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Rams43
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. I'm the lead cheerleader in the Tee Higgins fan club, I can see the Green comp., I called him Hopkins-lite
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. Mims has the size to bully, the speed to get deep and the little route running nuances to get open, my biggest concern are his drops. But I like him. Alyo is his Fan club president.
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. Think more Hollywood Brown IMO. Love him, biggest issue is his tiny catch radius. 30 3/4" arms on a 5'-9" WR
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. Next to Isaiah Simmons, he might be the best athlete in this draft. Played hurt this year, because he is a stud. I am higher on him then anyone on the internet.
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.
I just don't get some of this: Aiyuk is a swivel hipped nuclear weapon, Woods is a do the dirty work and underneath work because I cant get deep guy. Aiyuk would slip into Cooks spot without missing a beat. Pittman would be fine in Kupp's spot, Raegor is no smaller then Cooksy Smurf (is that fine I call him that now that he is gone or is someone gonna call me out on that yet?) Reagor is 5'-11" 206 lbs..., Claypool isn't as raw as he is more of a big slot then a replacement for a deep threat. Duvernay is actually more like Cooks then everyone else, except Duvernay is more physical and that is being kind.
Don't waste your time looking back, you're not going that way. - Ragnar Lothbrok
