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Is Nelson Agholor First-Round Worthy?

Carly Fasciglione |
April 22, 2015 | 12:01 p.m. PDT

Staff Writer

Can Agholor be the first Trojan receiver to go in the first round since 2005? (Charlie Magovern/Neon Tommy)
Can Agholor be the first Trojan receiver to go in the first round since 2005? (Charlie Magovern/Neon Tommy)
It’s no surprise that USC is one of the best schools in the nation when it comes to producing NFL-caliber players. In the past 10 drafts, the Trojans lead the crowd with 69 draftees and 14 first-rounders. This year won’t be much different. 

By the end of another disappointing USC season, defensive lineman Leonard Williams looks like the only first-round prospect for the team. Most have Williams as the 2nd or 4th pick of the draft and are already predicting him to be one of the next dominant defensive lineman in the league. But Williams hasn’t been the only Trojan with a ton of buzz surrounding him as the draft draws near. 

Wide receiver Nelson Agholor took full advantage of his final year, catching 104 passes, nearly a third of the Trojan offense’s completions, for 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns. After settling fears about his speed with a 4.42 second 40-yard dash, Agholor’s stock has been on the rise; Mike Mayock even listed him as his top riser in the draft. He has impressed scouts with his sharp route-running skills and quick bursts after the catch, and teams have also paid close attention to his instinctive football knowledge and his value as a returner on special teams. Unfortunately for Agholor, however, he is just one year removed from a historic wide receiver draft class and this year’s is nothing to scoff at either.

READ MORE: Projecting Leonard Williams In The NFL

Last year’s draft saw five receivers go in the first round with another seven go in the second. Amongst those draftees included Kelvin Benjamin and Mike Evans, who each had 1,000 yard seasons, and Odell Beckham Jr. who also had a 1,000 yards but more impressively managed to pull this off. This year, it’s very possible for five wide receivers to be drafted on Day 1 for a second year in a row, which hasn’t happened since 2004 and 2005. That being said, it’s relatively unlikely that Agholor will be able to break into the first round with the stiff competition he’ll be facing.

Although the answer as to who the number one receiver in the draft varies from person to person, most rank Alabama’s Amari Cooper and West Virginia’s Kevin White as the top two players in their position. White has phenomenal speed and strength and Cooper is one of the most well-polished, complete receivers in the draft. Both will go early in the draft to either the Raiders or the Bears, who both desperately need a game-changing receiver. Louisville's DeVante Parker’s attractive height and wingspan place him as the next receiver to be drafted. The next top prospects include Breshad Perriman out of UCF, Jaelen Strong from Arizona State, and Dorial Green-Beckham from Missouri. 

Agholor’s most apparent disadvantage is his size. At 6’0” and just under 200 pounds, his small frame isn’t too appealing when he his placed next to someone like Green-Beckham, who stands at 6’5” and 237 pounds. Although Agholor ran an impressive 40-yard dash, scouts are worried that his play speed doesn’t match his time speed and that he will be unable to get past NFL cornerbacks and create space on the outside. Perriman blows past Agholor in speed, and Strong and Green-Beckham can use their height and strength on deep balls, where Agholor can not.

READ MORE: 2015 NFL Draft Profile: Nelson Agholor

Agholor would be best fit where he does his best work, in the slot. He can be very reliable working in high traffic areas and running tight routes, but this alone won’t turn him into a first-rounder. Don’t get me wrong, Agholor has great value and should be a very stable No. 2 slot receiver down the line, and he could even step in as a returner on Day 1 of the season.

Expect Agholor to have a similar fate as his former teammate Marqise Lee and go in the late 30’s or early 40’s. Both of these talented receivers were simply victims of incredibly talented wide receiver draft classes, and hopefully Agholor’s rookie receiver class will be just as entertaining as Lee’s was.

Reach Staff Writer Carly Fasciglione here or follow her on Twitter.



 

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