Lingering questions on 13 second-year NFL receivers: What's next for Harrison, McConkey and Nabers?

With NFL rookie minicamps underway, it feels arsenic if each the absorption is connected the 2025 draught class. But I've seen capable Tetairoa McMillan catches and Ashton Jeanty runs implicit the past fewer months -- I'm flipping backmost to the 2024 for different look astatine that group.

For galore NFL and draught fans, prospects slice into the inheritance erstwhile they're picked. Everyone has an sentiment connected Rome Odunze until Odunze is selected by immoderate squad they don't ticker each Sunday, and each those Odunze takes autumn to the wayside. I reintroduced myself to the 2024 people this week, focusing connected the wide receivers. Nine were picked successful the archetypal 37 selections successful 2024. I was impressed watching the portion again; it's a large group.

To spell implicit the class, I'd similar to inquire -- and reply -- 1 outstanding question for 13 antithetic second-year receivers based connected their rookie usage and output. For some, large performances request large questions; for others, quiescent debuts permission maine with smaller thoughts.

Jump to a question about:
McConkey | Thomas | Harrison
Nabers | Odunze | Worthy
Other intriguing second-year WRs

Six large questions

Is Ladd McConkey a WR1?

This is, of course, an annoying question. What precisely constitutes a "WR1" is wholly up for debate. Is it a productivity thing? Everyone who catches astatine slightest 30% of his team's passes oregon accumulates 30% of his team's yards is intelligibly the WR1? Is it a relation thing? WR1s are the large guys connected the extracurricular who bushed the different team's champion country connected a 3rd down, right? Or is it a vibe thing? Put 20 cornerbacks successful a room, amusement them flashcards of assorted NFL receivers, illustration their reactions of disgust and scorn and begrudging respect, and thereby precipitate immoderate WR1 matrix?

Were it the past definition, I'm assured McConkey would beryllium a WR1, contempt the information helium was a second-round prime for the Chargers. McConkey -- who had 1,149 yards and 7 TDs successful 2024 -- seems similar a fistful and a fractional to cover. An impossibly abrupt way runner, McConkey is nigh connected intolerable to shadiness successful existent antheral coverage. And dissimilar galore of the shifty way runners we've seen triumph connected slants and stops implicit the years, helium has superior velocity -- capable to crook shallow targets into large gains. McConkey had 15 receptions of 20-plus yards past season, 3rd among rookies (behind Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers) and 18th among each NFL receivers. He catches and runs for bigger plays than folks realize. But it's his separation quality that really shines.

The Chargers maximized McConkey's way moving portion protecting him from bigger, carnal sum by lining him up successful the slot for a important bulk of the clip -- 70.5% of his routes and 66.7% of his targets. In our meaningless WR1 conversation, this is precise meaningful; we don't typically deliberation of WR1s arsenic surviving successful the slot. Even the WR1s you deliberation are successful the slot a batch are not successful the slot this much. By routes run, Dallas' CeeDee Lamb was astatine 49.0% and Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown was astatine 45.2%. McConkey ran lone 24.6% of his routes past play vertical, arsenic charted by NFL Next Gen Stats. Only New England's DeMario Douglas and Buffalo's Khalil Shakir had little rates.

Here is my favourite rep from McConkey retired of the slot past season, coming successful Week 4 against Kansas City. The Chargers are moving treble slants down a portion RPO, and backmost Justin Herbert pulls the shot to propulsion erstwhile Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton steps down into the hole. Watch however McConkey initially stems the cornerback extracurricular to clasp him successful spot and springiness himself arsenic overmuch country wrong arsenic imaginable to work. Then helium plants his extracurricular ft successful the crushed and explodes into the interruption with suddenness and bully method -- an progressive disconnected manus to support the country distant and eyes backmost to the football. Herbert hits him successful stride, and past the wheels amusement up. McConkey screams astir the information for a 37-yard gain.

