WIDE RECEIVERS: 6 ATHLETIC FREAKS WITH BREAKOUT POTENTIAL

@DFF_Shane
Jul 10, 2017 · 10 min read

Athletic ability is one of the best ways to predict NFL potential. It allows for a forecast into the future of how well a player can hold up against the best of the best. Although there are many variables that go into predicting success at the NFL level, having elite athletic traits is a good foundation to build on for potential upside as a successful NFL player. The 2017 season could see a few players with elite athletic ability finally get their opportunity to take the next step.

Below is a reference for the average combine measurements and athletic numbers for each workout at the wide receiver position.

Name HT WT Arm Hand Wing 40 20 10 SS TC BP VJ BJ Average 6’0″ 202 32 9.3 4.55 4.25 6.92 15 35 10

All combine data provided by 3sigmaathlete.com

JOSH DOCTSON, WASHINGTON REDSKINS

A standout wide receiver out of TCU, Josh Doctson will be a hot name coming into the 2017 NFL season. He started his collegiate career at Wyoming before transferring to TCU where he posted over 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns in his junior and senior year.

In his senior year, he posted 79 receptions for 1337 yards and 14 touchdowns while only playing in 11 games that year due to a wrist injury. He would end his collegiate career as the second in TCU history in career receptions and yards and would be named a finalist to the 2015 Fred Biletnikoff Award.

Three years into grading college football, Josh Doctson ‘s 2015 season is still the best we’ve seen. pic.twitter.com/TjgdwjVODk

— PFF College Football (@PFF_College) June 15, 2017

Doctson was drafted by the Redskins 22nd overall in 2016 but had a sub par rookie campaign due to a reoccurring Achilles tendon injury. He initially injured himself during off-season practices and then had a setback before the start of training camp. He spent 11 weeks of his rookie year on the injured reserve list.

Many have forgotten about Doctson and his outstanding elite athletic ability. According to playerprofiler.com, Doctson is in the 97th percentile in burst score, 81st percentile in agility and 96th percentile in catch radius. His breakout age of 18.8 will catch anyone’s attention as will his college dominator rating of 38.6%.

Name HT WT Arm Hand 40 SS TC BP VJ BJ Josh Doctson 6’2” 202 31.875” 9.875” 4.5 4.08 6.84 14 41 10.92

Doctson has a solid frame at 6’2″ and 202lbs to go with his elite athletic ability. He is excellent at climbing the ladder to win at the catch point and is a touchdown machine with 25 TDs in two years at TCU. He has excellent body control and body adjustment to the ball. His route running is above average and he is technical in his footwork.

Doctson began running in March and is progressing well according to reports. In the first two games of his rookie season, Doctson caught a 57-yard reception against the Cowboys, the longest by a Redskins rookie in 15 seasons according to an article by Stephen Czarda of Redskins.com.

Washington will want to give their first round wide receiver as much of an opportunity to succeed as possible. Doctson projects to be alongside Terrelle Pryor, Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed for targets and production. With Pierre Garçon and Desean Jackson moving on, there will be an extra 225 targets to go around. Expect between 80 and 90 of those targets to go to Doctson as a WR3 with WR2 upside.

Related Article:

Josh Doctson, Washington Redskins by @dibari22

CHRIS CONLEY, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

It’s not often the NFL has an elite level athlete like Chris Conley enter the league. Conley has rare athletic traits that every NFL team would find intriguing. It just so happened that the Kansas City Chiefs identified Conley’s talent and drafted him 76th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Conley was trapped in a run-heavy offense at Georgia and never had the opportunity to showcase his athletic ability. His college dominator rating of 29.3% isn’t overly impressive to most, but in terms of this type of production in the Bulldogs offense, it’s intriguing. He ended his collegiate career at Georgia with 1,938 yards and 20 TDs.

His athletic profile is off the charts. His speed score is in the 97th percentile, his burst score is 100th, and catch radius is in the 99th percentile according to playerproilfer.com. His 6’2″ and 213 frame with 33 3/4″ arms is icing on the cake. He posted a 45” vertical and nearly 11 ½ “ broad jump at the 2015 NFL Combine that made most scouts, coaches, and GMs drop their jaw.

