Rank the '14 Receiver Class

[BC 331]

In terms of which guys go on to have the best careers.

 

1. Odell Beckham Jr

2. Sammy Watkins

3. Mike Evans

4. Kelvin Benjamin

5. Brandin Cooks

6. Paul Richardson

7. Jordan Mathews

8. Martavis Bryant

9. Allen Robinson

10. Davante Adams

11. John Brown

12. Donte Montcrief

13. Kevin Norwood

14. Allen Hurns

15. Josh Huff

[Attyla the Hawk 197]

1. Mike Evans

2. Martavis Bryant

3. Odell Beckham Jr

4. Jordan Mathews

5. Sammy Watkins

6. Kelvin Benjamin

7. Allen Robinson

8. Paul Richardson

9. Davante Adams

10. Brandin Cooks

11. Allen Hurns

12. John Brown

13. Donte Montcrief

14. Kevin Norwood

15. Josh Huff

 

Based primarily on expected length of career with franchise QB. Also assumes TB picks Mariota with the #1 overall next year.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

I'll give it to OBJesus for the time being. I still think Evans will be the best receiver from this class, and I think his season was almost as impressive as OBJ's but OBJ was arguably an all pro receiver this year, and this is based on how I think they did this year.

1. Odell Beckham Jr - Like I said, overall he put up the best numbers of the receivers.

2. Mike Evans - I thought he was the best receiver going into the season and I stick to it. He was a real matchup nightmare, and had more big plays then any other rookie receiver. No other receiver made his targets count more then Evans did.

3. Jordan Mathews - Was hard on him going into the season - thought he was mad overrated and still kinda do, but he looked a lot better then I thought he would. Made a lot of big plays by breaking tackles this past year. Probably in the best offense for his talents.

4. Kelvin Benjamin - Far exceeded my expectations. Thought he was stiff, and got by because he was big and someone what fast in college. Worked for him this season. Don't think he was as good as his bulk numbers say but had a lot of big plays, and he looked good most of the time.

5. Martavis Bryant - I love big play receivers, Bryant was a big play receiver. A bigger percentage of his catches were on deep throws then any other receiver.

6. Sammy Watkins - His season was really hurt by the QB play. Started off with a guy who was wildly inaccurate from everywhere, and then a guy who struggled with the deep balls.

7. Brandin Cooks - Him, Landry and Browns were more possession receivers who were asked to work underneath a lot more. But he is the most explosive of the bunch, and probably would have a 1000 yards a lot of receptions were he not hurt.

8. Taylor Gabriel - Went under the radar, but looked pretty good working the slot. Was also explosive at times.

9. Jarvis Landry - I was surprised when he went as early as he did, but he's looked impressive nonetheless.

10. Donte Montcrief - Future is bright for Moncrief. He's got a lot of potential, and he looked good out there.

11. John Brown - I want to put him higher, but he was too inconsistent for me.

A lot of other receivers not mentioned... Arguably the best class of all time.

[theMileHighGuy 656]

Marqise Lee?

 

Cody Latimer

Edited January 4, 2015 by theMileHighGuy

[Packers Dynasty 2010 116]

Richardson at #6? That makes no sense at all...He hasn't done anything all season

[Thanatos 2,847]

To be fair to BC, he said based on their future careers. Still smells of homerism to me.

 

Just going to do top-10.

 

1. Odell Beckham JR

2. Martavis Bryant

3. Mike Evans

4. Jordan Matthews

5. Kelvin Benjamin

6. Sammy Watkins

7. Donte Moncrief

8. Brandin Cooks

9. Davante Adams

10. John Brown

[DBR96A 87]

Martavis Bryant is the man.

[BC 331]

Richardson just wasn't really used enough to realize his potential. Next year will almost be like a rookie year 2.0 for the guy but he came on strong towards the end of the year. He's basically the Golden Tate replacement. Broken play potential and KR potential. Incredibly dangerous in space and should accumulate good YAC #s. He's the fastest receiver on the team and him and Wilson have really clicked a lot off the field. Bevel will undoubtedly put him to work next year. This offseason I think was kind of wasted figuring out ways to use Percy. If Richardson lives up to his selection value and remains under the radar, he'll play with Wilson for 7+ years and have a few 1,000 seasons especially when Lynch sails into the sunset.

