He loses close to the line of scrimmage to CBs like Josh Norman who are even more physical than he is. [1:46] This play is one of two that is very representative of how Cooper gets open. 100 routes). Odds & lines subject to change. Just a few years ago, the NFC East was chock-full of high profile wide receivers. [9:35] Gilmore again lines up opposite Slayton at the top of the screen. HONORABLE MENTION: Terry McLaurin, Commanders; Tee Higgins, Bengals; Garrett Wilson, Jets; Chris Olave, Saints. The Redskins probably have the least recognizable names in the division, even though the squad features former first round pick Josh Doctson and last years relatively high-profile free agent signing, Paul Richardson. An argument can be made he is the third best receiver in the NFC East. Douglas is not the fastest of CBs and is playing a few yards off, so he cant jam McLaurin at the line to disrupt his route. The wide receiver landscape in the NFC East has changed dramatically over the past couple of seasons. Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) February 28, 2023. 10 pick in Smith, who will become their No. Chase ranks in the top 10 in both receiving yards over expected (+157) and yards after catch over expected (+122), even though hes only played in nine games. Will he ever duplicate that magical five-game stretch last year? He also doesnt use deception and fakes as aggressively as he could in his routes, possibly because he is accustomed to simply running past opponents. Overall, I think Reagor is a skilled, explosive playmaker who can stretch the field vertically while also taking short passes or handoffs for big gains, using his sudden cuts and quick acceleration to juke defenders and get yards after the catch. Justin Jefferson can lay claim to the title of being the best receiver in the NFL. As an aside, I think this play also highlights problems with how the Eagles scheme up their secondary. This year, were going to look at the division again, but were gonna try to ramp things up a bit by adding some film review to some of the position group reviews. The starting QB for the 2019 season was inexperienced freshman Max Duggan, causing Reagor to statistically regress to 43 receptions for 611 yards, which still lead the team. It looks to me like hes supposed to run a corner route, but when he finishes the route and looks back to Russell Wilson he sees him scrambling. Five-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen could be a surprise cut this offseason with the Los Angeles Chargers sitting at $19.9 million over the salary cap.It was a luxury to have both Allen and Mike Williams on the same team, but the time might have finally arrived for the Chargers to settle in with one player being the No. Such questionable play at the QB spot led me to wonder how the dependent receivers are fairing under such unsteady conditions. Tate only has good speed, but has elite quickness, and plays like this highlight his ability to get separation quickly when in tight coverage if the DB doesnt maintain constant eyes and leverage on Tate. Richardson plays his role very well here, and I think it shows not just his intelligence and attention to detail in getting the timing and nuance of a play like this down right, but also his selflessness in working hard to execute a play that ultimately benefits another pass catcher. New York Giants. Once Reagor has passed the CB he shows great acceleration getting down the field quickly and showing good use of inside leverage, keeping himself between the CB and the QB so the QB has a clear path to throw to him inside. Cornerbacks and safeties are smart in the NFL and can read route tells extremely well. Despite being one of just four players at the position with a $100 million tag, Brown is just fifth on the list of highest-paid wide receivers. Dez Bryant, Pierre Garcon, Odell Beckham Jr., and Victor Cruz all added luster to the divisions marketability. Still, this was overall a very positive play for Reagor. They have the No. Slayton doesnt fake inside before breaking outside, he doesnt fight for inside leverage while running down the sideline, he doesnt body out Gilmore when he jumps for the ball, he doesnt grip the ball strong enough that Gilmore cant knock it out of his hands. Minnesota Vikings. And Waddle -- who was named our most likely first-time Pro Bowler back in November -- has displayed plenty of it this season. The NFC East has three new head coaches and a young group of quarterbacks; its probably no surprise that it has more young and promising receivers than older established veteran receivers. The only times I saw Cooper struggle were in press man coverage against fast and experienced DBs. Up today: Receivers 1. As miserable as that 2020 season was for the Cowboys, he still had 92/1,114/5. After the Giants signed Kenny Golladay, the NFC East is shaping up to be one of the most competitive divisions in 2021. 