ALERT! Combine fever threatens to infect us all! Vigilance is your first and best defense, so keep a keen watch for the signs. Symptoms include a fever spike, leading to scorching hot takes; vertigo and neck spasms, from watching players leap skyward over and over; carpal tunnel syndrome after calculating dozens of speed and agility scores; and mild dysphoria, as your favorite prospects test worse than Morris Claiborne on the Wonderlic. To combat the pitfalls of Combine fever, stay informed and unbiased by absorbing as much information as possible from as many different sources, be they named or the mythical "anonymous scout." Above all, remain calm, lest you too succumb to the fever that claimed so many others.
Whoa, that's odd... my neck just twitched...
(Common features amongst these wideouts: short-area quickness and juking ability, sharp body control, fluidity in routes, proper catch technique and hand use, downfield tracking, and field awareness. Like vision and burst in runners, I value these qualities above pure athleticism for rookies as it seems to correlate with faster production and penchant towards self-betterment in the pros. As a result, I struggled with the decision to omit quick riser Nelson Agholor, but I encourage taking a look at him and the rest of the later-round receivers as well. Please leave feedback after the jump, or tweet us on the sidebar, and enjoy!)
If you're plugged into the draftnik streams this offseason, you'll likely sputter under waves of gushing over draftees Philip Dorsett and Devin Smith. Dorsett should find yards easy to come by if he gets some designed plays, but Smith carries a lot of Tavon Austin-like risk. The premier small receiver of this year's class, to me, is Lockett. His tape is some of the most enjoyable to watch of any player in the draft, showcasing marvelous instincts and ball sense to go with putty hands. He ran a 4.4 flat in Indy and nabbed a 10.96 agility score, falling right in line with his athletic strengths as an electric lid-popper. Purportedly, Lockett has been obliterating interviews with a combination of impressive football intelligence and sterling character. School coaches and teammates have on multiple occasions dubbed him a film junkie, which instills major confidence in his long-term outlook. Due to his lacking size, Lockett knows he has to win with his brain and legs, or he risks getting bullied all day by lanky cornerbacks. Many scouts will scoff at Lockett as a one-dimensional returner (albeit an impactful one), but I see more of a diverse, T.Y. Hilton-esque threat. Entering the draft as one of the most refined players overall, Lockett's arrow is pointing straight up.
McBride's future in the pros muddies far more than the other three prospects on this list. As a small-school player, he flew under the radar until the Combine; after registering solid numbers all around, including a fiery 123-inch broad jump, pundits went back to pore over his reels a bit. He compares to Brandon LaFell in terms of body movement and field control, which douses my expectations for him a bit. LaFell, to this point in his career, has suffered from lapses in concentration and a tendency to play slower than his athleticism permits; both red flags hang from McBride as well. As of the Combine, he profiles as a single-layer intermediate patroller, taking on low safeties and using his natural hands to pluck off bullet passes. If a squad puts in the time to strengthen McBride's mental presence, he certainly has the potential to add layers to his game and evolve into something of a yards-after-catch maven. Despite his lower ceiling, McBride can add a much-needed versatile complement to any team's lead receiver as he matures.
--Lucio Leone
Whoa, that's odd... my neck just twitched...
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| Combine Fever: Patient Zero |
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Jaelen Strong
6'4", 217 pounds
Best comparison: Mike Evans and Jarius Wright's lovechild
Tape versus USC, courtesy of Draftbreakdown:
Including Strong in this article may faintly bend the rules, as he's expected to last until the middle of round two at the latest. However, he's still considered an outlier from the consensus top-tier, and my crush on him forced the issue. The appropriately-named Strong tested well in Indianapolis, with his long-noteworthy explosiveness at the forefront (42-inch vertical and 123-inch broad jump). Strong's Jordan-like leaps pepper his tape, as he battles for contested catch after contested catch and boxes out defenders with his powerful frame. Yet, he isn't merely a Jermaine Kearse-style jump baller; Strong tracks like Bear Grylls in the mountains and always seems to know where the ball will end up. Getting downfield to catch deep shots is rarely an issue, though he needs a few strides to hit his second gear. Thankfully, he can shake off shallow defenders with his quick feet and awareness. Though he fails to consistently win in the small game due to choppy routes (he's stiff out of the break, likely due to his size), with practice Strong can develop that part of his game and embody the prototypical number-one wideout in the NFL. Tape versus USC, courtesy of Draftbreakdown:
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Tyler Lockett
5'10", 180 pounds
Best comparison: T.Y. Hilton
Tape versus Baylor, courtesy of Draftbreakdown:
Tape versus Baylor, courtesy of Draftbreakdown:
If you're plugged into the draftnik streams this offseason, you'll likely sputter under waves of gushing over draftees Philip Dorsett and Devin Smith. Dorsett should find yards easy to come by if he gets some designed plays, but Smith carries a lot of Tavon Austin-like risk. The premier small receiver of this year's class, to me, is Lockett. His tape is some of the most enjoyable to watch of any player in the draft, showcasing marvelous instincts and ball sense to go with putty hands. He ran a 4.4 flat in Indy and nabbed a 10.96 agility score, falling right in line with his athletic strengths as an electric lid-popper. Purportedly, Lockett has been obliterating interviews with a combination of impressive football intelligence and sterling character. School coaches and teammates have on multiple occasions dubbed him a film junkie, which instills major confidence in his long-term outlook. Due to his lacking size, Lockett knows he has to win with his brain and legs, or he risks getting bullied all day by lanky cornerbacks. Many scouts will scoff at Lockett as a one-dimensional returner (albeit an impactful one), but I see more of a diverse, T.Y. Hilton-esque threat. Entering the draft as one of the most refined players overall, Lockett's arrow is pointing straight up.
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Tre McBride
6'0", 210 pounds
Best comparison: Brandon LaFell
Tape versus Richmond, courtesy of Draftbreakdown:
Tape versus Richmond, courtesy of Draftbreakdown:
McBride's future in the pros muddies far more than the other three prospects on this list. As a small-school player, he flew under the radar until the Combine; after registering solid numbers all around, including a fiery 123-inch broad jump, pundits went back to pore over his reels a bit. He compares to Brandon LaFell in terms of body movement and field control, which douses my expectations for him a bit. LaFell, to this point in his career, has suffered from lapses in concentration and a tendency to play slower than his athleticism permits; both red flags hang from McBride as well. As of the Combine, he profiles as a single-layer intermediate patroller, taking on low safeties and using his natural hands to pluck off bullet passes. If a squad puts in the time to strengthen McBride's mental presence, he certainly has the potential to add layers to his game and evolve into something of a yards-after-catch maven. Despite his lower ceiling, McBride can add a much-needed versatile complement to any team's lead receiver as he matures.
--Lucio Leone