 

Surprised by the Martavis Bryant #2 consensus. I agree the guy is really good and better than where he was drafted. But he was the 2nd best Clemson receiver to Sammy Watkins. He has a much better situation, HOF QB, but he feels like a #2 receiver. Sammy is a special top-10 WR in the making.

[Attyla the Hawk 197]

Richardson just wasn't really used enough to realize his potential. Next year will almost be like a rookie year 2.0 for the guy but he came on strong towards the end of the year. He's basically the Golden Tate replacement. Broken play potential and KR potential. Incredibly dangerous in space and should accumulate good YAC #s. He's the fastest receiver on the team and him and Wilson have really clicked a lot off the field. Bevel will undoubtedly put him to work next year. This offseason I think was kind of wasted figuring out ways to use Percy. If Richardson lives up to his selection value and remains under the radar, he'll play with Wilson for 7+ years and have a few 1,000 seasons especially when Lynch sails into the sunset.

 

Surprised by the Martavis Bryant #2 consensus. I agree the guy is really good and better than where he was drafted. But he was the 2nd best Clemson receiver to Sammy Watkins. He has a much better situation, HOF QB, but he feels like a #2 receiver. Sammy is a special top-10 WR in the making.

 

 

I agree on putting him #2. Pittsburgh is an offense that should be great for the next 5 years. Brown is a magnificent #1 so Bryant will have a ton of loose coverage. He's also incredibly explosive and Ben is one of the best in the business at the deep throw. Additionally having Bell in the backfield = many more plays for that offense.

 

I think the annual over/under on TDs for Bryant should be 9.

 

Also I'm loathe to put Richardson that high. Seattle's passing offense is always intentionally retarded by design. Wilson is a good QB who spreads the ball around when he does throw. So very little chance of getting targets. His over/under for targets is probably capped at 6. He's very much improved and is on the cusp of being Wilson's go to guy. It's worth noting that he got over half his total receptions in the last 4 games of the year. But I have the strong suspicion that Seattle isn't done looking for their security blanket target. Which would dampen Richardson's potential production.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

1. Odell Beckham -- Wasn't a guy I was super high on in the draft, and he showed me up pretty good in his rookie season. Should be the OROTY, and until someone else proves otherwise, don't know why he would be any lower.

2. Mike Evans -- Still really wanted to put him #1, as he was my #1 ranked WR heading into the draft. But looking at the situation of he and Beckham, looking at the results of both guys, and factoring in that Beckham missed like all of camp and missed like 4 games... No contest. Still very high on Evans, though.

3. Jordan Matthews -- I just like and have liked the kids skill set, a lot. He just looks and feels like a true star at wideout. He has the attitude, passion, and physical tools to be one of the best not only this class has to offer, but the one of the best the league has to offer in a year or two.

4. Martavis Bryant -- Kid is a monster. And watching him play is really fun. He's set up there with an amazing offense... Big Ben at QB, Bell at RB, Brown opposite him... He has everything he needs to be a huge success, and if it wasn't for some blind homerism, he'd probably be a tad higher.

5. Jarvis Landry -- I have no idea why Landry isn't getting love around here. Kid is a firecracker, and is going to be REALLY good. As long as he doesn't spend too much time with that asshat Mike Wallace, he will develop just fine. Considering Wallace's skillset, it seemed to be like the Dolphins used Landry almost more like a possession guy, which I think might hurt him a little?!? I dunno.. But he's good. Real good.

6. John Brown -- Super talented... One thing I notice about this guy is that he gets open. ALL. THE. TIME. Not having a QB that can actually get it to him is a bit upsetting, though. He's also super motivated, and a guy with something to play for is always going to be good in my book.

7. Donte Moncrief -- Also, not a guy I was very high on originally... One thing I can say about him is that he is precise in what he does. Not super flashy, IMO.. But he has a QB that will force him the ball, and he will score in bunches, probably.