1. Id like to quote heavily from that series here. Getty The Cowboys could be the perfect landing spot for Giants WR Richie James. In his rookie year in the NFL, he did an excellent job reaching out and catching the ball away from his body (hands-catching), which is critical to keep the ball safe from DBs that rarely allow as much separation as in college. However, JJ has tremendous ability to stay open even when covered, using his big body, long arms, and good hands-catching ability to reach out and grab the ball out of the CBs reach, even with very little separation. Here, the CB decides to take the flag on pass interference rather than risk Jeffery getting loose behind the secondary. Tate also does a good job maintaining awareness of the QB and tracking the ball almost the entire time its in the air. Will Jaguars prevail over Cowboys. This home run ability forces defenses to guard the deep field against Cooper and sometimes causes CBs to give up short crossing and out routes to him because they are afraid of him running deep. That good deep speed coupled with elite agility and acceleration shows up on tape as well. With defenses afraid to leave a corner on an island, the Vikings have faced the lowest rate of single-high coverages this season (45 percent). He shows excellent ability to redirect himself, locate the ball in the air, and great leaping ability to go up to get the ball. The team is left with newly-signed the veteran free agent, 30-year-old Golden Tate (who, for the record, I wanted the Redskins to sign in free agency this year) as the apparent top receiver on the roster. [0:01] Reagor shifts from the left slot to right boundary, helping his QB to diagnose zone coverage because the slot CB doesnt travel with him. Even better, he displayed strong hands, winning quite a few contested catches. Indeed, the only games where he had less than a 50% catch rate were against the Patriots and Lions, where he was shadowed by Stephon Gilmore and Darius Slay respectively. He was on a torrid pace yet again when healthy. He often uses his quickness to get immediate separation once the ball is in the air, and uses his change-of-direction ability to juke an initial tackle attempt and turn uphill for extra yards. Reagor also looks a bit like a running back with the ball in his hands, juking and finding running lanes to get yards after catch. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. He primarily uses a combination of route running, short-area quickness, and savvy (with fakes/misdirection and ability to find the soft spot in zones) to get open and make plays. Slay held Cooper to 3 catches on 8 attempts for 38 yards (a 38% catch rate). Carolina Panthers. The Commanders are interviewing former UCLA receiver and head coach Karl Dorrell for their WRs coaching vacancy, per source. The Packers' offense has faltered for most of the season without Adams to create explosive plays. Zay Flowers, Wide Receiver (Boston College) Let's say Johnston and other top wide receivers are off the board. Unlike many other speedy WRs, McLaurin is tough and physical enough to support the run game. 1 option. The additions of Golladay and Toney should actually help Slayton and Shepard take some of the focus off them. The only reason I put him below elite is that he rarely faced double teams, but was neutralized by them when he did. DeVonta Smith is an instant star for the Eagles and a true No. The Next Gen Stats analytics team reveals its ranking of the 10 best edge rushers entering Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season, with the Browns' Myles Garrett leading a list of star defenders. Gilmore starts close to the line and runs with Slayton, looking back to see when Slayton cuts back for a curl route. There's one NFC East receiver on the list, and the problem . [2:08] Here is another example of using excellent body-positioning to box an opponent out, but this time against a much better opponent: Julian Love (taken by the Giants in the 4th round of the 2019 draft). Many make the mistake that if a wide receiver is big and fast that he immediately becomes a top NFL prospect. This is almost a right of passage and wide receivers must show the ability to win at the line of scrimmage and make defensive coordinators pay for playing them in this manner. Cowboys: Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb, Cedric Wilson, Simi Fehoko That top three of Cooper, Gallup and Lamb might be the best trio in the NFL. He runs basic routes that get him where he needs to go, but show very little nuance (in terms of exploiting zones) or subtlety (in terms of using fakes and timing). [1:43] This is why the Redskins drafted Terry McLaurin. Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports Flowers is another potential first-round option depending on how his combine week goes. Updated Jan 5, 2023 at 10:27pm. This time, instead of Mike Hughes, Cooper (top of screen) is facing off against Darius Slay. And, sure, Reagor had a disappointing rookie season in 2020 but its way to early to write him off, especially with a new offensive scheme coming to town. To prepare, we at Chargers Wire are previewing players from every position. The Next Gen Stats analytics team provides a ranking of the top 10 shutdown cornerbacks right now. This play highlights Coopers ability to sell fakes (hes excellent at selling fakes to get open) and his toughness and effort in fighting through contact for extra yards. His lack of deep speed often shows up after that, as opposing CBs will close that distance fast. As a result, Slay does not get fooled when Cooper stops and turns around to catch the ball on a comeback. That top three of Cooper, Gallup and Lamb might be the best trio in the NFL. Richardsons injury history served as prologue to his time in the NFL. Jalen Reagor became the focal point for TCUs offense in his freshman year (2017), leading the Horned Frogs in receptions (33) and receiving yards (576). Although he is a bit undersized for a boundary WR at 60 and 208 lbs, he has good agility (7.01s 3-cone), good quickness (4.15s 20 yard shuttle), and elite deep speed (4.35s 40 yd dash), as well as