Dissecting the 2019 NFL Draft wide receiver class

2019 NFL Draft news is coming hot and heavy on the day. The buzz around the Philadelphia Eagles’ coveting Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown continues to grow. The Eagles spent over 20% of their pre-draft official visits on wide receivers so even if it’s not Brown, don’t be surprised if they select a wideout early.

Examining the group, I talked with Brad Kelly of The Draft Network to talk about his evaluations of this group and discuss his rankings. Overall, there’s not much of a consensus when it comes to this class. Ole Miss’ DK Metcalf is the majority holder of the number one spot, but the detractors are loud about their concerns.

There’s more to Metcalf’s game than being big in running in a straight line, namely his release skills.

Beyond Metcalf, the aforementioned “Hollywood” Brown is getting the most first round buzz. Kelly is rather low on Brown but could see him having more success if the Eagles were to draft him to operate from the slot. Brown has fantastic lateral agility in his releases but would still benefit from seeing less contact. An out-sized portion of his production last year came from the slot despite spending most of him on the outside.

There’s buzz that Ole Miss’ AJ Brown could sneak his way into the first round as well. Having spent most of his time in the slot, would a move to the outside represent a higher ceiling? Brown would have to improve his releases, but with his 6’0, 226-pound frame lining up outside the numbers may be his best bet to reach his ceiling.

It’s not that Brown can’t win against press on the outside, he’s just very inexperienced doing so. Against less polished cornerbacks like Vanderbilt’s Joejuan Williams, Brown flashed positive signs in this regard.

On the BGN Draft Special #4 with Brad Kelly, we discuss those prospects and several more in-depth. You can listen on the media player below or click here if the player doesn’t load. New to podcasts? Check out our guide on how to listen to BGN! FLY EAGLES FLY!