We all know that Jeremy Maclin’s departure westward left a glaring hole in Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offense. That makes two seasons (and counting) that Chip has either dispossessed (D. Jackson) or disinherited (Maclin) the prior season’s most prolific pass-catcher. The remaining Reid-era WRs left on the roster leave a lot to be desired. Riley Cooper, Brad Smith, Jeff Maehl: not exactly the same caliber as the 1991 “K-Gun” Bills.
To rectify this, Chip Kelly has spent considerable resources to supplement the WR-corps. Both his second rounders (to date) were spent on pass-catching threats: Zach Ertz & Jordan Matthews. In addition, he spent a third round pick last year on Josh Huff: a guy many, including myself, believe will develop into a big-play threat. Finally, he recently signed veteran-WRs like Miles Austin to help mold these young guys into NFL professionals.
Still, wide receiver remains a position that will almost certainly be addressed—possible several times—in the upcoming draft. With that known, let’s take a look at one of the guys that has seemingly caught Chip’s Eagle-eye:
Breshad Perriman (6’2”, 212 lbs) has the size that Kelly seems to prefer in his wideouts. In addition, he comes from NFL stock. He is the son of Brett Perriman who had a 10-year NFL career as a wideout in Detroit. For comparison, Matthews is 6’3” & 212 lbs & Jerry Rice’s cousin…Matthews wins.
Perriman played in 39 career games while attending UCF. He started 10 games in 2013 as a sophomore: catching 39 passes for 811 yards & four touchdowns. He averaged a ridiculous 20.8 yards per completion that year. Similarly, last year he did his damage down the field: averaging 20.9 yards per completion—or 50 catches for 1,044 yards total—and being accountable for nine touchdowns.
Perriman did not participate at the NFL combine so his Spider Chart is largely unhelpful; thought it still gives an idea of his size compared to this draft’s other WRs:
He did, however, set the scouting world on fire when he reportedly clocked a 4.25 seconds (unofficial) 40-yard dash time at his pro day last month:
Thanks to NFL.com, we have the rest of his Pro Day results along with their usually-stellar analysis:
STRENGTHS
Height, weight and speed numbers that every team covets. Quick accelerator off the snap and destroys the cushion, forcing cornerbacks into "turn-and-run" mode. More sudden than most big receivers. Able to break routes off sharply or go from stop to start instantly. Consistent separation at top of his route. Always gets over the top of cornerbacks on verticals. Varies route speed and has ability to body up and box out smaller cornerbacks downfield. Explosive leaper with timing and catch radius to make the difficult catches look easy. Shows off plus body control and ball tracking on deep ball. Able to gear up or down when needed and is a legitimate big-play threat on every snap. Athleticism and long speed for yards-after-catch production. Gives good effort as run blocker.
WEAKNESSES
Raw in his routes, relying on speed and athleticism over any precision. Rounds routes and is inconsistent at selling and finishing routes that don't involve him as primary target. Sits and waits on the throw rather than working back to it. Redirected in his routes more than expected for receiver his size. Disappointing hands that might always haunt him. Slow catch readiness, allowing too many throws to beat him up. Too much double catching and his focus drops over second half of the season were maddening to watch.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Round 1
NFL COMPARISON
Josh Gordon
BOTTOM LINE
Rare combination of size, top-end speed and suddenness that can be found in some of the best receivers in the game. Arrow is pointed way up on Perriman and he is one of the most discussed prospects in draft rooms around the league. His drops will drive teams crazy, but his physical traits and ability to hit the big play should warrant early consideration.
In the event that all of that isn’t enough to convince you that Perriman will be snatched up if available at 20 overall: feel free to watch the following game highlights. NOTE: I apologize for the music & production of the clip…we are at the mercy of resources available
Perriman is clearly an NFL caliber talent. He is clearly one of the best 5-6 WR prospects in this draft. Whether or not he is valued on the Eagles draft board remains to be seen. In such a deep WR class, Kelly & Co. could very well wait until the second or third round to grab a receiving threat; instead opting to use their first rounder on a starting-caliber OL or DB. Time will tell…but the time is fast approaching.
