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. Washington Commanders. Again, Adams' impact is felt beyond just the box score. Odds & lines subject to change. [1:45] Cooper does a great job seeming to run deep and selling a slant route inside. Jeffery is just a bit less gifted in each of these areas than an elite player like Julio Jones, and isnt really elite in any area. 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. 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. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Gilmore held Cooper to no catches on 2 attempts (one of which went for an interception). 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. Wide receiver is next up in our position-by-position breakdown of the NFC East. Cooper working with Dalton and practice squad players has put up respectable numbers while McLaurin working with a revolving door of quarterbacks has emerged as a leader and playmaker in the culture Ron Rivera is trying to implement. However, I think Slayton has a very high ceiling and could be really good if he continues to develop. Although hes a big, physical WR who is good at contested catches, he is also fast enough to blow past some DBs when going vertical. Los Angeles' running backs are in . [2:35] Richardson lines up outside (bottom of screen) behind the line of scrimmage. 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. In fact, with four games remaining on the schedule, Brown already has set the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016) single-season record with four touchdowns on deep, tight-window passes. The New York Giants have a desperate need at the wide receiver position this offseason. Check out the NFC West's top 10 receivers. Even still, Jefferson leads the NFL in yards (869) against single-high coverages for the second straight season. Reagor again runs a good route, faking outside as if to run down the sideline and getting the CB to turn outside, but then breaking inside to take advantage of the cushion with nobody near him. He will put that analytical brain to work this off-season helping to analyze some of the top players in the NFC East. [2:08] Here is another example of using excellent body-positioning to box an opponent out, but this time against a much better opponent: Julian Love (taken by the Giants in the 4th round of the 2019 draft). [6:10] Tate lines up outside and runs an out route, changing direction uphill immediately after the catch so quickly that Stroman whiffs on his tackle and Tate gets tons of YAC. [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. 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. Tier 1: Elite 1. July 25, 2021 1:56 pm MT. Ball Skills is a combination of how a pass-catcher uses his body to shield defenders and put himself in the best position to haul in the football combined with showing soft, reliable hands to catch the ball away from his frame. I also think hes not especially physical and will have trouble against press coverage. Jefferson makes the improbable look routine, with six more receptions (24) than any other player this season on passes with less than a 50 percent completion probability. Dez Bryant, Pierre Garcon, Odell Beckham Jr., and Victor Cruz all added luster to the divisions marketability. New York Giants. Overall, I think Reagor is a skilled, explosive playmaker who can stretch the field vertically while also taking short passes or handoffs for big gains, using his sudden cuts and quick acceleration to juke defenders and get yards after the catch. In addition to showing Tates change-of-direction ability yet again, this play shows his improvisational ability and persistence. New York Giants tight end Evan Engram is a more talented overall player than both but the 3rd year TE is struggling with his catch percentage(it is sub 60%) as an offense safety blanket Engram has been a disappointment this year. Playing on a loaded Ohio State offense, McLaurin only caught 35 passes in 2018, but did a lot with his opportunities (20.0 YPR average). Last month, the former LSU star surpassed another legendary Vikings receiver -- none other than Hall of Famer Randy Moss -- for the most receiving yards in a player's first three seasons, and he has only added to that total over the last couple weeks. Richardson is smart and aware enough to attack the seams in a defense, and he is a great improviser, working hard after the play breaks down to keep himself open as a viable pass catching threat. Richardson plays his role very well here, and I think it shows not just his intelligence and attention to detail in getting the timing and nuance of a play like this down right, but also his selflessness in working hard to execute a play that ultimately benefits another pass catcher. As an aside, I think this play also highlights problems with how the Eagles scheme up their secondary. Click here to see all the Ranking the NFC East articles. [1:24] Great job by McLaurin turning a simple out route into a first down with yards to spare. The only times I saw Cooper struggle were in press man coverage against fast and experienced DBs. The Hill-Waddle duo has been a handful for defenses all season long, and as a result, Miami has a chance to earn its first playoff berth since 2016. Will he ever duplicate that magical five-game stretch last year? Brown has been dominant on tight-window throws this season, with a career-high 273 yards on such targets (second in the NFL behind George Pickens). The Philadelphia Eagles are ranked No. A: NAME: TEAM: COLLEGE: . . He is an excellent route-runner, excellent (and prolific) at selling fakes, and has elite change-of-direction ability to shake DBs loose in order to get open or break tackles. