FanPost

For those who want a Wide Receiver Part 2:

This update has some later round picks such as J. Abbrederis, some 1st round potential picks, such as Marquise Lee, and some interesting historical profiles as well. I am also changing the game up a little bit. I will only do it for certain prospects who I don't think you will get, also it will keep you on your toes and make sure you are reading each report to try and guess also. Good Luck and Have Fun!

Note: Click HERE to go back to Part 1 at any time for more comparisons to these prospects! :D

STRENGTHS: His thick frame, deceptive speed and smooth route-running make him a nightmare for cornerbacks. He does not possess the explosive moves of Southern Cal's Marqise Lee or Clemson's Sammy Watkins but might be a better player than either of them. He is sudden in his breaks, showing the ability to generate separation even against tight man coverage, and accelerates quickly, often leaving defenders in his dust on double-moves. He tracks the ball well and generally shows excellent hands (one drop vs. Texas), as well as the body control to make the dazzling grab. He is also cognizant in the running game, showing awareness and toughness as a downfield blocker

WEAKNESSES: Perhaps the only thing standing in his way of becoming the first "skill-position" player from Mississippi to earn a first round draft selection since Eli Manning (No. 1 overall, 2004) is the question about his straight-line speed. He was not caught from behind on tapes viewed but the big-bodied receiver may not possess elite timed speed

This is the first Random-Game prospect! Who do you think it is? You know it's not Benjamin or Lee because he is from Mississippi, nope. This is Dante Moncrief. I never heard of the guy, and actually clicked his name by accident looking for Abbrederis, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a good report on him. Pretty cool.

Strengths: Sneaky quickness to get behind the secondary. Jared Abbrederis does a nice job selling routes and is able to create separation with his footwork, most notably a stutter-and-go double move that he uses to burst past corner. Sets up his moves and understands how to deceive defensive backs. Abbrederis displays excellent field savvy, tracks the ball very well and makes the proper adjustments to extend and pluck with his quick, soft hands. He has excellent field awareness and always appears to know where he is on the field.

Weaknesses: Only an average athlete with ordinary straight-line speed. Lacks ideal size. Very little muscle definition.

I decided to give you guys Abbrederis for free since I've mentioned him quite a bit already. What I like is how few negatives he has. What's also nice, is Evans biggest minus (Seperation) is Abbrederis's biggest plus. Interesting.

STRENGTHS: Tall, linear athlete with long arms. Above average vertical speed with long strides to accelerate and eat up yards quickly - galloping long-speed to easily gain a step (17 receptions of 20-plus yards in 2013). Flexible and balanced with easy body control to adjust and use his length. Nice job catching the ball in stride and away from his body. Wide catching radius and will make acrobatic and off-target catches look easy. Good timing and aggressiveness in 50/50 chances with very good leaping ability. Quick footwork to release off the line of scrimmage and make sharp cuts in his routes - good short-area burst to gain a step in/out of his breaks. Competitive kid. Coming off career-bests as a junior in 2013, finishing second on the team in receiving behind Sammy Watkins. (This is Martavis Bryant)

WEAKNESSES: Tall and long, but not physically imposing from a bulk standpoint - very lean and needs to continue to put meat on his bones. Very inconsistent concentration with too many double-catches and drops at the college level. Wasn't asked to run a full route tree in Clemson's offense and unrefined in this area. Room to learn patience, hesitation and better body language in his patterns to hold defenders and better sell routes. Needs to get stronger to match up better in tight coverage and show better power after the catch. Only one year of starting experience.

COMPARES TO: Stephen Hill, New York Jets - Similar to Hill when he entered the NFL, Bryant is a tall, legit vertical threat with potential to be drafted higher than expected, but needs to become more well-rounded as a pass-catcher and become more consistent at the catch point to reach his full potential.

I was also surprised at how well a report I found on Martavis Bryant as well. With a good combine Bryant is in line to be our possible 2nd round pick.

STRENGTHS

Blackmon has a good frame and seems taller than he is. He is barely six-feet tall, but his elite leaping ability makes him a jump-ball, red-zone threat. He can excel from any spot on the field, and is reminiscent of Anquan Boldin when running "drive" and "underneath" routes. Blackmon will present serious matchup issues for opposing defenses when working out of the slot, which he did occasionally in college. His in-phase technique is extremely polished, and he can vary his speed to keep defenders off balance. He is slow off the line but uses his strength and jab steps to release with ease. A natural receiver, Blackmon understands how to read coverage and sit down in zones. He aggressively attacks the ball when it's in his large catching radius, and he uses his frame to box out defenders. He can also bail out quarterbacks with his skill for adjusting to poorly thrown balls on the run

WEAKNESSES

Blackmon is not as quick off the ball as his athleticism would suggest. He has good top-end speed and acceleration in the open field, but struggles to get enough burst to separate in short areas. An elongated stride makes it difficult for him to run sharp routes. Much of his production came from making plays at the point of the catch and after; he doesn't get himself open through route-running. He is an all-or-nothing blocker who can't recover after whiffing, and will have to improve in that area. His stride hampers his ability to change direction and could be his biggest problem in the NFL, where he'll be covered by premier athletes.

