A: NAME: TEAM: COLLEGE: . Washington Football Team v Dallas Cowboys. Ron Rivera's culture revolution in Washington has provided the foundation for Logan Thomas to emerge as a respectable pass catcher in this league. Love is draped all over JJ, trying to muscle him even having the awareness to reach out when the ball is in the air to break up the pass. Giving him an easy pass like this and clearing his way also makes things easy on their freshman QB. Lastly, no discussion of Terry McLaurin is complete without discussing his blocking and special teams value. You cant teach speed. Dallas Cowboys. [1:32] This is an example of being open when covered. The Raiders have faced Cover 6 at an outlier rate this season (17 percent, the only team over 13 percent), as defenses "cloud" Adams' side of the field, drawing a safety farther away from the ball. The Washington Football Team stands at 72.6 inches, or 6'1". Staying close and allowing little separation early in the route also allows those DBs to keep Cooper covered when he breaks inside on a crossing or curl route. McLaurin does a good job turning around and locating the ball in the air, but the ball is again underthrown, so he has to slow down, allowing the CB and an assisting safety to catch up. Very few players in NFL history have immediately dominated the way Jefferson has since entering the league in 2020. 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. He will break down film of some of the top receivers in the division: Click here to read the 2019 review of wide receivers which includes Golden Tate, Alshon Jeffrey and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside as well as last years look at Cooper and McLaurin. It also helped the other players on offense by giving them easier matchups and complicating the Lions defense (if Slay had to travel, then other DBs had to travel or adjust their responsibility accordingly). Overall, he is big, strong, has good hands, and is nuanced at many aspects of playing WR, but shows a lack of deep speed on film. 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. He really emerged after that though, acting primarily as a deep threat early in the season, but leveraging his early success to get more snaps, run a few more routes, and demand more attention from opposing defenses. [10:15] Richardson absolutely blows past his CB running deep. Again, Slayton does the basic job necessary to run his route and make a play, but doesnt employ any subtlety or counters to beat a CB as athletic as he is. Where do Eagles' receivers rank among NFC East. In a sport that is as physically demanding as football, one in which player injuries are common, the unit depth is as important a factor as the skill of the star players. Coopers ability to sell a fake will still get him open against younger DBs, which is why it really takes an experienced and fast DB playing press man to shut him down. The Eagles belong at the bottom of this list but that doesnt mean there isnt potential. See where they land in the Next Gen Stats analytics team's ranking of the top 10 most explosive rushers right now. This play highlights Richardsons deep threat ability, change-of-direction, ball tracking, body positioning, leaping ability, and strong hands at the catch point. The wide receiver landscape in the NFC East has changed dramatically over the past couple of seasons. The 2018 version of this article focused on players like Odell . We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. After watching both WRs in those matchups, I think the difference was McLaurins physicality and ability to win contested catches. Cooper can play every WR position: X, Z, and slot, and the Cowboys use him all over the field to exploit matchups and get him paired with slower DBs. I respectfully disagree with one aspect of this otherwise fine gallery Jeff Chadiha has put together of the NFL's top 10 wide receivers. Last off-season, Hogs Haven published articles that focused on ranking position groups in an effort to identify what the division would look like in 2019. Of course, no position group consists of just one star player. 0 Rate. He ran an unofficial 4.28 second 40 time at a private Pro Day after dropping some of that weight. To put that in perspective, he is currently the only player in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016) to average over 3.3 yards per route in a season (min. Note that Reagor got injured earlier in this game and looked to be in a lot of pain, but came back and played through it very effectively (as shown here). Former Jacksonville Jaguar Allen Hurns, who hasnt been able to break 500 yards in a season since 2015, when he put up 1,031 yards and 10 TDs, is probably the headliner of the bottom half of the depth chart. Offenses are based on timing and need to get the ball out quick. But in todays NFL, it is better to be quick with great acceleration out of a break or a cut. Which game-wrecking unit reigns supreme right now? He lines up on the boundary at the top of the screen opposite Vikings CB Mike Hughes. Featured Promo: Get any full-season NFL Premium Pass for 50% off and win big in 2023. Jefferson caught 128 passes for . Sure, there are ways to use formation and motion offensively to help receivers get away from press. The CB flips his hips downfield and starts running with him, expecting a deep pass. