Pre-Draft Position Breakdown: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
by Jonathan Loesche on Mar 22, 2010 1:43 PM EDT
in Meta-Jacksonville Jaguars
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In the second part of our pre-draft positional breakdown, we'll be looking at the wide receivers and tight ends. It's no secret that the performance of last year's group was easily the best the Jaguars have had in years. In 2008, the Jaguars started three wide receivers that would be out of football the following year. It became clear following the releases of Jerry Porter and Matt Jones that it was time to take the position into a different direction.
Heading into this year, the Jaguars have a wide receiving corps that features a budding #1 and fantasy football favorite in Mike Sims-Walker, a player many describe as a Poor Man's Percy Harvin in Mike Thomas, and several other players who's potential is clearly much higher than their predecessors.
The Jaguars made a move in free agency as well by adding Kassim Osgood. While Osgood was known primarily for his special team's ability in San Diego, he will be given a chance to compete at the wide receiver position.
Barring a surprise move in the draft, namely taking Oklahoma St WR Dez Bryant at #10, Mike Sims-Walker will walk into training camp as the clear #1 receiver on the depth chart. However, after Sims-Walker, the position is a cluttered one that should feature some good competition in OTAs and camp.
The tight ends turned out to be another pleasant surprise for the Jaguars this year. Marcedes Lewis finally began to show off the pass catching abilities that won him the Mackey Award and a made him a first round pick. 6th round pick Zach Miller showed he could end up becoming the player Matt Jones was projected to be. After taking most of the season to transition to TE, he began to hit a groove late in the season.
Mike Sims-Walker
He'll walk into camp the #1 wide receiver barring something unforeseen happening. If you didn't check out my 2009 season review on MSW, you can read that here. The big thing that will be expected of MSW this season will be better consistency. The biggest issue with him last year was a tendency to disappear in games.
Troy Williamson
Troy Williamson seemed to be heading down the road to redemption few players get to. After an excellent training camp and preseason, it seemed he was finally ready to show why the Vikings made him a Top Ten pick. However, he sustained a season ending injury in Week 2. Now it seems Williamson will have one final shot to show what he has. In a crowded WR corp behind Sims-Walker, he'll need to have a repeat of last year's camp to ensure he'll make the roster.
Mike Thomas
Last year's 4th round pick was used in many different ways in 2009. However, it is expected he'll settle into the #3 slot role this season. If he continues to develop, he could end up being the Jaguars version of Wes Welker.
Jarrett Dillard
Dillard, a BCC favorite, didn't come on quite as fast as fellow rookie Mike Thomas did. However, he did seem to be catching his stride when he too had a season ending injury vs New York. While Dillard is far from a speedster, he can catch anything thrown his way. If he wants to get more playing time, he'll need to pick up where he left off last year.
Kaasim Osgood
A special team's ace at San Diego, Osgood signed with Jacksonville to try and show he can compete as a wide receiver. While some have made the case that Osgood was buried by depth in San Diego, I'm having trouble seeing it. Vincent Jackson is a good receiver, but who else? Either way, Osgood will make his presence on special team's known.
Nate Hughes
Last year's feel good story is going to have to really show something in OTAs and camp if he wants to see the active roster again. After being reactivated from the practice squad, Hughes showed sub-par run blocking and often looked out of synch with the rest of the offense. He stayed on with the team thanks to his strong camp and preseason last year and he'll need have another one if he wants his NFL hopes to stay alive.
Marcedes Lewis
Marcedes finally began to show his hyped catching abilities last year. Becoming David Garrard's go to guy later in the year, Lewis running a seam pattern down the middle became a staple of the Jaguars passing attack. Already known as one of the best blocking TEs in the NFL, Lewis seems poised to have a Pro Bowl year in 2010.
Zach Miller
The self described "Poor Man's Tim Tebow", Miller made the transition from Division II QB to NFL TE last year. While he spent most of his time on special teams, he began to make his presence known in the passing game later on in the year. He had 14 receptions for 161 yards in the final four games of 2009.
Possible Draft Plans
With only five picks in the draft and taking four players in this group in 2009, I doubt the Jaguars will be taking another WR or TE unless there is some significant value to getting them. Dez Bryant is certainly a no go at #10 because of his character issues, though other players could fall to where the Jaguars would see value in them.
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I think the Jaguars
will adress WR pposition via UDFA; or in the very last pick…
In TE Jags are fine(Zach Potter is a legitimate 4th TE ; if something happens to the Lewis-Miller-Wilford trio
Life without knowledge is death in disguise
by Zoltan from Budapest on Mar 22, 2010 1:47 PM EDT reply actions
I think if
we can pick somebody late in the draft like Dexter McCluster or Armanti Edwards, who gives us a poor man Josh Cribbs, I think we could grab something like that, but otherwise I agree, we might grab some camp bodies in UDFAs
Maybe we can find someone like
McCluster late in the draft, like you were saying. But McCluster wont be there much after the 3rd, if not earlier.
My advice
To Dilliard would be to bulk up this off-season. I’m sure he has in Richeson’s program, I think its a necessity. If you are going to make a living as a possession, move the sticks kind of receiver, you have to have some durability. His injury last year was sort of a freak injury, 9/10 times you get tackled like that, you are fine. Unfortunately for him, he was the 1/10, and his ankle got rolled. But in the future it would benefit him to gain some weight and muscle.
I agree. If Sims-Walker could catch 80 balls this year, he would solidify himself as a number 1.