While the jury is still out on Justin Blackmon, especially considering his quarterback play, he is still a high drafted prospect that we can compare some guys to.

STRENGTHS: Broad-shouldered and well-built wideout who consistently wins at the catch-point, demonstrating good leaping ability, timing and hand-eye coordination. Tracks the ball well over either shoulder and has strong hands to pluck the ball when turned towards the quarterback. Quickly corrals the pass and wastes no time in getting upfield, showing vision to set up blocks as well as strength to run through arm tackles and a nice stutter-step to elude. Deceptive straight-line speed to challenge deep and shows good balance and overall body control to gain separation on comeback and out routes. Good strength and courage to take passes over the middle and isn't afraid of running through traffic. Alert blocker.

WEAKNESSES: Does not possess the elite speed that his gaudy production indicates. Possesses normal acceleration and tops out quickly. Occasionally will allow the ball to swing away from his frame as he attempts to fight for extra yardage, which can result in forced fumbles.

Alright, random guessing game prospect number 2! Anybody have any idea who it is? Well, it's a fairly popular name being mentioned, it's Davonte Adams! The fumbles are a little worrying to me, as well as the weak college competition. I do like that he's a good blocker though, as we could use an outside blocker.

STRENGTHS: Solidly-built frame with above average toughness and body strength. Good build-up speed with smooth quickness and body control. Strong cuts and controlled momentum down the field - very good catch-and-go receiver. Good depth and lean in his routes and won't slow down in his breaks - good patience and plays off defenders to create some room to work. Above average hands-catcher with quick reflexes and ball skills to pluck fastballs away from his body. Strong hands and very good in contested situations - uses his body and arms to out-muscle defenders. Excellent hand-eye coordination. Nice job catching the ball in stride with a little wiggle after the catch - deceiving moves, balance and toughness and not an easy guy to tackle. Fearless and resilient pass-catcher over the middle and in traffic - very determined. Always looking for someone to block. Led his school in catches and receiving scores the past two seasons. Good special teams coverage experience.

WEAKNESSES: Good size and speed, but limited in both areas. Only average height and length for the position. Takes a few moments to get up to his top-end speed and can be slowed in his routes by physical defenders - will struggle at times vs. press. Not naturally explosive and takes a few moments to gear down - doesn't show the burst to consistently separate with his quickness. Will get his feet tied up at times in his patterns and has room to tighten his footwork. Strong hands, but he'll have his share of focus drops.

COMPARES TO: Eric Decker, Denver Broncos - The 2014 pick is more reliable with his hands and isn't quite as tall, but he projects similar to Decker with their movements, body control and toughness after the catch.

Random guessing game prospect number 3! The winner is... Jarvis Landry! One thing that stood out was his ability to pluck "fastballs" away from his body. This is a necessary skill in Staffords offense, so it was encouraging to see that as a plus. Also good to have a blocker and catcher who is not afraid of hits or getting knocked down, and someone who's a good route runner who could do timing routes with Stafford.

STRENGTHS

Tate’s a strong receiver. Is a very sound route runner who is smooth in and out of his breaks and has experience in a pro-style system. Is dangerous after catch with a nice combination of quickness and power to break tackles. Has been highly- productive. High-character player who will always compete. Has reliable hands.

WEAKNESSES

His overall explosiveness is questionable. Is more of a speed-builder than a sudden guy, odd for a shorter receiver. Takes a while to eat up cushions. Top end speed is good but not elite. Can get deep on occasion but doesn’t appear to be a consistent downfield threat.

This served a triple purpose actually. First, it's another 1st round report to compare to. Second, the Seahawks are in the Super Bowl, so people can look for these things when they watch him, also he happens to be a potential Lions Free Agent target as well. While things have changed, it's pretty cool to find one for him.

Positives: Productive college receiver with a consistent game. Fluid releasing off the line and runs sharp routes, quickly getting into breaks and immediately coming back to the ball on exit. Displays terrific focus and concentration and makes the reception away from his frame. Possesses strong hands, showing the ability to snatch passes from the air. Easily adjusts the errant throw, effortlessly makes the reception downfield, and elusive running after the catch. Reads the defense and settles into the open spot on the field. Sneaky fast and finds a way to get behind opponents. Gives effort blocking downfield and gets solid results.

Negatives: More quick than fast. Erratic workout at the combine. Lacks top size and likely to struggle handling jams or battling at the next level.

I have a feeling you guys have no idea who this is. This took a LOT of digging to find, but I finally succeeded in my quest to find... A scouting report from POD that Sean Yuville actually quoted from when we took Titus Young in the 2nd round. HAHA! Oh, That made me laugh. Okay, Okay! I get it, not funny. Time for the next one!

