NFL Combine/NFL Draft 2010: The Wide Receivers

Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant (Darron Cummings/AP Photo)

With the 2010 NFL Draft still many weeks away, Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser takes a look at the NFL Scouting Combine, held in late February and early March at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. Oehser spent four days at the combine, and in the coming days will take a position-by-position look at the combine and the NFL Draft . . .

When it comes to the wide receiver position in the 2010 NFL Draft, Dez Bryant is the first name to remember, and there's little sign of that changing.

But the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine showed something else:

The name Golden Tate?

When breaking down the receivers in the coming weeks, that name's pretty crucial, too.

Because while analysis and observers remained convinced during the recent combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis that Bryant – an early-entry junior from Oklahoma State – remains the likely first receiver in the April 2010 NFL Draft, Tate solidified his status as the second player at the position.

The reason was simple: Speed, speed, speed.

Because while Tate showed while playing for Notre Dame that he had the football skills to make plays – the first criterion for the better-drafting NFL teams – there were questions about his speed. Not doubts, necessarily, because he was projected as an early selection, but perhaps there was a touch of uncertainty over his top-end, deep-threat, breakaway speed.

Consider those questions answered.

Tate ran 4.36- and a 4.37-second dashes at the combine, prompting NFL Network Analyst Mike Lombardi to say he had “Wes Welker quickness with speed to go with it." That, combined with his collegiate production could help overcome his 5-feet-10, 199-pound size enough to get him into the first round.

Bryant, meanwhile, faced questions about thing off the field:

“At the airport in Indianapolis moments before Dez Bryant boarded his flight on Sunday morning, he counted the number of NFL teams at the combine who met him, looked him squarely in the eyes and asked why he lied,” Thomas George of AOL Fanhouse writes, adding, “Why did he not tell NCAA investigators last fall of his meeting in the home of Deion Sanders? Why did he lie about it to investigators when asked on two separate occasions? It cost Bryant his final nine Oklahoma State games, since the NCAA suspended him for 'unethical conduct.' For lying about a visit that was actually perfectly legal. Why lie? 'I was nervous,' Bryant said. 'Me and Deion had met at a restaurant and he became a mentor over time. He sent me daily, inspirational messages. I went to his home and there was nothing illegal about it, but the way the NCAA was pressing, I was scared to tell the truth. It was a big mistake. That's what I told the NFL teams and that is the truth.' And how many teams? 'About 15 teams in all,' Bryant said. This 6-foot-2, 225-pound receiver who scored 29 touchdowns in 28 OSU games is considered the top college receiver in the land. He is described by some scouts as a blend of Andre Johnson (think big and fast) and Larry Fitzgerald (think attacking receiver when the ball is in the air and tackles broken).”

Bryant didn't work out at the combine, because of a hamstring injury, but said he plans to work out at his Pro Day March 10.

Outside Tate and Bryant, the theme at the combine was over the value of receiver in the first round. The general feeling was that receivers could be obtained in the mid-to-late rounds, and that unless a receiver had truly big-time ability, first-round selections might be as well used on offensive and defensive tackles, defensive ends, cornerbacks and quarterbacks.

Quickly, a look at the top receivers:

*Bryant. Whatever character issues there may be, it's still pretty much Bryant and the rest of the field when it comes to the NFL Draft. He is widely considered a Top 10 selection.

*Tate. No player at combine had more buzz at the combine. His 40-time impressed, and then there was a lull in the buzz when he dropped several passes during workouts. As NFL Network Draft Analyst Mike Mayock put it, Tate had few problems catching passes at Notre Dame, and a team dropping his grade because of a few drops in the combine isn't likely.

*Brandon LaFell, LSU. He ran a 4.6 at the combine, which wasn't overly impressive, but he is a possession receiver and likely to be selected by the end of the second round.

Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech. He sustained a broken foot last Wednesday, but it's not expected to be a long-term issue and his 4.3-second projected 40-yard dash could still mean he will be at least a second-round selection.

 NFLDRAFTSCOUT.COM'S TOP WIDE RECEIVERS . . .

1, 9, *Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State, 1

2, 16, *Golden Tate, Notre Dame, 1

3, 34, Brandon LaFell, LSU, 1-2

4, 39, *Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech, 1-2

5, 49, *Damian Williams, Southern Cal, 2

6, 52, Dexter McCluster, Mississippi, 2

7, 57, *Arrelious Benn, Illinois, 2

8, 69, Jordan Shipley, Texas, 2-3

9, 78, Taylor Price, Ohio, 2-3

10, 84, *Carlton Mitchell, South Florida, 3

NFL SCOUTING COMBINE

THE QUARTERBACKS. HERE.

THE RUNNING BACKS. HERE

REPORT: COLTS TO MAKE BRACKETT AMONG HIGHEST-PAID LINEBACKERS. HERE

COLTS ADDING TURNER AS ASSISTANT COACH. HERE.

DAILY DIGESTS:

COLTS C JEFF SATURDAY ON COLTS PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN'S POST-SUPER BOWL OL COMMENTS. HERE

BILL POLIAN WEIGHS IN ON NFL DRAFT. HERE 

SUNDAY DIGEST: TOM MOORE. HERE.

WRAPPING UP POST-SUPER BOWL TALK: HERE

A REFRESHINGLY ACCURATE READ ON PEYTON MANNING. HERE

ON TEAM OF DECADE AND ED JOHNSON. HERE

A LOOK AT THE GARY BRACKETT NEGOTIATIONS. HERE.

ON THE DOUBLE-AGENT THEORY. HERE

TAG OR NO TAG, SIGNING BRACKETT RIGHT MOVE. HERE

THURSDAY SCOUTING COMBINE. HERE

CASSERLY: BEST DRAFT CLASS IN 30 YEARS. HERE 

OFFSEASON PRIMERS:

THE QUARTERBACKS. HERE.

THE RUNNING BACKS. HERE.

THE WIDE RECEIVERS. HERE.

THE TIGHT ENDS. HERE.

THE OFFENSIVE TACKLES. HERE

THE OFFENSIVE GUARDS. HERE

THE CENTERS. HERE

MORE COLTS NEWS

POLIAN: THE PAST IS PROLOGUE. HERE.