1st Round WRs since 2000: How they fared.

[wraith36444]

I will list the WR, with a grade (A-F), and a brief description (Only WRs that have panned out or are out of the league will be listed for drafts after 2006, as WRs tend to take 3 years to become acclimated to the NFL):

2000:

1. Peter Warrick (4 overall, Bengals): His career highs are a shade over 800 yards and 7 TDs in 2003, was replaced by Housh the following year and was waived in 2005.

Grade: D+

2. Plaxico Burress (8 overall, Steelers): One of the best WRs in the game. Posts big numbers as well as big plays despite having subpar QBing during his career until late 2007. Will be in jail for 24 months for shooting himself in a NY nightclub.

Grade: A-

3. Travis Taylor (10th Overall, Ravens): His career highs are 869 yards and 6 TDs. Was out of the league after 2006.

Grade: C-

4. Sylvester Morris (21st overall, Chiefs): One played in one NFL season and got 648 yards with the Chiefs. Had major knee injury trouble.

Grade: F

5. R. Jay Soward (29th overall, Jaguars): Had major character issues working under Tom Coughlin, who had to send a limo to his house everyday just so he would come to practice. Had substance abuse issues.

Grade: F

2001:

1. David Terell (8th overall, Bears): Bad...bounced around the league for 6 years but did very little.

Grade: D-

2. Koren Robinson (9th overall, Seahawks): A marginal player at best, who made the Pro Bowl in 2005 as a kick returner. Had substance abuse issues.

Grade: C-

3. Rod Gardner (15th overall, Redskins): Bounced around the league for 6 years and did very little. He was behind Keary Colbert on the depth chart in Carolina if that tells you how much he sucked.

Grade: D-

4. Santana Moss (16th overall, Jets): An elite WR in the NFL who would have much better numbers if he had a competent QB at the helm in a year not called 2002. He is the best WR in the NFC East.

Grade: A-

5. Freddie Mitchell (25th overall, Eagles): He is so bad that Belichick called him out for being awful and all talk and no walk. He was out of the league in 4 years.

Grade: F

6. Reggie Wayne (30th overall, Colts): Peyton's go to guy, now that Harrison is gone. An very good number 1 WR, who has a strong work ethic.

Grade: A


2002

1. Donte Stallworth (13th overall, Saints): A decent number 2 WR, who has substance abuse issues, which lead to a year suspension in the league for killing a pedestrian while drunk driving.

Grade: C/C+

2. Ashley Lelie (19th overall, Broncos) A pedestrian WR that bounces around the league and has done little of note.

Grade: C-

3. Javon Walker (20th overall, Packers) He was a good WR when he was in Green Bay, earning multiple Pro Bowls, was mediocre in Denver and is a complete bust in Oakland.

Grade: B-

2003

1. Charles Rogers (2nd overall, Lions): And here we begin with the Millen WR fetish! Rogers was infinitely better at breaking his collarbone, ODing on pain killers and smoking weed than he ever was at playing WR for the Lions. And he is not even Millen's worst pick.

Grade: MILLEN

2. Andre Johnson (3rd overall, Texans): One of the best WRs in the game. Puts up huge numbers with crappy to average QBs. He has impeccable character. Everything that Charles Rogers is not.

Grade: A+

3. Bryant Johnson (17th overall, Cardinals): A mediocre number three, aeons behind Fitzgerald and Boldin. Is still mediocre on the Lions.

Grade: C

2004:

1. Larry Fitzgerald (3rd overall, Cardinals): One of the best 4 WRs in the game (Moss, A. Johnson, and another pick that we will discuss later are the others). Extremely acrobatic and puts up great numbers. Has great character and cares more about winning than money.

Grade: A+

2. Roy Williams (7th overall, Lions): A decent, but not elite number one wide receiver. He had one good season in Detroit andhas major character issues. The best thing Detroit did with him was trade him for three picks to Dallas.