8. Allen Robinson -- All aboard the Favre hype train. Loved this kid coming out, and this season backed it up. He has the body, size, and skills that I think are required to be successful. Unfortunately, he went to Jacksonville, which automatically drags him down. I hope somebody competent can give this kid the tutoring he needs to really excel, because he could be special.

9. Davante Adams -- The Packers never use rookie WRs, and Adams had an up and down year. He showed flashes of being unstoppable and also showed flashes of being a rookie. Has some raw potential that the Packers will tap into in the future... And with an offensive cast like the Packers have, it's hard to imagine him failing. Don't think he will ever be a superstar, but will be above average.

10. Philly Brown -- I didn't watch an exceptional number of Panthers games... 4 total and that includes the playoff game. However, when I did.. This is the guy that stood out. This is the guy I saw who had the heart, the passion, and the fire. He made plays, and he got me excited watching him.

----------------------------------------------------
Why Isn't BLAH BLAH BLAH Here...

Brandin Cooks -- Not high on him to begin with. Looked OK to me. Depending on how long Brees plays, I am sure he will get some balls, he will get some stats.. But just nothing that excites me. Potential seems limited and almost gimmicky to me.

Sammy Watkins -- Looked pretty horrible to me, lol. Maybe it was the QB, maybe it was the offense... I don't know. He just looked so flat. He made a couple really awesome plays throughout the year, but those are too few and far in between to really make it worth it. Bills mega flubbed trading for him.. Even if he is a 1,000 yard WR for the next 6-7 years.

Kelvin Benjamin -- Like Watkins, he can make some fantastic plays... There is no doubt about it. However, I think he relies on his physical stature and size too much. He's so stiff running his routes, doesn't finish them out usually... Doesn't help his QB if he gets in trouble. Cam can move, so if you aren't open right away.. You work out of it and get open hoping Cam can find you. Kelvin doesn't do that. Looks a little slower to me than he should be, and I wouldn't rely on him to catch any ball thrown his way. As seen in my list, Philly Brown is, right now at least, the better technician.. has the better skillset... and should be the Panthers #1 until Benjamin proves otherwise.

[Thanatos 2,847]

Brown is not a better WR than Benjamin.

 

For all of Benji's drops, (11 on the season), he's credited with drops on balls that Philly Brown wouldn't have a chance in hell to catch. Brown is a speedster who has some ball security issues. I appreciate the love on Brown, but there is no way he is better than Benji atm.

Edited January 6, 2015 by Thanatos19

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Brown is not a better WR than Benjamin.

 

For all of Benji's drops, (11 on the season), he's credited with drops on balls that Philly Brown wouldn't have a chance in hell to catch. Brown is a speedster who has some ball security issues. I appreciate the love on Brown, but there is no way he is better than Benji atm.

This is a career prediction thread.

[Thanatos 2,847]

This is a career prediction thread.

 

And he said this:

 

 

 

As seen in my list, Philly Brown is, right now at least, the better technician.. has the better skillset... and should be the Panthers #1 until Benjamin proves otherwise.

[blotsfan 2,112]

Sammy Watkins -- Looked pretty horrible to me, lol. Maybe it was the QB, maybe it was the offense... I don't know. He just looked so flat. He made a couple really awesome plays throughout the year, but those are too few and far in between to really make it worth it. Bills mega flubbed trading for him.. Even if he is a 1,000 yard WR for the next 6-7 years.

 

You're allowed to say you never watched him play. Theres no shame in that.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Except I did... The Bills did play the Packers, after all. He looked horrible. Actually beyond horrible.I was nicer in my evaluation that you read because I didn't think it was possible that he was actually as bad as I saw him play. I don't recall exactly, but he had so many balls thrown his way and he made ZERO impact. Actually worse than zero impact. I think his presence actually made the Bills a worse team overall. They tried forcing him balls and it really negatively impact the entire team.

I don't know a whole lot about football, but when your entire offense derails because one player sucks so incredibly hard, it's probably not a good thing.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Favre4Ever

[blotsfan 2,112]

Except I did... The Bills did play the Packers, after all. He looked horrible. Actually beyond horrible.I was nicer in my evaluation that you read because I didn't think it was possible that he was actually as bad as I saw him play. I don't recall exactly, but he had so many balls thrown his way and he made ZERO impact. Actually worse than zero impact. I think his presence actually made the Bills a worse team overall. They tried forcing him balls and it really negatively impact the entire team.