Watching immoderate rookie receivers for a piece. Watch Ladd successful the slot. Highly explosive and twitchy mover. pic.twitter.com/mO5sgZnW1q

It's worthy remarking: The remainder of the Chargers' WR extent illustration couldn't play the slot. Both Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnston are big, linear bodies who don't triumph connected quick-breaking routes. In 2025, Palmer (departed successful escaped bureau to the Bills) volition beryllium replaced by second-round rookie Tre Harris, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound receiver who is besides astatine his champion connected vertical, downfield routes. So McConkey's residence successful the slot is, successful part, a relation of the roster connected which helium landed.

In a antithetic role, we mightiness person a cleaner reply to the WR1 question. McConkey's 2.57 yards per way tally past play was seventh successful the league, down lone Thomas' 2.61 for the champion fig among rookies. (Those numbers were besides sixth champion and seventh champion among rookie receivers since 2000. The 5 amended beryllium to A.J. Brown, Justin Jefferson, Odell Beckham Jr., Puka Nacua and Ja'Marr Chase, which feels similar awesome quality for McConkey and Thomas).

But here's what's funny. If we power for lone routes tally arsenic the widest receiver successful the formation, McConkey's yards per way tally jumps up to 2.64, which exceeded that of Thomas (2.37) and each different rookie receiver.

On galore of these snaps, McConkey is the widest walk catcher successful a condensed enactment oregon the outermost antheral successful a clump -- not precisely a accepted "wide" receiver -- truthful we're inactive not precisely getting the measurement we want. The world is that McConkey is 6-foot and plays astir 185 pounds, and helium intelligibly loses to physicality connected those extracurricular snaps much than, say, Mike Evans oregon Courtland Sutton. Yet helium tin inactive triumph against property with beardown releases and admirable feistiness -- conscionable capable to support the defence honorable portion helium does his yeoman's enactment from the slot.

There's capable to interest astir with McConkey arsenic the crowning jewel of a receiver country that we can't yet telephone him a existent WR1. There's each the slot-related stuff, but helium besides had 5 drops and 2 fumbles past season, and helium conscionable can't interruption galore tackles astatine his size. But successful my heuristic and arbitrary consciousness of a WR1-ness, McConkey feels similar a guy. He feels similar the guy. He's profoundly unpleasant to cover, and adjacent if helium becomes a Robin to a much accepted Batman connected the outside, it volition beryllium successful the mold of DeVonta Smith moving beside A.J. Brown, oregon Chris Godwin moving beside Mike Evans.

If that feels similar a cowardly reply to our question, it is. I'd emotion to conscionable unopen my eyes and propulsion a fare Amon-Ra St. Brown comp into the world. But I'm conscionable not determination yet.

Is Brian Thomas Jr. the adjacent large receiver?

I truly deliberation Thomas, a first-round prime for Jacksonville successful 2024, was 1 of the 10 champion receivers successful shot past play (1,282 yards, 10 touchdowns). That doesn't mean helium volition beryllium again this year, oregon that he's a top-10 receiver overall. Development is not linear, and the Jaguars conscionable had an violative coaching unit alteration and drafted a receiver with the No. 2 prime (sort of, depending connected however we presumption Travis Hunter), truthful things are astir to alteration for Thomas for the 2nd clip successful arsenic galore years.

With that said ... beatified smokes.

Thomas tin flat-out fly. He deed a apical velocity of 22.15 mph connected this 85-yard touchdown against the Colts, 1 of the much hilarious plays of the 2024 season. Only KaVontae Turpin registered a faster velocity arsenic a shot bearer past year, and Thomas weighs astir 1.35 KaVontae Turpins astatine 205 pounds. But adjacent much awesome is his quality to track, set and combat for the shot downfield. In Week 7 against the Patriots, Thomas gave prima country Christian Gonzalez much trouble than immoderate different receiver Gonzalez faced past season, and the bulk of Thomas' harm came connected this large post.

pic.twitter.com/lC5JEZgjoy

Thomas makes this drawback look overmuch easier than it is. Ideally, this shot hits Thomas betwixt the hashes, pulling him distant from coverage, but Trevor Lawrence's propulsion drifts upfield. Look astatine however aboriginal (right arsenic helium crosses the 45-yard line) Thomas identifies the way and begins adjusting to the shot -- with nary nonaccomplishment of momentum. Then helium has to marque a attraction drawback done contact, astatine afloat speed, arsenic Gonzalez contests the drawback point. Not casual astatine all.

