Tag: Garrett Wilson

Top ten Ohio State wide receivers over the last ten years

Who’d we miss? Who do you think should be No. 1? #GoBucks

We have started a new series here at Buckeyes Wire of ranking the top players at each position for Ohio State over the last 10 years. Up next: wide receivers.

No program in college football has had as much talent at wide receiver in recent memory as Ohio State. This is evidenced by the fact that this list is being expanded from a top five to a top ten list.

The list includes wide receivers who lasted played for Ohio State in the 2013 season or later. Many of these players have gone on to become stars at the NFL level, but this list is based on what they did for the Buckeyes.

This was a difficult ranking to produce as there are many wide receivers deserving of praise, but here’s how it all shook out.

Division Stat Leader Projections: The AFC East

Bills, Dolphins, Jets, and Patriots — Touchdown Wire’s Natalie Miller predicts the 2023 stat leaders for the AFC East.

With rosters all but set as we turn the corner into preseason just weeks away, we have a pretty good feel on how depth charts and production will fall come the regular season. Today we are taking a look at the projected stat leaders out of each division, with the AFC East.

Let’s dive in.

Garrett Wilson makes Top 100 Players list at No. 74

Garrett Wilson cracks the top 75

The annual NFL Players Top 100 list is underway and the first of what we can expect to be a handful of Jets was revealed Wednesday.

Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson checked in on the list for the first time at No. 74.

The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year led all rookie receivers with 1,103 yards on 83 receptions. That was all done with four different quarterbacks on the field and one point or another and three different starters throughout the season.

Wilson now has Aaron Rodgers throwing him the football, giving him even more potential than he had when he was drafted No. 10 overall out of Ohio State.

It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that Wilson is a top 50 player in next season’s list.

Watch: Garrett Wilson makes incredible catch in training camp

What a grab.

With NFL training camp underway football season is quickly approaching.  Teams are getting ready for the season and many players are battling for roster spots.

One player who doesn’t need to worry about getting a roster spot is former Ohio State and now New York Jets wide receiver, Garrett Wilson.

After a stellar career for the Buckeyes, Wilson went No. 10 overall to the Jets in the 2022 draft.  His rookie season was phenomenal, winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award as he had 1,103 receiving yards in 17 games.

With Aaron Rodgers coming in and replacing Zach Wilson as the starter, Wilson could be ready to take a step and cement himself as one of the very best receivers in the game.

He certainly possesses the talent to be one of the best receivers in the game and that was on display today with his catch in training camp.

Aaron Rodgers, Garrett Wilson teased the fireworks they could create together during Jets camp

This duo is gonna be so much fun.

Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets came together because they didn’t want to mess around. Rodgers believes the Jets are the ideal team to win with during the twilight years of his future Hall of Fame career, and New York thinks Rodgers is the perfect veteran steward for one of the NFL’s better on-paper rosters.

Based on a Rodgers end-zone connection with bright receiver Garrett Wilson during a training camp red-zone drill, those mutual hopes are starting to seem more realistic. In a video captured by Twitter user @Aram822, Rodgers did what he does best. He found space outside of the pocket and delivered an absolute dime to Wilson, who somehow found room in the back of the end zone.

Being a gifted player in his own right, Wilson kept both feet down to finish a beautiful throw and catch.

It’s only camp, and these aren’t exactly the “live bullets” of a real game against an opposing defense that will try to hit Rodgers, but anyone faithful to the Jets has to be beaming about clips like this. It shows Rodgers is already building quality chemistry with one of the league’s better young receivers.

Such a fact bodes exceptionally well for a fruitful 2023 campaign.

Marvin Harrison Jr. weighs in on best wide receiver room of all time debate

Tell us a receiver room that had more talent than the one Harrison Jr. votes as the best ever. #GoBucks

A common debate in college football circles is who is wide receiver U? A number of programs have had success producing star wide receivers for the NFL and laid claim to the title through the years.

LSU immediately comes to mind as a strong contender for both WRU and the best wide receiver room of all time. Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase starred on the team’s 2019 national championship team and quickly became stars in the NFL. Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, who played for the Tigers from 2011-2013, became stars at the next level as well.