I’m excited to see what Mike Thomas can do as well. We know he can be a slot receiver, drag route type, but I’d like to see him get deep a few times this year too, with that supposed 4.3 speed.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
he will lose his vertical if he bulks up too much.......
that fool got some hops……….but if he does it right, he will be ok
frankDUBZ aka Frank Silba
"You have to stand for something, or you will fall for anything" - Me
Yeah
I don’t want him to gain twenty pounds, just put on a little more muscle. Hell, it could help his vert even more. I hope he can get some TD’s in the redzone next year.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
As slow as he is
I’d rather just keep him near the same weight and just use him in situational roles. Like a secret weapon that’s only used in critical situations, kind of how Mike Thomas and Lewis were used last season.
Mike Thomas does have 4.3 speed. Guy is freakin fast! Unfortunately you have to be a great deep passer(accuracy) to throw to him, as short as he is.
Still I don’t think he should be limited as just a slot receiver. I think Dillard is a better move guy that can be crucial in the slot, sitting down in zones and etc. I think Thomas can be a good slot receiver, and he is short like most slot guys are, but his best attributes are hindered if you put him in the slot. Get him one on one outside, with the safeties in the box, he can break a tackle and go the distance. He’s got a seriously good double move. I am not kidding you in the least. His ability to stop and go might be the best in the league. But you have to set someone up to do that, and taking him off the field every few plays I think reduces his ability to do that.
I agree
That he needs to be on the field at pretty much all times. I hated how they would pull MSW off the field an put in Hughes on that jumbo package late in the season last year. I think your best receivers have to be on the field at all times, I hate the rotation idea with your number 1 and 2. A slot rotation is fine, but taking your number 1 off the field, especially when he is the best blocking receiver on the team, in place for someone who has dropped more than caught is crazy.
I like Thomas in the slot in spread packages, but I’d like to see him outside as well. I never got a chance to watch him in college, but I"ll take your word for it on the double move.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
I think the jumbo package
rotations late in the season had something to do with the injuries to MSW.
Only
Game he missed was the Seattle game…
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
Mike Thomas and Zach Miller
Aren’t poor anything.
by Slvrgun on Mar 22, 2010 2:33 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I think both have the ability
to supersede their so called better counterparts. If Mike Thomas turns out to be Steve Smith, you can probably bet that that would make him better than Harvin. And Zach Miller shouldn’t even be compared to Tebow anymore. I think he’s more in league with TE’s like Tony Gonzo, Dallas, and Gates; at least when we are talking about them(Tebow and Miller) as prospects going forward.
I think with
BAP philosophy you cannot really comment on whether or not they will draft a particular position. Though I think you can say that there are no WR’s worth a the 10th pick in the draft, and therefore will not pick one with the 10th pick in the draft.
Does anyone else really like our 5?
I know that it’s not the Colts’ list, but I really like the five WRs that look like they’ll be on our starting roster next year. I don’t know who the #2 guy will be, but I’d be happy with any of them. Two are going to be second year players with great upside, one is a former top 10 pick who has shown he can play well – he just needs to translate it to the field. Osgood is a great ST player and if he can be a good possession type guy too – great! And MSW (who I’ve supported since he got here) – I can’t wait for him to build on what he did last year.
I wish that fans didn’t vote on the pro bowl sometimes, because Lewis is certainly one of the top all-around TEs in the league – but in today’s NFL that isn’t noticed like TD and yardage machines.
Great write up.
by alwaysforgiven821 on Mar 22, 2010 7:05 PM EDT reply actions
None of the Colts receivers are any better, maybe Reggie Wayne, it's the guy throwing to them
Currently Playing: God of War III
PS3 ID: Nole1021
by Jonathan Loesche on Mar 22, 2010 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Don't forget
Dallas Clark, and the number of years Manning has had with his top 2 receivers. Also Holt was our second best receiver last year. That’s not saying much. But in the near future we should find out who’s who.
If I had things my way
I’d have MSW on the right side, Thomas on the left, Dillard in the slot, and Lewis at TE. Forget about starting the game with a FB. Even with as good as GJ is, it’s a passing league now, and everyone is gearing up against our run game early in games. Let our running reputation be the ruin of our opposing defenses until we can set up the run with the passing game.
Personally I hate being out of the game after just one turnover, like in the Pats game. After our run game could not convert on 4th down, we had no chance of ever coming back in the game.
+1
West Coast offense baby. I’ve been calling for it for awhile now. I think our offense could jump to just under elite with the weapons we are gaining. If we get the interior offensive line shored up, Garrard could be a 4,000 yard passer. I’d be fine with a 60-40 pass-run ratio, as long as the running game was working well the 40% of the time we did run it. Jones-Drew is so effective with creativity, extended hand-offs. I’m excited to see what the O can do once Meester is kicked to the curb.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
yeah, kind of important to Jag history so I doubt he will be ‘kicked’ as much as gently turned out to pasture
Waber-Jaguar
oh i wasn’t jumping on that at all, i was just shootin on Meester is the Best center the Jags ever have had, and it sucks he will have to retire within five years and probably only has one season starting in him. Hopefully he doesn’t think hes Dermonti Dawson or Kevin Mawae and go till hes 39
Waber-Jaguar
This was written before the comp picks were announced
Currently Playing: God of War III
PS3 ID: Nole1021
by Jonathan Loesche on Mar 23, 2010 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions
YA
That 6th pick gives us a good shot at getting a mccluster or edwards. Recieving group looks pretty solid and i hope we use Dillard and Miller alot more this year. As long as the line protects and David has time to throw it, we should be really competative this year
by LoyalJagfromTX on Mar 23, 2010 10:52 PM EDT reply actions
I know you recently asked
about comp picks. You may have seen my response. I don’t remember if you commented after. However, since we are talking about our comp pick, I forget to mention before that teams cannot trade away compensatory picks. Just FYI
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