FWIW, jrry32 is very high on my list of knowledgable draft gurus. Right up there with Dead and Alyo, tbh.
Here’s jrry32...
I didn't just throw names out there. I made a list of all the guys expected to go from the late first to early third, watched them, and narrowed the list to the guys I liked. I didn't consider any guys who couldn't make plays down the field or run the routes asked of the player in Cooks's role (mainly vertical and speed cuts). Taking them one by one:
1. Tee Higgins - Long strider with sneaky vertical speed and contested catch dominance. Needs to improve his releases against press coverage. If he lasts to our first second round pick, we should sprint to the podium. He's a first round talent. I've seen comparisons to A.J. Green. They are justifiable.
2. Denzel Mims - Very physical with great athleticism and a massive catch radius. Has the speed to separate vertically, the quickness and physicality to uncover underneath, and the catch radius to be a red-zone threat. He also needs to improve his releases against press coverage. Unlikely to make our pick. Ultimate upside is Michael Thomas esque. DeVante Parker might be a more realistic expectation.
3. K.J. Hamler - Explosive speed reminiscent of DeSean Jackson. You can't teach his acceleration, explosive cuts, or top-end speed. Needs to polish up his routes, lacks size and play strength, and has average hands. Major vertical threat, can do damage on returns and jet sweeps/reverses, and could play inside or outside. Not going to make many contested catches. Upside seems to be DeSean Jackson, but may end up more like Ted Ginn Jr. with the Saints.
4. Laviska Shenault - Plays the game like Anquan Boldin and Juju. Built like a power HB, runs like a power HB, and uses his size and strength to bully CBs in his routes. Strong hands. Huge YAC threat. Needs to polish his route running (tips route depth based on tempo) and show better effort as a blocker. Has durability questions due to his physicality. Explosive acceleration allows him to separate, but his top-end speed isn't special. Will separate vertically because of his acceleration but fast defenders can recover to contest catches because he lacks the extra gear. Boom/bust prospect with MASSIVE upside.
On the guys I eliminated, Michael Pittman is a contested catch monster and very physical, but I think he's too tightly wound to run our route tree effectively. He's more of a linear athlete. Brandon Aiyuk is talented, but he makes more sense as a Woods replacement and needs a lot of development. Jalen Reagor is lethal with the ball in his hands, but he's small and not fast enough to play the role we want. Chase Claypool is super talented but too raw. I think he makes more sense as a guy who plays as sort of a TE/big slot hybrid. Devin Duvernay seems like a bad fit for our scheme, and his skill-set is kind of one of mismatched parts.
