Top 40 Wide Receiver Prospects for the 2012 NFL Draft
11. Jermaine Kearse, Washington, 6’2″ 210 (Senior)
**No scouting report yet available**
12. Jarrett Boykin, Virginia Tech, 6’2″ 220 (Senior)
A great possession receiver with good but not exceptional speed. Has hands the size of tennis rackets (ESPN makes this point every single game). A starter since his true-freshmen year. A deep threat that can attack the ball at its high point and win jump-ball battles with his hand strength. Will set the record this year for career catches at VT. Has good size – probably the most NFL-ready receiver on the team.
13. Derek Moye, Penn State, 6’5″ 202 (Senior)
Moye is a terrific talent and has been Penn State’s most consistent target over the past few seasons. Add the fact that he has great height (6’5″) and you have a prospect that several NFL teams will be looking at come April. Moye has averaged over 16 yards per reception over the past two years, so that shows he has big play capability. Look for him to be a first or second round pick.
14. Marquis Maze, Alabama, 5’11” 185 (Senior)
Not an overly productive receiver, but this is not a pass oriented offense, and Maze is one of the Crimson Tide’s best playmakers. He can help your team out as a speedy possession receiver as well as in the return game. Averaging almost 16 yards per reception the last two seasons, Maze is a guy who is consistently improving his game. He might not be a highly regarded small receiver like a Titus Young or Jerrel Jernigan, but Maze will make an NFL roster and find a way to contribute. Not a flashy player, but consistent, and I would love to see a breakout season from him this year as the primary target in the Alabama passing game. Probably a complementary or slot receiver in the NFL.
15. Marvin McNutt, Iowa, 6’4″ 215 (RS Senior)
McNutt is a former quarterback who has really come into his own as one of the Hawkeyes’ top receiving threats, and has emerged as one of the better up-and-coming receivers in the nation. McNutt will drop some passes, but he understands how to read coverages and run routes. He is not the fastest receiver, but he is smart and is usually sure-handed, but like I said, he will sometimes drop some easy ones. As a former quarterback, he is one of the more instinctive players on the field, and he’s growing into his own as a playmaker. Over the last two seasons, he leads the Hawkeyes with 16 receiving touchdowns, and could break his single season record of 8 this season as the primary target.
16. Chris Owusu, Stanford, 6’2″ 200 (Senior)
Missed six games due to injury in 2010, but is still one of the top playmakers in the Stanford offensive attack. Lanky receiver with solid speed and playmaking ability. What Owusu brings to the table is versatility. He has very good speed, and is one of the better kick returners possibly available in the 2012 NFL Draft. He has good vision with the ball in his hands, and his best game of the season came against Arizona. He showed as a sophomore in 2009 what kind of player he could be, and I think he will show in 2011 that he is one of the top playmakers in the Pac 12.
17. T.Y. Hilton, Florida International, 5’10” 193 (Senior)
**No scouting report yet available**
18. Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers, 6’2″ 218 (Junior)
**No scouting report yet available**
19. Rueben Randle, LSU, 6’4″ 207 (Junior)
Randle was a big name recruit back in 2008 and one of the most coveted players in his class. High School All-American who has a chance to be one of the best receiver prospects in the next couple of draft classes. He has the height/weight/speed that every NFL team looks for. Excellent length and ability after the catch. Really going to need to emerge in his junior season after having a solid sophomore campaign with 33 catches for 544 yards and three touchdowns. Had his best game of the season against Alabama with three catches for 125 yards and a touchdown. No stranger to the big play, but will need Jordan Jefferson to actually get him the ball on a regular basis to make the kind of impact we know he is capable of. Probably the best overall prospect on LSU’s roster right now, and a guy who could potentially be a first round pick in either of the next two drafts.
20. Nick Toon, Wisconsin, 6’3″ 220 (Senior)
Nick Toon, aside from having an awesome name, is a big play wide receiver who missed some time last year (four games) due to injury, but is a guy who can really come into the NFL and help someone’s team. He’s probably not going to be a superstar, and I think he compares favorably to Niles Paul, who went in the fifth round to the Washington Redskins. He doesn’t offer similar upside in the return game because he lacks the experience that Paul has in that area, and with such a young quarterback, he probably won’t put up huge numbers as a receiver either. However, he returns for his senior season as the unquestioned top receiver on the team, and has shown an ability to make plays in his career. Over the last two seasons, he has caught 90 passes for 1,364 yards and seven touchdowns. Big possession receiver who will have a lot of experience blocking downfield, and understands route running concepts. I would probably give him a late round grade at this point, but if he can prove healthy and show that he is the playmaker we all know he can be, he could sneak into the middle rounds because of his size and experience in a pro style offense.