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A total of 41 WRs have been taken in the first round over the past 11 drafts. I have bolded the players I feel are legit WR1 weapons and a player that you can build your franchise around. I came up with 9. That’s 9 players in the last 11 NFL drafts who are franchise WRs. I don't like our odds of drafting one of these players in the first of this years draft. I left out some borderline players (mainly from the 2014 draft) and the 2016/2017 draft may be to early to tell. I italicized some borderline WR1s for Honorable mention, but I didn't feel they were true game changers. (Bowe, Crabtree, Cooks, Maclin, Kelvin).
I keep seeing Calvin Ridley’s name floating around for the upcoming draft and I know every draft/player is different but based on the history I do not feel like it will be in the Bears best interest to take a swing at a WR. There isn’t a WR in the 2018 draft that really stands out, imo and is worthy of a likely top 10 pick. The position should be addressed in FA, then build upon it in rounds 2-4.
*Interesting note that I found. AJ Jenkins is currently the only other WR drafted since 2007 that has been a larger bust then Kevin White in terms of production.
2007 (in order of draft position)
Calvin Johnson – 731 catches, 11,619 yards, 83 TDs
Ted Ginn Jr – 355 catches, 4,963 yards, 28 TDs
Dwayne Bowe – 537 catches, 7208 yards, 44 TDs
Robert Meachem – 178 catches, 2914 yards, 27 TDs
Craig Davis – 51 catches, 558 yards, 2 TDs
Anthony Gonzalez – 99 catches, 1307 yards, 7 TDs
2008
No WRs selected in the first round. Jordy Nelson and DeSean Jackson were taken in the 2nd.
2009
Darrius Heyward-Bey – 200 catches, 2,885 yards, 16 TDs
Michael Crabtree – 570 catches, 6,814 yards, 49 TDs
Jeremy Maclin – 513 catches, 6,813 yards, 49 TDs
Percy Harvin – 353 catches, 4,026 yards, 22 TDs
Hakeem Nicks – 356 catches, 5,081 yards, 31 TDs
Kenny Britt – 327 catches, 5,114 yards, 32 TDs
2010
Demaryius Thomas – 614 catches, 8,475 yards, 56 TDs
Dez Bryant – 523 catches, 7,333 yards, 73 TDs
2011
AJ Green – 546 catches, 8,085 yards, 57 TDs
Julio Jones – 570 catches, 8,771 yards, 43 TDs
Jonathan Baldwin – 44 catches, 607 yards, 2 TDs
2012
Justin Blackmon – 93 catches, 1,280 yards, 6 TDs
Michael Floyd – 255 catches, 3,859 yards, 24 TDs
Kendall Wright – 323 catches, 3,721 yards, 19 TDs
AJ Jenkins – 17 catches, 223 yards, 0 TDs
2013
DeAndre Hopkins – 405 catches, 5,720 yards, 34 TDs
Cordarrelle Patterson – 160 catches, 1,607 yards, 7 TDs
2014
Sammy Watkins – 187 catches, 3,008 yards, 24 TDs
Mike Evans – 293 catches, 4,338 yards, 31 TDs
Odell Beckham – 313 catches, 4,424 yards, 38 TDs
Brandin Cooks – 269 catches, 3,785 yards, 25 TDs
Kelvin Benjamin – 175 catches, 2,524 yards, 19 TDs
2015
Amari Cooper – 197 catches, 2,722 yards, 16 TDs
Kevin White – 21 catches, 193 yards, 0 TDs
DeVante Parker – 122 catches, 1,692 yards, 8 TDs
Nelson Agholor – 107 catches, 1,311 yards, 10 TDs
Breshad Perriman – 40 catches, 553 yards, 3 TDs
Phillip Dorsett – 58 catches, 893 yards, 3 TDs
2016
Corey Coleman – 53 catches, 681 yards, 5 TDs
Will Fuller – 67 catches, 987 yards, 9 TDs
Josh Doctson – 29 catches, 454 yards, 5 TDs
Laquon Treadwell – 18 catches, 199 yards, 0 TDs
2017
Corey Davis – 25 catches, 256 yards, 0 TDs
Mike Williams – 10 catches, 87 yards, 0 TDs
John Ross – 0 catches, 0 yards, 0 TDs
I keep seeing Calvin Ridley’s name floating around for the upcoming draft and I know every draft/player is different but based on the history I do not feel like it will be in the Bears best interest to take a swing at a WR. There isn’t a WR in the 2018 draft that really stands out, imo and is worthy of a likely top 10 pick. The position should be addressed in FA, then build upon it in rounds 2-4.
