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This year’s class of SEC receivers features perhaps the best overall player at the position (Laquon Treadwell) and a nice selection of third-day prospects.
After that, there’s a considerable drop-off, without many intriguing fringe players.
Here’s a closer look at all the eligible SEC receiver prospects in this year’s NFL draft.
THE BEST
1. Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell
Projection: Mid-first round
Skill set: Treadwell’s speed may be the only thing preventing him from projecting as a top 10 pick in this draft. There’s some reason to doubt his ability to separate from press coverage, as he ran a hand-timed 4.63-second 40-yard dash at the Ole Miss pro day. His catch radius is outstanding, even though he made some concentration drops in 2015. He’s very good at tracking the football in the air. At 6-foot-2 and 221 pounds, he could become a good slot receiver in the NFL. He excels against zone coverages. His production is outstanding, so while he may get beat up by press corners at the pro level, expect him to remain a solid contributor and to start early.
Best fit: Los Angeles Rams
2. South Carolina WR Pharoh Cooper
Projection: Third round
Skill set: A classic example of getting the most out of one’s ability, Cooper is 5-foot-11 with average speed and athleticism. He wasn’t a tremendous downfield threat in Columbia, S.C., or a guy who ran a ton of complex routes. Still, his footwork, quickness and balance are excellent. He’s disciplined. Most of all, he nearly produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons as a receiver at South Carolina. And he’s a playmaker once he gets the ball in his hands.
Best fit: Any team with a creative offensive coordinator that’s not afraid to figure out how to use a player outside of the conventional NFL profile.
LIKELY DRAFT PICKS
It’s very difficult to differentiate the group of third-tier receivers from the SEC in this draft class. But there are some intriguing players here. We expect at least one or two of these guys to make an impact at the NFL level within the next two years.
3. Georgia WR Malcolm Mitchell
Projection: Fourth or fifth round
Skill set: Mitchell will be a 24-year-old rookie with average speed. Still, unlike several of his SEC counterparts, he should pass character tests with flying colors. He’s a technician as a route-runner, smooth with a good change of direction and the ability to lose corners on double moves. He can also make contested catches, so he probably projects as a No. 3 receiver at the NFL level.
4. Florida WR Demarcus Robinson
Projection: Fourth or fifth round
Skill set: Robinson possesses game-breaking speed and athleticism. If he reaches his potential, he could become a legitimate deep threat at the pro level. His hands are a bit of a concern. Pegging his draft status is a guessing game. His physical talent suggests a higher-round pick, but he got suspended four times at Florida. Will NFL teams decide to trust him? And at what point has he fallen far enough that his talent is worth taking a chance?
5. Mississippi State WR De’Runnya Wilson
Projection: Fifth or sixth round
Skill set: The former Mr. Basketball in the state of Alabama is 6-foot-5 and 224 pounds, a physical specimen who is still learning the game. But he’s far from the Antonio Gates/former hoops player with huge upside narrative. His NFL Combine results highlighted his disappointing athleticism, and he’ll have trouble getting open at the pro level. He does have a great catch radius and he’s physical when contending with defensive backs for catches, so he’ll get a look as a possession receiver because of his size.
6. Ole Miss WR Cody Core
Projection: Fifth or sixth round
Skill set: At 6-foot-3 with a vertical leap of nearly 38 inches at the Ole Miss pro day, Core has the size and jumping ability to go up and get the football. His routes need work, his hands are somewhat inconsistent and he isn’t the fastest receiver in this class. He’ll be a special teams performer first and foremost as a rookie, and that’s his ticket to sticking with an NFL roster.
7. Auburn WR Ricardo Louis
Projection: Sixth or seventh round
Skill set: Using a draft pick on Louis is a bet on your franchise’s ability to develop an athlete into a professional football player. There’s not much to like here in terms of an NFL skill set, as Louis didn’t show particularly good hands or run great routes for Auburn. But he’s 6-foot-2, thick for a receiver at 215 pounds, and ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. His best asset may be running after the catch. He’s a developmental project, but someone should like him enough to use a draft pick on him.
FRINGE PLAYERS
Duke Williams entered 2015 with some draft analysts projecting him as the No. 1 receiver prospect of this entire draft class. But continued off-field trouble that eventually got him dismissed by coach Gus Malzahn, as well as a lackluster performance in the games he did play in ’15, now has cast doubt on whether he’ll get selected at all.
Tennessee saw at least one of its players selected in every NFL draft from 1963 to 2014. But last year, the Vols’ streak ended — yet another indictment of former coach Derek Dooley. UT may have to wait until 2017 to start a new streak, unless North or Curt Maggitt manage to become third-day picks later this month.
8. Auburn WR D’haquille Williams (seventh round/priority free agent)
9. Tennessee WR Marquez North (seventh round/priority free agent)
10. Alabama WR Richard Mullaney (free agent)
11. Georgia WR Justin Scott-Wesley (free agent)
UNLIKELY TO HAVE A CHANCE
The pool of draft-eligible receivers is not particularly deep in 2016. Beyond Williams and North, there aren’t many players who would become exciting undrafted free agents with a real chance to make an NFL roster.
Tennessee’s outgoing receivers never met outside expectations. But perhaps Pearson or Howard can convince an NFL team to take a flier on them in training camp and see what happens.
12. Florida WR Latroy Pittman Jr.
13. Tennessee WR Von Pearson
14. Tennessee WR Pig Howard
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