 

I don't know a whole lot about football, but when your entire offense derails because one player sucks so incredibly hard, it's probably not a good thing.

 

Yeah it sucks, but the player you're thinking of is Kyle Orton. Its hard to catch a pass when its thrown 5 yards behind you.

[Dutch 874]

1. OBJ OBJ was simply amazing. I haven't seen a rookie WR break out like that and dominate since Moss. OBJ simply destroyed the competition regardless who it was against. Even against the likes of Richard Sherman who is labeled to some as the best corner in the league. Beckham demonstrated exceptional route running ability and made some of the most athletic plays that were mind boggling for a guy his size.

 

2. Sammy Watkins Hindered by bad QB play as well as groin injuries. As amazing as OBJ has played, I have Sammy Watkins very closely behind him. I think Watkins will wind up being one of the best guys to get behind a defense. His explosiveness and acceleration and speed is unmatched by receiver on this list.

 

3. Mike Evans

 

4. Jordan Matthews

 

5. Kelvin Benjamin

 

6. Martavis Bryant

 

7. Allen Robinson

 

8. Brandin Cooks

 

9. Davante Adams

 

10. Donte Moncrief

 

Finish the rest later

Edited January 8, 2015 by Dutch

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Ya, and next year when the same thing happens it will be EJ Manuel's fault.. the year after that, Jeff Tuel's fault.. After that, somebody else. Those excuses are natural when you give up so much for a player that will never give you a return greater than what was given up to obtain him.

Is Neckbeard bad? Ya. Does EJ Manuel look bad? Ya. Did that and will it continue to effect Watkins' production? Sure.

But how much blame do those QBs actually get or deserve? At what point do you stop blaming them and give Watkins his fair share of the blame? The Bills knew how desperate they were at QB, hence the last second signing of Orton. And it doesn't look like the situation is going to get any better, if the Bills' faith in Manuel is as strong as rumored.

So... If these excuses are going to keep coming up. If you know you don't have the players on your team to utilize or make Watkins as good as you think he can be. Why take him at all?

 

What is going to change at the QB position in 2015 or beyond that is going to so drastically improve Watkins' development or skill set -- because clearly it isn't his fault the team is better without him on the field.

 

EDIT: I bring this up because it is a career projection thread. If you think Watkins is amazing or is going to have an amazing career, but blame kind of a poo poo / OK season on bad QB play.. there has to be SOMETHING that makes you think the QB situation in Buffalo is oging to change and relatively soon so Watkins can play with a competent QB in a competent offense. I would just like to know where that faith comes from or what exactly makes everyone believe that happens.

EDIT 2: Response to Thanatos as I missed it. Yes, I did.. Philly Brown was better than Kelvin Benjamin last year, which I put into my calculations / projections. As Dutch just mentioned below.. We have one year to help us try and project these career arcs.. Philly Brown > Kelvin in 2014, IMO.. So i don't find it a stretch that he continues his positive development over Kelvin.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Favre4Ever

[Dutch 874]

Ya, and next year when the same thing happens it will be EJ Manuel's fault.. the year after that, Jeff Tuel's fault.. After that, somebody else. Those excuses are natural when you give up so much for a player that will never give you a return greater than what was given up to obtain him.

 

Is Neckbeard bad? Ya. Does EJ Manuel look bad? Ya. Did that and will it continue to effect Watkins' production? Sure.

 

But how much blame do those QBs actually get or deserve? At what point do you stop blaming them and give Watkins his fair share of the blame? The Bills knew how desperate they were at QB, hence the last second signing of Orton. And it doesn't look like the situation is going to get any better, if the Bills' faith in Manuel is as strong as rumored.

 

So... If these excuses are going to keep coming up. If you know you don't have the players on your team to utilize or make Watkins as good as you think he can be. Why take him at all?

