The NFL mock drafts for the 2014 class have started coming out and this year one of the deepest positions for players coming out of the college ranks is at wide receiver, with Sammy Watkins leading a group that includes Mike Evans, Marqise Lee, Kelvin Benjamin, Jordan Matthews, Allen Robinson and Odell Beckham Jr.
Watkins and Evans are being looked at as the top two receivers in the entire draft and depending on how things shake out, Watkins could be a top five pick, while Evans is expected to be gone by the top 10 or 15 picks. Teams in the middle should be able to get their hands on players like Benjamin, Lee, Matthews and Robinson and teams will be looking for those players to have an impact like Keenan Allen did this season with the San Diego Chargers. Evans is coming out of Texas A&M after playing with Johnny Manziel and he put up two seasons of great numbers, including this year when he had 69 catches for nearly 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns and with his size, he should be a tough matchup for cornerbacks in the NFL.
Evans comes out after having 82 receptions for 1,105 yards and five touchdowns in 2012 and he now has single season and game records for yards for the Aggies and he is taking those talents to the NFL now. Evans showed up in the big games, making nearly 20 catches for over 560 yards and five touchdowns combined in the games this season against Alabama and Auburn. Watkins is expected by many to be the top wide receiver coming out of the draft and it comes after a prolific Clemson career that saw him make nearly 225 catches over three seasons and while he is a smaller receiver than someone like Evans, many see him as a breakaway/big play receiver like Percy Harvin and he could make a huge impact for offenses at the top of the draft.
Last season after 2012 Lee would have been considered easily the top overall wide receiver in the draft after being in the top five in Heisman voting and making 118 catches for 1,721 yards and 14 touchdowns, but this season he dealt with injuries and some inconsistent quarterback play. He still ended up with 73 catches for 1,143 yards and 11 touchdowns this season and should be one of the top three or four receivers to go in the draft after playing three seasons for the Trojans at So Cal. Allen Robinson is another name that could go in the first round or early in the second round and he had another solid season at Penn State and due to his size he could end up sneaking into the top 20 of the draft if he has good workouts at the combine and for teams heading into the draft.
