Buchsbaum's top 10
(as of March 11)

1. Donté Stallworth
2. Ashley Lelie
3. Josh Reed
4. Jabar Gaffney
5. Reche Caldwell
6 Javon Walker
7. Antonio Bryant
8. Andre Davis
9. Cliff Russell
10. Marquise Walker

Positives: Tall, with a big wingspan and good jumping ability. Natural receiver with soft hands and great ball skills, body control and timing. Almost always comes down with jump-balls and is very effective in the red zone. Makes tough catches look easy and makes some superhuman catches. Has supreme confidence in his ability and will not be intimidated. Beats all types of coverages and makes big plays. Can return punts. Has good playing speed, knows how to use that speed and can get deep.

Negatives: Has a very high opinion of himself and may have some issues or baggage. Has a lot of growing up to do and does not seem to realize he can’t keep getting away with things because he is a football star. Has dropped some balls because he wanted to look cool and catch it in a nonchalant manner.

Summary: In many ways will remind you of Cris Carter when Carter was in college, but Bryant is not as big or acrobatic as Carter. And unless Bryant really grows up and matures, he may never realize his potential.

Positives: Very fluid with fine playing speed. Excellent balance and body control. Adjusts to the ball well and can make the acrobatic grab. Runs well after the catch. Wants the ball in the clutch.

Negatives: Is not that big or physical. At times, looks a little straight-linish. Has always been a No. 2 receiver to Jabar Gaffney in college. Offensive scheme tends to make receivers look better than they really are and most Steve Spurrier receivers (Ike Hilliard, Travis Taylor and Reidel Anthony are past first-rounders) do not return full value for where they are drafted.

Summary: Looks like he has the tools to be a fine pro, but he is helped by the system, which often uses three, and at times four wide receivers, and by having an All-American (Jabar Gaffney) across from him.

Positives: Good size and well-built. Has great speed and jumping ability, and unlike most sprinter-types, his strongest point may be running with the ball after the catch and on returns. Will rarely go down on initial contact, sees the field and can be a shifty and somewhat elusive runner who can be creative and make tacklers miss.

Negatives: Lacks soft, natural hands and may lose his focus at times. Likes to catch the ball against his body instead of snatching it with his hands. Will bobble, double-catch and drop a few. At times will jump, slide and dive for balls so he can catch them against his body or basket-catch them. May lack confidence in his ability to reach out, extend and catch the ball with his hands. Does not do the little things (work back to a quarterback under duress, read the blitz quickly and run hot routes) to help out his quarterback intuitively like scouts would prefer. Average route-runner who does not explode into and out of his breaks. More fast than initially quick and often will not play to his speed as a receiver. While he shows toughness as a punt returner, you could not call him a physical receiver. Has not been that durable.

Summary: Davis has big-time speed and can be a gamebreaker, but he is not a really surehanded, polished receiver. He has many areas he must work on if he is to realize his enormous potential.

Positives: Exceptional athlete with tremendous body control and balance. Has nice, soft hands and exceptional ball skills. Does a terrific job of adjusting to the ball. Very fluid and plays fast. Runs by people and makes big plays down the field. Can go up and snag the ball at its highest point. Is no boy scout, but he has matured a great deal and erased some of the character concerns surrounding him.

Negatives: Still immature and likes to call attention to himself with his antics. Does not have a great size-speed ratio. Can be a little inconsistent catching inside and has very small hands for a wide receiver. Does not like to do the dirty work like blocking and running out routes at full speed when he is not the primary receiver in the pattern. Team’s offensive scheme tends to make receivers look better than they really are, and most of Steve Spurrier’s college receivers (Ike Hilliard, Travis Taylor and Reidel Anthony are past first-rounders) do not return full value for where they are drafted.

Summary: Can be an excellent pro if he grows up and learns from his father about how a pro behaves.

Positives: Is tall and uses his height advantage well. Exceptional athlete with outstanding body control and very good ball skills. Adjusts to the off-line throw well and can make the circus catch. Can and will go up and grab the ball at its highest point. Has deceptive speed and a stride that eats up ground. Is a deep and home-run threat. Has improved dramatically every year under head coach June Jones and played in a pro-style offense. Made clutch, great and big plays to help Hawaii stun Fresno State last fall. Superproductive in 2001 and was very good in ’00 as well.

