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2021 WR Thread

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
I was gonna say...crap blocker..Next.:D
I believe it was Alabama.

amari rodgers is a similar type of player to moore - just a lot less refined as a route runner - but a smaller athletic type (rodgers is definitely a slot) who's also really physical and gets a ton of YAC - but similarly is an incredibly fluid athlete who can carry momentum through cuts and stop on a dime - has some route-running technique that suggests it can be refined and developed but nowhere near as convincing with his routes as moore - but also used on a ton of gadget stuff (absolute demon after the catch)

stylistically they're similar - might be worth a look if you're interested in that style of player in this class at WR
 

Simba

Staff Member
Moderator
the only guy of that group i dont like is sage surratt... i don't see how he wins in the NFL

have you had a chance to watch/have any thoughts on any of these guys yet?
amari rodgers (tee higgins' son)
nico collins
josh palmer (coached by tee higgins at tennessee)
austin watkins jr (sammy watkins cousin)

if i could pick a developmental guy somewhere on day 3 for our new coaching staff to get a chance to mould it would be josh imatorbhebhe - might bust but he's got so many tools and traits to work with and great explosive raw athleticism at 6'2

Wasn’t big on Rodgers or Collins, but I know Collins tape is a bit hard to read in that team. Probably a guy I need to circle back to honestly.

I like Palmer and probably should have included him as well.

Have watched none of Watkins.
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Wasn’t big on Rodgers or Collins, but I know Collins tape is a bit hard to read in that team. Probably a guy I need to circle back to honestly.

I like Palmer and probably should have included him as well.

Have watched none of Watkins.

6'3 and super loose athlete - really surprising route-runner - probably ran the 2 best routes of anyone at the senior bowl...





route-running shows up on tape too



just some tasters to whet your appetite - could sneak into day 2 but otherwise would be an absolute day 3 steal i think
 

Simba

Staff Member
Moderator
6'3 and super loose athlete - really surprising route-runner - probably ran the 2 best routes of anyone at the senior bowl...





route-running shows up on tape too



just some tasters to whet your appetite - could sneak into day 2 but otherwise would be an absolute day 3 steal i think


Definitely a solid first look. I know I'm not going to be able to go near as in depth this year so sometimes these types of cut ups are going to have to give me an idea, but I'll see if I can circle back at some point.
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Definitely a solid first look. I know I'm not going to be able to go near as in depth this year so sometimes these types of cut ups are going to have to give me an idea, but I'll see if I can circle back at some point.

i was benefitted (in this process) by being only partly employed through january, february (and unexpectedly the first part of march) so i had time to get ahead on all of this

i just started full-time again this week which means that there's obviously less time to do everything

ive got 179 prospects graded and it's hard to imagine getting up to 250 (which is everyone i had on my list) now that work is busy again
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
Has anyone evaluated Amon Ra St. Brown. I could see him falling to us at the bottom of the 2nd. Has some really nice athleticism and good hands and can play in the slot and on the boundary. He's also tough as nails and I've seen him just maul when blocking. He could fit right in. Thoughts?
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Has anyone evaluated Amon Ra St. Brown. I could see him falling to us at the bottom of the 2nd. Has some really nice athleticism and good hands and can play in the slot and on the boundary. He's also tough as nails and I've seen him just maul when blocking. He could fit right in. Thoughts?

would like to see him use route-pacing more effectively but there's a lot of good looking traits to him - probably limited to the slot in the pros and doesn't have that top-end athleticism but has the look of someone who just seems like they'll be a pro for a while
 

RaineV1

Ravens Ring of Honor
Has anyone evaluated Amon Ra St. Brown. I could see him falling to us at the bottom of the 2nd. Has some really nice athleticism and good hands and can play in the slot and on the boundary. He's also tough as nails and I've seen him just maul when blocking. He could fit right in. Thoughts?
Amon Ra looks like a long term lower end WR2 or higher end WR 3. He won't be the guy, but he'll be productive for a good while, and certainly an upgrade over some of the WRs we have right now. The biggest thing he'll bring to the offense in his fire, which could make him more important to a team than just his numbers on the field.