Alabama has had a strong track record of producing star receivers for the NFL. Throughout Nick Saban’s tenure, the Crimson Tide have produced eight first-round receivers, most of which have had stellar careers on Sundays. This list includes Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley, Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle, Devonta Smith and Jameson Williams.

While those are very impressive track records of producing NFL receivers, many would argue that no school has done as good of a job of producing receivers in recent memory as Ohio State.

In fact, current superstar receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. recently replied to a Twitter post about the best wide receiver of all time, claiming it is in fact the Buckeyes.

Harrison Jr.’s answer of the Ohio State 2021 spring room is a great answer and hard to argue against because the room was absolutely loaded with top-tier talent.

Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave went on to be the No. 10 and 11 picks in the 2022 draft and had very strong rookie seasons. Spring of 2021 was prior to Jameson Williams’ transfer to Alabama: He was the No. 12 pick in that draft.

Smith-Njigba who broke the Big Ten receiving yards record the following season is also a part of this room. He was a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, coming off the board at No. 20 to the Seattle Seahawks.

That is four receivers who were first-round picks, and, somehow, there will almost certainly be two more. Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka headline the next draft’s wide receiver class and are projected locks to be first-rounders themselves.

If that happens, it would mean six future first-round picks at wide receiver were in the same room in the spring of 2021. That is quite remarkable to think about and gives the Buckeyes a strong claim to be considered WRU.

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Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Evan Bachman on Twitter.

Chris Olave shares his Mount Rushmore for Ohio State wide receivers

Chris Olave shared his Mount Rushmore for Ohio State wide receivers — earning points for humility after declining to name himself as the school’s receiving TD leader:

This was a fun conversation: New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave was interviewed on the Richard Sherman Podcast to explore a range of topics, including something he’s uniquely positioned to cover — the greatest wideouts in Ohio State Buckeyes history. Olave had the privilege of sharing a locker room with some talented future pros as well as the opportunity to watch elite prospects setting the standard in his youth.

When Sherman asked for his four-man Mount Rushmore, Olave singled out these names as the best he’s ever known:

Is former Ohio State receiver Garrett Wilson primed for a breakout season?

With Aaron Rodgers stepping in as starting quarterback for the Jets, former Ohio State receiver Garrett Wilson is ready for a breakout.

It’s no secret that Ohio State has had no shortage of talent at wide receiver in recent years. One of the best wide receivers to come through the program is undoubtedly Garrett Wilson.

As a former five-star recruit, he arrived with big expectations and he immediately made an impact as a true freshman. In both of his following seasons he was among the best receivers in college football, putting up 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns on 70 catches in 11 games.

Wilson’s potential in the NFL was apparent as his ability to change directions and speeds is rare and makes him very effective as a separator and a nightmare to bring down with the ball in his hands after the catch. He combines that with good speed and contested catch ability.

After getting selected No. 10 overall in the 2022 NFL draft he had a very good rookie season for the Jets. Wilson put up 1,103 receiving yards and four touchdowns to bring home the League’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.

This season with Aaron Rodgers stepping into a quarterback situation that was disastrous for much of last season, Wilson is expected that take a sophomore leap.

PFF’s Sam Monson recently put out a tweet and article highlighting wide receivers primed for bigger roles in 2023 and Wilson was at the top of the list.

Considering Wilson’s talent level and the numbers he managed to put up last year with a bad quarterback situation, the sky is the limit for him with Aaron Rodgers under center.

He already established himself as a very good receiver last season, but it‘s reasonable to expect Wilson to vault himself into the tier one, top-ten quality type of receiver this season.

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Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Evan Bachman on Twitter.

How ESPN views the Jets’ group of offensive playmakers

An interesting look at where the Jets’ playmakers rank among the rest of the league.

The Jets spent the offseason building up their offensive weaponry while making their push for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. That included bringing in wide receivers Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman along with drafting running back Israel Abanikanda.

