Fantasy Index

Factoid

Doubling down on wideouts

Both the Eagles, with Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff, and Jaguars, with Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson, selected two wide receivers in the first three rounds of last week's draft. How has that "doubling down" strategy panned out on previous occasions?

Since 2000, there have been 13 previous occasions where a team has selected not one but two wide receivers in the first three rounds of the draft. Based on the history, it looks pretty unlikely that the Eagles or Jaguars will hit on both players. Either team will have done well if it gets one successful wideout.

That's not to say it can't happen that both players hit, though. The Broncos did it just a few years back, selecting Demaryius Thomas in the first round and coming back with Eric Decker in the third. That worked out pretty well. The Cardinals got a star in Anquan Boldin, and a guy who had an OK career in Bryant Johnson (though they certainly wouldn't select him in the first round again).

There's some subjectivity here. I called Johnson and Jerome Simpson "hits," which is debatable. In general, I tried to be generous.

The hit-miss results when a team has selected two wideouts in the first three rounds are presented below. The jury is still out on the most recent players, but initial impressions aren't great. Players I deemed hits are in bold.

TWO WIDE RECEIVERS, FIRST THREE ROUNDS, 2000-PRESENT
YearRdPlayerTeamSchoolResult
20001Peter WarrickBengalsFlorida StateMiss
20003Ron DugansBengalsFlorida StateMiss
20002Dennis NorthcuttBrownsArizonaMiss
20003JaJuan DawsonBrownsTulane (La.)Miss
20031Bryant JohnsonCardinalsPenn StateHit
20032Anquan Boldin CardinalsFlorida State Hit
20041Rashaun Woods49ersOklahoma StateMiss
20043Derrick Hamilton49ersClemsonMiss
20053Brandon JonesTitansOklahomaMiss
20053Courtney RobyTitansIndianaMiss
20061Santonio HolmesSteelersOhio StateHit
20063Willie ReidSteelersFlorida StateMiss
20082Jerome SimpsonBengalsCoastal CarolinaHit
20083Andre CaldwellBengalsFloridaMiss
20082Malcolm KellyWashingtonOklahomaMiss
20082Devin ThomasWashingtonMichigan StateMiss
20092Mohamed Massaquoi BrownsGeorgia Miss
20092Brian Robiskie BrownsOhio State Miss
20091Hakeem Nicks GiantsNorth Carolina Hit
20093Ramses Barden GiantsCal Poly-S.L.O. Miss
20101Demaryius ThomasBroncosGeorgia TechHit
20103Eric DeckerBroncosMinnesotaHit
20132Robert WoodsBillsSouthern California???
20133Marquise GoodwinBillsTexas???
20131Tavon AustinRamsWest Virginia???
20133Stedman BaileyRamsWest Virginia???
20142Jordan MatthewsEaglesVanderbilt???
20143Josh HuffEaglesOregon???
20142Marqise LeeJaguarsSouthern California???
20142Allen RobinsonJaguarsPenn State???

--Andy Richardson

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