Chiefs Draft Science 2016 part 2 – Wide Receivers
By Ryan Tracy
Reid’s Chiefs
For Andy Reid and John Dorsey, the roster they have built in Kansas City reflects this clearly. Every notable receiver on the roster shows a SAQm above the latest three-year average. they all have a minimum ERm that is nearly tw full point above the 2015 draft classes average. Both of these athletic characteristics appear to be staples of their evaluation process of prospect receivers.
Targeting Selections
Explosion, range and quickness are capabilities needed to play the position. That is not the whole story, however. In the end, all of these receiver types require skill in route running and defensive reads. NFL receivers must have the ability to beat man coverage.
Two highly debated options are Ohio State’ Braxton Miller and Oklahoma’s Sterling Shepard. While both are impressive athletes, their strengths are in two different areas. One has range and the other quickness.
Their on field play is different as well. Both are core slot receivers, but have secondary roles to play. Shepard on the outside on the line of scrimmage and Miller in the backfield, much like De’Anthony Thomas.
The most stark difference is the success they had. Shepard beat press-man coverage an astounding 91 percent of the time. Miller was just 50/50 in a very small sample size. in the production of his routes run, Shepard had a wide-gap lead over Miller. Shepard produced on every type of route while Miller found success hard to find on routes other than screens, slants and corners.
The athletic profiles combined with the route statistics make a clear case that Shepard is prospect better suited to the complex Reid system.
Stay tuned. There’ll be more draft science next week as we turn to the defense.