| Sixth in a series of articles previewing the top NFL prospects, by
position, for the 2000 draft. The prototype NFL wide receiver is 6-3 or 6-4 with a
long-and-lanky look, can run through a car wash without getting wet, has the work ethic of
Jerry Rice or Raymond Berry and never drops a catchable pass.
Florida State’s Peter Warrick is a shade under 5-11 and built more like a
running back. While faster than many, he is no world-class sprinter, and he has dropped as
many as four passes in one game. Warrick has been known to lose his concentration and
focus, and he does not have a perfect on-time record at practices. Plus, Warrick was
charged with grand theft in an incident in which a clerk was accused of selling Warrick
and a teammate $412.38 worth of clothing for only $21.40. Warrick pleaded guilty to
misdemeanor petty theft and did not have to serve jail time.
However, it would not be an upset if Warrick was the first offensive player taken in
the April draft by the Browns after his sensational showing in the Sugar Bowl, where he
walked away with MVP honors and showed why he probably would have won the Heisman if not
for his shopping spree. While Warrick may not have great stopwatch speed, he has
exceptional quickness and excellent functional football speed. Though he may drop more
than a few very catchable passes, he also makes some of the greatest catches you will ever
see. Although he does not have the height scouts look for, he is very good at jumping up
and catching the ball at its highest point before the defensive back can bat it down. He
tracks the ball extremely well, makes excellent adjustments while the ball is in flight
and has an extra gear to get to the ball when he needs it.
What makes Warrick really special is what he does with the ball after the reception.
Some scouts say he is the best runner after the catch they have ever seen. Any time
Warrick touches the ball, the show starts, and very often he will turn a short flip into a
long play. He also is a very well-rounded and versatile player who can line up at
quarterback and run the option or throw the ball (he was a high school quarterback).
Warrick can also play tailback, wingback or even H-back if needed. He is an exceptional
kickoff and punt returner and can be a good blocker.
The biggest knock on Warrick is his ball security. He not only drops some passes, but
he also has been known to fumble and not protect the ball very well when he is running
with it. However, he is so explosive, has such quick hands, moves and big-play ability
that most coaches will gladly overlook his flaws and feature him in their offense. While
not quite as fast and physical, Warrick is a lot like Irving Fryar was coming out of
Nebraska, and Fryar was the very first pick in the draft.
While the school is best-known for Walter Payton, Jackson State has produced numerous
NFL stars, and Sylvester Morris could be the latest to join the parade. At 6-3, 206
pounds, Morris has the size NFL scouts look for, and while his 40-yard-dash times were on
a very fast surface, he was clocked in under 4.4 seconds. Morris plays as though he has
speed. With his graceful and deceptive stride, he eats up a cornerback’s cushion and
very often is right on top of the corner before the defender can even begin to turn.
Morris has good hands and will catch over the middle, but he also has some drops that are
troubling. He shows sideline awareness and is a strong and dangerous runner after the
catch. He also comes with good character references. Hence, if Morris gets to go to the
Senior Bowl and shows well during the week and in the game, he could possibly move into
the first round of the NFL draft.
USC’s Rodney Jay (R. Jay) Soward will be a high draft pick because
he’s always a threat to make the big play and can change field position faster than
anyone but the referee. A near world-class sprinter who does not let his pads slow him
down much, Soward is a big-play receiver-returner who can turn a short flip or a kickoff
or punt into six points. He has almost instant acceleration and explosion, fine run vision
and exceptional foot agility. While shorter than the Bears’ Curtis Conway, another
USC product, Soward may be even more explosive. However, while Soward can make the great
catch-and-run, he also can drive his own coach to distraction. The hyperactive Soward is a
big-time trash talker and seems to be in his own world at times. He does not always run
the assigned route or the route that was drawn up on the blackboard. Soward badly needs
strength work to prevent him from going down so easily when hit or getting knocked off his
routes so much, but he is not going to win an award for weight-room attendance. He has
dropped more than a few passes and kicks, and he’s fumbled because he does not put
the ball away. Plus, he has been known to pout after his miscues. If Soward grows up and
settles down a little, he can be a legitimate big-play maker in the NFL and an impact
player. He was very impressive in the practices leading up to the East-West Shrine game
and showed a gear that nobody else could come close to matching.
A number of top underclassmen opted for this draft and turned a weak position into a
pretty strong one. Michigan State’s Plaxico Burress has almost rare size and
ability and came up very big in the two biggest games Michigan State played in this year,
against Michigan and Florida. However, his work ethic, concentration and focus have all
been concerns in the past. Georgia Tech’s Dez White does not have great
natural hands and drops too many passes. However, with his size, speed and strength, he is
a home-run hitter and big-play maker. Florida’s Travis Taylor was slowed by a
high-ankle sprain but then auditioned for the NFL by catching 11 passes for 156 yards and
three touchdowns vs. Michigan State in the Citrus Bowl. His teammate Darrell Jackson
had a better season, catching 67-1,156-9, but he does not play as fast or separate from
the defender as well as Taylor does. Texas’ Ben Cavil caught 100 passes as a
junior but then was suspended for the Cotton Bowl and decided to come out when there was a
chance he would not be welcomed back in 2000. Cavil is a big, strong, physical receiver
who has good hands and can really sky for the ball, but he lacks quickness and speed and
has a hard time getting separation. Scouts need to know why he was suspended for the
Cotton Bowl.
