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2019 Senior Bowl: Breaking down the Wide Receiver Group

The Senior Bowl draws an impressive group of WRs which the Pittsburgh Steelers might be interested in.

NCAA Football: College Football Playoff National Championship-Clemson vs Alabama Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

With the Senior Bowl coming up, the Pittsburgh Steelers will most certainly be looking for some wide receivers here, as Mike Tomlin has dispatched the entire assistant coaching staff, including Keith Butler, Randy Fichtner, and Teryl Austin to Mobile. So, the first group is one to pay attention to with Antonio Brown’s future in Pittsburgh being a question mark.

How is the Senior Bowl WR group? Here is a short breakdown them all.

Note: This is the initial group, void of all dropouts, thus no Penny Hart or Gary Jennings


South WRs

Marshall WR Tyre Brady

Let’s talk about the sleeper of the entire group. Tyre Brady is a legitimately awesome player to watch, as he is 6’3” and can go up and grab just about anything he wants to. Add in strong hands and fantastic body control and the man has a future in the NFL. He is not a great route runner, but is quick and great after the catch. My main issue is that he really is putrid at blocking and needs to become more nuanced at the position, otherwise, this guy has the legit potential to become a dang good NFL WR.

Old Dominion WR Travis Fulgham

This young man is the best blocking WR in the draft. He is full of grit and can pound DBs straight into the dirt. In addition to that, he is actually a pretty nuanced WR. He is fantastic in jump ball situations, physical with his large frame, and can grab run just about any route well. He has the versatility and ability to be a decent WR for years. He sure does give off some good vibes with his play.

Baylor WR Jalen Hurd

The ultimate redemption story is here in Jalen Hurd. He has changed to WR just as of recent and is incredibly polished for where he is. He could be a better handfighter or more subtle, but that will come with time. Quick, great with route running, and a pure deep threat, Hurd might just fit the Steelers as well as he ever could. Look out for a visit at the Senior Bowl, because he is an intriguing mid-rounder for sure.

Clemson WR Hunter Renfrow

My precious! Renfrow has about no shot of becoming a Steeler because he is an exclusive slot guy, but man is he ever nuanced in his route running and quick. He is one of those pesky Patriot type of WRs that no one wants to be face because of how polished and savvy he is. He can make any play and outsmart you on any as well. He might not be a super athlete, but he sure is a super smart player.

South Carolina WR Deebo Samuel

A monster. Samuel is easily the best of the crop of WRs at the Senior Bowl and is a dynamic chess piece. He is not a great contested catch guy, but it does not matter since Samuel is an extremely polished route runner and gets separation easily. His strength also comes in his ability to break the big play and gain huge amounts of YAC. He should be the first of the receivers at the Senior Bowl drafted for his versatility.

West Virginia WR David Sills V

Sills is an extremely limited play who can be a decent vertical threat as a big slot type of receiver. He is a good route runner but has a limited route tree, meaning the transition to the NFL will not be easy for the guy at all. His speed is nothing to write home about and press can certainly get him reeling at times. All in all, a raw guy who could be a good 4 but not much else.

Louisville WR Jaylen Smith

Fast and big, big deep threat who can break anything for a TD at 6’4”. Smith is still raw as heck with limited route running ability and inconsistency across the board. He has incredible potential but I absolutely do worry about his floor, as it is low. He reminds me a ton of Justin Hunter, so there is that for you. Could be a lot better if he does pan out though.


North

UC Davis WR Keelan Doss

A technical route runner that has a knack for all routes, Doss is a versatile player that can beat you to the sidelines or up the seam. He is not that dynamic after the catch, but the biggest thing is that he makes every catch that is within reach. He is a contested catch king and has dominated his competition every time he has stepped onto the field. Watch out for him folks.

Missouri WR Emanuel Hall

Vertical speed and YAC for days, Hall is a raw route runner but with all the tools and progression each year, it looks like he is destined for significant success at the next level. He has flashed some combat catch ability this year and expanded his route tree tenfold to accommodate the new, changing NFL he will enter soon. Either way, some team is going to get a special deep threat and player.

Umass WR Andy Isabella

Perhaps the most polished route runner out of any of these receivers, Isabella has the ideal slot traits while still having the release skills and physicality to move outside. With how feisty, fast, and physical he plays, Isabella is going to be more than just a slot guy. The quick passing game is made for him as he has legitimate track star speed. In other words, you wanna quick WR that’ll blow past you? Isabella is it, guys.

Buffalo WR Anthony Johnson

Johnson is a whole lot of meh. He is a guy who goes out all the time, and is a versatile player. In the screen game and passing game he is a beast due to incredible contact balance, but his route running is subpar and being 6’3” he should be able to win more jump balls, but fails to do so often. Thus, I have a lot of questions about Johnson, he needs to show improvement at practices.

Ohio State WR Terry McLaurin

Another meh from me here. While McLaurin has all the athleticism you would want and more, other than that, I don’t know what else there is other than decent route running. He can actually block pretty well, but he fails to be a great contested catch guy and has pretty bad tracking skills. He needs to high point the ball but he often fails to do so.

NC State WR Jakobi Myers

This one is intriguing. Myers is a versatile guy who is a refined route runner that fits perfectly into a scheme that loves to make its receivers do a lot. The Steelers fit that bill to a tee, and he has just about everything you would want in a WR but great YAC ability. His game has improved greatly and he is going to be a fantastic #3 with #2 potential in the NFL.

Northern Colorado WR Alex Wesley

He is the new version of Will Fuller, and that means a deep threat with legitimate 4.3 speed. Wesley will stretch the defense and come on the screen game to burn you too. He is a fantastic player with all the motion going around the in the NFL right now, and while he does need to become a better route runner, Wesley is a fantastic receiver who will make an impact from Day 1.


Ranking the crop

  1. Deebo Samuel
  2. Alex Wesley
  3. Andy Isabella
  4. Jakobi Myers
  5. Emanuel Hall
  6. Hunter Renfrow
  7. Keelan Doss
  8. Jalen Hurd
  9. Tyre Brady
  10. Travis Fulgham
  11. Anthony Johnson
  12. David Sills
  13. Jaylen Smith
  14. Terry McLaurin