Personally, I'd rather take Nico Collins in the late second if he's there since Collins gives us a skill set we really don't have a WR right now. That combination of size, strength, and aggressiveness when going after the ball. But I'd be happy with Amon Ra.
 

Jacquouille

Ravens Ring of Honor
Supporter
Has anyone evaluated Amon Ra St. Brown. I could see him falling to us at the bottom of the 2nd. Has some really nice athleticism and good hands and can play in the slot and on the boundary. He's also tough as nails and I've seen him just maul when blocking. He could fit right in. Thoughts?
I have a 3rd round grade on him. He's *fine* in pretty much every category but nothing stands out, apart from his competitiveness.
 

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
if he's there in the 3rd round then we should be sprinting to the podium - i've honestly got no issue with us taking him with our 2nd rounder at all - and tbh i think he should be going very high in the 2nd round
I get the appeal for brown IF we had an elite OL, like we would need to be shored up to play offense if we had the brown bros at WR1/2, dyami is even more of a one trick pony than Hollywood imo, his ability to get open deep is spectacular and he’s a phenomenal tracker and catcher of those deep throws, I just don’t know that it would work here, like our OL play has to be an absolute stonewall in pass pro if we’re gonna make that pass game work, because that’s a pretty air heavy type of wr group. Like I like Hollywood’s short, intermediate, and horizontal game better than dyamis without question lol.
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
I get the appeal for brown IF we had an elite OL, like we would need to be shored up to play offense if we had the brown bros at WR1/2, dyami is even more of a one trick pony than Hollywood imo, his ability to get open deep is spectacular and he’s a phenomenal tracker and catcher of those deep throws, I just don’t know that it would work here, like our OL play has to be an absolute stonewall in pass pro if we’re gonna make that pass game work, because that’s a pretty air heavy type of wr group. Like I like Hollywood’s short, intermediate, and horizontal game better than dyamis without question lol.

i think that's just because of the way UNC uses their x receiver - he's basically running the same route tree that dk metcalf ran in college with phil longo at ole miss - basically just 3 routes - go, post, slant lol (only slightly joking lol - there's the occasional curl and comeback or spot route) - i really think dyami's a case where he's going to be a better pro - he's already got a supreme understanding of the nuance of route-running but it only really shows up on those vertical routes - he looks like he's probably thinking too much on some of the underneath stuff especially spot routes (possibly because they're option routes but idk for sure one way or the other)

and i just think that speed and the ability to win vertically puts so much stress on the defence - and it's not like dyami's a slow/late separator, i think he creates that separation fast, it's just often down the field

my hope is that our OL can pass protect this year anyway too lol - im not gonna just eliminate guys from my board at receiver because our rag-tag 2020 OL couldn't pass block... we've already added 1 decent reinforcement to the line + hopefully ronnie's recovery allows him to get back on the field in good condition for week 1 and suddenly you're looking at Bozeman as your 4th best OL (at best) rather than your 2nd best OL and that has the look of a very good OL

and im not so worried about looking at specific types of receiver especially now that sammy watkins is in town because he's physical through his route and good at winning underneath in competitive environments through contact - if we get someone else who's great in those scenarios then cool but i'm not going to pigeon-hole us to that type of guy

the only style of WR i'm not really that interested in this year is pure-gadget type weapons
 

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
i think that's just because of the way UNC uses their x receiver - he's basically running the same route tree that dk metcalf ran in college with phil longo at ole miss - basically just 3 routes - go, post, slant lol (only slightly joking lol - there's the occasional curl and comeback or spot route) - i really think dyami's a case where he's going to be a better pro - he's already got a supreme understanding of the nuance of route-running but it only really shows up on those vertical routes - he looks like he's probably thinking too much on some of the underneath stuff especially spot routes (possibly because they're option routes but idk for sure one way or the other)

and i just think that speed and the ability to win vertically puts so much stress on the defence - and it's not like dyami's a slow/late separator, i think he creates that separation fast, it's just often down the field