impressive strength (18 BP reps). Since joining Josh Allen and the Bills, Diggs leads the NFL with 2,953 receiving yards when aligned wide, and his 1,077 yards on hitch routes over that span are 370 more than the next-closest player (Tyler Lockett, 707). That speed, paired with Mike McDaniels innovative play-calling, has led to Waddles success on downfield passes, where he ranks fourth in the NFL with 741 receiving yards (trailing Hill, Davante Adams and Justin Jefferson). Neither WR got consistent separation against those CBs, but McLaurin was harder to jam and had stronger hands wrestling away 50/50 balls. The Washington Football Team stands at 72.6 inches, or 6'1". It also highlights his ability to get open on crossing and out routes because CBs have to guard against the deeper routes so diligently. McLaurin seems to try to fake outside, but Slay doesnt bite, instead following McLaurin as he releases inside. Brown recently said he feels like he "won" the trade that sent him from Tennessee to Philadelphia during the 2022 NFL Draft, and it's hard to argue with him, based on the results. His most impressive area of improvement was in his catching ability. Cooper is the true No. We will lean on this formula to inform our rankings when applicable. Very few players in NFL history have immediately dominated the way Jefferson has since entering the league in 2020. But after McLaurin, Washington didn't have many other weapons. [1:53] Tate lines up in the slot, but maintains outside leverage on the CB Jourdan Lewis (stays on Lewiss outside shoulder) so that he can break outside uncovered on a comeback route to get open for the catch. Ranking the NFC East, 2019: Wide Receivers, Jeff Bezos and Josh Harris are the two finalists to buy the Washington Commanders; NFL owners will discuss Dan Snyder after new reports, Washington players call out Dan Snyders terrible facilities, staff in new NFLPA survey, Grade Ron Rivera After His First Three Seasons in Washington, ESPN has the details on the investigation of Dan Snyder for financial crimes, and its time for him to sell the team, News, links to articles, updates and more from DC area writers and national sports journalists and others, Looks Like Someone Has A Sixpack Of The Mondays, Yahoo Washington Football Team Depth Chart, Yahoo Washington Football Team Transactions, Stanford @ Oregon, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside plays, Stanford @ Notre Dame, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside pl, Ohio State vs Indiana, Terry McLaurin plays, Ohio State @ Maryland, Terry McLaurin plays, The Commanders Should Consider Jose Ramirez as a Developmental Edge Rusher, Martin Mayhew NFL Scouting Combine Presser, 2023 NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Mel Kiper Jr gives Washington a big offensive lineman. But he is good in all of these areas, and is a very reliable WR - one a quarterback can throw to in almost any situation, particularly in the red zone. 3. He will put that analytical brain to work this off-season helping to analyze some of the top players in the NFC East. Of course, no position group consists of just one or two players. #NFL pic.twitter.com/Nuw7mbf7gC. [1:32] This is an example of being open when covered. Paul Richardson Jr was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2014 NFL draft. Richardson lines up outside (top of screen) with Davis lining up inside as a potential blocker (though it doesnt look like the defense buys that for a second). Try and press Jefferson to disrupt his route? He has good deep speed, but is more of a home run threat due to his ability to get open and break tackles, rather than just because he just runs past everyone. Although not invited to the NFL combine, JJ had a good pro day, measuring 62 and 223 lbs, and running a 4.49s 40 yard dash. [0:41] This is almost a mirror of the first play shown above against the Vikings. As it pertains to this season specifically, Diggs has not slowed down, leading the league with 10 receiving TDs when aligned wide. Tate freezes safety DJ Swearinger with a subtle fake inside before finally being brought down by HaHa Clinton-Dix, dragging him several yards before going down. I expect him to have just as much utility in the screen game as he does stretching the field. This season, the division is up for grabs yet again. In addition to football, in high school he was all-state in basketball and placed highly in track. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). There doesnt seem to be just one reason he is so good at this, but rather a combination of factors that all work together. Here are PFF's wide receiver rankings ahead of the 2022 season, starting with Davante Adams and Cooper Kupp at the top. Andre Dillard is a clear successor to Jason Peters. Note, however, that he didnt make the big play by simply running past everyone with deep speed, but, rather, by using his sudden acceleration and route running ability to get open, and then using his agility to break tackles until the defenders were left behind. This was the TD that tied Walter Paytons career rushing TD record, and Adrian Peterson gave Terry the ball after the play because he knew the TD wouldnt have been possible without his blocking. I wanted to include this play for 2 reasons. In an unusual season that, due to global pandemic, may turn out to be unlike any other, the wide receiver position seems to offer an interesting and potentially exciting year to fans of the NFC East.
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