There are a lot of players who came out of this draft that will have a chance at instant relevance in the NFL. To read about my instant impact QB’s click here or about instant impact RB’s click here. The Wide Receivers who should have an impact during this 2014 season include…
Sammy Watkins (Bills): The first receiver off the board and not only was he ranked the best receiver in the draft but some people had him as the best player overall in this draft so it’s no wonder that the Bills traded up to acquire him. Watkins enters a crowded receiving core but with Stevie Johnson gone it’s an easy path to target for Watkins. The targets will be there unfortunately for Watkins he will have E.J. Manuel throwing him the ball. Manuel, a rookie last season, has had his struggles and is no franchise Quarterback but Watkins is a sure fire franchise receiver so I expect him to make big plays this season but he won’t finish as the number one receiver statistically.
Mike Evans (Buccaneers): Evans is the receiver who landed in the best spot to make an instant impact. He’s the number two receiver for the Tampa Bay Bucs who traded away Mike Williams earlier in the off-season to make room for him. He joins Vincent Jackson as another tall receiver for Josh McCown to throw to. With Lovie Smith in town I don’t expect Mike Evan to catch the most balls this season but being as large as he is I do expect 6-8 touchdowns out of him this season especially since McCown knows how to get the ball to his big receivers. Mike Evans will finish with the most touchdowns among rookie WR’s.
Brandin Cooks (Saints): The Saints traded up to acquire Brandin Cooks. After losing Sproles and Lance Moore this off-season it left them a lot less weapons then they’re used to having. Brandin Cooks is a perfect fit for the Saints offense with his video game speed and moves. Before the draft I thought Cooks would struggle in the NFL but he ended up going to a team that knows how to use his talents. He will run a lot of the routes that Sproles used to run. Cooks will have some great games but he’ll also have some bad games, that comes when you’re a receiver for the Saints not named Jimmy Graham but I do expect Cooks to finish with the most catches among rookie WR’s.
Jordan Matthews (Eagles): One of my favorite receivers entering the draft, and now my favorite rookie receiver coming out of the draft. Matthews will join the Eagles as their third receiver and likely to take over Jason Avant old slot role. Now although Matthews may not play many snaps to start this season he will likely beat out Cooper midway through this season to take over the number two spot on this team. On Chip Kelly’s offense this will lead to instant relevance, and with Maclin on a one-year deal I can see Matthews being the number one for this team by 2015 and for a long time to come. In Vanderbilt Matthews single handedly made that teams offense relevant and a lot of times he seems more skilled and sound compared to Mike Evans. Matthews will finish as the top receiver overall among rookie WR’s and will challenge for the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Kelvin Benjamin (Panthers): The Panthers had no relevant receivers entering the draft. Anyone they drafted would make an instant impact. Kelvin Benjamin is an older receiver compared to the rookies coming out of the draft but after winning the national title and having a great season he gained lots of attention from NFL teams. I personally like a lot of other receivers better than Benjamin when the Panthers took him but he is still good enough to be a number one receiver for that team. Benjamin should get plenty of red zone looks but like past receivers for the Panthers even if you get lots of targets it won’t equal success just look at Steve Smith and Brandon LaFell these past couple of seasons. Benjamin has improved these past two years in the college game and now it’s time to see if he can continue it in the NFL.
Cody Latimer (Broncos): Like Matthews, Latimer is another receiver I loved before the draft and who got drafted to a great home. We all know what the Broncos offense is under Manning and Latimer will get to benefit from that. With the departure of Decker a spot opened up on the outside but Emmanuel Sanders quickly replaced it. I personally feel Latimer could eventually take Sanders spot this season as the third receiver but if not Latimer will likely take over for Welker when he eventually breaks down from age. Latimer was more of a pick for the future but he will likely have games where he shines this season showing what is to come for the 2015 season when he is finally a starter.