As the league continues to embrace devastating air assaults, teams are constantly in search of their next pass-catching weapon, and a number are available in the upcoming 2019 NFL Draft.
Every team wants to find the next Julio Jones or DeAndre Hopkins, but many instead end up with Corey Coleman and Laquon Treadwell. Despite how it may seem, wide receiver is one of the hardest positions to project in the pros. A dominant college receiver may flame out in the NFL for no apparent reason, and a player like Antonio Brown or Jerry Rice who did not have elite athletic traits can become all-time greats.
The 2019 NFL Draft class has some very intriguing options at wideout; here are the top five prospects.
5. Parris Campbell, Ohio State
Just an athlete playing receiver for his first two years in Columbus, Campbell really came into his own in 2018, catching 90 passes for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has a solid frame at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, and possesses elite athleticism.
At the NFL Draft Scouting Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in just 4.31 seconds, jumped 40″ in the vertical, and ran the 20-yard shuttle in 4.03 seconds. Campbell's speed and running ability with the ball in his hands made him a dynamic weapon for the Buckeyes, and he could be used in a similar role to Tyreek Hill in the NFL.
He will need to continue improving his hands and expanding his route tree, but Campbell has the potential to be an even better player in the pros than he was at OSU.
4. Marquise Brown, Oklahoma
Another Tyreek Hill-like player, Brown has some similarities to Campbell but also some differences, the most striking being his size. Browns stands a slight 5-foot-9 and 166 pounds, which unavoidably leads to concerns about his durability.
Brown suffered a LisFranc injury against Texas last year which held him out of the 2019 NFL Draft Combine; for a player as reliant on his speed and agility as Brown, the injury is worrying. Beyond health issues, Brown is a raw route runner and isn't able to win 50-50 balls or fight through contact.
However, in spite of all those issues, he was still a projected first-round pick before his injury. Why? Because he's a dynamic deep threat.
Brown has ran the 40-yard dash in 4.33 seconds before, and said that had he been healthy for the NFL Draft Combine, he would have broken John Ross's record of 4.22 seconds. This is likely hyperbole, but it's impossible to deny that Brown has game-breaking speed.
He can get behind any cornerback for a touchdown on a go route or turn a six-yard slant into a 75-yard score. Because of his size, Brown cannot be used like a typical receiver, but in the correct role, he can be an exciting player.
3. A.J. Brown, Ole Miss
Brown is a solid 6-foot-1 and 226 pounds with 4.49 speed and the potential to become one of the NFL's best slot receivers. He is strong and physical, has great hands, is a good route runner, and blocks well. He lacks elite explosiveness, but he consistently creates separation with technique.
He should instantly be a dependable slot option and could end being a similar player to JuJu Smith-Schuster, although expecting him to have the same immediate impact is unfair. Brown will likely be the third or fourth receiver off the board in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he will make his team very happy with his consistency.
2. N'Keal Harry, Arizona State
A productive player for the Sun Devils, Harry is a big, physical target who displays incredible body control and positioning. He excels at putting himself in the best position to catch a pass and preventing the defensive back from making a play on the ball, very similar to Smith-Schuster at USC.
Where Harry struggles is in creating separation. He needs to become a more refined route runner and he doesn't have great speed, as evidenced by his 4.53-second 40-yard dash. But as long as a team doesn't try to make him a deep threat and instead uses him as big-bodied X, he will be a good player.
He has the hands and jumping ability to be a red zone monster, is a strong and willing blocker, and will bully smaller DBs in coverage. Harry's ceiling may not be very high, but he has all the traits of a solid NFL wide receiver.
1. D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss
If we're talking about ceilings, perhaps no player since Calvin Johnson has a higher one than Metcalf. If you could build a receiver in a lab, he would look exactly like Metcalf. At 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds, he has excellent size, and his 34 7/8″ arms give him an insane catch radius.
He is extremely physical, both when catching the ball and when blocking. Metcalf blew up the NFL Draft Combine with his athletic testing; a 4.33-second 40-yard dash, 27 bench press reps, a 40.5″ vertical, and a 134″ broad jump. His agility drills were poor, worse than Tom Brady's, but his tape shows he has the short-area quickness to be a good route runner and create consistent separation, and he may improve on those times at Ole Miss's Pro Day on Wednesday.
Metcalf's inconsistent hands, subpar production, and limited route tree make him a risk, but the reward is massive. His blend of size and speed is extremely rare, and his potential is off the charts. Metcalf is a physical specimen the likes of which we may not see for another decade, just as its been 12 years since Megatron declared. It may take time for Metcalf to adjust to the NFL, but once he does, he will be very difficult to stop.
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