After masterfully navigating the first two rounds of his first draft as an NFL GM, Joe Douglas enters day three with six draft choices. He’ll have three in round 4 (120, 125 and 129), one in round 5 (158th) and two in round six (191st and 211th). With so many choices, Douglas should be keenly focused on the pass catchers left on the board.
Everyone knew coming in to this draft that the wide receiver class was loaded with talent, leading one of Douglas’ former co-workers in Baltimore, Ravens GM Eric Decosta to say that he envisioned teams being able to find starting wide receivers as late as round five. Douglas should be taking advantage by taking a pair of targets for Sam Darnold with his six remaining picks. Who should he have in mind? The list is extensive, but let’s take a look.
1) Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty: A small school product with a huge frame and catch radius, Gandy-Golden can be an immediate threat in the red zone while he develops the rest of his game.
2) Tyler Johnson, Minnesota: Johnson may not be the biggest or fastest receiver in this class, but all he does is find ways to get open and produce. Not much flash so he has fallen this far, but he can be a productive player at the next level.
3) Joe Reed, Virginia: The Jets have said they will prioritize versatility and speed and Reed offers both. He ran a 4.47 40 and lined up inside and outside for Virginia, getting the odd carry out fo the backfield for Virginia. As a former high school running back, Reed also saw plenty of targets out of the backfield when lined up as a running back.
4) Donovan Peoples-Jones: Another big-bodied athletic receiver, Peoples-Jones didn’t have great college production but that could have been a result of sub-par QB play. His measurables (6′ 2”, 4.48, 44.5” vertical) suggest high-level explosion which is exactly what the Jets could use.
6) Quez Watkins, Southern Mississippi: If Douglas is true to his word and prioritizes speed, Watkins is a guy he should be targeting. The Southern Miss product blazed a 4.35 at the combine and is projected as a 4th-5th round pick by NFL.com.
7) Binjimen Victor, Ohio State: The Jets have spoken with Victor a couple of times during the pre-draft process and would give Sam Darnold a long receiver who can stop and go far better than one might expect from a 6′ 3” receiver.
8) Isaiah Coulter, Rhode Island: A burner from a small school (4.45), Coulter has the foot quickness to beat defenders with a variety of moves and does a nice job of high-pointing the football.
9) Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State: Hodgins could be a solid receiver both inside or outside and like Coulter, does a good job of high-pointing the ball. Does appear to struggle when pressed but a player worth developing.
10) James Proche, SMU: Of all the receivers we watched in this year’s class, Proche may have had the best hands of all. Not a big target at 5′ 11”, he projets as a slot receiver who can play on the outisde a little bit and catches everything that comes his way.