Wide Receiver: is it a need or isn’t it a need? If everyone is fit and performing at their ceiling we have one of the best slot receivers in the NFL (Baldwin), one of the best speedsters in the league (Lockett) – both of who have a magic connection to our QB Wilson – a top outside talent in Moore and a red zone killer in Brown. So in real life, if everyone is healthy and playing I don’t even consider taking a WR before day 3, if at all.

The reality is that Baldwin has been injury riddled for over 12 months and there are rumors of retirement, Lockett has a history of injuries, Moore had growing pains towards the end of the season and Brown failed to be used more than in the Red Zone last year. In light of that I would want to draft higher, but day 1 is always difficult for WRs and I feel like you have a lot of potential in rounds 2 and 3.

In my draft it is different again. Wilson has been traded and we have a new QB. I want to see how he fares in the Pros first so I wait to see how he does with what is available and then draft a top WR in 2020.

Either way, I think that the Seahawks will stay away from the top picks at WR, might get some insurance later on (from round 3) and – as far as receiving goes – focus this year on completing their TE room with a guy who can be a playmaker in that capacity. More of that will follow in the next article. Regardless, check out some of my favourite receivers here:

2nd – 3rd round talent

N’Keal Harry – 6′ 2″ – 228 lbs – 33” – 9 1/2” – Arizona State

N’Keal harry has the character of an alpha. A number one receiver who does not rely on any given traits he might have, but battles in every snap.

He is aggressive at and after the catch, always tries to maximise the play and will catch it with guys all over him. It does not feel like he has elite speed because he takes a bit to get going, but can go deep and has ‘football speed’. Plus, with the way he plays, he doesn’t need much separation. Can play the slot and outside as well as across the middle. I feel like he did benefit from a lot of screens, but was also able to get it done by himself, because he has a lot of weight and strength to out-muscle DBs. Also has great awareness of what is going on around him.

He doesn’t have an elite level to his play for me to put him in the first round (if he had some more juice and a twitchier get of we would be talking about a top 10 guy), but I feel like he could go at the top of the second round.

Parris Campbell – 6′ 0″ – 205 lbs – 32 1/4” – 9 1/2” – Ohio State

Pretty much the opposite of Harry, for where he is strength and muscle Campbell is elite speed and explosiveness – but lacks the natural hands and has a limited experience with routes.

tested in the 90-98th percentile in the 40 (96th), 20 yard shuttle (90th), verticle jump (92nd) and broad jump (98th), which is going to have teams excited. however his strength, size and weight are unspectacular. That combined with his lesser experience of routes is going to drop him into the middle of round 2 (for me) but there will always be someone willing to overdraft him for what he has the potential to be.

Andy Isabella – 5′ 9″ – 188 lbs – 29 3/4” – 8 3/8” – Massachusetts

Slot receiver who can take the top off and battle for more. One of the guys in this draft who I have liked from the beginning and who has stuck with me. Can take the top off and and unlike a lot of other speedsters is fearless and tough and will always make YAC.I feel like he is a mixture of a lot of the best qualities that Baldwin (toughness, angles and cuts) and Lockett (speed) each have. Talking of which, he has truly elite speed (96th percentile in the 40).

The only thing that I can fault him on are his height, wingspan and hand size, but those are all things that never stopped Baldwin and Lockett. Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention that this dude used to be a track guy who ran a national best in the 60m and beat Denzel Ward in the 100m and 200m races. I think that he would be a perfect fit for us and would be willing to take him in the 3rd-4th round.

4th – 7th round talent

Hunter Renfrow – 5′ 10″ – 184 lbs – 29 1/8” – 7 7/8” – Clermson

When you purely look at him through the numbers, you see a guy who isn’t tall, doesn’t have long arms or big hands, and isn’t even particularly fast. So how the hell did he make it onto my list you ask…when I watched the Senior Bowl he jumped off the tape for me more than just about any other receiver – at least that is the impression he left. He made some contested catches, where you start to think: this guy could be clutch at the next level. He will find a way to get free or make the catch.

He is a big game guy, let me give you some numbers: 17 catches; 180 yards; 4 touchdowns. In how many games you ask: 2. But they weren’t just any games, these were title games against Alabama. So while he doesn’t have elite athletic abilities, he has traits which are probably even more important: he is elite at finding space and using his hand-eye coordination to make catches. He is projected to go between the 5th and 6th round by NFL.com, but I would be happy taking him in the 4th or even in the 3rd if I thought another team was interested.

Quick notes

• Jamal Custis has elite height, wingspan, arm length and hand size, the last of which is in the 99th percentile with 10 7/8”. Funnily enough he doesn’t seem to trust that eliteness and catches into his body. If he is a free agent he could be a really interesting developmental player but as of now i don’t see him above the 7th round.
• Jazz Ferguson is a guy who almost made it into my list and if he is available in the 7th round I might want to take him. His height, weight, wingspan and arm length were all in the 94th-96th percentile, which should give him a ridiculous catch radius and some serious tools for the next level. Problem is that he relies on it too much and his routes and speed do not match. I feel like someone may jump on him for development in the 5th, but that seems too high for me.
• Terry Godwin is the opposite of Ferguson above in that he definitely does not have the natural athletic gifts. What he does have is slick movement and really soft hands, which can be even more deadly at the next level. If he is around in the 7th, he could also be interesting.
• Mecole Hardman similar to Isabella with his speed and size (Hardman is probably more electric), but lacks the toughness. His elite speed will push him up a lot of draft boards, I wouldn’t take him before the 5th round.
• Kelvin Harmon tough guy who plays with an edge. I think he is going to be a really good 2nd or 3rd receiver and would look at him in the 6th or 7th round, even if he is projected higher.
• Olabisi Johnson is a higher end route runner with a high football IQ, who also has special teams potential and should be around on day 3.

Summary

My draft: with Wilson gone Baldwin may decide to call it a day too, nonetheless I stay true to what I said above that they don’t go big on WR this year. Renfrow in the middle rounds and then another guy in the late rounds of free agency sounds good to me.

Reality: doesn’t look much different from above really, as I said, I think that Seahawks will invest in a playmaker at tight end higher than at WR.