Let's not sleep on Auden Tate in the WR mix

[Whatever]

(06-03-2020, 09:11 PM)WhodeyRay Wrote: Funny you say Jerry Rice because Tate actually ran a faster 40 than Rice. He also ran a faster 40 than Anquan Bolden who I think he has a lot of similarities to. Not all receivers need to be be burning fast. They need to run good routes and use there body properly. Look at Gronk. Pats put him out wide a lot as a reciever and he is no Ussain Bolt. He used his size to match up on small corners and safeties. Tate could be a deadly weapon with a bright offensive mind calling plays. Kyle Shanahan would find a way to use this weapon for sure.

Rice's 40 time has been reported to be as low as 4.45.  Bill Walsh reported it as 4.59 after the 9'ers drafted him.  Keep in mind that official combine numbers were not released in Rice's day, so any numbers that would have leaked would have been hand timed by teams.  He is generally credited as running 4.55-4.59.  Plus, that was over 30 years ago.  Athletes are faster and better trained for the combine drills than they were back then.

Boldin was considered a potential 1st round talent that fell into the 2nd because of a disastrous combine.  His film was miles better than Tate's and any speed concerns there were got erased when he was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.  They didn't linger til year 3.  He also had 6 40+ yard receptions as a rookie.  Tate has 0 through 2 seasons.  It's safe to say that had better football speed that Tate.

You don't necessarily have to be a burner to be a great NFL WR, but that doesn't mean every slow as molasses one tool player teams take a flyer on in the 7th is an All Time Great.  Teams have to at least respect you going deep.