my hope is that our OL can pass protect this year anyway too lol - im not gonna just eliminate guys from my board at receiver because our rag-tag 2020 OL couldn't pass block... we've already added 1 decent reinforcement to the line + hopefully ronnie's recovery allows him to get back on the field in good condition for week 1 and suddenly you're looking at Bozeman as your 4th best OL (at best) rather than your 2nd best OL and that has the look of a very good OL

and im not so worried about looking at specific types of receiver especially now that sammy watkins is in town because he's physical through his route and good at winning underneath in competitive environments through contact - if we get someone else who's great in those scenarios then cool but i'm not going to pigeon-hole us to that type of guy

the only style of WR i'm not really that interested in this year is pure-gadget type weapons
but it’s not a lack of opportunity for me, it’s more like he wasn’t used in those areas because he performed terribly at it, he was really bad attempting to catch in traffic, lots of drops with the least bit of contact near the catch point, pretty consistently actually, to the point that I’d consider it a very real pattern and a troubling one. He shrinks between the hashmarks and loses his hand eye coordination
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
but it’s not a lack of opportunity for me, it’s more like he wasn’t used in those areas because he performed terribly at it, he was really bad attempting to catch in traffic, lots of drops with the least bit of contact near the catch point, pretty consistently actually, to the point that I’d consider it a very real pattern and a troubling one. He shrinks between the hashmarks and loses his hand eye coordination

i didnt see issues with catching in traffic - i saw some frustrating drops - maybe you could argue that he's hearing footsteps on some of those drops but i definitely dont see a pattern with regards to dealing with contested situations - i dont think the drops are related to contact or the MoF necessarily

and in terms of the usage in those areas - it's 100% about the offence and not dyami - this is literally the exact same coordinator as with dk metcalf and the similarities in terms of route tree and usage are uncanny - it makes sense to continue using that offence because it's incredibly effective but it makes evaluating the WRs an absolute mess lol...

the hand-eye coordination is an interesting point because he looks far more confident/natural catching those downfield balls and tracking them over his shoulder with late hands etc. than on some of the shorter stuff (where i saw some of the issues)

id be more worried about these things though if we hadn't signed sammy watkins to play the x type role for us - dyami would get a ton of 1v1 looks because of the offence we run and i think that's a massive opportunity for this passing game

im not finished with the idea of adding speed and more vertical elements to this offence (especially if that includes vertical route-running skills) - put enough speed and quickness mixed with vertical route-running on the field and the defence has to respect that because even if you miss a couple of times, eventually you're going to hit... the problem with duvernay is that he cannot route-run so is limited in his effectiveness right now

with the way dyami brown is able to release, stem and stack - he'd be lethal opposite hollywood
 

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
i didnt see issues with catching in traffic - i saw some frustrating drops - maybe you could argue that he's hearing footsteps on some of those drops but i definitely dont see a pattern with regards to dealing with contested situations - i dont think the drops are related to contact or the MoF necessarily

and in terms of the usage in those areas - it's 100% about the offence and not dyami - this is literally the exact same coordinator as with dk metcalf and the similarities in terms of route tree and usage are uncanny - it makes sense to continue using that offence because it's incredibly effective but it makes evaluating the WRs an absolute mess lol...

the hand-eye coordination is an interesting point because he looks far more confident/natural catching those downfield balls and tracking them over his shoulder with late hands etc. than on some of the shorter stuff (where i saw some of the issues)

id be more worried about these things though if we hadn't signed sammy watkins to play the x type role for us - dyami would get a ton of 1v1 looks because of the offence we run and i think that's a massive opportunity for this passing game

im not finished with the idea of adding speed and more vertical elements to this offence (especially if that includes vertical route-running skills) - put enough speed and quickness mixed with vertical route-running on the field and the defence has to respect that because even if you miss a couple of times, eventually you're going to hit... the problem with duvernay is that he cannot route-run so is limited in his effectiveness right now