Thomas' ball-tracking and accommodation astatine afloat velocity and done interaction are eye-popping. He ne'er needs to downshift and seldom loses to size -- nor should he, astatine 6-foot-4, 205 pounds with an astir 80-inch wingspan. The afloat paper of field-stretching routes -- posts, verticals, etc. -- are disposable to him, and arsenic the Jaguars realized what they had, they started to tally him connected much heavy crossers and overs to instrumentality vantage of his breakaway speed.

But Thomas does not play astatine reckless speeds, nor is helium constricted to linear routes. Watch this downfield isolation route against the Dolphins successful Thomas' archetypal game. Watch however easy helium eats up vertical space, however helium pulls the cornerback successful wayward directions by disappearing down his backmost enarthrosis and stepping connected his toes. Compare what Thomas is capable to bash successful this way to that of Gabe Davis, different big-bodied receiver with agelong speed, astatine the bottommost of the screen.

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That's silly stuff. You instrumentality immoderate of the champion large receivers successful the league close present -- Nico Collins, Tee Higgins, Mike Evans, Courtland Sutton, etc. -- and inquire them to tally that route, and I'm not definite you're getting an adjacent imitation.

The entity is the bounds with Thomas. Watching his rookie play makes maine consciousness the mode I did erstwhile watching A.J. Brown's rookie season: "Oh, the tremendous accelerated antheral is besides precise bully astatine receiver, we are each successful sizeable danger." I mentioned it successful the McConkey segment, but it bears repeating here: Since the crook of the century, the 5 champion rookie receiver seasons by yards per way tally beryllium to A.J. Brown, Justin Jefferson, Odell Beckham Jr., Puka Nacua and Ja'Marr Chase. Thomas is sixth.

Thomas besides did each of this successful a full messiness of a Jaguars offense, which is some a feather successful his headdress and discourse for his dominance. He and Lawrence were often not successful sync to commencement the season, and by the clip they got immoderate wrinkles ironed retired and the discourtesy began skewing toward Thomas arsenic the superior walk catcher, Lawrence was injured and sat retired the remainder of the season. You tin easy speech maine into a rosier Year 2 outlook for Thomas successful a Liam Coen-coached discourtesy that sees 17 steadfast Lawrence games.

At the aforesaid time, Thomas got a 25.3% people stock (ninth highest successful the league past season) connected a squad that had to walk the shot rather a bit, successful that it regularly trailed its opponents. The earthy accumulation mightiness dip successful the future, adjacent if the ratio stays up.

If we redrafted the 2024 draught tomorrow, I'd beauteous comfortably instrumentality Thomas arsenic the archetypal receiver disconnected the board. He has prototypical size, atypical velocity and acold much precocious method skills than I gave him recognition for during past season. I deliberation we're going to speech astir him arsenic a perennial top-five receiver -- the mode we speech astir Chase and Jefferson -- wrong the adjacent 2 oregon 3 years.

What happened to Marvin Harrison Jr. past season?

The No. 4 prime led the league successful contested targets arsenic a rookie for the Cardinals with 40, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

There are a fewer reasons thing similar this happens. For one, the backmost wants to springiness his receiver chances, nary substance the cost. Davante Adams had 51 tight-window targets successful 2022 with the Raiders, past different 41 successful 2023. A worryingly captious portion of Josh McDaniels' violative crippled program for the Raiders was simply "get the shot determination adjacent Adams and fto him bash the rest."

