NFL Draft 2013: Wide Receiver Rankings

Nov 3, 2012; Corvallis, OR, USA; Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Markus Wheaton (2) runs the ball past Arizona State Sun Devils cornerback Osahon Irabor (24) at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a few days since I’ve published one of these. Wide receiver is always time consuming position to handle since there are just so many players. It’s also tough to find tape from schools like Elon and Mount Union this time of year.

If you look at my rankings below, the first thing you’ll probably notice is that I’m not as hugh on Tayvon Austin as most people are. They guys is a freakish athlete, and will likely be the best kick returner the in league from day one, but as a WR I just don’t see him being the playmaker everyone else does. He doesn’t have the strength that Steve Smith has to beat the press, and he doesn’t run clean routes like Welker or Amendola. I think he’ll have a tough time producing regularly, though he will occasionally put together a highlight that will leave you breathless.

The Seahawks definitely need to find a playmaker WR this year, preferably a deep threat. The need someone who can stretch the field, and also more guys who can get open vs man coverage reliably. They really need to find someone who can start opposite Sydney Rice, and they also need depth. I can easily see the Seahawks taken 2 WRs in this draft.

If Seattle goes WR in the 2nd like I expect him to, Markus Wheaton would be an ideal fit, though I expect he’ll be taken well before the Seahawks pick in the 2nd round. Justin Hunter and Robert Woods are players more likely to still be on the board at that spot.

If it’s in the 3rd when they go WR, Stedman Bailey and Ryan Swope are the names to watch. Swope might drop beyond that though, recent reports of him showing signs of multiple concussions might scare off some teams.

If you’re looking for an absolute dark-horse that no one is talking about, then check out Quinton Simms from Tennessee-Martin. He’s huge 6-4, 208 and had tremendous hands with a great catch radius. He isn’t particularly fast, but he abused high profile CB prospect Robert Alford when the two players played each other this year.