One of the best WR prospects at the catch point and winning leverage mid-route. He consistently sets up defenders to put them on his back, locates the ball, and attacks it at the highest point.
Rashee Rice was drafted with pick 55 of round 2 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.53 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 145 out of 3062 WR from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/lwD9tvVPvvpic.twitter.com/YjucxErSE1
Originally Posted by Kiimo:
I'd agree with that. Nail in the coffin.
I think drafting wide receivers is just hard. The entire second round is full of misfires
We also have a weird definition of misfire.
Mecole Hardman wasn't the best pick that could've been made. It also wasn't a bad pick. It was defensible (if frustrating) at the time and in his 4 years on his rookie deal he contributed pretty well.
He's made an effort 3 times. 1 appears to have hit really well, 1 was fine, 1 is a bust (I mean we can keep slow-playing it, but he's not good).
And out of Pickens own mouth the Chiefs did a ton of homework on him. Whatever it was that scared them off is pretty unfortunate, because they were obviously interested at some point. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Sassy Squatch:
And out of Pickens own mouth the Chiefs did a ton of homework on him. Whatever it was that scared them off is pretty unfortunate, because they were obviously interested at some point.
Honestly, I think it was Hardman that kept us from drafting Pickens.
Georgia receivers get a bad rap. I saw it from the talking heads even - so many of those guys threw the usual "doesn't run good routes" knock on him and that was always just silly as hell.
Pre-draft I said I thought he might be the best pure route-runner in the draft. The guy could run routes.
I wonder if Hardman's relatively graduated learning curve here didn't create a bit of a bias against Pickens, being another toolsy receiver from Georgia who's production didn't match his raw talent.
Originally Posted by Sassy Squatch:
And out of Pickens own mouth the Chiefs did a ton of homework on him. Whatever it was that scared them off is pretty unfortunate, because they were obviously interested at some point.
I have zero doubt that they liked the talent. [Reply]
The jury will be out on Pickens until he retires. I still think he has that temper that could flare at any moment to the point that he Antonio Browns himself right off the field [Reply]