 

What is going to change at the QB position in 2015 or beyond that is going to so drastically improve Watkins' development or skill set -- because clearly it isn't his fault the team is better without him on the field.

 

Watkins got a 982 yard season despite his injuries and bad QB play. There's really no reasonable or justifiable explanation not having him in the top 10 receiver rookie class. It's really just not plausible. Since we are projecting about these receivers futures, a good portion of our evaluation has to be based on what they have shown us this year. There is no way that some of the receivers that you put over Watkins should have given you a logical reason why they are or will be better than Watkins.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Dutch

[blotsfan 2,112]

I never said trading up for him was a smart move. You just said he's a terrible receiver.

I don't even understand what you mean when you say we're better when he's not on the field. Do you mean because when he's not playing we're on defense, which is one of the best in the league? That doesn't really speak to his level of play.

 

I'm not going around saying he's the best receiver in the class. I just know that yes, his stats were effected by shitty qb play and if you don't see how that hurts a receiver, then you don't really understand football.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Lol, I said myself yes he was effected by shitty QB play. But what makes you think he won't get shitty QB play in 2015 or 2020 that changes the arc of his career beyond what we saw in 2014? That's the whole point.

Me >> He looked pretty bad in 2014.
Blots >> He had Kyle Orton
Me >> Ya, that doesn't help, but what competent QB does Buffalo have or will they have that changes the fact Watkins will be playing with a horrible QB?
Blots >> Ya, he had Kyle Orton, you need to admit bad QBs negatively impact WRs

[blotsfan 2,112]

So what did you mean by "the bills were better when he was off the field"? Thats not saying that he's not gonna have as good of a career due to bad qb play. Thats saying that he is a bad player.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

You didn't answer the question and want to keep deflecting. Coolness, I will keep answering and repeating myself though if that's what you want. Ha.

 

The Bills stunted their offensive proficiency by forcing him the ball continuously without a ton of results. They did this in the Packers game, and by the looks of it in a lot of other games as well.

As you can imagine, projecting a career with one season as the foundation is not an easy task. While you have to take this season into account, you also have to account for natural progression and development. Or the development you hope to see, anyway.

I have no reason to expect a terribly run organization like the Bills to pull a miracle and come up with a franchise QB in the next 3-5 years. Heck, I don't trust them to find an above average QB... Or even an average one at that. That stuns a players growth, development, and overall career.

 

I say he looked pretty bad. You say part of that is because he had a bad QB. I agree, and don't think he will ever have a competent QB or offense to run in. Thus, the natural deduction would be that continuous poor QB play would lead to continuous poor play from Watkins.

If you have that faith that one of the worst run franchises is going to magically pull a rabbit out of the hat... It's either that or somehow Watkins becomes so good that he rises above horrible QBs -- I don't think that helps your assessment of him this season, but it could be a valid argument in the future. I don't think he gets to that point... MAYBE if he gets a Stafford type QB who just puts in crazy amounts of volume and forces the ball to him no matter what... There's a chance. But again, I am not going to bank my projections on the chance the Bills either A) Find a good QB or B) Find a shitty QB who just ignores everything about the position and throws him the ball 15 times a game.

 

If that's your belief, I can't argue it. There is nothing I can or will say that will change your mind. That's your prerogative and opinion, but one I find to be baseless and one filled with hope and blind faith rather than facts or precedent.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Favre4Ever

[Dutch 874]

If that's your belief, I can't argue it. There is nothing I can or will say that will change your mind. That's your prerogative and opinion, but one I find to be baseless and one filled with hope and blind faith rather than facts or precedent.

 

Ah. Is that how Philly Brown is or will be better than Sammy Watkins? Because I still can't wrap my head around that one

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Brown is an odd case, admittedly, but only because he had so few chances. I think the Panthers started seeing what he could do though as the season went on and will make it a point to get him more involved in the future. Panthers offense has so much more potential that it isn't even funny. Fred Jackson is the Bills best offensive player and he is almost 50 years old. Panthers are more dynamic and have a larger propensity to use and utilize the talent they have.

Philly, IMO, is going to be the big play guy for them moving forward. And they won't have to force the role onto him like Watkins. Admittedly though, yes, I would like to see more.