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Amari Cooper can play every WR position: X, Z, and slot, and the Cowboys used him all over the field to exploit matchups. 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. Cooper is the true No. 300 routes run). 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. In 2017, the Bears let Jeffery leave in free agency, and he signed with the Eagles. He will put that analytical brain to work this off-season helping to analyze some of the top players in the NFC East. 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). Like Jefferson in Minnesota, Hill's presence forces defenses to become more predictable and one dimensional. SB Nation CFB. 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. [1:52] Slayton lines up bottom of screen on the outside. He discussed areas where this year's draft class looks strong . Watching him play, Slayton seems like a great athletic prospect who still needs a lot of refinement. There are plenty of talented wideouts that call the division home, so let's take a look at the top eight heading . He recognizes the Cover 2 Zone defense and runs his route perfectly along the soft spots between zones the whole way. The Cowboys are 6-1 with an NFL-leading average of 35.7 points per game since Dak Prescott returned from injury in Week 7. He looks, to me, a lot like a poor mans Julio Jones. Everyone can ignore this (and more to follow). The wide receiver landscape in the NFC East has changed dramatically over the past couple of seasons. Sometimes he would make an incredible contested catch, then in the same game have the ball hit him in the hands and bounce into a nearby DB for an interception. [3:49] This time, Love wins the matchup, getting a hand in to break up the pass. 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. Despite pass interference from the CB (and what looks like an uncalled facemask penalty), McLaurin fights through the contact to make a tough catch and get the first down. 6 year vet Logan Thomas is having a career year. Ross has been a disappointment in the NFL but anything the Giants get out of him will simply be a bonus. This play shows again that McLaurin has more ways to win than just speed, and even against the best of CBs, he found a way to get open through physicality, smart positioning, and excellent route running and timing. It depends on whether you favor production or efficiency on who wins out. Despite having plenty of separation, McLaurin extends his hands to catch away from his body, showing better form than the hands-catching I noted in his college tape. This play shows good awareness by Richardson to read the defense and split the defenders, as well good speed (notice how quickly he runs by them) and good ability to locate the ball and adjust to it. They also arguably have the best starting group of anyone in the NFL. [0:41] This is almost a mirror of the first play shown above against the Vikings. Undersized at 510 and 199 lbs, Tate doesnt quite have the measurables of a WR1, but excels as a WR2. Is the Jaguars' decision to make a big investment in Christian Kirk paying off so far? To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Cooper is one of the best in the NFL at building up speed on the route stem as if hes going to go deep, then stopping on a dime and cutting in a different direction so suddenly that the DB is backing up several feet away before he realizes hes out of position. He will break down film from 6 NFC East wide receivers, in order: Amari Cooper was selected 4th overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2015 draft. . The Dallas Cowboys are the only team that has all the same faces. Best Wide Receiver Duo (Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports) There are many potential choices for the best receiver pair in the game today. Here, well take a look at the top of the depth chart for each team the pool of players from which the ones on the final 53 seem likely to be chosen. He also does a great job using fakes to misdirect opposing CBs and create lots of early separation at the release. However, this is all based on his rookie year alone, and he is still developing. Richardson is a weak (though willing) run blocker. 2022 NFL season's top 10 wide receivers: Justin Jefferson reels in No. He is a nuanced route runner, so he excels at running his routes in such a way that he has leverage over DBs and can get quick separation after his break. Playing like this opens up the risk of Cooper getting behind them if he wins the foot race on a deep route, which is why only equally fast DBs can play him this way. Taking a closer look at his peers we can see Jalen Reagor the Philadelphia Eagle's 21st overall pick in the previous draft is experiencing regular rookie growing pains. 1. It's difficult to separate the top two receivers in 2022, but when taking into account career production and capability, Jefferson just barely gets the top spot. Giving him an easy pass like this and clearing his way also makes things easy on their freshman QB. 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. Giants: Darius Slayton, Kenny Golladay, John Ross III, Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney. It could happen, but it requires a lot of things to go right for Washington that didnt go right in 2018. 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. What would Hill's performance look like when he didn't have an out-of-this-world quarterback throwing to him? Robinson is a superstar whose contributions have been overlooked. 