DK Metcalf comps: The good, the bad and the ugly Part II

Friday I started into a three part look at wide receivers across the NFL who compare physically and athletically to second round pick of the Seattle Seahawks DK Metcalf. The first part looked at the twelve players who comped out similarly, and who had the lowest levels of production during their NFL careers. Those were obviously the ugly portion of the good, the bad and the ugly mentioned in the title, and today we move into the bad.

This group is not as clear cut as the group at the bottom, as there are a couple of players still in the middle of their careers who could move up based on what they do from here forward. In addition, this group is not simply based on production as the first group from Friday was. Specifically, there are two players who would be in this group if the grouping were solely determined by career production in terms of yards. However, because of draft position and the fact that the second player is still not only still playing, but still young enough that their best days could be in front of them, I made the decision to bump that player into the good classification and we’ll include him in Monday’s group.

In any case, without beating around the bush anymore, here are the five wide receivers I would classify as the bad.

From that group the two players who have had the most success were Michael Floyd and Cordarrelle Patterson, but based on the fact that they were each first round picks, their careers have been somewhat disappointing. After four years with the Minnesota Vikings, Patterson signed with the Chicago Bears as a free agent this spring, marking his fourth team in four seasons after having spent 2018 with the New England Patriots and 2017 with the Oakland Raiders. That said, Patterson has been first team All Pro as a kick returner twice, as well as having been elected second team All Pro twice while filling the role as the most dangerous kickoff return man in the NFL during his time in the league. However, since this piece is looking at production as a receiver, not as a returner, I did not take his kickoff return production into consideration.

In any case, the other first rounder in this group, Floyd, had three seasons under Bruce Arians for the Arizona Cardinals that made it appear as though he could be on his way to great things. In those three years from 2013 to 2015 Floyd recorded 164 receptions for 2,731 yards and 17 touchdowns. However, a poor start to 2016 followed by a DUI that reportedly came after drinking on the team flight home to Phoenix following a road loss to the Miami Dolphins led to his release. In the time since Floyd has played for the Patriots, the Vikings and the Washington Redskins before signing with the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent this spring.

Of the others, Legedu Naanee and Quincy Enunwa were Day Three picks, neither of whom had high levels of production in college, but whose athleticism warranted a late selection. Kelley Washington was a third round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals who never truly developed as the team had hoped, and finished his Bengals career with 893 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns in four seasons. He then went on to play for the Patriots, the Ravens, the Philadelphia Eagles and the then San Diego but now Los Angeles Chargers.

For these five players, here is where their career production stands heading into the 2019 season, keeping in mind that Floyd, Patterson and Enunwa are still active and could change their career totals going forward.

And that wraps up the look at the middle group of the comps for Metcalf, and on Monday we’ll dive into those wide receivers who compare athletically to Metcalf and have had the best careers in the NFL.