Name HT WT Arm Hand 40 SS TC BP VJ BJ Chris Conley 6’1″ 213 33.75 9.875 4.35 4.3 7.06 18 45 11.58

With Jeremy Maclin signing with the Ravens, there are 73 targets to be spread around. Maclin was targeted on 28% of short throws and 50% of mid throws according to footballoutsiders.com. Conley could easily take over Maclin’s role and targets as he was targeted on 23% on short throws and 45% on mid throws, nearly identical to Maclin. Conley will also battle for targets with Tyreek Hill, who is an athletic freak himself, but there are very high expectations for a Hill who is being considered a WR1 at only 5’8” and 185lbs.

The Chiefs aren’t exactly the offensive goldmine for wide receivers considering they only average 233 net passing yards per game. They do however rank 13th in the league in points per game with 24.3. The possibility for a 3rd-year breakout for Conley is not out of the question and you will want to have him on your roster when the breakout happens.

Related Article:

Kansas City Chiefs by @DFF_Shane

PHILLIP DORSETT, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

The University of Miami has produced NFL talent at the wide receiver position for years. Receivers like Santana Moss, Michael Irvin, Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson and Devin Hester have all had success at the NFL level. Drafted 29th overall in 2015 by the Indianapolis Colts, Phillip Dorsett hasn’t lived up to the potential that the Colts have hoped for.

Dorsett attended the NFL talent factory at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL before signing with the University of Miami in 2010. He would play all four years accumulating 121 receptions for 2,132 yards and 17 TDs averaging 17.6 yards per reception. He averaged 24.2 yards per reception his senior year and 10 of his 36 catches went for touchdowns.

Dorsett’s athletic profile is extremely impressive. He rates in the 99th percentile for the 40-yard dash with a 4.33 and in the 89th percentile for agility. His breakout age is 19.7 and dominator rating is 32.6%. Dorsett’s 39″ vertical at 5’10” is better than Breshad Perriman, Kevin White and Michael Thomas who are all over 6’2″.

Name HT WT Arm Hand 40 SS TC BP VJ BJ Phillip Dorsett 5’9″ 185 30.25 9.375 4.27 4.03 6.7 13 38 10.75

Dorsett is battling for the 3rd wide receiver position with Chester Rogers and Kamar Aiken. Most reports haven’t been optimistic about Dorsett’s position on the Colts depth chart and he has been plagued by a hamstring injury during the offseason and there is still a long way to go until opening day.

Dorsett makes this list due to his athletic upside and potential in a high-powered passing offense. If he can stay healthy and gain further chemistry and trust with Andrew Luck, dynasty owners will be happy they stashed such an elite talent.

Related Article:

WR Phillip Dorsett, Indianapolis Colts

COREY COLEMAN, CLEVELAND BROWNS

The Browns have been without their star wide receiver Josh Gordon since 2014 and have had a need for a number one wide receiver ever since. The Browns identified Baylor WR Corey Coleman as their next star receiver in the 2016 NFL draft when they took him 15th overall. Coleman has the college production and athletic profile that most NFL teams rave about.

He won the Biletnikoff Award in 2015 as the nation’s top receiver and ended his junior season with 74 receptions for 1363 yards and 20 touchdowns while averaging 18.4 yards per reception. He posted 33 TDs over his three-year college career. His athletic profile is superb as he rated in the 94th percentile in burst and 92nd percentile in catch radius. His overall SPARQ score of 130 is in the 97th percentile. Overall, Coleman is an athletic freak and his college dominator rating of 44.2% is just icing on the cake.

Name HT WT Arm Hand 40 SS TC BP VJ BJ Corey Coleman 5’10” 194 30.25 9 4.4 17 40.5 10.75

The Browns will want to get Coleman the ball however possible. He played mostly on the left side in short and deep yardage situations in 2016. He missed half the season due to a hamstring injury and also a broken hand. The Browns have not been staying quiet about wanting Coleman to stay healthy this offseason.

As of now, Coleman is penciled in as the Browns №1 receiver with Terrelle Pryor now in Washington. This leaves 140 targets from Pryor to be distributed among Coleman, new addition Kenny Britt and rookie David Njoku.

With QB Cody Kessler averaging 7.1 yards per pass attempt, Coleman’s upside is capped as a deep threat, but his use in short yardage situations shouldn’t go overlooked. He can use his speed and elusiveness to gain YAC, giving him PPR value in fantasy leagues.

Related Articles:

Corey Coleman, Cleveland Browns

Corey Coleman, Baylor Bears

BRESHAD PERRIMAN, BALTIMORE RAVENS

A former 2-star recruit by Rivals.com, Breshad Perriman played three years at the University of Central Florida before being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 29th overall in 2015. Perriman was a large part of UCF’s offense with a 36.6% dominator rating putting him in the 72nd percentile. An impressive stat is his 20.9 yards per reception that places him in the 96th percentile.

