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Wide Receivers To Watch During The Senior Bowl

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Senior Bowl week is one of the most exciting times of the year. Every year, players take advantage of the opportunity to impress coaches, vaulting themselves up draft boards. Last year, Daniel Jones received rave reviews during the Senior Bowl and David Gettlemen was quoted saying that this was where they really fell in love with him. He was drafted fifth overall.

This year’s Senior Bowl wide receiver group looks great. Yes, most players who become relevant to us won’t play in the Senior Bowl—as they’ll graduate early. With that said, Terry McLaurin, Cooper Kupp, DJ Chark, and Deebo Samuel all appeared in this game in recent years and are major contributors on our dynasty teams. I think this year’s Senior Bowl WR class features multiple players who can become major assets to our dynasty teams.

Michael Pittman Jr, WR, USC

Michael Pittman Jr. is the definition of a late bloomer:

First three seasons:  70 catches for 1,244 yards and 8 TDs

Senior season: 101 catches for 1,275 yards and 11 TDs

Privileged by playing in Graham Harrell’s air raid offense, Pittman finally broke out his senior season—and he did it in a big way. This impressive season landed Pittman a spot as a Biletnikoff finalist and with him being honored as a Second-Team All-American.

Sizing in at 6’4’’, Pittman is a big-bodied wide receiver who plays like it. He’s not going to burn anyone deep or separate at will, but he’s physical and excels in contested catch situations. What he lacks in change of direction and route running, he makes up for with his ball skills. Pittman best profiles as an “X” receiver due to his size, physicality, and ability to go up for the ball.

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, ASU

Of the receivers attending the Senior Bowl, Brandon Aiyuk is my favorite. The JUCO transfer from California only has two years of D1 experience. In his first season, he played second fiddle to NFL first-round pick, N’Keal Harry. In his second season at Arizona State, Aiyuk showed he could be trusted as the number one option in an offense. At 6’1’’ and 205 lbs., Aiyuk is a problem for defenses. A phenomenal athlete, Aiyuk possesses exceptional speed, agility, burst, and leaping ability. Aiyuk’s run after catch ability is another trait that makes me love his potential. After the strong performances that I’m expecting at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, I can’t see him falling outside of the second round of the NFL Draft.

One thing that is a major problem is his ability to beat press coverage. I have seen him let corners get both of their hands on his chest. If he does that in the NFL, he deserves to sit on the bench.

NOTE: Brandon Aiyuk will not play in the game due to a medical issue. I’m disappointed to not see him play, but this does not drop him down my rankings.

Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

A former track star, Denzel Mims has elite burst and long speed. Mims possesses the ability to get open at will on deep routes—partly because of his speed but also because of his understanding of how to change up tempos to manipulate the corner. While he’s a capable route runner, he has some technical issues to clean up that could make him troublesome for NFL defenses. Projected to fall outside of the top 2 rounds of dynasty rookie drafts, Mims is one of my favorite sleeper WRs due to his ball skills, body control, and athleticism. His performance this week as well as at the NFL Combine could vault him up NFL and dynasty draft boards.

Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR, Liberty

Antonio Gandy-Golden (AGG) is one of the best non-Power 5 (ACC, Big 12, Big 10, PAC-12, SEC) offensive prospects in this class. Fitting the trend here, AGG is a big-bodied wide receiver who excels downfield. His big frame mixed with great concentration and body control allows him to consistently win above the defense. Something I look for in wide receivers is their ability to protect the ball from the defender when making catches. AGG does just that. He knows how to position himself in a way that only allows him to catch the ball. With that advantage, he uses his massive catch radius to bring down anything thrown his way.

While AGG is phenomenal downfield and in contested situations, he has a few things holding him back. One thing, and it’s unfortunately not going to get much better at this point, is his lack of athleticism. Because he’s not a burner, winning downfield consistently is going to be harder in the NFL than in college. His agility and lack of explosion also lead to his poor releases. With more release moves and a better understanding of how to use his hands, he can overcome some of the athletic limitations, but the lack of athleticism will hurt him.

Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas

The best senior WR from Texas is undoubtedly Devin Duvernay. Another late bloomer, Duvernay exploded onto the scene his senior season with an impressive 106-1,386-10 receiving line. The thing that stands out about Duvernay is his speed. He has some deficiencies running routes (hip flexibility, getting in and out of breaks), but got away with it in college due to being faster than everyone else. His thick frame and speed will allow him to have a role in the NFL, albeit if it’s only a situational deep threat or gadget player (sweeps, screen passes, etc.). As of right now, I’m expecting Duvernay to excel at the practices, leaping him up the NFL Draft board and our dynasty draft boards. For a smaller receiver, his ball skills and contested-catch abilities are impressive.

Quartney Davis, WR, Texas A&M

Every year there are players whose draft capital does not match up with the collegiate production. This year, Quartney Davis is my guess to fit that description. His college stats are very uninspiring.

 

While his stats are uninspiring, his game isn’t. Davis is a smooth operator, not wasting any movements on his routes. With good agility and lateral quickness, Davis can get in and out of his breaks with ease. Additionally, the mental side of things seems to be there with him. He has a good understanding of the corners positioning and how to use that against him to create separation. With a variety of releases and quick acceleration, Davis is good at beating press coverage. With his understanding of defenses and route-running ability, I think we’ll see a few highlights from Davis during the practices. If those highlights build momentum, remember his name when your rookie draft comes around.

James Proche, WR, SMU

 

James Proche’s production these past two years have been eye-opening. Regardless of the competition, when someone posts numbers like that, they need to be noticed. Proche spent his first year playing second fiddle to future NFL wide receiver, Courtland Sutton. The dip in production can be explained by the arrival of former 5-star recruit and future NFL wide receiver, Trey Quinn. With those two gone, Proche became the man at SMU.

Proche is made for the slot in the NFL. At 6’0’’ and 193 lbs., Proche possesses quick footwork which allows him to consistently win against defenders. With a good understanding of how to change his route tempo to manipulate the defender, I project Proche to be a capable route runner at the next level. Due to his size, inability to beat press and lack of explosive athleticism, I don’t expect Proche to have much of a role on the outside. If he gets drafted by a team that heavily utilizes the slot position, he could become a meaningful asset to our dynasty teams.

Who are you watching this weekend? Who do you think could rise up dynasty draft boards? Let me know on Twitter at @DFF_Steven

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