Greg Cosell’s Draft Preview: Josh Doctson’s case for No. 1 WR
I have Laquon Treadwell and Josh Doctson as my top two receivers in this year’s NFL draft class. There’s not a big gap between them.
Your preference among the two comes down to what you value in a receiver. I talked about Treadwell’s strengths earlier this week. Now let’s look at what Doctson does well.
Like Treadwell, Doctson is a natural catcher. He made some tough “hands” catches that demanded late adjustment to the ball. Doctson has very good hands.
An edge Doctson has over Treadwell is he’s a little more naturally explosive. He has more quick-twitch athleticism, with a little more snap to his movement. He plays fast and aggressively. There’s a smoothness and ease to his movement. I also like the way Doctson uses his size.
Doctson is 6-foot-2, 202 pounds but he plays much bigger. He’s competitive going after the ball. He’s effective running in-breaking routes with his big body and strong hands, and will be effective running tunnel screens (think Demaryius Thomas of the Denver Broncos).
That’s what teams will mostly see Doctson as: A strong intermediate receiver who can work between the numbers effectively. Here’s a good example of Doctson going into traffic, making a strong catch and holding on despite taking a hit:
The biggest difference between Doctson and Treadwell is their polish when it comes to route running. As we talked about previously, Treadwell is refined as a route runner, which will help his NFL transition. Doctson is an example of a college receiver who ran a limited route tree and has a limited understanding of route running. It’s not something he did at TCU. As an NFL team, you have to ask yourself how that will affect his transition to the pro game.
Overall, with Doctson I see a good-sized, solidly built receiver with a strong looking body, with good hands and explosive athleticism. I see some similarities to Allen Robinson of the Jacksonville Jaguars, as far as being a bigger receiver with the ability to win 50/50 balls (and Doctson may be more naturally explosive than Robinson). This was a fine play against Texas Tech, when he used his size and explosiveness to win on a contested deep ball for a touchdown.
There are reasons to prefer Treadwell over Doctson and vice versa. Both are outstanding prospects. Which one you pick might come down to what you look for in a receiver.
PREVIOUS NFL DRAFT PREVIEWS FROM GREG COSELL
Comparing Carson Wentz to Andrew Luck is valid
Jared Goff’s strengths and flaws
Laquon Treadwell’s NFL WR comparisons
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NFL analyst and NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell watches as much NFL game film as anyone. Throughout the season, Cosell will join Shutdown Corner to share his observations on the teams, schemes and personnel from around the league.
