2017 NFL Draft: Three Underrated Wide Receivers

With the 2017 NFL Draft quickly approaching, here are three underrated wide receivers the Oakland Raiders could potentially target.

The 2017 NFL Draft is less than a week away. The Oakland Raiders have one of, if not the best WR duo in the NFL in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, but the strength of the wide receiver core beyond that is a mixed bag.

Seth Roberts struggled mightily with drops, Cordarrelle Patterson never lived up to his first-round hype, at Johnny Holton got minimal run as a rookie. If Reggie McKenzie decides to look at a wide receiver in the draft, here are three underrated options to consider.

Chris Godwin – Penn State

Most draft outlets have Chris Godwin somewhere between a round late two or round three selection, but in my opinion, he’s a top five receiver in this class and should go towards the top of round two.

At 6’1″ 209 pounds, Godwin is nearly identical in size to Amari Cooper. He’s a great athlete (4.42 second 40-yard dash) and he’s plenty strong as well, showing ability to box out defenders to make tough grabs. Despite not being a big WR like a Mike Evans or a Brandon Marshall, Godwin is actually one of the best contested catchers in this draft, if not the very best. His ability to go up and get the ball, his strength at the catch point and his tenacity to battle in traffic are all evidence of that.

Godwin lined up exclusively on the outside at Penn State, and he proved that he can run a full route-tree. Any route that is called, Godwin can run it and run it well. He consistently creates separation and is a savvy route-runner.

Another thing to like about Godwin is that he is effective as a blocker, which is an undervalued trait for WRs. He checks a lot of boxes and has a solid all-around game. He may not be elite in any one area, but he’s very good in a lot of areas and could be a productive WR for a long time in the NFL.

Taywan Taylor – Western Kentucky

Taywan Taylor is a small school taylor with big-time game. At 5’11” 203 pounds, Taylor will be a slot receiver in the NFL — and he has a chance to be a pretty good one at that.

At the Combine, Taywan ran a 4.5 flat 40-yard dash, but watch any film on him and you’ll be shocked it wasn’t significantly faster. He looks like a burner on tape, and he proved himself to a big play threat at Louisiana Tech, averaging nearly 17 yards per catch in four seasons.

Taylor is a smooth route runner, which will translate nicely to the NFL. He’s quick in and out of his breaks, and he makes it look easy out there. His ability to separate is going to cause one on one nightmares in the slot.

Taylor isn’t that dangerous in the open field, so YAC might not be his strong suit. And neither is contested catches, as that will be difficult to manage in the NFL at his size. But that isn’t how he had so much success in college, and and it won’t have to be in the NFL.

At the minimum, Taylor should develop into a player who can consistently be relied upon to move the chains with slant and curl routes. But as mentioned above, he is also a big play machine. He scored 34 touchdowns over his last 28 games in college. Most have him going towards the end of the third round, but he might be on the best 64 players in this class.

Isaiah Ford – Virginia Tech

Back to back seasons of over 75 catches, roughly 1,100 yards and a total of 18 touchdowns, Isaiah Ford showed steady production at Va Tech. He was once a fairly popular wide out in this class, but a 4.61 second 40-yard dash has him off the grid.

But one thing holds true when evaluating a prospect — trust the film. And for those who like the numbers, Ford did improve to a much better time of 4.52 at his Pro Day.

The name of Ford’s game is separation. Despite not being a burner, all he does is get open. Ford is excellent in his release, has great footwork and runs sharp routes. As a route runner, he’s the total package, and it doesn’t matter what type of coverage he’s facing. Ford can get open while being jammed, against man, or in zone.

At 6’1″ 194 pounds, Ford played outside in the NFL. He’s the same height as Amari Cooper but needs to put on more weight to continue to play outside in the NFL. But he has excellent body control, and made plenty of highlight reel and contested grabs in college. Such as this one:

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Ford is being slated anywhere between the fourth and fifth round, but that just feels too low for him. A team could take him in the third and end up with a really good wide receiver.