What is also really impressive about Perriman is his athletic profile. He is 100th percentile in 40 — time with a 4.29 40- yard dash at his pro day. His overall speed score is 99th and his burst score is in the 74th percentile. He is known for his speed but his ability to separate at the top of his route really makes him a true weapon against defensive backs.

Name HT WT Arm Hand 40 SS TC BP VJ BJ Breshad Perriman 6’2″ 212 32 9. 4.26 4 6.99 18 36.5 10.58

In 2015, Perriman only saw 46.1% of the snap share and 10.4% of the target share in the Ravens offense. He played in 16 games but only started one. He suffered a setback in week three of 2015 from his previous PCL injury. This setback messed with his confidence and his mental stability. Perriman’s father, Brett Perriman, who played WR for 10 seasons in the NFL, decided to visit his son to encourage him.

With the 2017 season on the horizon, Perriman is more focused than ever. There have been positive reports about Perriman’s offseason per Baltimoreravens.com The addition of Jeremy Maclin would seem to pose a threat to Perriman’s production but that might not be the case. There is an important red flag to consider.

Why would Andy Reid release Maclin when Reid knows Maclin as a player very well? Is there something he knows that no one else does? Not to mention the Kansas City Chiefs are a wide receiver needy team, so why release a supposed elite WR like Maclin. There may be more pessimism about Maclin than optimism than previously expected. This could also be a reason to buy into Perriman’s potential upside in the Raven’s offense if Maclin doesn’t live up to expectations.

Related Articles:

Dynasty Player Profile: Breshad Perriman, Baltimore Ravens by @JoeyColonna

WR Breshad Perriman, Baltimore Ravens by @DFF_Shane

Dynasty, Buys, Sells, Holds, Baltimore Ravens by @dibari22

KEVIN WHITE, CHICAGO BEARS

When the Bears drafted Kevin White 7th overall in 2015, there was bittersweet emotion coming from Bears fans and draft Twitter. White is a physical specimen with outstanding release off the line of scrimmage and competitive at the catch point. He posted very good numbers his senior year at West Virginia with 109 receptions for 1,447 yards and 10 TDs.

His athletic profile is very impressive. He ran a 4.35 40-yard dash and scored in the 98th percentile in speed and 91st percentile in catch radius. His College dominator rating was 36.8% and his overall SPARQ rating was the 135.1. This puts him in the 98% percentile in SPARQ.

Name HT WT Arm Hand 40 SS TC BP VJ BJ Kevin White 6’2″ 215 32.625 9.25 4.35 4.14 6.92 23 36.5 10.25

The bitter part of Kevin White’s profile is that he is the one year wonder. Kevin White transferred from Lackawanna College and played in 10 games for West Virginia his junior year. He played in 24 career games and started in 22 of those in his two seasons with West Virginia. He was highly productive his senior season and posted a 16 reception game versus Texas in 2014.

The second part to be pessimistic about White’s profile is that he is still raw. While in college he played only on the right side of the field, approximately 82.3% of the time according to Matt Harmon’s Reception Perception. He only really was asked to run a post, crawl, dig or out route during his collegiate career. Learning the playbook and gaining chemistry with his QB will be essential to Whites success in the NFL.

White has also been plagued by injury his entire NFL career. In his first two seasons, he has only played and started in four games. He was placed on IR his rookie season due to a stress fracture in his tibia. In his sophomore season, White suffered an ankle sprain and he fractured fibula against Detroit Lions and we for and was again placed on IR. Being that White didn’t break out until the age of 21 and is now 25 years of age in his second season, 2017 is the make or break year for White.

So what makes me breakout candidate? According to Bears beat writer Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune, White has resumed running at “full speed” at mandatory minicamp. White also told Rich Campbell that “It needs to happen now” and “I’ve got to turn it up”. These are encouraging words but actions always speak louder. Now fully healthy, White has the opportunity to finally show off his ability on the field.

Another sign for optimism is that White has a sport-friendship with newly acquired quarterback Mike Glennon during the off-season. Chemistry is a much-underrated aspect between quarterback and wide receiver and that should not go overlooked. The only other threat to White’s production is 2016 breakout, WR Cameron Meredith. If Glennon and White can get on the same page, this could be a happily ever after for White and his fantasy owners.

Related Articles:

Kevin White, Chicago Bears

The Curious Cases of White and Perriman


Originally published at dynastyfootballfactory.com on July 10, 2017.

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