NFL
By: Ryan Cooley
*All stats/grades are via PFF
With the draft less than a week away, one area of discussion for the Washington Commanders has been the wide receiver position. After Curtis Samuel’s departure to Buffalo, many are worried about who will take the role of WR3.
There has been a ton of success in recent years from wide receivers taken in rounds 2 and 3. Due to this, I expect Adam Peters to address the position on day two. Below I listed five WRs that they could target. the
Wilson will likely hear his name in the 2nd round. He finished the 2023 season with 48 receptions for 789 yards (16.4 yards/rec) and 12 TDs while posting an 81.5 receiving grade. At the combine, he ran a 4.39 forty, which some felt was slower than what his tape projected.
Imagine not having Roman Wilson on your Biletnikoff Award Watch List
pic.twitter.com/jlELCeo8km
—
att Hartwell (@MaizeCrusader) October 25, 2023
Along with having NFL speed, he also possesses reliable hands, dropping only 5 passes on 143 targets since 2021.
Xavier Legette
Legette is a very intriguing prospect. In his first four seasons at South Carolina, he only managed 423 yards and 5 TDs. Once becoming the focal point of the offense in 2023, he exploded for 1,255 yards on 71 receptions (17.7 yards/rec) and 7 TDs.
You won’t find many WRs that weigh over 220 lbs and run a sub 4.4 forty, but Legette is one of them. He will need to improve his route running (only ranked in the 69th and 68th percentile for open % when targeted and separation % against single coverage) and release. However, his ability to make contested catches and create after the catch will intrigue many teams.
Malachi Corley
Corely has been a machine for Western Kentucky for the past three seasons. He has hauled in 253 receptions for 2,951 yards and 28 TDs since 2021. Like Legette, Corley is dangerous with the ball in his hands. He forced 15 missed tackles and averaged 8.6 yards after the catch (15th best).
The contact balance from Malachi Corley on the sideline is wild here
The safety puts a good shot on his inside leg & Corley turns it into a glancing blow. Then has the footwork + athleticism to stay in bounds while also maintaining his gait
Also, YAC
— Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) April 17, 2024
Also like Legette, Corley will need to refine his route running to expand his route tree.
Ricky Pearsall
Undersized in weight, arm length, and hand size, Pearsall projects to play in the slot. He dominated testing by ranking in the 80th percentile or higher in the forty, 20-yard shuttle, vertical, broad jump, and three-cone drill. His 9.91 RAS (Relative Athletic Score) ranked 31st highest out of 3,121 WRs since 1987.
Ricky Pearsall knows how to run routes pic.twitter.com/aEWL4AvBds
— The League Winners (@FFLeagueWinners) April 12, 2024
He is a smaller, highly athletic slot WR with the ability to make an impact as soon as he steps into an NFL field.
Jacob Cowing
Much like Malachi Corley, Cowing put up gaudy numbers throughout his collegiate career. In the past three seasons, he has hauled in 243 receptions for 3,263 yards and 27 TDs. He played mainly in the slot in college and based on his size (5’8 and 168 lbs), I don’t expect that to change. His receiving grade ranked in the 94th percentile against man coverage and 92nd against zone coverage. Not only can he separate at a high level, but he can also create after the catch.
Jacob Cowing is nice and is at 49ers facility right now
What I like most about him is he plays much bigger than he is and feel smaller prospects have to play like that in order to translate to the next level. @imagidadnation put me on early. pic.twitter.com/cVnNOdfVJv https://t.co/najhbIofg3
— Brad (@Graham_SFN) April 17, 2024
He does come with concerns in the hands department. In the past 5 seasons, he has 33 dropped passes. At his size, you also can’t expect him to be anything but a liability in the blocking department.
