Wide Receiver Class Lacks Extra Gear, Disappoints at NFL Combine

An image comes to mind when you think of the past two wide receiver draft classes, especially the wealth of talent that descended on the league in 2014.

The image isn’t much of an image at all, and it’s distorted. Mostly, pictures of the fastest rookie receivers in 2014 and 2015 when they’re in full flight resemble the grainy, pixelated snapshots vintage flip phones produced.

They were a blur during their NFL Scouting Combine performances—and still are now. I’m talking about the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., John Brown, Brandin Cooks, Sammy Watkins, Amari Cooper, Phillip Dorsett and Nelson Agholor. The common thread between all of those shifty, grass-burning names? They ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds or better.

With both the combine and on-field brilliance of two supremely talented draft classes still fresh, a regression felt inevitable. The spiking curve had to slow at some point and dip back down to a new plateau.

Anyone who enjoys watching terrifically talented receivers perform their circus acts has been spoiled in recent years. Basically, we’ve had two seasons of opening boxes filled with money on Christmas morning, and it had to end sometime.

However, even after acknowledging that reality, I’m not sure anyone was prepared for the speed spiral we saw Saturday. NFL Network's Mike Mayock (via CollegeFootball 24/7) referred to this group as "the slowest WR class" he could remember:

"I have a hard time seeing more than one or two receivers in the first round," Mayock added, per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com. "This is not the same receiver class we saw the last couple years. We saw today; nowhere near as explosive."

Yes, it’s always true there’s a difference between football speed and track speed, and the 40-yard dash by nature leans toward measuring the latter.

But its design and place within the combine is intended to get a simple answer to a simple question—one that’s particularly vital for wide receivers at the next level.

The question: Can you gain separation consistently against NFL defenses?

To accomplish that, speed is essential. Or if a receiver lacks top-end burst, he can lean more heavily on precise route running and footwork. A blend of both is preferred, though raw speed still serves as the foundation for any receiver, and it's the first item needed in his toolbox.

Speed has been available in abundance, and plenty of it was still up for grabs late in Day 2 of recent drafts. For example, the Cardinals’ Brown was among the aforementioned standouts over the past two years, and he was selected 91st overall near the end of the third round. Then there’s the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Martavis Bryant, who ran a 4.42 in 2014 and was a fourth-round pick.

In 2016, speed has suddenly become a rare commodity. Only six wide receivers ran a 4.45 or better Saturday during on-field workouts. When that single digit is put alongside recent combine results, the usual blur associated with wide receivers turns into a crystal-clear image (all 40-yard dash results via ESPN.com).

Year	Total
2016	6
2015	15
2014	11
2013	10
2012	11
2011	10
2010	5

The search for another year in single digits takes us all the way back to 2010. The average time among wide receivers Saturday was 4.56, which tied 2003 for the second-slowest average at the position, according to Dan Parr of College Football 24/7.

It gets worse when we make a similar comparison and look at, well, the worst. Glance down to the very bottom of the 2016 wide receiver 40-yard dash results and you’ll see a prospect whose name doesn’t at all fit with what stopwatches say about him.

De’Runnya Wilson ran an official 4.85—a time slower than 13 quarterbacks and six tight ends. In 2015 the slowest time among wide receivers was Devin Funchess’ 4.70, and he was sometimes used as a tight end at Michigan while playing at 232 pounds. Wilson is heavier too, but at 224 pounds, his time is still atrocious. A glacial showing can’t be overlooked because of his larger body type.

He wasn’t alone either, as it felt like caterpillars could turn into butterflies faster than a few wide receivers ran 40 yards. NFL Draft Scout's Dane Bruglar noted three players with times "above 4.7 seconds":

If we exclude the Miami Dolphins’ Jarvis Landry—who strained his hamstring during combine warm-ups in 2014—only three receivers have posted times worse than 4.70 over the past three years. Now that number has been matched in one afternoon.

How devastating you believe Saturday was for this new crop of receivers depends on what wins between recent history and famous outliers.

The first grenade lobbed in the “who cares about the 40-yard dash” argument by your buddy who’s drinking a fine domestic lager comes with the name Jerry Rice. He famously posted a 4.59 back in 1985, and now a replica of his face is in Canton. A more recent and still-active example is impending free agent Anquan Boldin, who ran a 4.71 and has since recorded seven 1,000-plus-yard receiving seasons while being selected to three Pro Bowls.

But league passing priorities have shifted. Rule changes have created a game that favors explosive receivers, giving them more space and opportunities to glide deep downfield and exploit mismatches. An even-greater emphasis has been placed on speed—both before and after the catch.

There’s still value in physical receivers who can toss around defensive backs with their towering presence. But even they don’t lack speed to go along with their bulk. There isn’t a slow or small receiver among Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, Julio Jones and Demaryius Thomas, to name only a few.

Now teams will return to the game film and study it with more scrutiny, trying to see if a speed deficiency in this draft class can be compensated for through other skills and characteristics. Often there will be encouragement found, but even more often they’ll be greeted with disappointment.