Of the 33 wide receivers selected in the 2014 NFL Draft, 21 were at least 6 feet tall -- including four of the first five picked -- and 11 were at least 6-2.
Tall wide receivers are a definite NFL trend; this season, four of the top 10 receivers in terms of yardage -- and three of the top four -- were at least 6-2. In addition, 10 of the top 20 wide receivers were at least 6-1, and eight of the 20 were at least 6-3. Two of the top three rookie receivers, Kelvin Benjamin and Mike Evans, were 6-5; Sammy Watkins, the fourth-leading rookie receiver, is 6-1.
It wouldn't be a surprise in the 2015 draft if each of the first five wide receivers selected were at least 6-1, and four of the first five were at least 6-3.
NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks has Alabama's Amari Cooper as the top wide receiver, followed in order by Louisville's DeVante Parker, West Virginia's Kevin White, Arizona State's Jaelen Strong and Oklahoma's Dorial Green-Beckham. Of the five, Cooper, at 6-1, is the only one shorter than 6-3.
Everybody knows a lot about those five. Here are 10 other wide receivers who are least 6-2 and should interest NFL teams.
Sammie Coates, Auburn
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 213 pounds
Analysis: Coates is a physical marvel who has excellent speed and can jump out of the gym (were he playing basketball, that is). Unfortunately, he has inconsistent hands, though he did have a nice week at the Reese's Senior Bowl. His upside is tremendous because of his athletic gifts, assuming a team can get his hands straightened out.
Devin Funchess, Michigan
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 230 pounds
Analysis: Funchess began his Wolverines career at tight end and moved to wide receiver this past season. He runs well for a 230-pounder and is a physical presence who can outrun linebackers and overpower defensive backs.
Deontay Greenberry, Houston
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 198 pounds
Analysis: Greenberry was a consensus national top-50 prospect in the 2012 recruiting class and looked that part as a sophomore in 2013. He struggled a bit this season because of inconsistent quarterback play, but he has the athleticism and speed to be a better pro than he was a collegian.
Austin Hill, Arizona
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 210 pounds
Analysis: Hill had a huge 2012 season, missed 2013 with a knee injury, then returned to play a complementary role in 2014. He has played in the slot and outside, and while he lacks top-end speed, he knows how to get open and has good hands. He also has good bloodlines, as his dad and uncle played in the NFL.
Dezmin Lewis, Central Arkansas
Height/weight: 6-foot-3 1/2, 215 pounds
Analysis: Lewis is one of the most intriguing small-school prospects in the draft (Central Arkansas is an FCS school). He was the tallest receiver at the Senior Bowl. He still is learning the nuances of the position, but he is a high-level athlete with good speed and proven big-play ability.
Tony Lippett, Michigan State
Height/weight: 6-foot-2 1/2, 192 pounds
Analysis: Lippett was Michigan State's go-to receiver for each of his final two seasons with the Spartans. He had 11 touchdowns this season. He began his career at cornerback and played both ways this season. As you'd imagine for a guy who played on both sides of the ball for a premier team, he has good feet and quickness, even if he lacks blazing speed, and also is physical.
Vince Mayle, Washington State
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 219 pounds
Analysis: Mayle was highly productive in the Cougars' pass-happy offense in 2014, finishing with 106 receptions, a school single-season record. Mayle played basketball and football in high school in Sacramento, Calif., before heading off to junior college to play basketball. After one season of JC basketball in 2009-10, he took two years off to work and to help his mother. He returned to football in 2012 at a different junior college and stood out enough to get a scholarship to Washington State. He was a key reserve in 2013, then blossomed as a full-time starter this season.
Breshad Perriman, UCF
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 214 pounds
Analysis: Perriman was a big-time deep threat for the Knights this season, averaging 20.9 yards per catch on his 50 receptions. He had five receptions of at least 50 yards, which according to cfbstats.com was tied for third-most nationally. Perriman has a nice size/speed mix and should run in the low 4.4s in the 40 in pre-draft testing. He also has good bloodlines: His dad, Brett, was a wide receiver who starred in college at Miami and played for a decade in the NFL.
Jordan Taylor, Rice
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 210 pounds
Analysis: Taylor is a lanky guy who has good hands and runs well; he has been clocked in the mid-4.4s in the 40. He missed the first three games of the season with a foot injury but still had four 100-yard outings this season. He has the ability to get deep, but he is at his most dangerous on intermediate routes, where he can use his size to fend off smaller corners.
Darren Waller, Georgia Tech
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 241 pounds
Analysis: Waller had just 51 career catches at Tech, but his size is a huge "pick me, pick me" signal to scouts. He also has good strength, and as NFL Media analyst Charles Davis noted during Shrine Bowl week, "even when he is covered, he has 'uncovered' himself." There will be a definite learning curve for Waller, given his inexperience in a passing offense, but the upside is tantalizing.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
