http://espn.go.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/12961500/breshad-perriman-todd-gurley-head-list-top-rookie-playmakers-nfl
Steve Muench played four years of Division I-AA football before joining Scouts Inc. in 2002. He has evaluated both NFL and college players for Scouts Inc., but his current focus is on the NFL draft.
To me, offensive playmakers are defined as players who are a threat to make chunk-yardage plays whenever they are on the field. They may not necessarily be as consistent, polished or clutch as other players, but they have the potential to change a game any time they touch the ball.
Here's a look at my top five rookie playmakers for 2015. For this list, I took into account each player's fit with their new team. All five of these guys graded out as outstanding in terms of their big-play ability in our pre-draft scouting evaluations of them.
1. Breshad Perriman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Defenses that give Perriman a clean release do so at their own risk. The long-strider has deceptive top-end speed and the second gear to run past most NFL corners when he's allowed to build momentum. Jamming the 6-foot-2, 212-pound Perriman isn't easy, either, and it should only get harder as he gets stronger and more polished.
Although he wastes some motion shaking defensive backs, he has the upper-body strength and foot speed to beat press coverage with streamlined technique. One of the biggest knocks on Perriman is his inconsistent hands. That said, he's at his best tracking the deep ball and has the frame, body control and leaping ability to make spectacular catches downfield. He's also a productive runner after the catch and shows the ability to break tackles to rip off chunks of yards.
There's a lot to like about Perriman's situation in Baltimore, where he should get plenty of chances to showcase his considerable talents. The Ravens return all five starters along an offensive line, which helps set up the play-action package by establishing the ground game and does a good job of keeping quarterback Joe Flacco upright.
Flacco has very good arm strength and is willing to give his receivers opportunities to make one-on-one plays. In addition, Perriman should draw some favorable matchups with Steve Smith Sr. lining up opposite him and second-round tight end Maxx Williams drawing some attention over the middle.
2. Todd Gurley, RB, St. Louis Rams
Gurley isn't the top player on this list because we haven't seen him play since tearing an ACL against Auburn last year. When healthy, he's a dynamic and dangerous runner. At 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds, he accelerates better than most backs for his size, he's tough to tackle when he gets into space and has the second gear to run away from pursuit when he gets a seam. He's not one-dimensional, either. He's a reliable receiver with the potential to develop into a difference-maker after the catch, and he's a dangerous kickoff return man who returned two for scores while at Georgia.
The Rams don't have to rush Gurley's rehab, and they aren't expected to ask him to carry a heavy workload early on. On the other hand, his workload should increase barring a setback, especially considering that offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. wants to feature a run-heavy offense. Plus, the slow start should give St. Louis time to put Gurley in a better position to produce. The Rams drafted four offensive linemen and likely won't know the best starting combination from day one.
Finally, the Rams may not want to regularly use him to return kickoffs considering his injury history and importance on offense. But he gives them an intriguing option if and when they need a big play out of their return game.
Phillip Dorsett is one of the fastest rookies in the 2015 class. Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
3. Phillip Dorsett, WR, Indianapolis Colts
You can't coach speed, and JJ Nelson (Arizona, fifth round) is the only receiver to post a faster 40 time than Dorsett at the scouting combine. (Perriman ran a faster time at his pro day, but didn't run at the combine.) It's not just track speed, either, as Dorsett flashes the ability to take the top off of coverage on tape.
The undersized slot receiver doesn't have to make plays downfield to flip field position. He uses his explosive burst to get open quickly and run way from pursuit after the catch. He's almost impossible to catch from behind when he catches the ball in stride and gets a seam.
Quarterback Andrew Luck is surrounded by a plethora of weapons that will make it tough for Dorsett to stand out, yet he puts Dorsett in excellent position to make the most of limited chances. Luck tends to find the open man, and his ability to hit receivers in stride puts them position to succeed. Plus, he has the arm strength to strike deep when Dorsett gets behind the coverage.
4. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Tennessee Titans
Green-Beckham's 4.49 40 time didn't crack the top 10 for receivers at the combine, yet he still projects as a vertical threat at the NFL level. At 6-foot-5, 237 pounds, he shows a second gear tracking the deep ball on film, and his ability to win 50-50 balls downfield means he doesn't have to get behind the coverage to stretch the field. He's also a threat after the catch, even though he doesn't have great initial burst.
He is surprisingly elusive for his size, showing the ability to make the first defender miss, and he's a powerful open-field runner who excels at picking up yards after contact. Finally, he's a nightmare matchup in the red zone.
A hamstring injury has slowed Green-Beckham this spring, and he hasn't played football in over a year, so it would come as a surprise if he got off to a hot start. That said, look for him to flash given the chance, and it shouldn't matter who lines up under center. Marcus Mariota is likely to take advantage of a big target who wins 50-50 balls if he's the starter, while Zach Mettenberger has the big arm to make the most of Green-Beckham's ability to stretch the field.
5. Devin Smith, WR, New York Jets
Smith cracks my top five because he's the best receiver in his class at playing the deep ball and he excels at stretching the field. Although he has average size (6-feet, 196 pounds) and shorter arms, he's a contortionist artist with above-average leaping ability and body control competing for 50-50 balls downfield. He also does an above-average job of tracking the ball and has a great feel for hauling in over-the-shoulder passes. It all starts with his explosive burst off the line and his ability to shift to another gear running under deeper passes.
Smith isn't a polished short-to-intermediate route runner and he isn't great after the catch, but he is fast enough go the distance when he gets a seam. That's a concern considering that quarterback Geno Smith is a sub-par deep ball thrower and new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey is expected to tailor his offense to Smith's strengths (assuming Smith gets the starting nod over Ryan Fitzpatrick, which isn't a sure thing at this point). On the other hand, the Jets wouldn't have used 37th pick on a player if they didn't think they could take advantage of his skill set, so Smith should get some chances to show what he can do.
Paul Finebaum @finebaum · 27m27 minutes ago
Ian Rapoport @RapSheet · 4h4 hours ago