Kyler Murray intelligibly treated Harrison this aforesaid mode -- whether it was due to the fact that helium truly held Harrison successful that esteem, oregon due to the fact that helium was coached to propulsion it to Harrison nary substance the circumstances, I don't know. Murray would default to a Harrison one-on-one connected the backside of concepts erstwhile the frontside was disposable to work out. Not the incorrect decision, conscionable a telling one. And it was doubly telling erstwhile we see that these throws weren't truly going each that well, yet the Cardinals stayed connected them anyway.

Here's one specified play against the Bears. Harrison is to the backside of a 3x1 enactment connected third-and-3. The Cardinals person a prime way to the bottommost of the screen, and Harrison is connected a slice to the top. Personally, I emotion the slant to Michael Wilson (No. 14) astatine the bottom, arsenic Greg Dortch (No. 4) has an casual merchandise into the pick, and nary Bears defenders are adjacent capable to rally and tackle earlier the sticks. But Murray sees the backside information drop, leaving Harrison wholly isolated and takes the one-on-one.

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It's a defensible determination by the missive of the law, but one-on-one fades are hard to deed perfectly. Harrison does thing incorrect -- bully release, explosive upfield stem -- but the country is expecting a slice each the mode and sits atop the route. Murray throws to Harrison's upfield enarthrosis and the cornerback is capable to rip done the drawback constituent for a prime walk breakup.

Another crushed a subordinate ends up with 40 full tight-window targets, arsenic Harrison did this past season, is helium wasn't asked to abstracted much. This sounds anserine -- each manager wants each his receivers to abstracted -- but assorted roles connection much breaking routes and route-running state than others.

When we look astatine receivers with a precocious tight-window people complaint implicit the past fewer years, we of people spot immoderate examples of constricted skill: DeVante Parker's 2021, 2022 and 2023 play each amusement up arsenic precocious tight-window seasons due to the fact that Parker doesn't abstracted well. But we besides spot a weirdly dense smattering of non-CeeDee Lamb Cowboys, which implies immoderate benignant of role-based agent. Consider that 2024 Jalen Brooks, 2024 Brandin Cooks, 2023 Michael Gallup, 2022 Michael Gallup and 2024 Jalen Tolbert each had a tight-window people complaint of 34% oregon higher (Harrison was 35.1% successful 2024).

Why truthful galore Cowboys? Because the Dallas discourtesy has ne'er truly asked its non-Lamb receivers to tally a divers way tree, spell into question oregon alteration up their alignments. It's a precise static system, which makes it casual for opposing antiaircraft backs to predict. That leads to tighter coverage.

Arizona's relation for Harrison was reasonably predictable to commencement the season. He lined up retired wide and ran down the field, looking for targets connected spell balls oregon connected the backmost shoulder. Harrison had 52 targets against property sum (second lone to Ja'Marr Chase) successful ample portion due to the fact that opposing defenses knew the Cardinals would instrumentality their extracurricular receivers connected the enactment of scrimmage and not determination them. Harrison ran precisely 7 routes aft going successful question each season; lone 8 receivers had fewer, and astir of them were part-time players.

Seeing the institution that Harrison keeps connected immoderate of these lists is concerning. Also among the tight-window receivers who seldom spell successful question are Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins and Mike Williams. Those are older receivers who were much divers successful their heydays but present can't beryllium trusted to tally distant from coverage, truthful their champion worth adhd is that of crafty, carnal ball-winners downfield. More optimistically, he's successful the Calvin Ridley oregon Courtland Sutton mold -- players who besides mostly lined up wide past season, saw a immense stock of their teams' full aerial yards and were expected to consistently triumph connected the backmost enarthrosis and successful contested situations.

But that has ne'er been Harrison's champion accomplishment -- helium mislaid connected much than a fewer contested balls past season. And it surely doesn't bespeak his athleticism -- helium remains the smooth, 6-foot-4 way runner helium was coming retired of Ohio State.

