One of the less talked about, but highly productive wide receivers of this year’s class is Florida State’s Rashad Greene. If rookie mock drafts are telling us anything, it’s that he will be slipping into the
second or third round in most instances. I decided to watch six of his games (Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Virginia, Pitt, Boston College, and North Carolina State) at www.draftcountdown.com to get a good idea of the attributes and skills that he brings to the next level. Here is what I saw:
WR Rashad Greene, Florida State, 5’ 11” 182 lbs.
Cons: The receiver has a little laziness to his routes. He needs to be more precise considering he only ran a 4.53 forty yard dash and is not the most dynamic player. Greene has an average catch radius, but seemed to get dominated with contested throws. This might have to do with his lack of power and muscularity. The wide out did not face a lot of press coverage and might be forced to play the slot if he can’t get off the line of scrimmage uncontested.
Greene might project to be more of a possession receiver used in three or four receiver sets versus an every down receiver. There were many instances of body catching (trapping the ball with his shoulder pads) instead of plucking the ball, which is concerning. During running plays he shows interest in blocking, but mostly just gets in the way. The receiver appears very excitable and might let a defensive back into his head easier than most, but seems to draw a lot of pass interference penalties for his team’s benefit.
Pros: The receiver lines up on the outside and in the slot. He does his best work in zone coverage and can shield the defender from the ball. Greene is willing to catch passes in the middle of the field and can high point the ball, but does not snag the pigskin out of the air often enough. I would say the wide out is more quick than fast. He changes directions well, can catch passes in stride, and tracks the ball well in flight.
The receiver gets decent separation from defenders with double moves, spins, and his leaping ability. Greene looks good on bubble screens and reverses, usually making the first man miss with an extra burst in the open field. He also got used as a punt returner, showing good balance, good vision, and bouncy feet.
Overall thoughts: Greene reminds me quite a bit of the Titans Kendall Wright, who is a solid NFL receiver and a dynasty WR3. If he goes to a team with a true QB1 and good offensive coordinator, he will be worth drafting in the late second or early third round. However, if he lands on a team without an offensive identity, let someone else draft him.
