2012 NFL Mock Draft: Breaking Down the Draft's Top Wide Receivers

Ryan PhillipsJun 7, 2018

We know all about the quarterbacks at the top of this year's NFL draft, but who will catch passes from those guys?

Well, luckily for NFL teams there are four receivers I have given first-round grades to so far. After the NFL's Scouting Combine, there might even be more guys who profile as playmakers on the perimeter.

As we get ready to enter scouting phase of the draft evaluation process, here is a breakdown of the top receivers on my board.

Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

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All Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon did over the past two seasons is completely dominate college football. He racked up an incredible 232 receptions for 3,304 yards and a ridiculous 38 touchdowns. He is a playmaker, plain and simple.

Blackmon is the best receiver in the 2012 draft by a wide margin, and he could go anywhere from No. 2 to the St. Louis Rams to somewhere else in the top 10. There is no way he falls any more than that.

At 6'1 and 211 pounds, Blackmon doesn't have ideal height, but he plays much bigger than his size. He is powerful after the catch too as it's almost impossible for cornerbacks to take him down one-on-one.

He is a precise route-runner, has phenomenal hands, and uses his elite ball skills to go up and fight for passes that might not be perfectly on target. He has enough top-end speed to get behind coverage and can act as both a possession guy or a big-play threat.

Blackmon has it all, and while he's not Calvin Johnson (who is?), he will almost surely develop into an excellent No. 1 receiver in the NFL.

Kendall Wright, Baylor

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I'm not sure another player in this draft has risen faster than Kendall Wright. The Baylor wideout had a sensational season, putting up incredible numbers.

Often overshadowed by his Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III, Wright finished the 2011 season with 108 receptions for 1,068 yards and 14 touchdowns.

He's a highly-productive player with speed to burn and can beat almost any coverage over the top. At 5'10" and 190 pounds, he doesn't possess prototypical size, but won't have trouble getting open because of his speed.

He is both productive and dynamic and has outstanding run-after-the-catch ability. He also has excellent hands, though his ball skills are hampered by his overall lack of size.

It really depends who you ask, but at this point, Wright may have positioned himself as the second wideout on the board. He'd fit in perfectly with the Houston Texans as a No. 2 receiver across from Andre Johnson, though he may not last that long.

Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

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Floyd has been productive since he stepped on campus at Notre Dame, and he has always profiled as a big time playmaker. In 2011 he finished with 100 receptions for 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns, despite playing on a team without the best quarterback situation.

Floyd is a big receiver at 6'3" and 225 pounds, and while he's not overly quick, he did look much better and in control of his body this season after dropping a few pounds. He has good quickness off the line but isn't a speed burner. His best attribute is his ability to go up and get passes that may not be perfectly thrown.

He has big hands and uses great technique to high-point balls and bring them in. He's competitive and doesn't mind mixing it up over the middle or going up in traffic to haul in tough catches.

While Floyd won't run by most NFL cover corners, his size and ability to go up and get the ball could actually make him a deep threat.

I've watched a lot of tape on Floyd, and I think his ceiling is a slightly slower Vincent Jackson. He has that big play ability but won't be as good in the open field as V-Jax.

Floyd should be off the board in the top 25, and if he runs a good 40-yard dash time and can dispel concerns about his character, he could easily land in the top 20 or even be the second wideout taken in the draft.

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Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

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About two months ago Jeffery was considered in a dead-heat with Blackmon to be the top receiver in this draft class. For some reason as scouts have seen more tape on him, he has fallen behind other players, so much so that he has a lot to prove in his workouts.

Jeffery had a tough season in 2011 largely because South Carolina's quarterback situation was so unsettled. He caught 49 passes for 762 yards and eight touchdowns. But in 2010, he showed what kind of production he could put up, grabbing 88 passes for 1,517 yards and nine scores.

At 6'4" and 232 pounds, Jeffery is a massive receiver and won't face any corners who can match up with him physically. The problem comes with the fact that he has below average burst off the line, and it takes him a long time to get up to full speed. When he gets there, his top end speed isn't bad, but, again, it takes him a while.

The thing about Jeffery is that he has phenomenal ball skills, huge, strong hands and long arms. He is just flat-out fantastic at catching a football. It is clearly what he was put on this earth to do. If he goes up in traffic, he's coming down with the ball.

He was considered one of the hardest working players on South Carolina's team and earned the respect of all his teammates.

If Jeffery can run a sub 4.6 40-yard dash, he could easily go in the first round and fit in as a fantastic possession receiver.