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. He has surprising physicality for his size, often fighting through contact on a contested catch to get extra yards. His time with the Raiders was productive, but wildly inconsistent. Where does he land in the Next Gen Stats analytics team's ranking of the top 10 off-ball linebackers right now? The crew gets a bit motley after that, with some late-round draft picks and NFL veterans. CeeDee Lamb is running away with this award. Giants: Darius Slayton, Kenny Golladay, John Ross III, Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney. 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. Many make the mistake that if a wide receiver is big and fast that he immediately becomes a top NFL prospect. I expect him to have just as much utility in the screen game as he does stretching the field. The New Orleans Saints have . But forcing him to start so far off essentially gives Slayton a running start as he passes Darby. One of the first things a receiver needs to do at the NFL level is to win against outstanding press man coverage. A: NAME: TEAM: COLLEGE: . They have the No. NFC East receivers chart.The Best Receiver in the division is either Amari Cooper or Terry McLaurin. The score is calculated by scaling each metric to a percentile (from 0 to 100) relative to all wide receivers who have played at least 150 offensive snaps through Week 14 of the 2022 season. [1:52] Slayton lines up bottom of screen on the outside. Dealt from Chicago to Baltimore, Roquan Smith was one of the biggest names to change teams before the NFL trade deadline. 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. Here are the pre-free agency wide receiver rankings for the NFC North. 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). I wanted to include this play for 2 reasons. . By releasing Golladay, the Giants save $6.7 million against their salary cap. This play shows Slaytons deep speed, ball tracking ability, and ability to haul in long passes. That top three of Cooper, Gallup and Lamb might be the best trio in the NFL. Good luck. Paul Richardson Jr was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2014 NFL draft. Here are the current preseason depth charts at wide receiver for teams in the NFC East & NFC South. 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. Gambling problem? Despite the emergence of Isaiah Hodgins, who re-signed with Big Blue last week, the Giants are likely to. East Carolina: R: NAME: TEAM: COLLEGE: It should be extremely worrying when Daniel Jones is the only guaranteed player who will start for their franchise next season. 1. PFF also ranked McLaurin 13th in its recent list of top 25 receivers heading into the 2020 season. He still doesnt have the short-area-quickness or suddenness to juke DBs out of their shoes, but he showed better ability to get open in tight spaces using fakes and body positioning. -- Mike Band, Keegan Abdoo and Cole Jacobson contributed to this piece. I suspect the best-known group of receivers in the division is the Cowboys receiving corps, headlined by Amari Cooper and featuring the just-drafted CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys receivers may have the most talent and productivity potential of any group in the NFC East, but, with the Cowboys run-centered offense, and Dak Prescotts limited pass production (he averages 3,625 yards and 25 TDs per season in his career), this group is unlikely to put up truly big numbers in 2019. Alshon Jeffery doesnt have elite quickness, but uses his physicality to get open on short routes like this instead of relying on quickness and change-of-direction ability. The Dallas Cowboys could sign their division rival's top wide . He has NFL bloodlines as his father, Paul Richardson, played several years as an NFL wide receiver as well. Slayton has all the athletic traits of a very good WR, but needs a lot of refinement added to his game to allow him to win when athleticism isnt enough. He is a very good runner, his routes are crisp and he does a very good job breaking them deep enough to ensure a first down if he makes the reception on most plays. Again, Adams' impact is felt beyond just the box score. Darius Slayton was not only an All-Region receiver out of high school, but also a state sprint champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. If the Redskins are going to make any noise in the division, they will need at least two of their mostly young and unheralded receivers to hit big in 2019, and they will need a quarterback either veteran Case Keenum or rookie Dwayne Haskins to be throwing the ball effectively. Brandin Cooks was a first-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2014 NFL Draft. Like Jefferson in Minnesota, Hill's presence forces defenses to become more predictable and one dimensional. Best Wide Receiver Duo (Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports) There are many potential choices for the best receiver pair in the game today. Will he ever duplicate that magical five-game stretch last year? Reagor dealt with some poorly thrown balls and did an amazing job adjusting to them as shown earlier, but he also had too many easy misses and drops like the one shown here. This shows how much the Cowboys trust Cooper to be a red zone weapon. He is not just the first read on this play, hes the only read. 