FCS wide receivers catch on as 2019 NFL Draft candidates
(STATS) - Led by UC Davis All-American Keelan Doss, wide receiver is a leading position in the FCS class of prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft.
Draft grades are fluid while the class comes more into focus during the season, but Josh Buchanan, a leading evaluator of small school prospects who makes projections for Phil Steele Publications, has three wide receivers in his preseason top 10 rankings with a number of others just shy of draftable grades.
Doss earns Buchanan's top grade as a potential fourth- or fifth-round selection. Doss, who was third in the 2017 STATS Walter Payton Award voting, has solid size (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) and an excellent skill set (physicality, soft hands and leaping ability). As a junior, he racked up 115 receptions for 1,499 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games.
"It is too early to know how the top four rounds will likely go down because many of these guys are still developing, so it is hard to know until around December what the top will really look like," Buchanan said.
Buchanan also gives seventh-round grades to wide receivers Emmanuel Butler of Northern Arizona and Jesper Horsted of Princeton. He lists wide receivers Juston Christian of Marist, Davion Davis of Sam Houston State, Damion Jeanpierre Jr. of Nichols, Kamron Lewis of Saint Francis, Andre Lindsey of Sacramento State, Neil O'Connor of New Hampshire, Alex Wesley of Northern Colorado and Reggie White Jr. of Monmouth as priority free agents with the chance to improve their draft stock.
Delaware strong safety Nasir Adderley (fifth round) is Buchanan's preseason No. 2 prospect followed in the top five by North Alabama free safety Chris Johnson (fifth-sixth), Villanova offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge (sixth-seventh) and Elon offensive tackle Oli Udoh (sixth-seventh). Butler is sixth followed by Western Illinois defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, Horsted, South Dakota State cornerback Jordan Brown and Montana outside linebacker Josh Buss - each a seventh-round possibility.
