college.An example of Bryant's big play potential in 2024 was he had 54 receptions and out of those catches 29 of those went for 10-yds or more.Pat works the middle very well, and is not afraid to bring down high passes. He works all over the field. Bryant can take an average play and can turn it for a "big gain" very easily at any point of the game. His playing style reminds me a lot of Jauan Jennings.If SF wants to draft a Wr to replace J. Jennings in case we can't sign him,I believe P Bryant could replace him and still bring the same effectiveness and danger level to their defense .

2) Tory Horton-Colorado St -He is also close to 6'-3" He runs a 4.41 in the 40yd (which is in the 81% percentile) his vertical is 37.5 (which is in the 75% percentile) Good for a Wr. he has:

*Exceptional ball-tracking ability downfield that allows him to make adjustments on the fly without losing stride
*Natural hands-catcher * consistently creating separation * Long strider with impressive build-up speed who stacks defensive backs effectively, giving his quarterbacks a clean throwing window downfield *Displays impressive spatial awareness along sidelines, consistently maintaining awareness of boundary limits while contorting for difficult catches. *Creates chunks of yards after catch with slippery open-field movement

He got hurt in Oct 2024 so we have to go back to 2023 to get a full season stats: He recorded 96 receptions for 1,136 yards and adding another 8 scores.Looks like he injury is past him cause he did participate in the combine earlier this year.

*He is projected as an Outside X receiver

Some of his honors were:
*First Team All-Mountain West honors for the second straight year.
*His recognition continued with appearances on the Biletnikoff, Hornung, and Maxwell Award watch lists, establishing himself as one of the nation's most dangerous weapons on the outside.

T. Horton is a legitimate Special Team option:
*The versatile pass-catcher also showcased his open-field abilities as a punt returner, taking one back for a touchdown against Wyoming in 2022

*In Horton's collegiate career he amassed 265 receptions, 3,615 yards, and 27 touchdowns across 50 career games – speaks volumes about his playmaking ability and scoring prowess at the collegiate level.

*In 2023 his latest full season Horton averaged 95 yds a game for a 11.7 yds per catch and had 21 forced missed tackles.
"Despite his impressive 40 time" Horton was mostly used in underneath patterns (crossing routes) where he was very effective But was really not used very much in the long vertical game? Which some scouts think he is very capable, and offers a big runway in the NFL in his development.

Troy Horton is another Wr that can replace Jauan Jennings or complement Jennings in 4-receiver set. or other multi receiver sets.