The name receiver at Southern Mississippi is Sherrod Gideon, a fine player and
solid prospect. However, it would not be an upset if Todd Pinkston was drafted
ahead of Gideon, who was slowed by a bad ankle for most of the 1999 season and still
appeared to be less than 100 percent at the recent all-star games. While Pinkston is
pencil thin, he also is a lot taller and a good step faster than Gideon. Unlike many tall
receivers, Pinkston has good foot agility and acceleration out of his breaks. He catches
the ball very well, shows courage catching over the middle and has made dramatic strides
in all areas of his game the past two years. The best way to describe Gideon is this: You
will like him a lot if you just watch him play when he is healthy, but his workouts could
put some doubts in your mind. Gideon has only average size and speed, and he is not going
to win any contests for his jumping ability. However, he is a natural receiver with the
instincts and ball skills that can’t be taught. He knows how to vary his speed and
how to get open. Gideon shows exceptional awareness and just seems to know how to play the
game.
Troy State’s Mareno Philyaw is a big, fast and very athletic receiver.
He’s also a kick returner who comes with good character references. However, Philyaw
was a high school and college quarterback who has been a full-time receiver for only the
past two years, although he generally worked as a receiver as a freshman. Philyaw is not a
natural receiver, and he has a hard time tracking the deep ball. Unless he can learn to
adjust to the deep throw better, he will never be able to fully utilize his skills. He
also is a very unpolished receiver who may not have the softest hands in the world. Plus,
Philyaw compounds the problem because his hand placement is often poor.
Arkansas’ Anthony Lucas may not be a burner, but he has been the
Razorbacks’ big-play receiver the past four years and is averaging about 20 yards per
catch in his career. Lucas has excellent size; soft, natural hands; deceptive speed; and
an unusual short-stepping running style for a 6-2½ receiver whom defensive backs
have a hard time gauging. While he does not look fast, he breaks down the defender’s
cushion and gets behind him and adjusts to the deep ball nicely. However, on shorter
routes, Lucas will take too many steps to change directions at times, and he does not
explode into and out of his breaks.
While Warrick is the name receiver at Florida State, Ron Dugans has the best
size and hands of the regulars and is not as slow as you would think. The wild-card entry
is Laveranues Coles, who was kicked off the team after taking part in the
clothing-sale scandal with Warrick. However, long before that, Coles was nicknamed
"Trouble" because trouble always seemed to find him. He was suspended once in
1998 and was known for his legal problems, his excuses for being late and his blazing
speed. According to the coaches, Coles had the fastest 40-time they ever recorded (4.19;
most scouts had him around 4.3), and his time was even better than that of former Seminole
Deion Sanders. However, Coles was a running back-turned-wide receiver who dropped a lot of
passes and was not a polished route runner. On the plus side, when he did hold on, he was
trouble for the defense. Many believe that if he would stop trying to take off before he
secured the ball, he would catch a much higher percentage of passes. Coles also can be a
dangerous third-down back and kick returner, and as a sophomore, he was a bullet on
special teams.
UCLA’s Danny Farmer is an excellent all-around athlete with great size and
hand-eye coordination and very good all-around athletic ability. His father, George, also
attended UCLA and, like his son, played two sports. But while Danny is a member of the
volleyball team, George, who later played for the Bears and Lions, was a member of a very
good basketball team. The younger Farmer has almost non-stop energy and loves to compete.
He will not run a good 40-time, but as a junior, when he did not have many injury
problems, he caught 58 passes for 1,274 yards and nine touchdowns. Unfortunately, nagging
injuries and green quarterbacks ruined his senior year.
This was supposed to be the year Chris Coleman replaced Torry Holt as North
Carolina State’s big-play receiver. However, Coleman put too much pressure on himself
and dropped seven passes early in the year before dislocating his elbow in the second week
in October. If anyone needs to go to a bowl game and stand out, it is Coleman.
Although he has played second fiddle to Plaxico Burress, Michigan State’s Gari
Scott has been a solid receiver and kick returner the past two years. In terms of what
he can and can’t do, Scott is a lot like former Spartan Derrick Mason, who now is a
kick returner and backup receiver with the Titans. In other words, Scott has a lot of
above-average traits, but no exceptional quality.
Nevada’s Trevor Insley is a 4.7 40-yard-dash guy with average size.
However, all he did as a senior was catch 134 passes for 2,060 yards and 13 touchdowns
during the regular season and then go to the East-West Shrine game and turn a lot of
pretty good defensive backs around like pretzels in practice. Insley may not be Steve
Largent or even Howard Twilley for that matter, but in many ways you can compare him to
both.
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