WR, Jeremy Maclin, Missouri

WR, Jeremy Maclin, Missouri

Pros:  Tight-skinned athlete. Good overall musculature. Explosive straight-line speed and quickness out of his breaks. Agile. Can make defenders miss in tight quarters. Natural playmaker who is a threat to score - from any distance - on every snap. Versatile athlete who can make plays in the running, receiving or return games. Natural pass catcher. Good body control to contort in space and make the spectacular reception. High-points passes and is an explosive leaper. High effort player. Courageous over the middle. Blocks downfield. Showed mental toughness in returning after a horrific knee injury in 2006.

Cons:  Still developing as a route-runner. Relies on his athletic ability at this point, and doesn't explode out of his cuts as well as he could. Will takes his eyes off the ball, on occasion, to prepare to make the defender miss, and drop the ball. Production inflated due to his role and the presence of other playmakers in this offense.

Around MHR:

Around SBNation:

From Scouting Report at Mocking the Draft:

 If a team is looking for an explosive deep threat, Maclin is about as good of a bet as there is in this draft. He uses his speed and quickness to beat jams at the line and create separation. Can take it to the end zone on any possession. Incredible vision when he as the ball in his hands. Elusive and slippery. Maclin can stop and start to shake defenders and juke around them in the open field. Routinely catches the ball with his hands. Improved his hands from his freshman to sophomore season. Maclin also has some toughness to him, which a lot of people don't recognize. He'll go over the middle and doesn't mind blocking down on run plays.

Probably the best return man in this class. Will immediately contribute returning punts and kicks. Also a serious threat on gadget plays running the ball. In two years, Maclin had 91 rushes for 694 yards and six touchdowns.

From "Jeremy Maclin:  A Homer's Perspective" at Music City Miracles:

As the proud owners of one Justin Gage, Tennessee is already familiar with the best receiver Missouri had to offer for generations. In fact, Gage still holds a multitude of school receiving records and is widely regarded as one of the gold standards for wideouts who wear black and gold.

But, Jeremy Maclin is not Justin Gage. And I mean this in the best possible way.

Gage has carved himself a niche as a reliable receiver (granted, I'm not a Titans fan, so I could be making this up). If all goes according to plan, Maclin will carve himself a niche as an explosive receiver, a playmaker and a game changer.

The first thing to take away from Maclin's game is his sheer speed. The kid's jets are simply incredible - there's a reason he was dubbed "Cheat Code" by all of us at Rock M Nation. I've never seen a player with his ability to turn a three-yard drag route into a 67-yard track meet down the sideline. It was that speed that helped turn a potentially good Missouri season in 2007 to a magical four-month ride:

Highlights:

Scouting Reports and Offsite Links:

• They all believed Jeremy Maclin was that fast.
  
  The 30 or so NFL scouts on hand yesterday for Missouri’s second pro scouting day knew of Maclin’s reported 4.31-second times in the 40-yard dash and his hopes to lower those by the NFL draft. And they knew the way No. 9 used to toy with linebackers around the outside before sprinting past the secondary.
  
  But after Maclin needed a disappointing 4.45 seconds to complete the 40 at last month’s scouting combine, they needed to see it.  [see more...]
• At 6-1 and 200 pounds, Maclin has a rare blend of size and speed. Obviously there will be taller receivers out there, but not many in the NFL are 6-1 and 200 pounds and as fast as Maclin. He is not just a speed receiver either; he will break his fair share of tackles.  [see more...]
• Ever since I put on the Missouri tape in mid-December, I am just not sold on Jeremy Maclin being an instant impact threat in the NFL. For this, I downgrade him to a fringe first-rounder on my personal draft board and I think he is a high-risk prospect. I am a true believer that route running translates to immediate NFL production, and he simply does not have it. One of the more overrated players in this draft class.  [see more...]
• The comparisons have been made to Ted Ginn Jr. due to their receiving/returning skills and the fact that they are both world class speed athletes, however, the comparison falls short. For one, Maclin is a bigger receiver prospect, and two, he is just a better natural receiver than Ginn. The better comparison is a poor man’s Reggie Wayne. Maclin will immediately help an offense and on special teams, just don’t expect a legit 1,000 season right away. Maclin will take time to learn the nuances of the National Football League, but he has a ton of potential and will stretch a defense like not many in the league can.  [see more...]
• Outstanding athleticism...Is really smooth and fluid...Adequate height and bulk...Excellent speed...Great acceleration with a burst...Very quick and agile...Good hands and will make the difficult catch...Nice body control and ball skills...Good leaping ability...Elusive with great vision and instincts...A terror in space...Deep threat who will stretch the field vertically...Will work the middle of the field...Versatile and also an elite return man...Super productive...Still has a lot of potential.  [see more...]
• Jeremy Maclin has the tools to land him just beneath the Devin Hester tier along with the other top return men in the NFL. Once he gets going with space in front of him, he is incredibly difficult to catch. The record setting redshirt sophomore still has a lot to work on before he is implemented into any offensive scheme as an every down player but his ability is sure to draw many second and third looks from teams lacking in the big play department. The upside is there for him to be a major threat but it will all come down to his coaching and translation in to the NFL styled offense, which is nowhere close to what is implemented at Missouri.  [see more...]
• He was second on the squad with 80 receptions for 1,055 yards (13.2 avg) and nine scores, adding 375 yards and four touchdowns on 51 carries (7.4 avg), two more scores with a 12.3-yard average on 25 punt returns and averaged 24.2 yards on 43 kickoff returns, including another touchdown.
  
  In 2008, Maclin continued his assault on the school, Big 12 Conference and NCAA record books. The All-American first-team choice was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's top receiver. He became the sixth player in league history to catch more than 100 passes (102) in a season, gaining 1,260 yards (12.4 avg) with 13 touchdowns.
  
  Maclin was second on the team with 293 yards and two scores on 40 carries (7.3 avg) and tallied 270 yards on 23 punt returns (11.7 avg) that included another score. With his 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, he became the first Big 12 player to score on a kickoff return, punt return, rushing attempt and reception in more than one season. He would also become only the second major college player to gain more than 1,000 kickoff return yards (1,010) in back-to-back seasons.  [see more...]
• Another positive thing about Maclin that any NFL scout or head coach will love to see in a receiver is his blocking ability.  While some receivers are afraid to stick their head in there and block, Maclin is one who isn’t afraid to block on any play.  Maclin also has the ability to make defenders miss possessing some moves that should catch the eyes of NFL scouts easily.  He is built well enough for the position and has great body control.  He is also a hard worker both on and off the field.  [see more...]
•  An explosive downfield threat with elite deep speed who can consistently outrun defenders at the second level. Showcases good body control and coordination in and out of his routes and is very dangerous with the ball in his hands. Exhibits good suddenness and burst laterally and can consistently separate on all levels of the field. A gifted punt and kick returner.  [see more...]