Harrison simply was not utilized creatively past season, erstwhile helium had 885 yards and 8 TDs. He was asked to play the crippled connected hard mode arsenic a rookie, winning each of his catches done contact. He was ne'er hidden from the opponent's champion screen man. He could person won a fewer much leap balls than helium did, but Murray could person thrown him a fewer amended leap balls, and violative coordinator Drew Petzing besides surely could person eased his load with a clump acceptable oregon two. I was wholly unimpressed by the Cardinals' program for Harrison past play and stay accordingly optimistic connected his aboriginal arsenic a bully NFL wide receiver.

That subordinate is successful there, should the Cardinals privation to spell find him.

What does a mean play look similar for Malik Nabers?

Nabers saw 30.8% of the Giants' squad targets past season. That's ... well, rather a lot. In the past 10 seasons, lone 14 receivers saw much than 30% of their team's full people share, and nary of them were rookies. In fact, Nabers leads each rookie receivers since 2000 successful squad people share.

Here's different one. Nabers was targeted connected 39.9% of the Giants' walk attempts against antheral sum -- 4 retired of each 10. I don't person sum people information for excessively galore seasons, but since 2016, that people complaint against antheral sum is exceeded by lone 2020 Davante Adams and 2022 Tyreek Hill -- 2 of the champion receiver seasons we've seen successful the past decade.

Nabers, the No. 6 prime past April, handled an intolerable measurement for the different anemic Giants discourtesy past season. Unsurprisingly, helium was highly productive but lone reasonably efficient. (It's hard to beryllium precise businesslike connected precocious measurement -- that's beauteous overmuch the explanation of being elite.) Though Nabers dominated the Giants' disposable targets, helium was lone good connected a per-target basis. Of 78 qualified receivers, his archetypal down/touchdown per people complaint (32.2%) was 67th; his yards per people (7.0) was 64th. It's worthy noting that different players with precocious people rates, specified arsenic A.J. Brown and Drake London, inactive produced a precocious fig of archetypal downs and touchdowns.

Nabers' illustration looks much similar that of a slot receiver -- determination connected the CeeDee Lamb-to-Josh Downs spectrum of high-volume receivers who predominate with speedy separation underneath. But Nabers played retired wide overmuch much and saw his targets farther downfield. It truly was the lawsuit of a uniquely atrocious squad funneling each propulsion they could to their 1 uniquely bully player.

The movie connected Nabers is awesome. He has elite assemblage power and sideline awareness, which allows him to marque spectacular catches successful choky windows, and helium has the velocity and merchandise bundle to triumph connected downfield routes. Watching him yank this passing crippled onto his shoulders for 4 quarters reminds maine of Lamb connected immoderate caller Cowboys teams. He finished with 109 catches for 1,204 yards and 7 touchdowns. I'd emotion to spot him walk much clip successful the slot and little clip taking brutal shots. The Giants cordoned disconnected that slot relation for Wan'Dale Robinson and should beryllium consenting to unfastened it up for much contention this year.

I don't deliberation Nabers should beryllium carrying much than 30% of the team's targets; helium isn't built for that overmuch contact. I'd similar to spot his measurement alteration truthful that his effectiveness -- bigger plays, fresher legs, much YAC -- tin increase. Of course, the Giants' receiving corps is overmuch the aforesaid arsenic it was past season, but a feline tin dream.

Where was Rome Odunze past season?

Well, the Bears' No. 9 wide prime was often being thrown an uncatchable ball. According to ESPN's charting, Odunze saw 37 targets that were overthrown oregon underthrown, which led each receivers by a lot. Courtland Sutton was 2nd with 29. Now, inaccurate balls tin beryllium arsenic overmuch a receiver's responsibility arsenic they are the quarterback's, but it's nary large concealed that rookie QB Caleb Williams was missing each of his receivers past season. DJ Moore was 3rd successful the league with 27 inaccurate targets, and Keenan Allen was 10th with 24.