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Kupp averaged nine receptions and 101.6 receiving yards per game in the eight contests he started and finished this season, providing a bright spot for a Rams offense that has struggled all year. Andre Dillard is a clear successor to Jason Peters. Reagor has weaknesses though. Known as a jump ball and contested catch specialist, he was a favorite target of Jay Cutler, who often didnt care about throwing into double and triple coverage so long as he trusted his WR. So, who are the top dogs at the position in the early goings of the 2022 season? Not only did he gain an impressive number of yards after catch with his explosiveness and quick cuts, but this play seems designed around getting the ball to Reagor, whom the coaches clearly see as their teams number 1 weapon. This play shows Tates nuanced route running, elite change-of-direction ability, elite quickness, and ability to shake tackles to get YAC. [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. Overall, I think Terry McLaurin is a somewhat raw WR who flashes elite traits and potential, but will probably take a while to see the field on offense, except as a one-dimensional deep threat. If Carson Wentz can return to his 2017 form and stay healthy for 16 games, this Eagles receiving crew could lead the division in statistical production. And Waddle -- who was named our most likely first-time Pro Bowler back in November -- has displayed plenty of it this season. Eventually, Washington took it. This ends up being a running play for Adrian Peterson, who breaks his run to McLaurins side of the field. [1:04] This time the defense is running man coverage. At the Combine, he had posted a very good 4.42s 40-yard dash (showing good deep speed), but also produced an elite 6.71s 3-cone drill (agility), and 3.98s 20 yard shuttle (acceleration). Last off-season, Hogs Haven published articles that focused on ranking position groups and head coaches in an effort to identify what the division would look like in 2018. [0:32] Richardson runs a deep route, subtly faking outside to get inside leverage on the CB, then turning the route back inside to split the CB and S, get open, locate the ball in the air, and dive for the catch. Up today: Receivers 1. . He is not just the first read on this play, hes the only read. After the snap, Richardson soon breaks inside on his route while Davis (a little behind him) breaks outside, allowing Richardson to incidentally block the DB mirroring Davis and let Davis run free up the sideline for a huge gain. I also think hes not especially physical and will have trouble against press coverage. Will he ever duplicate that magical five-game stretch last year? As mentioned before, hes a bit small for a WR and can be pressed at the line. His only obvious weakness is as a blocker in run support, where he doesnt quite have the strength and physicality to excel. 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. Dallas Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper edges out the competition to place as the NFC East's best receiver. Wide Receiver: Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders, CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys, and A.J. He was on a torrid pace yet again when healthy. Not only did the Giants sign Golladay to a four-year, $72 million contract this offseason, but they also used their first-round pick on Toney, the explosive rookie wideout from Florida. Sterling Shepard, the Giants 2016 second-round pick, has probably not yet lived up to the high expectations that surrounded him when he was drafted, but he went for 872 yards and 4 TDs in 2018. [0:41] This is almost a mirror of the first play shown above against the Vikings. Right now Slayton is relying almost entirely on his athletic traits to find success, which is enough to get him pretty far against some teams, but limits his versatility and allows him to be shut down by the more athletic CBs in the NFL. As Slayton makes the reception, he stops on a dime and cuts so hard back outside that the CB whiffs on the tackle. You can see Reagors style with the ball in his hands is similar to a RB, with sharp cuts and good vision picking out running lanes to get 19 yards after the catch. NFL Week 15 underdogs: Can Dolphins halt slide against Bills? Cowboys: Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb, Cedric Wilson, Simi Fehoko. I just needed a place to publish some GIFs that I want to embed elsewhere. Speaking of top-end receivers who switched teams in the offseason, Adams presents another great case study in positional value. [7:19] Slayton lines up on the boundary top of screen opposite Stephon Gilmore. Reagor was selected by the Eagles in the 1st round of the 2020 draft. 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. Slayton tested extremely well at the 2018 NFL Combine, posting good size (61 and 190 pounds), explosiveness (vertical and broad jump), and speed (4.39 second 40 yard dash). Justin Jefferson gained 190 of his 223 yards against press coverage in Week 14, the most in a game since Julio Jones in Week 4, 2016 (254 yards).Most Yards vs Press Coverage (since 2020): Jefferson: 1,889 Davante Adams: 1,416 Diontae Johnson: 1,168#MINvsDET | #Skol pic.twitter.com/YyD7Q94fIU. But against NFL-caliber talent, it might not be enough. Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports Flowers is another potential first-round option depending on how his combine week goes. If you look at all the players at this position that have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, you might be shocked that a good percentage of them are not elite speedsters. Playing well through injury is one way scouts measure football character. Cooper is the true No. By DJ Siddiqi. Our daily series examining the NFC East from a positional perspective with the help of league personnel sources moves on to the position in which the Eagles spent the most time on in the offseason . The Philadelphia Eagles are ranked No. [3:49] This time, Love wins the matchup, getting a hand in to break up the pass. Lions shutdown CB Darius Slay follows him into the slot, and indeed shadowed him all game. However, his best athletic trait isnt his deep speed so much as his short-area quickness. 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. 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. The Redskins highest profile receiver from 2018, Jamison Crowder, is now a New York Jet. [5:06] The Eagles had no answer for Slayton in this game and it may point to why they prioritized adding speed to their defense in the offseason. Sims caught 32 passes last year and Harmon had a promising rookie season in 2019 before an ACL tear forced him to miss last year. Such questionable play at the QB spot led me to wonder how the dependent receivers are fairing under such unsteady conditions. 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nfc east best wide receivers