Positives:

Playmaking Ability: He averaged nearly 20 yards per reception this season. He also caught more than one-fourth of his catches for touchdowns, totaling 14 touchdown receptions which is tied for fourth in all of division one. With much talent around him, his stats are not as high as they could be because of not being targeting as a true number one receiver like Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions. Other than his stat line, he has the ability to produce the big catches that make scouts drool over and really show his potential. With his height, he is very good at getting to high peak points to get catches above cornerbacks in the endzone. He also has great instincts to come back to the ball and follow the quarterback when he is on the run. Another area in which he is very good at is adjusting his body to make a catch. he can fade his body to locate a ball that is thrown behind him. Size with Athletic Ability: he is a huge threat for defensive coordinators to work with due to his size and athleticism. He is listed at 6’5 that towers over many cornerbacks. With the advantage of his height, he has speed that will most likely clock him in at a 4.5-4.6 forty time at the combine. With in-game action, he has the ability to beat cornerbacks downfield and at times draw safeties toward him that open up one-on-one coverage with other wide receivers. He can also break tackles.

Negatives

Raw: He is still a very young raw product that has some improving to do. He has had a problem with dropping balls but has recently improved in the 2013 campaign. He is a lot better at catching deep balls and has problems catching fast balls while running a slant route. He has also improved in route running. At times, he can get lazy as a route runner and could still improve on quicker and sharper routes.

NFL Comparison: Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears. Like the 2014 pick, Jeffery was not a huge producer in his college years. Jeffery and the 2014 pick are also similar how they are big wide receivers that can adjust and get to the high peak of the ball. Both are not great athletes, but for their size have enough athleticism that they become a nightmare for defensive backs to cover. Also, like the 2014 pick, Jeffery had some areas that he needed to work on while transitioning into the NFL like route running and football IQ. In all, Jeffery and the 2014 pick play a similar game but the 2014 pick may be a little better athlete.

In case you couldn't figure it out, that one was Kelvin Benjamin. Honestly, I would like an Alshon Jeffery type Wide Receiver, but not on this team. WE already have that covered as of right now. He might be a good WR, but I don't see the fit on the Lions.

Okay, I'm sorry guys, I couldn't find a scouting report on Marqise Lee on the internet in literally an HOUR -_- that was complete and had pluses and minuses, so what I am going to have to do here, is instead of doing it like I have been, I'm going to go to my last resort for my last prospect. I normally don't do anything like this, but one of my favorite posters on POD, Reno09 does this awesome series called "The Lions Select:..." So I'm using my last resort temporarily until I can find a scouting report on Marqise Lee. Okay, here we go:

Reno 09 "Marqise Lee probably could have been a top 5-10 pick if he decided to enter the draft in 2013. He could end up going in the top 10 still, but it is less likely. This is mostly because of injury concerns from this past season. If the Lions end up drafting Lee, I'm betting that it will be because Watkins and Evans have already left the board. I really like Lee as a prospect, but I'm not sure if I'd pick him at #10. I'd be ecstatic to have him on our team if we were able to trade down a few spots, pick up an extra mid/late round pick and still get him. So far after viewing the top 3 ranked WR's in this class, I view Lee as the 2nd best WR right behind Watkins. I think right now he has a better skillset than Mike Evans. However, I would still take Evans over him because of the immense amount of upside Evans has. I feel like Lee has a lower ceiling than Watkins and Evans, but could probably produce more right away.

As a Lions fan, I'm just so skeptical of drafting WR's coming off injuries given our history of WR picks. If Lee didn't have that initial knee injury this past year and tweak it shortly after, he might be a top 6-7 pick this year. If I'm Mayhew, and I look back at the risks I've taken in the earlier rounds on smaller players, I'm probably not going to let history repeat itself, and I'm going to pass up on Lee. I can see Watkins, Evans and even Kelvin Benjamin turning into #1 WR's for teams if they max out their potential, but I'm no so sure I can say the same for Marqise Lee. Lee is a special receiver, but he's not a guy who can go up and win jump balls consistently and he doesn't exactly have "elite" speed for a receiver. He'll beat you occasionally on deep balls, but I see him mostly as a "move the chains" type of receiver. Lee had a down year in 2013 and a lot can be blamed on injuries, but he had some pretty bad uncharacteristic drops and fumbles before the injury. He had one drop against Hawaii on a deep pass that was right in his hands and should have been a touchdown. Before that he fumbled on a punt return in the same game. He also had a ball thrown right at him and went right through his hands ending up in an interception against Arizona State before his knee injury occurred. He also didn't have Matt Barkley throwing to him that year, which could count for something".- Reno 09

I would like to thank Reno09 for making this series, as I will continue to read and comment on your fanposts! Great work, and all credit for that quote goes to you.

So, speaking of handing out credit, most of my quotes throughout the WWR section have come from CBSSports draft experts Rob Rang and Dave Brugler. If anybody would like to get a more in depth report on the prospects, I highly recommend Reno, and CBS, as well as Walter Football.com who helped a lot with the historical reports. Thank you all so much for reading both posts! GO LIONS and Have a Nice Day everybody!

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pride Of Detroit or its writers.