2012 NFL Draft: Alshon Jeffery Should Be First WR Off Board Over Justin Blackmon

The consensus choice for this draft's top receiver is Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon.

Malarkey, I say!

If I were the general manager on a team early in the draft that needed a wide receiver, I would be selecting South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery.

Let me tell you why.

Jeffery's Numbers are Deflated Due to South Carolina's Offense

And namely, the Gamecocks' shaky quarterback play this year. Jeffery only caught 49 passes for 762 yards and eight touchdowns in 2011, stats that would have been drastically higher on a team with a better quarterback and a game plan geared at making him the center of the offense.

Jeffery absolutely torched Nebraska's Alfonzo Dennard, one of the better cornerbacks in the country, to the tune of four catches for 148 yards and a touchdown at this year's Capital One Bowl.

If there were any doubt whether Jeffery could still play at a primetime level or not, he dispelled it with that performance.

Blackmon's Numbers are Inflated Given Oklahoma State's High-Powered Attack

Blackmon certainly has Jeffery beat when it comes to speed and quickness. He also has him beat when it comes to a offense suited to inflating his numbers.

Oklahoma was second in passing offense, fourth in total offense and third in scoring offense this year. How did South Carolina rank in those three categories?

89th, 61st and 41st, respectively.

So while Blackmon is an elite talent, don't let his numbers cloud your judgment—he was in an offense geared to inflate his numbers, a luxury Jeffery didn't have.

Jeffery Will be a Touchdown Machine

With Jeffery's size and incredible ability to steal the ball away from defenders at his highest point, he'll be a devastating option in the red zone or down the field if singled in coverage against smaller corners.

He has the size and strength of a tight end and the speed and athleticism of a wide receivers, which should make him a possession receiver with benefits at the NFL level as well.

Jeffery may not have elite speed to separate from defenders, but his ability to go over them to make the catch will negate that fact.

Justin Blackmon is Michael Crabtree 2.0

Blackmon may be more athletic than Crabtree, but they each have similar body types, skill sets and posted similar production in college.

Oh, and each benefited from being in wide-open, pass-heavy attacks (Crabtree was a part of the explosive Texas Tech offense).

Crabtree is looking like he may yet become a very solid NFL receiver, and I think Blackmon will be very good.

But from what I've seen, Jeffery will be even better and should be the first wide receiver selected in this year's NFL draft.

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