*Interesting note that I found. AJ Jenkins is currently the only other WR drafted since 2007 that has been a larger bust then Kevin White in terms of production.
2007 (in order of draft position)
Calvin Johnson – 731 catches, 11,619 yards, 83 TDs
Ted Ginn Jr – 355 catches, 4,963 yards, 28 TDs
Dwayne Bowe – 537 catches, 7208 yards, 44 TDs
Robert Meachem – 178 catches, 2914 yards, 27 TDs
Craig Davis – 51 catches, 558 yards, 2 TDs
Anthony Gonzalez – 99 catches, 1307 yards, 7 TDs
2008
No WRs selected in the first round. Jordy Nelson and DeSean Jackson were taken in the 2nd.
2009
Darrius Heyward-Bey – 200 catches, 2,885 yards, 16 TDs
Michael Crabtree – 570 catches, 6,814 yards, 49 TDs
Jeremy Maclin – 513 catches, 6,813 yards, 49 TDs
Percy Harvin – 353 catches, 4,026 yards, 22 TDs
Hakeem Nicks – 356 catches, 5,081 yards, 31 TDs
Kenny Britt – 327 catches, 5,114 yards, 32 TDs
2010
Demaryius Thomas – 614 catches, 8,475 yards, 56 TDs
Dez Bryant – 523 catches, 7,333 yards, 73 TDs
2011
AJ Green – 546 catches, 8,085 yards, 57 TDs
Julio Jones – 570 catches, 8,771 yards, 43 TDs
Jonathan Baldwin – 44 catches, 607 yards, 2 TDs
2012
Justin Blackmon – 93 catches, 1,280 yards, 6 TDs
Michael Floyd – 255 catches, 3,859 yards, 24 TDs
Kendall Wright – 323 catches, 3,721 yards, 19 TDs
AJ Jenkins – 17 catches, 223 yards, 0 TDs
2013
DeAndre Hopkins – 405 catches, 5,720 yards, 34 TDs
Cordarrelle Patterson – 160 catches, 1,607 yards, 7 TDs
2014
Sammy Watkins – 187 catches, 3,008 yards, 24 TDs
Mike Evans – 293 catches, 4,338 yards, 31 TDs
Odell Beckham – 313 catches, 4,424 yards, 38 TDs
Brandin Cooks – 269 catches, 3,785 yards, 25 TDs
Kelvin Benjamin – 175 catches, 2,524 yards, 19 TDs
2015
Amari Cooper – 197 catches, 2,722 yards, 16 TDs
Kevin White – 21 catches, 193 yards, 0 TDs
DeVante Parker – 122 catches, 1,692 yards, 8 TDs
Nelson Agholor – 107 catches, 1,311 yards, 10 TDs
Breshad Perriman – 40 catches, 553 yards, 3 TDs
Phillip Dorsett – 58 catches, 893 yards, 3 TDs
2016
Corey Coleman – 53 catches, 681 yards, 5 TDs
Will Fuller – 67 catches, 987 yards, 9 TDs
Josh Doctson – 29 catches, 454 yards, 5 TDs
Laquon Treadwell – 18 catches, 199 yards, 0 TDs
2017
Corey Davis – 25 catches, 256 yards, 0 TDs
Mike Williams – 10 catches, 87 yards, 0 TDs
John Ross – 0 catches, 0 yards, 0 TDs