Flight Plan: NFL Draft Receivers Part 2

A man of my word, I come back with the second half of the wideouts. In the first one, and in no particular order, we saw a few guys who could make some noise next season in the NFL. In this installment, we pick up where we left off with 5 more guys who can deliver some severe shock and awe.

 
Donnie Avery, Houston: Speed Demon that can't get caught by the cops.

Strengths: Speed 

Avery must be drinking the special water at the University of Houston. He has great hands, excellent speed, and is perfect for precise route running and catch ability. He creates good separation and has a great second step that makes defenders look like senior citizens on walkers. Once the ball gets into his hands, don't blink because he's already in the endzone.

Weakness: Alertness and Ping Pong

It may not make sense on paper, but Avery has an issue with forgetting low tackles which leads him to be tripped up at times. On top of that, he loses concentration at times when he hears defenders coming by. As far as the ping pong goes, he'll go for the ball. Problem is that sometimes the crowd is bigger and stronger than he is which results in him getting "ping ponged" a lot of times.

Spotlight Teams: St. Louis, New England, Chicago, New Orleans, Buffalo, Denver, San Diego, Jacksonville, Oakland 

 
Earl Bennett, Vanderbilt: Commodore with killer instinct.

Strength: Possession

He may have the flash and flare of the other wideouts in this year's draft, but he has the hands to show those guys up real quick. People can look at him and think that he won't get picked high. The problem is that the Super Bowl proved that possession is as important as being fast. Bennett's other big plus: He can bob and weave with the best defenders. The NFL needs more of Bennett in the league.

Weakness: Overall athleticism

This is a pointless weakness because if he wasn't as good as the stats say, he wouldn't be ranked so high in the wideout rankings. He isn't a complete package, but his playing style more than makes up for it.

Spotlight Teams: New England, Tampa Bay, Houston, Minnesota, Green Bay, Cincinnati, Oakland, Atlanta, St. Louis 

 
Mario Manningham, Michigan: Led Zeppelin would be proud.

Strengths: Catch Ability and Timing

When Michigan's offense needed a big play, they went to their big playmaker. Manningham showed that injury and ineffectiveness was nothing but words in the Wolverines offense. He did his part in getting the team back on the winning side and above all else, did his part in beating Florida last month.

Weakness: Inconsistency

It's one thing if sports writers like myself called him inconsistent. But when your coach calls you inconsistent, that's when you know that it's time to step up. His concentration could use some work as he steps up to the next level. His blocking and cut routes could use some work as well. Other than the obvious, Manningham will show his skills and why the Big Ten will be happy to see him go in April.

Spotlight Teams: Atlanta, Tennessee, Dallas, San Francisco, NY Jets, Baltimore, Cincinnati 

 
Harry Douglas, Louisville: Primetime hits the big time.

Strengths: Speed and Second Gear

Brian Brohm got all the hype at Louisville because of his field mechanics. One of his favorite targets was Harry Douglas and with good reason. Douglas has great speed and an excellent quick second gear. If a team needs a guy who can get down the field with some serious quickness, look no further than Douglas. That makes him a dangerous deep threat and defenders will most likely miss a step on him.

Weakness: Size

If size isn't everything, why are so many scouts sweating the size of Douglas? His size will be used to his advantage. He is able to pluck the ball away from defenders. He does lack the size to handle routes over the middle. His size will make his initial tackle very painful if he's not careful. On the other hand, it's better to have a hurt backside than hurt pride.

Spotlight Teams: Miami, Green Bay, New England, Dallas, San Francisco, Denver, St. Louis 

 
Andre Caldwell, Florida: Another Hot Product from the Gator Nation

Strengths: Durability and Versatility

If Early Doucet is already taken early, then teams should not write off Andre Caldwell. When Tim Tebow isn't running around the field with the ball, Caldwell showed that he was a definitive piece in Florida's West Coast/Run & Gun offense. Caldwell has good hands, runs great routes, and can play any position on the field with ease. His good speed and good footwork make him perfect in short yardage situations or getting into the endzone on fourth down as long as he gets open. 

Weakness: Agility and short routes

Caldwell's biggest issue is the fact that he doesn't show all his true strength when running middle and short routes. Scouts believe that he is not as agile as originally thought. They feel that his speed is great but change of direction agility needs improvement at the next level. Either Cleveland or Cincinnati would work considering both teams have receivers that are used to being told that they weren't good enough.

Spotlight Teams: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Arizona, Detroit, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Minnesota, Denver, Miami, Atlanta, Oakland

In retrospect, any receiver can have a good day and a bad day. In this case, these 10 have what it takes to make things happen just so long as they have the right coaching and the patience to build up.