Grade: B/B+

3. Reggie Williams (9th overall, Jaguars): A colossal bust who currently cannot find work in the NFL...enough said.

Grade: D

4. Lee Evans (13th overall, Bills): A decent number 1 WR, about the same as Williams minus the character issues (Williams is a bit more skilled). He never had a legit QB throw him the ball in all fairness.

Grade: B/B+

5. Michael Clayton (15th overall, Buccanneers): A one year wonder for over 1,000 who has done diddly squat since.

Grade: C

6. Michael Jenkins (29th overall, Falcons): A mediocre player who is stedily improving in Atlanta.

Grade: C

7. Rashaun Woods (31st overall, 49ers): He was in the CFL by 2007. That is a succinct summary of his NFL career.

Grade: F

2005:

1. Braylon Edwards (3rd overall, Browns): Had a great year in 2007, but has been mediocre other than that. Has major issues with drops. Has some character issues.

Grade: B-

2. Troy Williamson (7th overall, Vikings): When you are best known for sucking horribly, dropping every pass and threatening to fight your old coach, I think the word awful is appropriate.

Grade: D-

3. Mike Williams (10th overall, Lions) Fat and lazy sums him up well. The worst WR since 2000, and a Millen pick, what a shocker. I think he is in a class of his own, when he rivals Ryan Leaf for biggest bust of all time.

Grade: MILLEN MINUS

4. Matt Jones (21st overall, Jaguars) Not a bad WR last year but has cocaine issues and is out of the league.

Grade: F

5. Mark Clayton (22nd overall, Ravens): Had one good season in 2005 and has not equalled it since.

Grade: C-

6. Roddy White (27th overall, Falcons): One of the better number 1 WRs in the league.

Grade: A

2006

1. Santonio Holmes (25th overall, Steelers): A decent number 1, who has some drug issues. Stepped up during the Steelers' Super Bowl run

Grade: B

2007 onwards

1. Calvin Johnson (2nd overall, Lions): The last of the best 4 WRs in the league and his numbers would be sick if he had a halfway decent QB throwing to him.

Grade: A+

2. Dwayne Bowe (23rd overall, Chiefs): An emerging WR in the NFL who has the same issue as Johnson, no decent QB.

Grade: B+

Incomplete:

Ted Ginn Junior (9th overall, Dolphins): Outlook looks grim.
Robert Meachem (27th overall, Saints): Looks like a bust
Buster Davis (30th overall, Chargers): Will be a bust
Anthony Gonzales (32nd overall, Colts): Looks very promising.

By the numbers:

A range: 6
B range: 6
C range: 8
D range: 5
F or worse: 7

[Ckane138]

Don't think I'd call Santana Moss elite by any means. Also I believe Bryant Johnson is currently with the Lions.

[MaineMan]

So, basically a 1 in 3 chance that a 1st round WR will be any good.

[wraith36444]

Santana is the one I was not sure about, but I then remembered how bad his QBs were.

I forgot about Johnson's latest roster move.

[klunker18]

Yeah I don't think Moss is "elite", but A- isn't such a bad grade. I would say an "elite" grade is an A+, and therefore an A- is not elite. I would probably give him a B+ though.

Also, I am still not sold on Roddy White. He has one good year where he decides to catch the ball and all of a sudden people are all over his nuts. Well that happened to Braylon Edwards too but then he had a crappy year and now people don't know what to think of him. If he has a good year this year I will eat my words, but I just would rather be proven wrong this way than thinking he is good and being proven wrong.

[wraith36444]

So, basically a 1 in 3 chance that a 1st round WR will be any good.

A bit less as there are going to be three Cs and worse once Ginn, Meachem and Davis get factored in.

[Ckane138]

When I first read 'best receiver in the NFC East' I laughed and then I thought about it for a second and realized you actually do have a case there. I do think you're underrated Roy Williams though. Yeah last year was a lost season because of the QB play early in the year in Detroit and then getting moved to Dallas and expected to play flanker in a new offense midseason, but he had two great years in '06 and '07 and now that he's playing split end again with a competent quarterback he'll get back to form.

[theglorydays]

Mike Williams isn't close to as big of a bust as Ryan Leaf...

Other than that i pretty much agree with everything you said.

