NFL Draft Update: Where Would This Year’s Wide Receiver Class Stack Up Against Years Past?

April 09, 2016 | Sports,

By: Matthew Terry
In just three short weeks, Roger Goodell will walk across the stage at Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois to a sea of boos from football fans from around the country, all of whom eagerly awaiting to see who their team will select. There are lots of players who deserve to have their name called on Thursday night in this year’s draft, but right now we’re going to focus on the playmakers of the draft. The exciting players that everyone loves to hate. The wide receivers. Over the last few years, we’ve been blessed with some great WR classes. The 2014 class set records, and the 2015 class set out to break them. So, naturally we need to compare this year’s 2016 class to those of the past years. For starters, here’s CBS Sports’ Top 10 WR’s for the 2016 Draft.

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Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss
Corey Coleman, Baylor
Will Fuller, Notre Dame
Josh Doctson, TCU
Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh
Michael Thomas, Ohio State
Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina
Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma
Braxton Miller, Ohio State
Rashard Higgins, Colorado State

This class lacks the pair of star WRs that the last two classes had (Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans in 2014, Amari Cooper and Kevin White in 2015), and the top 2016 WR Laquon Treadwell would be at best the #3 WR in both of the past two classes. This class, however, has lots of quality depth. The #10 WR, Colorado State’s Rashad Higgins, is a probable 3^rd round WR and could make a case to be taken in the second round. This class also has a good mix of big WRs (Treadwell, Thomas), speedy WRs (Coleman, Shepard), great route-runners (Doctson, Boyd), and playmakers (Cooper, Miller). Now, to compare this one to last year’s 2015 WR class.

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Amari Cooper, Alabama (2015)
Kevin White, West Virginia (2015)
Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss (2016)
DeVante Parker, Louisville (2015)
Corey Coleman, Baylor (2016)
Nelson Agholor, USC (2015)
Dorial Green-Beckham, Oklahoma (2015)
Will Fuller, Notre Dame (2016)
Phillip Dorsett, Miami (2015)
Josh Doctson, TCU (2016)

As you can see, the 2015 class up and down was better than this year’s class. Treadwell, the top WR this year, is barely in 3^rd when combining the two classes, and one could make a solid argument for having DeVante Parker ahead of him in the rankings. Treadwell’s lack of speed and failure to get consistent separation makes him less of a complete prospect than Cooper or White, both of whom were picked in the Top 10. While Treadwell may go Top 10, he’s more than likely to fall to as low as 16. As far as the rest of the talent, Corey Coleman’s ability to take the top off of defenses puts him ahead of Agholor and Green-Beckham, and Fuller’s route running places him ahead of the pure speed that is Phillip Dorsett. Doctson’s abilities are enough to get him in the Top 10 of this list, ahead of the next 2015 WR, Breshad Perriman, who had issues with drops in college. Now, to add in the 2014 class

Sammy Watkins, Clemson (2014)
Amari Cooper, Alabama (2015)
Mike Evans, Texas A&M (2014)
Kevin White, West Virginia (2015)
Odell Beckham Jr, LSU (2014)
Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss (2016)
DeVante Parker, Louisville (2015)
Brandin Cooks, Oregon State (2014)
Corey Coleman, Baylor (2016)
Nelson Agholor, USC (2015)

Now before I get messages asking how the hell OBJ is behind Watkins and Evans, remember this is a pre-draft evaluation. OBJ was not the top WR in the 2014 class, and there were very few who thought he would turn out to be as amazing as he is.
Anyways, this is probably the most resounding argument on how not only the 2014 class was stacked, especially with players who have established themselves as stars like Beckham Jr. and Watkins, but how the 2016 class doesn’t compare well to the past few. Top 2016 WR Laquon Treadwell is the sixth best WR in this hypothetical megaclass, and there’s only one other 2016 WR on this list in Corey Coleman, who slots in at nine, although there’s an argument for him at 8 because his game is so similar to that of Brandin Cooks, currently on the New Orleans Saints.
After looking at the rankings, teams needing a WR in this class are better off waiting until the second or third rounds. This draft lacks the top end talent that the other classes thrived in, but makes up for it with some of the talented guys that should be available on day 2 of the draft such as Will Fuller and Michael Thomas. WR-needy teams picking in the top half of the draft like the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and the aforementioned New Orleans Saints probably should not be drafting a WR in the first round due to the fact that there is much better talent at other positions that their top pick could be better used on. This is a WR draft class better suited for mid-round guys, unlike the last two star-heavy draft classes.

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