ESPN NFL Draft 2008

Early Doucet of LSU and Limas Sweed of Texas headline a deep, but unspectacular group of senior receivers this season. Doucet is a home run threat with good size and excellent speed, but scouts are eager to see how he performs without the support of quarterback JaMarcus Russell and wide receivers Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis, all of whom were first-round picks last April. Sweed, on the other hand, returns to a familiar role as Colt McCoy's go-to target. Sweed is bigger and more of a proven entity than Doucet, but he is not quite as explosive vertically or after the catch.

Oklahoma State's Adarius Bowman is the only other senior wideout with the physical tools to compete with Doucet and Sweed atop the draft board. After sitting out the 2005 season due to NCAA transfer rules, the North Carolina transfer was an instant-impact player in 2006, averaging 19.7 yards per catch and scoring 12 touchdowns. Bowman needs to sustain that big-play production and become a better route-runner to maximize his draft stock as a senior.

Several other senior receivers will be jockeying for Day 1 draft positioning this fall. D.J. Hall, Andre Caldwell and Keenan Burton all possess the size, speed and hands to contribute as No. 2 or No. 3 receivers in the NFL. Marcus Monk, Maurice Purify and Lance Leggett are big targets but Monk lacks ideal speed, Purify has off-the-field issues and Leggett disappears from games too frequently. On the flip side, Eddie Royal, Dorien Bryant and Harry Douglas are speedy but undersized slot-receiver types.

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