Preston's 2011 Draft Rankings: The Monstrous Wide Receivers

The 2009 draft brought about countless smaller, quicker receivers making an impact; Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Mike Wallace, Austin Collie, Julian Edelman and Sammie Stroughter all found success.

Forget all of that.

I have no issue saying this is the best class of wide receivers I've ever seen. Of the eleven guys that I'm about to profile in this article, at the very least seven of them can without a doubt be considered first round prospects. All ten have immense potential. Most of them have great speed with 6'3" to 6'6" bodies.

11. Vincent Brown, WR, San Diego State (Senior)

In a class full of 6'3", 200 plus pound behemoths, we start off with Vincent Brown. The 6'0" 180 pound senior has room to grow and will likely be brushed off because of his size. Don't be fooled, the kids a talented football player. However, as he's playing for the 4-8 Aztecs in the Mountain West Conference, he doesn't get the publicity the rest of these players get, and as a result he'll be a bit under the radar come draft day.

Playing on a team that was devoid of much offensive talent, had a quarterback that threw 16 interceptions in 12 games and playing in just seven of those twelve games due to injury it's a wonder he managed to put up the 45 receptions and 778 yards he did. He was a finalist for the Biletnikoff and ranked highly nationally in many statistical categories in yards per game (third) receptions per game (seventh) and all purpose yards per game (ninth).

Projected Round: 2nd-3rd

10. DeVier Posey, WR, Ohio State (Junior)

As Terrelle Pryor's favorite target at wide receiver, Devier Posey gave the Buckeyes the big play threat they hadn't had since Ted Ginn Jr. Posey's speed provides him with a deadly duo; 6'3" size and power with 4.4 speed. Posey's size also helps him be a reliable target over the middle who can take the hits and dish some out himself; he can break out of tackles and run over defenders, a trait many wide receivers lack in the college ranks.

However, I'm just waiting to see if Posey can do it again. After such an outstanding sophomore campaign, if he can duplicate those numbers he'll throw himself into that first round mix. For now, he's behind a very talented group of wide receivers.

Projected Round: 2nd

9. Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor (Junior)

Much like Vincent Brown, Kendall Wright doesn't come from a big name school and isn't 6'11" (in fact, Wright is even smaller then Brown at 5'11", 185 pounds), but there's just something about the kid you can't deny. With Robert Griffin out of the lineup for the entire year, Wright elevated his game, raising his reception total to 66 with backup quarterback Nick Florence in the lineup.

When the team needed him most, Wright stepped up. Without Griffin in the lineup to make plays, Wright became a lethal weapon. In his downright dominant games (five receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns vs. Northwestern State, nine receptions for 125 yards against Kent State and 10 receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns vs. Missouri) the Bears played well, beating all three of those opponents. I'm excited to see how well Wright performs when he has a great quarterback like Robert Griffin lofting balls up to him. Wright could be up on draft boards by the end of the season.

Projected Round: 2nd

8. Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma (Redshirt Junior)

If there's any receiver who's stock was boosted more by this past season in this class, please show him to me. Broyles, without Heisman winner Sam Bradford, put up a staggering 89 receptions for 1,120 yards and an outrageous 15 touchdowns. He didn't even play against Baylor; if he did, he might have 100 grabs.

Broyles stature at 5'11" and 178 pounds might drop his stock a bit and give some teams pause from snatching him in the first round, but his quickness and change of direction skills give him the ability to make a great impact in the slot. It's crazy to think that he came to Oklahoma as a cornerback.

Projected Round: 2nd

7. DeAndre Brown, WR, Southern Miss (Junior)

First of all, I'd like to say that you probably know DeAndre Brown for a reason other then his outstanding play. In the New Orleans Bowl two years ago, he suffered a brutal broken leg that left the bottom half of his leg in a horribly awkward, 75 degree angle. If you feel the need to watch it, it's on YouTube.

However, the more amazing thing is that the 6'6", 231 pound junior rebounded from the injury to catch 47 catches for 785 yards and nine touchdowns. While Brown's speed was never his calling card, the injury will be sure to be a concern for whichever team drafts him.