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. The additions of Golladay and Toney should actually help Slayton and Shepard take some of the focus off them. Zay Flowers, Wide Receiver (Boston College) Let's say Johnston and other top wide receivers are off the board. Carolina Panthers. Tate then stares down safety Jeff Heath and fakes inside to set him up before cutting outside, breaking another tackle attempt as he accelerates quickly to the endzone. McLaurin keeps track of the play, and when he sees Peterson coming to his side of the field, does a great job blocking Mills out of the play. 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. I expect that wont be an issue with Wentz throwing to him, but its worth noting that Reagor has a temper and it showed on the field. Without missing a beat, Richardson sees the wide open endzone in front of him and runs across, accelerating so quickly that the safety cant keep up in order to get the easy TD. At the bottom of the depth chart, Watkins, Hightower and J.J. Arcega-Whitesid might be in a battle. Although its an offense that deflates WR stats by distributing the ball a lot, its a cleverly designed offense that gets WRs open. 10 pick in Smith, who will become their No. Speaking of top-end receivers who switched teams in the offseason, Adams presents another great case study in positional value. Also, Coopers ability to keep both feet inbounds as he secures a catch right on the edge of the sideline showcases his body positioning and control. In addition, his strengths are still his strengths. Then he shows good awareness of the defense in sprinting away from defenders to get the long TD. The $20 million receiver barely squeezes past Washington Football Team's 2nd year star receiver Terry McLaurin. 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. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Watching Reagor play, I would describe him as explosive, sudden, fast, smart (good at recognizing coverages and exploiting soft spots in zones), and a good route runner. Eventually, Washington took it. He is also a much tougher and higher-effort player than I had previously realized, able to hang on to make contested catches, and often reaching forward after contact to gain a few extra yards. The Next Gen Stats analytics team provides a ranking of the top 10 shutdown cornerbacks right now. He has a PhD in Experimental Particle Physics and has spent several years doing research with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, and now does R&D work as a US government contractor. And, sure, Reagor had a disappointing rookie season in 2020 but its way to early to write him off, especially with a new offensive scheme coming to town. The NFC East in 2020 has been described as the most atrocious division in NFL history. But forcing him to start so far off essentially gives Slayton a running start as he passes Darby. [1:53] Tate lines up in the slot, but maintains outside leverage on the CB Jourdan Lewis (stays on Lewiss outside shoulder) so that he can break outside uncovered on a comeback route to get open for the catch. 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. Please logout and login again. This play highlights Coopers ability to sell the deep route as well as his short area quickness to stop and turn on a dime to get open. Jonathan Mingo - Mississippi Feb 2, 2023; Mobile, AL,. McLaurin seems to try to fake outside, but Slay doesnt bite, instead following McLaurin as he releases inside. Each week of the 2022 NFL season, the Next Gen Stats analytics team will present a different Position Power Ranking meant to spotlight the top performances among a specific group of players. Gambling problem? However, I noted he had a few flaws in his game that I thought would cause him problems. 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 CB starts to close the distance, but cant stop JJ, who does a great job locating and tracking the ball in the air and catching it. The QB play in particular has been cause for concern, with 3 of the 4 teams in the division entering the offseason with questions around the position. Very few players in NFL history have immediately dominated the way Jefferson has since entering the league in 2020. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Playing well through injury is one way scouts measure football character. Cooper does a good job after the catch of fighting hard and leaning forward for a few extra yards, despite having already made the first down. The Philadelphia Eagles have been active in the trade market under general manager Howie Roseman. Reagor was selected by the Eagles in the 1st round of the 2020 draft. First, notice that McLaurin recognizes Indiana 14 is matched up on him. [1:43] This is why the Redskins drafted Terry McLaurin. Goedert has a high catch percentage showing he is performing well as the teams safety blanket. Then he makes a tremendous leaping catch, using his long arms and sure hands to highpoint the ball and secure it away from the CB for a TD. The Next Gen Stats analytics team's top-10 ranking spotlights familiar names, breakout studs and instant-impact rookies. Which game-wrecking unit reigns supreme right now? He has been targeted on 39 percent of routes when defenses send the heat, trailing only the next receiver on this list, CeeDee Lamb. Andrew is a self-taught film analyst with a pretty impressive resume. The 2018 version of this article focused on players like Odell . [4:15] This is a well designed and executed pick play where Richardson springs Vernon Davis open for a huge gain. The 2014 Arizona Cardinals 4th rounder bounced around the league over the past 6 years but seems to have finally settled on his 6th team. 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