The NFL draft is less than a month away and with the wide receiver class deep for the second straight year, names like Amari Cooper, Kevin White, DeVante Parker, Jaelen Strong, Dorial Green-Beckham, Devin Smith, Philip Dorsett, Breshad Perriman and Ty Montgomery could be targets for the Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders.
Amari Cooper is considered to be the best receiver in the draft and if he is gone in the first three picks, White likely will be the top target at the position. The Oakland Raiders have a need at wide receiver and Bill Williamson at ESPN.com writes that Cooper and White will be the top two targets for the team. The Raiders want more playmakers for Derek Carr and if Cooper goes to the Jaguars at number three, expect the Raiders to pick White.
Parker has become a target for teams heading into the draft and the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns have reportedly been interested in the Louisville receiver. The Browns are angling to get a quarterback, but if that doesn't happen, Jeremy Fowler writes that Parker could be the selection at number 12 in the first round if he makes it there. The Browns have Josh Gordon facing a suspension and while the team has already signed Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline, they need more depth at the position.
Cooper comes in after having a massive season at Alabama, putting up 124 catches for 1727 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide. White also had a very productive season and he also put up a strong 40-yard dash time and that could put him ahead of other receivers in the draft. Parker came into last season dealing with an injury, but he was productive on the back end, making 43 receptions for 855 yards and five touchdowns for Louisville.
The Redskins have also been mentioned as a team that may look at a wide receiver in the draft and they come in with the number five overall pick. If Cooper and White are off the board in the first four picks, which is a very realistic possibility, the team may not want to reach for Parker, who is a good prospect, but not a top five pick. The team may look at Dante Fowler, Vic Beasley or Landon Collins as better options and the Redskins could look for receiver help later in the draft.
This year the class is very deep and that allows teams to wait if they want to pick WRs if they miss out on Cooper or White. Some other names to keep an eye on in the draft include Justin Hardy, Nelson Agholor, Devin Funchess, Jamison Crowder, Chris Harper and Tyler Lockett. The Dolphins and Browns have picks in the first half of the first round and if they pass on WRs, they likely will look at some of those names in the later rounds. Last year the WR class was very deep, with names like Odell Beckham, Jordan Matthews, Sammy Watkins and Kelvin Benjamin all making impacts in the NFL.