with the way dyami brown is able to release, stem and stack - he'd be lethal opposite hollywood
I just disagree that it’s not a pattern, I feel I’ve seen more than enough of it happening in one particular type of scenario to not call it a pattern lol. Like I said I understand the appeal he’s got a really strong deep game, he’s just not what I’m looking for opposite Hollywood. 2 guys I’ve been really high on lately for us are imatorbhebhe and toney, I think toney is a lot of projection but I just think he’s got special ability that you can’t teach and he’s come so far already in such a short time as a receiver that I think he’s got it at the next level, the dude plays like an absolute lightning rod, he’s got Lamar esque ability to move around the field, and is just bordering on WR1 type of size at 5’11 5/8” and just over 190lbs, if he was an inch taller and 5 lbs heavier he’d probably shoot up to top 20, like he’s gonna be able to separate on natural movement skills alone as he refines his route tree
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
I just disagree that it’s not a pattern, I feel I’ve seen more than enough of it happening in one particular type of scenario to not call it a pattern lol. Like I said I understand the appeal he’s got a really strong deep game, he’s just not what I’m looking for opposite Hollywood. 2 guys I’ve been really high on lately for us are imatorbhebhe and toney, I think toney is a lot of projection but I just think he’s got special ability that you can’t teach and he’s come so far already in such a short time as a receiver that I think he’s got it at the next level, the dude plays like an absolute lightning rod, he’s got Lamar esque ability to move around the field, and is just bordering on WR1 type of size at 5’11 5/8” and just over 190lbs, if he was an inch taller and 5 lbs heavier he’d probably shoot up to top 20, like he’s gonna be able to separate on natural movement skills alone as he refines his route tree

with toney it wouldn't matter if he was 6'0 200lbs because he doesn't play that way - if you're worried about dyami's hands, you for sure should be worried about toney's lol - he's got crazy open-field and obscene change of direction skills right now but that's about it for me - there's a ton of upside for his route-running which makes projection there a bit easier but it doesnt matter how tall/big he is because he's never going to play big - i get people liking toney but i must say im confused stylistically why you think he's a better fit here than other guys

imatorbhebhe im fully on board with on day 3 - awesome traits, and a perfect ball of clay to be moulded as a developmental pick with major upside to be a high-level guy on the outside
 

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
with toney it wouldn't matter if he was 6'0 200lbs because he doesn't play that way - if you're worried about dyami's hands, you for sure should be worried about toney's lol - he's got crazy open-field and obscene change of direction skills right now but that's about it for me - there's a ton of upside for his route-running which makes projection there a bit easier but it doesnt matter how tall/big he is because he's never going to play big - i get people liking toney but i must say im confused stylistically why you think he's a better fit here than other guys

imatorbhebhe im fully on board with on day 3 - awesome traits, and a perfect ball of clay to be moulded as a developmental pick with major upside to be a high-level guy on the outside
i think he has more potential to separate all over the field and also to make plays in general in the short and intermediate
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
i think that's just because of the way UNC uses their x receiver - he's basically running the same route tree that dk metcalf ran in college with phil longo at ole miss - basically just 3 routes - go, post, slant lol (only slightly joking lol - there's the occasional curl and comeback or spot route) - i really think dyami's a case where he's going to be a better pro - he's already got a supreme understanding of the nuance of route-running but it only really shows up on those vertical routes - he looks like he's probably thinking too much on some of the underneath stuff especially spot routes (possibly because they're option routes but idk for sure one way or the other)

and i just think that speed and the ability to win vertically puts so much stress on the defence - and it's not like dyami's a slow/late separator, i think he creates that separation fast, it's just often down the field

my hope is that our OL can pass protect this year anyway too lol - im not gonna just eliminate guys from my board at receiver because our rag-tag 2020 OL couldn't pass block... we've already added 1 decent reinforcement to the line + hopefully ronnie's recovery allows him to get back on the field in good condition for week 1 and suddenly you're looking at Bozeman as your 4th best OL (at best) rather than your 2nd best OL and that has the look of a very good OL

and im not so worried about looking at specific types of receiver especially now that sammy watkins is in town because he's physical through his route and good at winning underneath in competitive environments through contact - if we get someone else who's great in those scenarios then cool but i'm not going to pigeon-hole us to that type of guy

the only style of WR i'm not really that interested in this year is pure-gadget type weapons
I really feel the biggest reason our passing game wasn't as good in 2020 compared to 2019 was due to the OL. Sure up the OL and our passing game automatically improves and lets not forget that Boyle should be back and healthy.
 
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