What They Say About Laquon Treadwell

Starting this week, our midweek edition of Ravens links will profile one of the Ravens’ potential draft targets, conglomerating what all of the draft experts are saying about that prospect throughout the media.

Today, we’ll find out what the experts are saying about the player who appears to be the consensus best receiver in this draft, Laquon Treadwell.

NFL.com Laquon Treadwell Draft Profile

Grade: 6.25

Overview: “Treadwell only got better as he gained confidence in his surgically-repaired leg [after injuring it in the last month of his 2014 sophomore season], finishing the year with 82 catches, 1,153 yards, and 11 scores as a Biletnikoff Award finalist, All-American (second team Walter Camp, third team AP), and first-team All-SEC pick by league coaches. [He caught] three touchdowns against Oklahoma State in the Rebels’ Sugar Bowl victory.”

Strengths: “Good height, overall length…smart…catch- winner. Has a natural feel for the nuances of the position…Truly shines with ball-­tracking skills and rarely gives away location of the ball with early movements. Has subtle shiftiness in his routes thanks to his clean footwork. Can stagger and stutter feet while still working through his routes. Zone eater.”

Weaknesses: “Doesn’t have the cushion-­eating, vertical speed to scare cornerbacks. Cornerbacks will crowd his underneath routes from off­-man coverage…Struggled to free himself from press coverage against LSU’s Tre’Davious White and may have separation issues in pros against quick cornerbacks…Had more focus drops in 2015 than over previous two seasons.”

Sources tell NFL.com: “He’s going to get beat up because he’s slow but I like everything else he does. You would think scouts would learn about overestimating speed and underestimating tape. He’ll go in the first but not sure how high.” — AFC Southeastern scout

Bottom line: “Like DeAndre Hopkins, both players should be defined by their talent, ball skills and consistency of production over pure speed numbers. Treadwell is at his best when he has a clean, two-­way go off the line of scrimmage and he could be a challenging size matchup from the slot. While Ole Miss used him underneath quite a bit, he runs quality downfield routes and has the ball skills needed to become a more vertical receiver than underneath, possession guy.”

-Lance Zierlein

The Draft Wire – USA Today Laquon Treadwell Scouting Report

Strengths: “Powerful, well-muscled frame, but plays even bigger…Clean releases at LOS, exceptionally quick feet and an explosive first step…Smooth and fluid athlete, minimal stiffness in his routes or in the air…Long strides eat up cushions, can run past most corners and win vertically…Will utilize arm extension to initiate contact with defender, then leg drives furiously to move defensive backs out of the play…Highly-competitive, high-effort player in exceptional physical shape.”

Weaknesses: “Route-running needs work, minimal attention to detail due to a natural reliance on physical gift…Needs to work flat or back to the quarterback on crossing/in-breaking routes, falls off patterns too often…Can get a little over-aggressive as a blocker, occasionally over-extended as a result.”

Analysis: “Treadwell is the rare blend of size, speed, strength, and aggression that so few NFL receivers possess. His frame is toned up and NFL-ready, but even more impressive than the size Treadwell brings to the position is how BIG he plays the game…Defensive backs have tried to jam him, but Treadwell does a fantastic job working off of press coverage, with well-developed hand technique and lightning quick feet.

He almost never hops off the line uncertainly, instead bursting into his route with purpose and a plan. Aggressiveness really shines through all aspects of Treadwell’s game…Most of Treadwell’s struggles in [route-running] come from a lack of attention to detail, not a lack of physical ability.

He’s as physically formidable as he is elusive, battling through tacklers to pick up extra yards on almost every catch. Treadwell’s versatility value and dynamic situational usage should skyrocket his stock in most team’s eyes, especially when considering how dominant the Rebel has been as a blocker as well. He’s WR1 by a mile on my board, and should be a top ten pick in the 2015 draft.”

– Jon Ledyard

CBS Sports Laquon Treadwell Draft Profile, Powered by NFLDraftScout.com

Overview: “A three-year starter, Treadwell lined up inside and outside in his career at Ole Miss and was consistently productive despite defenses game-planning against him, leading the SEC in receiving in 2015 – became the first SEC player to record 100-plus receiving yards and at least one receiving score in five consecutive games.”

Strengths: “Well-built for the position with a muscular upper body and sleek definition. Long arms, large hands, very large catching radius…faster than expected due to strong, decisive strides…grown man strength to brush off tackle attempts and get every yard possible…Takes pride in his blocking…Innately motivated and wired right for professional football. Carries himself like a leader with a goal-oriented mind-set…Very grounded, mature personality for his age and handled adversity well after his 2014 season-ending injury.”

Weaknesses: “Route-running still a work-in-progress and wasn’t asked to run a full tree in the Ole Miss offense. Needs to rely more on his footwork at the top of routes to create separation…Emotionally charged competitor, which led to false start and unsportsmanlike penalties in college. Medicals are important to ensure no lingering issues from his Nov. 2014 left leg injury (broken fibula, dislocated ankle).”

In Their View: “Treadwell has exceptional ballskills and catching radius with strong hands to pluck away from his body or scoop off his shoelaces – if the throw is anywhere within a few feet of his body, he’ll attack it. He isn’t a sudden athlete, but plays with athletic twitch and power to be a threat after the catch…Although soft-spoken, Treadwell is highly respected when he does speak up and plays like a warrior. He has the skill-set to develop into a legitimate No. 1 target in the NFL, similar to a not-as-dynamic Dez Bryant; a top 10 talent in the 2016 class.”

– Dane Brugler

RSR Take

The consensus seems to be that his main weaknesses are his lack of elite speed and his underdeveloped route tree, the latter of which is very treatable. Jon Ledyard of USA Today, in particular, implies that it is due to a lack of attention to detail, and all three scouting reports praise his demeanor. Which means he has the work ethic to improve that part of his game.

With Breshad Perriman as the speed threat coming back from injury, the Ravens could do much worse than a receiver whose only major weakness is his speed. There are plenty of productive – even elite – receivers in the NFL, both past and present, without that straight-line explosiveness.