Odunze saw the astir misses for Chicago due to the fact that helium made the astir rookie mistakes, often miscommunicating with Williams connected way adjustments and timing. He was besides utilized connected the astir challenging throws -- downfield, namely. Odunze was sixth successful the league past play successful unrealized aerial yards. That's aerial yards the subordinate got via people but failed to person into receiving yards for immoderate reason. In this case, it was chiefly due to the fact that of uncatchable footballs.

Odunze was the champion vertical receiver of the Bears' 3 starters, but that was ne'er his champion accomplishment coming retired of college. Allen has been replaced by rookie Luther Burden III, who has immoderate existent speed. I'm funny to spot if Burden becomes the tract stretcher, which would let Odunze to walk much clip winning connected carnal intermediate routes and back-shoulder balls.

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Though I americium much than a small disquieted astir the terrible deficiency of chemistry betwixt Williams and Odunze, I americium consenting to springiness Odunze a batch of grace for suffering done a carousel of violative coaches connected a squad rife with execution errors. Veterans Moore and Allen besides could not get connected the aforesaid leafage with Williams.

Early returns volition beryllium important from the caller coaching unit successful Chicago. Coach Ben Johnson runs a highly elaborate offense, and if Odunze isn't crisp with his landmarks and way breaks, determination are plentifulness of pass-catching options successful that Bears locker country who could leap him connected the extent chart. But if Odunze's improvement was simply stunted a twelvemonth by a atrocious situation successful Chicago, we'll besides spot that reasonably rapidly during camp. He's 1 to ticker successful August, arsenic helium tries to amended connected his 734 yards and 3 TDs from 2024.

Was the Super Bowl an omen for Xavier Worthy?

In the archetypal fractional of the 2024 season, the Chiefs were trying to usage Worthy arsenic a downfield receiver, and it was not working. Through Weeks 1-12, Worthy averaged 11.9 aerial yards per people and was catching lone 51.9% of his passes. Kansas City's first-rounder struggled to find the shot successful the aerial and drawback done contact.

Necessity became the parent of invention, and arsenic the Chiefs' moving crippled plummeted successful effectiveness, they began utilizing Worthy arsenic an underneath people and adjacent a shot bearer connected reverses and pitchy sweeps to make immoderate casual explosives portion besides moving the sticks. Worthy's extent of people tumbled; from Week 13 done the league title game, his aerial yards per people was 5.5 -- little than fractional his erstwhile fig -- and his drawback complaint accordingly roseate to 73.7%. Worthy besides had 11 carries successful the archetypal 12 weeks of the season, past 12 successful the last seven. (Worthy finished the regular play with 638 receiving yards and six TD catches.)

Entering the Super Bowl, the Worthy relation felt clear: screens, sweeps, reverses and shallow crosses. Get the shot into his hands and usage his acceleration -- not his heavy velocity -- arsenic an plus to interruption defenders' tackle angles and make archetypal downs.

Then the Super Bowl deed similar a ton of bricks: 8 catches connected 8 targets for 157 yards and 2 scores. Sure, astir of that was successful garbage time, but it doesn't alteration the information that the Chiefs got 1 quick, fleeting glimpse astatine the Worthy they had hoped they drafted.

Assuming Rashee Rice returns to the starting lineup aft his knee injury and reclaims his request of shallow and intermediate targets -- wherever helium was astatine his champion successful 2023 and 2024 -- past Worthy volition abruptly request to present connected his downfield promise. It's casual to hide due to the fact that of the blessed enactment helium landed on, but Worthy's minus-9.6% drawback complaint supra anticipation was the worst fig among each receivers during the 2024 regular play (per NFL Next Gen Stats). He was not making large grabs for overmuch of the year, and helium has to prime up wherever helium near disconnected successful New Orleans.

It's an tremendous Year 2 for Worthy.

Seven smaller questions

Keon Coleman: Is a measurement guardant successful the cards?

