1. Justin Blackmon, Jacksonville Jaguars - Being considered the consensus top receiver in the draft can add some unneeded pressure to a young player.  After being picked, Blackmon became the longest rookie holdout.  He didn’t even participate in team play until the third preseason game.  This hurt him early as he has been shut out in two games.  His hands have been less impressive during he regular season but he has still managed to catch 13 balls for 119 yards.  The Jags would like to get him more involved but he often looks like he is overmatched and can’t seem to beat man coverage consistently.
2. Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals - Through five games Floyd has yet to start, but who can blame him behind some very talented receivers in Arizona.  Getting help from the legendary Larry Fitzgerald will undoubtedly help Floyd’s development.  Right now he is sitting in the middle of the depth chart and has appeared in every game.  He has six catches for 60 yards and no touchdowns.  For being a first round selection the Cardinals probably want to get him more involved.  It’s difficult to do with shaky quarterback play though.
3. 

   Wright could very easily be the top target in Tennessee for some time.  The team desperately needs offensive help to go with their young receiver.  Source: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

   Kendall Wright, Tennessee Titans - One of the more prolific receivers from the 2012 class thus far, Wright is geting his share of action.  He has started four of the five first games for Tennessee.  He has 27 catches for 214 yards and two touchdowns.  He has shown an ability to be explosive and has been forced to fill in for Kenny Britt on occasion.  While the offense as a whole sputters, Wright will continue to get more looks with Tennessee unable to move the ball on the ground.

4. Brian Quick, St. Louis Rams - Quick has only made an appearance in three games this season.  A popular selection in the draft, Quick has struggled to get things going in St. Louis.  He has one reception for 19 yards.  With Danny Amendola injured the Rams could try to get Quick more involved moving forward.  You’ve got to wonder if they’re happy with their third round selection though.
5. Stephen Hill, New York Jets - Hill showed early that he can be an effective wide receiver.  Then he disappeared, was limited due to injury, and now he’s back.  The speedy receiver could be a popular target in any scheme, but the Jets simply don’t have a quarterback good enough to get him the ball.  Hill has started all three games he has been in  and has five receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns. He’s a threat whenever he gets the ball in his hands.
6. Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears - Jeffery has started to games for the Bears and has looked better each game.  He has been active in all five games and has 14 receptions for 184 yards and two scores.  Jeffery presents a big red zone threat and draws attention from Brandon Marshall.  The impact for Jeffery goes well beyond his reception numbers as he is a big-bodied receiver that must be respected by the defense.
7. Rueben Randle, New York Giants - Having appeared in every game but not started due to the depth at the position, Randle is in a prime position to learn from some very good receivers and to be an effective piece of the New York Giants puzzle when called upon.  Randle currently has seven receptions for 86 yards.  He is filling the role that Tom Coughlin wants: more depth that can be relied upon.
8. Mohamed Sanu, Cincinnati Bengals - A curious note on Sanu is his lack of use with the Bengals.  Sanu has only been active for three games with the Bengals, starting one…to throw the ball.  Sanu has no catches to his name thus far but does have a perfect passer rating with one pass for 73 yards and a touchdown.  At this point I wonder if the Bengals are keeping his receiving skills quiet simply because they want to use his pure athleticism at a later point in the season.  It’ll work, especially if the other team is worried that he can continue to pass or be effective in other ways whenever he is on the field.

As it all starts to shape up you’ve got to wonder about who really is the best receiver to come out of the draft.  With the Jake Locker injury in Tennessee you can expect some drop-off for Wright’s numbers, but he’s looking like a very good receiver at this point. A lot of these players are buried on teams that need help right now, but it appears the rookie receivers aren’t bailing out their struggling quarterbacks as much as the team would like.  We’ll continue to observe the progress here at B&T as the season progresses.

- Luke N. Sims

1. Justin Blackmon sat out of the final day of the May 4-6 minicamp with a sore foot.  Coach Mike Mularkey said it wasn’t a big deal and that the team had “[seen] what we needed to see” so taking him out for the day to prevent further aggravation was fine by him.  Blackmon displayed his superb hands the first three practices by making plays on poorly thrown balls.  There haven’t been any circus catches and he is learning the playbook, but Mularkey fully expects that “He’ll get faster in everything he does.”
2. Michael Floyd has some sources exited about his play.  Some are even saying that he is expected to be the most productive receiver. Floyd would like to cut down his weight to increase his endurance and stamina in the Arizona offense.  After the mini-camp, Floyd knows he needs to get faster and quicker in order to be competitive in the NFL.
3. Kendall Wright as you all well know, is not a favorite of mine.  But despite my opposition, the Titans thought he was worthy of a first round pick.  The Titans gave Wright his first ever playbook.  Yes, you read that right.  Over the mini-camp weekend, it was revealed that Wright has never studied a playbook and instead has memorized every play through high school and college.  It may appear that this receivers brainpower is superb to go with hands that have the Titans buzzing.  After his solid mini-camp the Titans are impressed that he is learning everything about the offense.  This may be a receiver that succeeds with his brain – quite the scary thought for the Titans’ opposition.
4. Brian Quick has reportedly turned heads at the St. Louis mini-camp.  He reportedly didn’t drop a ball all day, which is really something.  The Rams think they have found the explosive player they need to pair with Sam Bradford.  Based on what I’ve been hearing out of St. Louis, I think they’re probably right.

5. 

   Stephen Hill wowed scouts at the combine with his unbelievable speed.  The Jets, of course, bit.  Hill already has his contract signed and had nothing to distract him in camp from his play.  Hill impressed the team, especially head coach Rex Ryan, with his speed and big 6’4″ frame.  Hill dropped one pass in drills – a deep ball that bounced off his finger tips.  Ryan is excited over Hill’s performance and says he will be starting this season.