Grouping those players in with the ones already in the mix, such as wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall, the Jets hope to have an explosive offense in 2023. However, one writer still doesn’t seem so high on the grouping, at least based on the ranking.

ESPN NFL writer Bill Barnwell recently ranked all 32 teams and their groups of offensive playmakers, bringing together running backs, wide receivers and tight ends. Some notes include the focus being on a team’s top five playmakers and wide receivers were weighted more than tight ends and running backs.

So where do the Jets rank on this list? That would be down at No. 22, though that is an improvement from No. 30 in 2021 and No. 24 in 2022.

Here’s what Barnwell had to say about the Jets’ group:

For the Jets, it’s all about the class of 2022. Garrett Wilson won Offensive Rookie of the Year and produced upper-echelon wideout numbers with replacement-level quarterback play. His 1.92 yards per route run were in line with DK Metcalf and DJ Moore a year ago. Drops were a concern — Wilson put five balls on the ground — but he’s already a No. 1 receiver with the potential to be a superstar.

Things begin to get dicier from there. Breece Hall was averaging nearly 6.0 yards per carry to start his career when he tore an ACL in October. There are questions about whether he will be ready for the start of training camp. While Hall’s long-term outlook is still exciting, there are plenty of backs who need a full season to get back to their old selves after an ACL injury. Michael Carter and rookie fifth-round pick Israel Abanikanda would have to pick up the pieces if Hall misses time.

The organization traded wide receiver Elijah Moore, cut Braxton Berrios after the season and cleared a path in the process for two certified friends of Aaron Rodgers. I’m not sure those were positive moves. Wideouts Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb afford Rodgers some level of familiarity within the offense, but they weren’t helping the Packers last season. Rodgers posted a 62.2 QBR when Cobb and Lazard were on the sideline, but when one or both of those wideouts were on the field, his QBR dropped by 23 points (39.2). In other words, with those guys off the field, Rodgers was the fifth-best quarterback in football. With one or both involved, he ranked 26th.

I’m not sure there’s a ton behind them on the wide receiver depth chart, either. Mecole Hardman has his role as a useful gadget player, but he was never able to turn into much more in Kansas City. Corey Davis has just narrowly topped his 2020 totals (65 receptions for 984 yards and five scores) across two combined seasons with the Jets (66 receptions for 1,028 yards and six scores) and might be a cap casualty before the season once the team restructures Rodgers’ deal. Denzel Mims, a second-round pick by general manager Joe Douglas in 2020, is facing a challenge to make the Week 1 roster.

Tyler Conklin played ahead of C.J. Uzomah a year ago, as the former Bengals tight end missed two games and finished with only 232 receiving yards. Whether it’s Conklin, Lazard or somebody else, the Jets desperately need a second receiver to step up behind Wilson.

PFF places Jets at No. 20 in receiving corps rankings but calls group ‘one of the deepest’

This ranking is probably more indicative of the vast strength of receiving groups across the league.

Recently, Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus ranked each of the 32 receiving corps in the league. This isn’t just wide receivers. This is running backs and tight ends included as well “if they positively affect the passing game.”

The Jets retooled their wide receivers this offseason with the additions of Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman and Randall Cobb to join Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis and Denzel Mims, along with trading Elijah Moore to the Cleveland Browns. New York is also still very solid at tight end with Tyler Conklin, C.J, Uzomah, Kenny Yeboah, Jeremy Ruckert and rookie Zack Kuntz.

New York actually checks in at No. 20 on PFF’s list, but don’t let the number fool you. Sikkema still seems pretty high on the group.

Garrett Wilson is a strong start for this exercise, as he earned an impressive 85.9 receiving grade as a rookie. He’ll be joined by newcomers Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman, but the Jets also boast Corey Davis, Denzel Mims and Randall Cobb. Throw in tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin, and this feels like one of the deepest groups in the league.

The Jets being this low in the rankings is probably due to the fact that there are a lot of good receiving corps across the league that are very close to each other in talent.

No matter who was at quarterback, the Jets have a good group of players to catch passes on offense. Fortunately, they’ll be catching passes from Aaron Rodgers, making them look even better.