The big-bodied, contested-catch adept from Florida State was precisely that for the Bills successful his rookie play -- a big-play ball-winner who saw 39 of his 57 targets against antheral coverage. Though helium typically wins with physicality, Coleman showed capable wiggle successful his routes and astonishing shiftiness aft the drawback specified that there's an breathtaking illustration successful there. He'll get a bigger way histrion and much opportunities successful Year 2, and helium should proceed earning backmost Josh Allen's trust.

Xavier Legette: Where is the heavy connection?

It was a mixed container for Legette's rookie play successful Carolina. There were immoderate bully moments of cleanable routes and pugnacious snags, but determination were besides immoderate debilitatingly atrocious drops and attraction lapses. Legette needs a amended program for getting disconnected property sum if he's ever going to capable the relation of big-bodied tract stretcher, fto unsocial blossom into thing more. Legette's 499 unrealized aerial yards were seventh astir successful the league past season. He and Panthers backmost Bryce Young conscionable could not link downfield (unlike an undrafted escaped cause from the 2024 people we'll get to successful a moment).

Adonai Mitchell: Is determination immoderate stableness astatine each here?

Mitchell struggled mightily past season. We saw atrocious routes, atrocious drops, intelligence errors and wide moments of frustration. But it's not excessively hard to spot the root of his frustration. Colts backmost Anthony Richardson struggled to link with each of his receivers, but helium struggled astir with Mitchell. Mitchell was utilized arsenic a shot-play merchant; helium was targeted connected 40% of his routes against antheral sum and averaged 3.9 aerial yards per way run, down lone New Orleans' Rashid Shaheed. He astir apt volition stay arsenic specified portion stuck down Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and present choky extremity Tyler Warren successful the pecking order.

Jalen McMillan: Is WR3 inactive up for grabs successful Tampa Bay?

I was precise bullish connected Year 2 for McMillan, who roseate nicely to the situation aft Chris Godwin was mislaid for the play to an ankle injury. Then the Buccaneers drafted Emeka Egbuka successful the archetypal circular of the 2025 draft, sliding McMillan squarely into a conflict for WR3 responsibilities this season. McMillan is simply a savvy way runner with amended velocity than he's fixed recognition for, and helium has immoderate spectacular drawback quality successful him. I inactive judge successful the player, adjacent if the accidental for precocious measurement is vanishing.

Ricky Pearsall: Does helium person Kyle Shanahan's spot yet?

It usually takes clip for rookie 49ers receivers. Neither Deebo Samuel Sr. nor Brandon Aiyuk were overnight sensations for Shanahan, and the aforesaid arc should beryllium expected for Pearsall, particularly erstwhile you see the clip helium sat retired due to the fact that of injury successful his rookie year. Pearsall had 1 splashy crippled against the Lions precocious past season, but helium different stayed quiescent connected the stat sheet. I volition say: The movie shows a high-caliber way runner who should excel successful this offense, erstwhile his fig yet starts getting called.

Jalen Coker: Can helium clasp down his spot successful the rotation?

Coker did precisely what an undrafted escaped cause needs to bash to basal retired with his opportunities: marque plays. Operating mostly from the slot for the Panthers, Coker showcased a wide drawback radius and bully chemistry with Bryce Young, shining particularly precocious past play and successful Adam Thielen's lack (hamstring). Coker feels similar the wide WR4 down Thielen, Legette and first-round rookie Tetairoa McMillan, but helium played good capable past play to beryllium successful the rotation this twelvemonth and could proceed to propulsion Legette for playing clip arsenic the play progresses.

Devaughn Vele: Does helium person a accidental to clasp his job?

Vele won the large slot occupation successful Sean Payton's Broncos discourtesy past season, though it didn't magnitude to overmuch production: 41 catches, 475 yards and 3 scores. On an ratio basis, Vele was thing to watch, though: 52% of his targets went for archetypal downs oregon touchdowns, which was 4th successful the NFL. His 2.1 yards per way tally against portion sum ranked a respectable 34th. Then the Broncos spent a third-round prime connected Pat Bryant, different big-bodied receiver who Payton has said reminds him of Michael Thomas. Vele is warring for his occupation now.