Projected Round: 2nd

6. Nick Toon, WR, Wisconsin (Junior)

Sort of the forgotten man of the first round receiver, Toon may find himself slipping into the second round; not by any fault of Toon's ability. With his solid hands and 6'3" size, Toon finds himself in perfect position to boost his draft stock. With Wisconsin looking excellent going into next season with four standouts (quarterback Scott Tolzien, running back John Clay, offensive tackle Gabe Carimi and Toon) the Badgers should be in the national spotlight and give all four of those a chance to boost their stock.

And I mean, come on. Who doesn't want a kid named after Nickelodeon cartoons?!

Projected Round: 1st-2nd

5. Terrance Toliver, WR, LSU (Senior)

The top senior on my list, Terrance Toliver is part of a deadly receiving duo at Louisiana State. His speed complements the other half of the LSU team, Brandon LaFell (a likely first round pick this upcoming draft) well, and with LaFell moving onto the NFL, Toliver will likely end up getting more looks and becoming the featured receiver in this offense.

Toliver, even in such a towering class, is one of the tallest receivers at 6'5" and 206 pounds. Combined with his speed and excellent hands (he's got excellent concentration) Toliver has the ability to become a dominant wide receiver at the next level. If not, he at the very least has the potential to become a very reliable number one target.

Projected Round: Top 20 Overall Picks

4. Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh (Junior)

If there's one player then can crack the 'Big Three' receiving prospects, it's Jonathan Baldwin. The 6'6", 225 monster had a huge sophomore season with 57 grabs, 8 for touchdowns, for 1,111 yards. With a new quarterback coming in to replace Bill Stull and the emergence of star Dion Lewis, Baldwin might find his production drop next year, but he'll still cause opposing defense fits.

Much like the other receivers in this class, Baldwin has the ability to make catches that will spawn highlight reels. But when he's not on highlight reels, he'll be paving the way for a thousand yard runner in the NFL; his blocking is the best out of a wide receiver in this class.

Projected Round: Top 20 Overall Picks

3. Julio Jones, WR, Alabama (Junior)

Ask me (or any draftnik for that matter) a year ago who the top receiver was in the 2011 draft class, almost every one of them would respond with Julio Jones, the imposing 6'4", 211 pound junior. He exploded onto the scene his freshman year with 58 receptions for nearly 1000 yards. Even watching tape of his high school games, you could see he was a polished, NFL-ready prospect, yes, out of high school!

What happened?

Well, reports have come out that he was hampered by a right knee injury for a good majority in the season, and that would make sense. But does a knee injury hamper your hands? Jones' struggled with drops throughout the season and was frequently shut down with simple press coverage. Jones has the ability to dominate physically; if Nick Saban can get him to fight through the press coverage and concentrate on catching the ball, Jones could put himself back into No. 1 overall pick contention. For now, he's still just a physical masterpiece of a prospect.

Projected Round: Top 10 Overall Picks

2. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame (Junior)

When your most common comparisons are to Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, you know you're doing something right. With tremendous balance, body control and hands, Michael Floyd was Jimmy Clausen's most reliable target when healthy this season, even over likely first rounders Golden Tate and Kyle Rudolph.

Despite playing in just seven games, Michael Floyd put up 44 receptions and 795 yards, with 9 touchdown catches. Floyd's 6'3" size and soft hands allow him to be a lethal red zone target but also a top option over the middle of the field. Floyd could very easily be the top receiver in this class, and is behind our next receiver by the tiniest of tiny hairs.

Projected Round: Top 5 Overall Picks

1. A.J. Green, WR, Georgia (Junior)

A.J. Green, for now, is my top receiver in this class. He and Michael Floyd are very similar; neither have blazing speed but have enough to get behind defenses, and make plays with their reliable hands and excellent balance. AJ Green in particular is known for his ridiculous ability to make acrobatic catches that will fill highlight reels for years to come.

If I had to make a prediction right now, AJ Green is one of the three or four players that'll be in contention for the first pick overall in 2011. His ability to make ridiculous catches would add a massive game changing element to a team in need on a reliable number one target.

Projected Round: Top 5 Overall Picks