Laquon Treadwell Declares for 2016 NFL Draft: Latest Comments and Reaction

Laquon Treadwell thrived against SEC defenses for three seasons at Mississippi. Now, the 20-year-old wide receiver will look to do the same thing against NFL defenses after declaring for the 2016 draft.  

"After sitting down with my family, we have decided it is time for me to take the next step in my career and enter the 2016 NFL draft," Treadwell said in a program release. "It's always been a dream of mine to play in the NFL, and I can't thank my teammates, coaches and our great fans enough for their unbelievable support since the first day I stepped foot on campus. No matter how far life may take us, I will always be an Ole Miss Rebel. God bless."

A breakout 2014 season put Treadwell on the NFL radar, though his time was eventually cut short after suffering a broken leg in the final minutes of a 35-31 loss against Auburn. 

To his credit, Treadwell told Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune in September that the injury helped him grow as a person.

"It helped me figure out who was really there for me," Treadwell said. "I figured out who cared and who supported me. It was me coming back to reality and realizing how important every moment on the field is. I've grown in my relationship with Christ. With me being so low, I needed him."

On the field in 2015, Treadwell showed no ill effects from his injury after finishing with 82 receptions for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns. He continued to dazzle with his 6'2", 210-pound frame and natural playmaking ability.

While admittedly a biased opinion, Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze compared Treadwell to several other NFL wide receivers he coached in college, per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com:

"

Laquon is as good a receiver as any that I have coached. I was a receivers coach here and I had Mike Wallace, Shay Hodge and Dexter McCluster. They were all great players. Donte Moncrief was the best we had until that point. Laquon Treadwell is just as good as Moncrief, if not better.

"

Scouts were high on Treadwell, too. B/R draft expert Matt Miller raved about the Ole Miss receiver's tape from a Nov. 21 game against LSU:

There are no shortage of talented, draft-eligible wide receivers in 2016—from Ohio State's Michael Thomas to Notre Dame's Will Fuller—and many will likely end up being taken in the first round. 

However, Treadwell's combination of size, raw talent and two strong years of performance in the SEC will make him a highly sought-after commodity. His future team will be getting an extraordinary playmaker who can transform the passing game on his own, as he often did at Mississippi.