[Blue]

When I first read 'best receiver in the NFC East' I laughed and then I thought about it for a second and realized you actually do have a case there. I do think you're underrated Roy Williams though. Yeah last year was a lost season because of the QB play early in the year in Detroit and then getting moved to Dallas and expected to play flanker in a new offense midseason, but he had two great years in '06 and '07 and now that he's playing split end again with a competent quarterback he'll get back to form.

Roy Williams is mediocre at best. He had one good season in Detroit in 2006 with 1300 yards and 7 touchdowns. He hasn't had more than 838 yards in his other four seasons. He actually had more touchdowns in 2004 and 2005, with 8 each season.

Did you realize Williams accumulated over half of his season stats in 5 games with Detroit? Did you realize he failed to even reach 20 yards receiving in Dallas's final four games, when he should have been acclimated to the playbook? He's a one-year wonder, and a very good No. 2 if he ever gets anywhere close to 2006 form.

Javon Walker only made the one Pro Bowl, IIRC.

[PatsFan]

...A Millen grade is bad right? :P

[Leelee2]

I respectfully disagree with the same grading for Roy Williams and Lee Evans.

Evans' best season equals Roy's, and he's been much more consistent.

It's truly a shame that Evans is stuck on such a lousy offense. His deep catch abilities are elite, and being completely wasted.

[wraith36444]

Yeah I don't think Moss is "elite", but A- isn't such a bad grade. I would say an "elite" grade is an A+, and therefore an A- is not elite. I would probably give him a B+ though.

Also, I am still not sold on Roddy White. He has one good year where he decides to catch the ball and all of a sudden people are all over his nuts. Well that happened to Braylon Edwards too but then he had a crappy year and now people don't know what to think of him. If he has a good year this year I will eat my words, but I just would rather be proven wrong this way than thinking he is good and being proven wrong.

White had good years in 2007 and 2008

[wraith36444]

I respectfully disagree with the same grading for Roy Williams and Lee Evans.

Evans' best season equals Roy's, and he's been much more consistent.

It's truly a shame that Evans is stuck on such a lousy offense. His deep catch abilities are elite, and being completely wasted.

Williams was more erratic, but his best was better than Evans' best and his worst was worse than Evans' worse. Neither ever had a top 20 QB throwing to them.

[wraith36444]

Roy Williams is mediocre at best. He had one good season in Detroit in 2006 with 1300 yards and 7 touchdowns. He hasn't had more than 838 yards in his other four seasons. He actually had more touchdowns in 2004 and 2005, with 8 each season.

Did you realize Williams accumulated over half of his season stats in 5 games with Detroit? Did you realize he failed to even reach 20 yards receiving in Dallas's final four games, when he should have been acclimated to the playbook? He's a one-year wonder, and a very good No. 2 if he ever gets anywhere close to 2006 form.

Javon Walker only made the one Pro Bowl, IIRC.

He had one good year and a bunch of mediocre or better years and last year which was a wash.

He had to learn the playbook and get a rapport with Romo, and the latter was impossible due to Romo's injury and TO's whining. He will most likely be downgraded if he doesn't produce this year though.

[Ckane138]

Roy Williams is mediocre at best. He had one good season in Detroit in 2006 with 1300 yards and 7 touchdowns. He hasn't had more than 838 yards in his other four seasons. He actually had more touchdowns in 2004 and 2005, with 8 each season.

Did you realize Williams accumulated over half of his season stats in 5 games with Detroit? Did you realize he failed to even reach 20 yards receiving in Dallas's final four games, when he should have been acclimated to the playbook? He's a one-year wonder, and a very good No. 2 if he ever gets anywhere close to 2006 form.

In '07 he broke his leg and only played 12 games. Exrapolate his 838 yards and 5 touchdowns over 12 games across 16 games and you get 1117 yards and 7ish touchdowns. He had trouble in Dallas not just because of playbook and chemistry issues, but because he was asked to be a 'Z' receiver opposite TO, which his game isn't built for. Expect him to bounce back now that he's in his familiar split end role.