NFL draft: Sizing up the wide receivers
Laquon Treadwell, 6-2, 219, 4.65, Mississippi Compared frequently to Anquan Boldin due to his physical style of play and lack of ideal stopwatch speed. Treadwell caught 82 passes for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns and was named All-SEC and an All-American. Treadwell plays with power and athleticism and uses his muscle to take the football away from smaller defensive backs. He grades highly for body control and hand-eye coordination, but he still needs to polish routes and upgrade his ability to separate from faster cornerbacks.
Josh Doctson, 6-2, 203, 4.48, TCU Doctson is a Wyoming transfer who broke Mike Renfro’s Horned Frogs’ school record with 2,785 career yards. Finished with 215 total catches for 3,178 yards and 34 touchdowns. Excellent hands and has a 41-inch vertical leap. Draws comparisons to Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews for his polished game. Known for his high character.
Corey Coleman, 5-10, 193, 4.37, Baylor Won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver. Finished career with 173 catches for 3,009 yards and 33 touchdowns. Explosive with a 40½ inch vertical leap and a 10-9 broad jump. Thickly built with great running skills after the catch. Accelerates away from pursuit routinely. Home-run hitter.
Will Fuller, 6-0, 193, 4.33, Notre Dame Two-year starter caught 144 passes for 2,512 yards and 30 touchdowns. Has outstanding speed but smallish hands, and he dropped roughly 21 passes over last two seasons. True vertical threat. Averaged 20.3 yards per catch last season. Fuller reaches top speed in a hurry and has the ability to plan and run by people. Solid blocking skills and understands leverage and route concepts.
Michael Thomas, 6-3, 212, 4.56, Ohio State Long strider who overcame academic problems. Uncle is former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. Caught 113 passes for 1,602 yards and 18 touchdowns. Battled consistency issues in terms of his hands, but has great catch radius. He led the Buckeyes with 56 catches for 781 yards and nine TDs last season. Adept at high-pointing the football.
Braxton Miller, 6-1, 202, 4.45, Ohio State Converted quarterback who has overcome shoulder problem. Caught 26 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns last season. As a quarterback, he went 22-2 as a starter with 33 rushing touchdowns. Drew steady praise from NFL scouts at the Senior Bowl, where he displayed a knack for getting open and running away from defensive backs.
SLEEPER Paul McRoberts, 6-2, 202, 4.53, Southeast Missouri State Excelled at the Senior Bowl. Caught 76 passes for 940 yards and nine touchdowns, holds the school record with 29 touchdown catches and finished with 2,435 receiving yards. McRoberts has a basketball background and dominated in the red zone with his height and leaping ability. Quick hands with long arms and big hands. Overcame Lisfranc fracture in 2014.
TEXANS NEEDS The Texans would like to upgrade their speed outside and obtain a wide receiver to work in tandem with Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins. If they don’t address the position in the first round and opt for a defensive lineman or offensive lineman, they’ll likely draft a receiver in the second or third round.