Top 5 Wide Receivers in the 2017 NFL Draft

The Oakland Raiders might not need help at wide receiver as much as other positions, but if they surprise and pick one, here are the top five in the class.

With the 2017 NFL Draft just mere days away at this point, it’s anyone’s guess what the Oakland Raiders will do, especially with the 24th overall pick.

Wide receiver doesn’t stand out as anywhere close to the biggest need on the roster, but considering the emphasis on offense via free agency, there is a chance the Raiders continue that trend via the draft.

If so, they’ll be turning what was a very good offense in 2016 to an elite offense in 2017. If they opt to draft a wide receiver in an early round, here are the top five in this draft class.

5. JuJu Smith-Schuster – 6’1″ 215 lbs. – USC

JuJu was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and the third ranked athlete. He burst on the scene as soon as he got onto USC’s campus, recording 54 catches for 724 yards and 5 TDs in his freshman season.

To produce that early and at a big time school like that is no easy feat. His sophomore season was absurd, as he caught 89 passes for 1,454 yards and 10 TDs. But his final season at USC was marred by injuries, yet he still managed to produce — 70 catches for 914 yards and another 10 TDs.

Strengths:

What stands out the most about Smith-Schuster is his physical play style. He has a “give me the ball” mentality and is aggressive in making catches away from his body. He has good body control and can track the ball with ease.

He has excellent use of his body, often posting up his matchup like an NBA player in the pain. He also no fear over the middle, and displays soft hands when catching passes. JuJu shows nuances against zone coverage, and knows where to work within the zone to find the open spots.

Smith is willing to get into it as a run blocker, and holds up well in both the run and pass game. Lastly, he makes great effort on comebacks and tracking back to the football. When he’s on, he’s the best receiver in the class.

Weaknesses:

The most notable negative trait for JuJu is his slow release against press coverage. He’ll also need to improve his footwork, as hell as his hands on the line of scrimmage to get free from NFL defensive backs.

He lacks ideal snap in and out of his routes, and has “tells” in his route-running like a bad poker player. He’ll need to get better here, otherwise he’ll struggle to get open.

Overall:

Physical wide receivers like JuJu are just fun to watch. He could have been a top safety in this draft if he wanted to be — he was that good out of high school.

On his best day, Smith-Schuster is the best flanker in this draft. I see him having a similar career to Anqual Boldin.

NFL comparison: Anquan Boldin

Film score: 77.5

Athleticism score: 7.2 (NFL average)

Final score: 78 (Round 1 or 2)