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 Next Gen Stats analytics team provides a ranking of the top 10 players at the position in 2022, with some names that could surprise you. NFC East. [0:38] McLaurin does a good job blocking on this play, eventually blocking his guy to the ground. 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. This play also shows off his acceleration and route running. Of course, no position group consists of just one star player. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. A good balance between raw production and catch efficiency sees him lead the pack. Were ranking the division by position group. Marshon Lattimore buys it at first, and gives enough cushion to allow Cooper to get open when he redirects outside. The NFC West has some very good wide receivers in the division. Dak breaks to his right (Coopers side) almost immediately after the snap despite little pressure and is looking for Cooper the whole time. 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. I thought he wasnt as shifty as one might expect for a player so fast, he was a body-catcher rather than a hands-catcher, and he relied too much on out-athleting his opponents using speed or physicality to get open, which wouldnt necessarily work at the next level. It also shows how much teams have to respect his deep-threat ability and how that opens up opportunities for short passes. They bring two DBs down to bracket Slayton (bottom of screen). The suddenness with which Cooper changed his direction and the degree to which the CB committed deep make it impossible for the CB to redirect in time, and Cooper gets open for an easy catch. Then Richardson makes a great leaping catch, highpointing the ball and securing it at maximum extension away from the DB. The NFC East in 2020 has been described as the most atrocious division in NFL history. In addition to that, he is experienced running routes from any WR position, though he favors the slot. In addition to showing Tates change-of-direction ability yet again, this play shows his improvisational ability and persistence. 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. He has enough deep speed that he can completely blow past most CBs given a few seconds to run in a straight line, though he doesnt have the lateral agility to juke a DB out of his shoes, nor does he utilize fakes to misdirect opponents and get free early. He suffered a 2nd torn ACL in 2014, and, in the 5 years he has been in the NFL, he has only played 16 games once (2017, his contract year with Seattle). Though hes only 511, Reagors leaping ability allows him to go up pretty high to make a catch. March 1, 2023 6:03 am USAToday PanthersWire. In this section, well offer a look at a few of the top players in the division, with an analysis of their styles, skills and limitations written by Andrew York, who has volunteered to co-author this series with me. The formula uses each individual's percentile score across a series of key metrics to create one composite score, indicating which players at that position performed best. They also arguably have the best starting group of anyone in the NFL. [9:18] Tate lines up outside this time, fakes an out route, but then redirects to run deep and accelerate quickly while CB Anthony Browns head is turned to the QB, allowing him to get yards of separation and an easy catch that he turns into a TD. In addition, his strengths are still his strengths. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. [10:15] Richardson absolutely blows past his CB running deep. 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. He never quits on plays. This play really shows off Slaytons physical traits; hes got speed, acceleration, and quick change-of-direction ability for days. Where does Jets rookie Sauce Gardner land? During his first two seasons, McLaurin has proven himself as a true No. Lattimore is so fast that he closes in for a tackle as soon as the ball arrives, but Cooper does a great job making the catch through contact and keeping his feet in bounds for the reception. At the quarter mark of the 2022 NFL season, the Next Gen Stats analytics team ranks the top 10 defensive lines. And J.J. Arcega-Whiteside seems like he was chosen to be the eventual replacement for Alshon Jeffery. NFC East receivers chart.The Best Receiver in the division is either Amari Cooper or Terry McLaurin. These traits were evident in his game tape as well; he plays more fast than quick, and uses physicality or deep speed to get open more often than agility. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. NFL Offensive Player Rankings, Week 15: Building the AFC Pro Bowl Games roster on offense, NFL Offensive Player Rankings, Week 15: Building the NFC Pro Bowl Games roster on offense, RB Index, Week 15: Three fresh-legged running backs who could impact the NFL playoff picture, NFL rookie rankings at quarter pole of 2022 season: Jets duo holds top spots; Lions lead with three reps, NFL QB Index, Week 15: San Francisco 49ers rookie Brock Purdy soars into top half of rankings. [0:41] This is almost a mirror of the first play shown above against the Vikings. It's really impressive. He does a good job locating the ball, but realizes hes been a bit underthrown and slows his route down to adjust to the ball and make the catch (another body catch). 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