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Malcolm Kelly - Billy A/Flickr.com

Positional Overview: Weak Receiver Class in 08

Wide Receiver Rankings

1. Mario Manningham, Michigan
Manningham improved each one of his three seasons with the Wolverines. I believe that he could have had his best season yet if he had stayed for his senior year. Instead, Manningham will take his act to the NFL. Though he’s probably not as good of a prospect as Braylon Edwards was, he is the best receiver in this weak class.

2. Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
Kelly is a guy who probably could have used another year of experience in college, but will decide to test his NFL prospects now as opposed to later. He is tall and fast, a good combination for any receiver prospect, and has been very productive in his three-year career as a Sooner.

3. DeSean Jackson, California
Jackson’s best value may be as a return guy, but he does project to be a serious receiving target in the NFL better than last year’s surprise top-10 selection, Ted Ginn. Jackson has the strength to beat a jam, but he needs (like a lot of prospects) to show that he can run the intermediate route in front of the safeties with consistency to justify a first round grade.

4. Adarius Bowman, Oklahoma State
Bowman’s primary issue is off-field related, as he was cited for marijuana possession. He may not time well at the combine, but Bowman is a versatile talent that will play far beyond his possession receiver reputation.

5. Dorien Bryant, Purdue
I can’t understand why Bryant isn’t getting more publicity. He’s a good prospect as a punt returner, but good teams value run after catch ability for their receivers, and Bryant excels in that aspect of the game. If he gets through the second round, some team will have made a mistake.

6. Limas Sweed, Texas
I’m not as high on Sweed as others are, as he remains largely unproven after playing at Texas, and being injured his senior season. However, many people project Sweed as a first rounder, so it would tough to say a team couldn’t get a steal on Sweed if he falls farther than expected. After the first round, he’s certainly worth a shot.

7. Jordy Nelson, Kansas State
Nelson’s big red flag is that he wasn’t a very promising prospect going into this year. However, in a weak WR class, a guy who puts up 122 receptions and 1,600 yards in the defensively dominated Big 12—well, he deserves a long look.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 22nd, 2008 at 11:32 am and is filed under Adarius Bowman, Combine, Jordy Nelson, Limas Sweed, Top Players By Position 2008, Desean Jackson, Malcolm Kelly, Mario Manningham. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.