6. Alshon Jeffery has ex-Vikings head coach Mike Tice pretty happy.  He beat the cornerbacks, plucking the ball above their heads during the Chicago Bears’ mini-camp.  While Jeffery left Friday with cramping, he came back to participate all through Saturday.  Some say he didn’t look entirely comfortable, though his hands still have the Bears excited.  He looks like he will be a good addition behind newly acquired WR Brandon Marshall.
7. Rueben Randle has already begun impressing the Giants with his polished play. While he had a few drops during the mini-camp he displayed great athleticism and should serve as a very good replacement for Mario Manningham (San Francisco) in the coming season.  Expect his hands to improve with time but the athleticism to remain (and cause fits for defensive coordinators).

8. 

   Mohamed Sanu didn’t separate himself from the pack during the rookie mini-camp.  He made some plays against 1st round selection, CB Dre Kirkpatrick, but hasn’t established himself as a top receiver for the Bengals…yet.  I fully expect Sanu to make the Bengals roster and prove well worth the third round pick spent on him.  Head Coach Marvin Lewis expects Sanu to come in and contribute right away.  He is everything the Bengals expected from him.  I bargain they’ll receive much more in the long run.

Keeping tabs on the top receivers in the 2012 class is crucial as we grow to (hopefully) love and appreciate Justin Blackmon.  Much like the comparisons between Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco, the receivers from 2012 will always be pegged to each other.  So far it is appearing that the players will make impacts, but who will make the most impact on their respective rosters is what matters.  It sounds like Michael Floyd will provide exactly what John Skelton/Kevin Kolb need in Arizona, currently he appears to be the measure against which all others will be weighed.

Of course, that’s if you believe everything the coaches told the press following the mini-camps…

- Luke N. Sims

1. Justin Blackmon sat out of the final day of the weekend’s minicamp with a sore foot.  Coach Mike Mularkey says it isn’t a big deal and that the team had “[seen] what we needed to see” so taking him out for the day to prevent further aggravation was fine by him.  Blackmon displayed his superb hands the first three practices by making plays on poorly thrown balls.  There haven’t been any circus catches and he is learning the playbook, but Mularkey fully expects that “He’ll get faster in everything he does.”
2. Michael Floyd is expected to be the most productive receiver according to some sources.  Arizona’s own coach, Ken Whisenhunt admitted he had Floyd as the seventh best player on his board and the second best receiver before the draft.  Arizona doesn’t have its rookie mini-camp until the 11th, so news has been slow, but expect some good reports to come out about the Larry Fitzgerald-mentored Floyd.
3. Kendall Wright is not a favorite of mine.  But despite my opposition, the Titans thought he was worthy of a first round pick.  When Wright was taken, many expected a defensive player.  GM Ruston Webster defended his selection by saying he’d rather take a wide receiver he had rated highly than his third or fourth rated defensive prospect.  Wright enters a good situation with wide-man Matt Hasselbeck and the franchise’s future – Jake Locker competing to throw at him.  Wright will participate in the Titans’ rookie mini-camp beginning on May 11th.
4. Brian Quick has a shot to be something special in St. Louis.  It’s reported that head coach Jeff Fischer and Co. were less stressed about having to nab Blackmon on draft day after visiting with Quick but you’ve got to wonder about that.  Quick is talented and by all reports Fischer expects him to do big things for the Rams.  The Rams love Quick, but some of the fan base seems confused.  We’ll find out how enamored the team is when mini-camp begins on May 11.
5. 

   He's got hands to go with his speed! Source: Jim O

   Stephen Hill wowed scouts at the combine with his unbelievable speed.  The Jets, of course, bit.  Hill already has his contract signed and had nothing to distract him in camp from his play.  Hill impressed the team, especially head coach Rex Ryan, with his speed and big 6’4″ frame.  Hill dropped one pass in drills – a deep ball that bounced off his finger tips.  Ryan is excited over Hill’s performance and says he will be starting this season.

6. Alshon Jeffery enters a pretty plush situation in Chicago.  He isn’t expected to be the top receiver on the depth chart thanks to the Bears trade for Miami’s Brandon Marshall.  But with a role model like Marshall around, you’ve got to wonder about how Jeffery’s character concerns will go away.  Will he be motivated enough?  I’m not certain he will be, but Chicago’s willing to take a chance.  They’ll find out if he has shed some pounds and is ready to work when he reports for their May 11 mini-camp.
7. Rueben Randle was an intriguing choice by the Giants in the second round. Randle was selected with the 31st pick of the second round.   Marc Ross, New York’s director of scouting, thinks Randle is better than his college stats because of the mediocre quarterback play at LSU.  This helps to explain why the Giants had Randle ranked higher than many teams.  Randle himself says that he’s not quite NFL ready.  Makes you start to scratch your head about the confidence the kid will bring with him to mini-camp on the 11th.
8. 

   Sanu's got skills! Source: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

   Mohamed Sanu went to the Bengals in the third round.  Sanu is a player I believe could have been a first round prospect and will succeed in the NFL.  Sanu is a gifted runner and should fit well with A.J. Green and Andy Dalton in Cincinnati.  The fanbase seems excited to have Mo’ Sanu around and will be able to see some great play.  Sanu could make a big splash with the Bengals this season, and I’m looking forward to that beginning with mini-camps on May 11.

While the jury will be out on all of these players for a bit, it’s about that time when teams can really begin to analyze what they’ve got.  As the reports come in, we’ll be keeping tabs here at B&T to see how Justin Blackmon compares to his main competition.  The receiver class is deep this year and it’s looking like a lot of teams are relying on their receivers to provide some highlights this offseason and on the field when the regular season finally begins.

- Luke N. Sims