As football-obsessed America readies itself for the fast-approaching NFL Draft, let’s discuss what might be the best offensive position this year: wide receiver. Two things stand out overall about this year’s crop of wideouts. First, the tight end-like size of some of these guys and, two, the freakish raw athletic ability of several members of the group. Following are your Top 4.
The Top 4 West Coast Wide Receivers In The 2019 NFL Draft
1. N’Keal Harry – Arizona State
N’Keal Harry NFL Draft Profile. Photo Credit: USA Today Images / Sports Al Dente Illustration
Harry combines great size, strength, and power with the jumping ability of a small forward. The Sun Devil product might just have the best hands in this year’s receiver group. Putting all those ingredients together makes a Harry a physical mismatch for most corners. Even in the NFL, he’ll be a major weapon near the goal line on jump balls. If he can clean up his route-running, his name will be called on the first night of the draft, possibly in the first fifteen picks!
Possible NFL Destinations: Colts, Packers, Giants
2. JJ Arcega-Whiteside – Stanford
JJ Arcega-Whiteside NFL Draft Profile. Photo Credit: USA Today Images | Sports Al Dente Illustration
Much of what was said of Harry could also be said about Arcega-Whiteside. Big, strong, and physical, especially on stopping routes and most certainly at the goal line and in the end zone on jump balls. I like his receiving skills even more than Harry’s. He rarely, if ever, lets the ball into his body. The only things that keep him behind Harry in my mind are his slightly slower straight-line speed and lack of breakaway capability.
Possible NFL Destinations: Raiders, Colts, Cardinals
3. Dillon Mitchell – Oregon
Ultra-productive is the perfect adjective for the Ducks former receiver. A school-record 1,184-yard junior season that included 10 touchdowns was enough to convince Mitchell that he’d spent enough time on campus. He isn’t the biggest or the fastest receiver in the lot, but he can play out wide or in the slot and when he gets the ball in his hands he can be a nightmare for defenses. On the downside, he can be sloppy with his routes and is not a blocker at all. But his playmaking could more than make-up for that.
Possible NFL Destinations: Patriots, Bears
4. Keelan Doss – UC Davis
Doss certainly looks like a pro football player. Extremely smart player who uses that IQ to win the day in matchups. His work ethic shows on film when you see his precise routes and his ability to alter them when he feels the need to do so. He has superb hands and, as mentioned earlier, he shows that he’s worked diligently to make himself an eventual pro. Doss will make some team very happy, probably in the mid-to-late rounds of the draft. The guy is just a winner.
Possible NFL Destinations: Saints, Patriots