Harry
ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
I got asked an interesting question about my stance on Lamb. I was asked if the Cards choose to wait later in the draft, what receiver would I take in rounds 3-4? Again I know there are people out there who think a speed receiver to spread the field would be the best choice. I favor a WR that fits the Cards’ throw & go offense. That has led me to Tyler Johnson. He plays for the guy I believe to be the next “hot” coach, PJ Fleck. Johnsonis not fast. He is, however, one of those WRs who honed his ball skills in basketball. So when it comes to that skill set, he’s awesome. He is one of the few guys in the draft that rivals Lamb on 50-50 balls. He’s also one of the best in the game at high-pointing. Also, like Lamb, he eats zones alive. Additionally, Johnson has terrific situational awareness. He consistently backtracks to the QB when the QB is flushed. You’d be hard pressed to find that happening on a Cardinal play last year. His YAC is decent but no one has a YAC like Lamb.
For those fans of PFF (I admire their mission) they said, “Johnson has been one of college football’s best wideouts over the last two years, posting a two-year PFF receiving grade that is by far the best and a yards per route run total (3.50) that makes him the most productive in that stretch (second is CeeDee Lambat 3.42). In this year’s historic wide receiver class, Johnson rings in as WR11 and the 49th-best prospect overall. PFF's lead draft analyst Mike Renner compared him to Davante Adams.”
This guy is the perfect example of a player who doesn’t flash at the Combine but could have a long, productive NFL career. I would think to be assured of getting him they’d need to take him in the third though he could last until the early fourth.
For those fans of PFF (I admire their mission) they said, “Johnson has been one of college football’s best wideouts over the last two years, posting a two-year PFF receiving grade that is by far the best and a yards per route run total (3.50) that makes him the most productive in that stretch (second is CeeDee Lambat 3.42). In this year’s historic wide receiver class, Johnson rings in as WR11 and the 49th-best prospect overall. PFF's lead draft analyst Mike Renner compared him to Davante Adams.”
This guy is the perfect example of a player who doesn’t flash at the Combine but could have a long, productive NFL career. I would think to be assured of getting him they’d need to take him in the third though he could last until the early fourth.