Negatives: Does not always do a good job of getting quick separation. Is more fast and fluid than sudden and explosively quck. Is not that aggressive in a crowd and can be muscled and jostled. Has too many drops all over the field for a player with his hands, because he does not always watch the ball into his hands and at times will peek to see where the defender is. Is not a polished route runner and is mostly a vertical receiver. Played in the WAC, an offensive league where many defensive teams are very mediocre and very few have top defensive backs.

Summary: A terrific receiver who has the tools to really excel on the next level. Three times the football player Walter Murray (second-round pick out of Hawaii in 1986, for whom the Redskins gave up their first-round pick in ’87 to draft) was.

Positives: Terrific athlete with superior balance and body control. Can cut on a dime and does a great job of getting into and out of his breaks. Built like a heavy-duty running back and breaks more tackles after the catch than any college wide receiver I have seen in years. Also has natural running instincts and vision. Catches the ball well and has been superproductive. Has improved by leaps and bounds ever since he moved to receiver. Was the most productive receiver in the country last season, leading the nation in receiving yardage, yards gained after the catch and yards gained after breaking at least one tackle. Had 586 yards after the catch during the 2001 regular season.

Negatives: Lacks great pure speed. Not very experienced. Is still learning the finer points of playing the position, such as reading coverages and running and setting up his routes.

Summary: A unique receiver who breaks more tackles than a top runner and can cut on a dime. Has tremendous strength and balance and refuses to be tackled at times.

Positives: Well-built with a strong upper body. Has exceptional speed and above-average to good athletic ability. Hands are getting better and he can reach and pluck some balls now. Works hard. Is doing a better job of beating the jam. Has a very high upside because of his exceptional speed.

Negatives: Does not have really soft and natural hands and still likes to body or basket catch the ball. More fast than quick and is not a great route runner. Just an average runner after the catch. Lacks great vision and elusiveness and is not going to break many tackles. Has a thin lower body and lacks functional lower-body strength as a runner after the catch. Inconsistent catching in a crowd. Has had some injury problems.

Summary: Can run through a car wash without getting wet and catches OK, which means he can spread a defense and make some big plays. However, aside from exceptional speed, he is not special in any other area.

Positives: Top athlete with tremendous balance and body control. Very quick and fast and strong for his size. Has great explosive speed and strength. Runs through and breaks tackles like a top running back. Gamebreaker and big-play maker. Dangerous runner after the catch and return man. Runs good routes and can make the exceptional catch and run. Has unlimited potential.

Negatives: Lacks experience and has not been that durable. Lacks consistency and concentration at times. Will drop some very easy passes because he is looking where to run before he catches the ball.

Summary: A premier athlete who will develop into a special player if he can stay healthy and improve his concentration and focus.

Positives: Very good all-around athlete with excellent size and deceptive speed. Can get deep and make a big play. Is really much faster than he looks. Has top-end speed but is so fluid you don’t realize how fast he is until he is by you. Has big hands, long arms and the ability to track the ball, highpoint the ball and make the tough catch. Really improved in ’01 and can still get a lot better.

Negatives: Lacks polish and sophistication. Needs work on running routes and reading coverages. Tends to rely too much on his natural ability. Inconsistent catcher who seems to have some lapses in concentration.

Summary: Has the tools to be an impact player on the next level if he can learn to focus on every play, pay greater attention to detail and prepare for games like a true pro.

Positives: Big, strong, aggressive, physical receiver who will use his size and strength and catch in traffic. Has exceptional body control and balance. Despite not having soft hands, he can make some tough catches and can highpoint the ball. Very good runner after the catch. Solid return man. Excellent kick-blocker. Can really help on special teams.

Negatives: Lacks great pure speed, and his longest catch in 2001 was for 47 yards. Striding-type runner who is not quick or sudden. Dominates average defensive backs but has a hard time getting separation vs. a good corner who is playing him man-on-man. Lacks soft hands and will do a lot of double-catching and body-catching. Has a lot of drops for a featured No. 1 receiver.

Summary: Was a terrific college player and is good enough to play in the NFL, but he may not have the speed or suddenness to really excel as a starting wide receiver on the next level.