A pair of LSU wide receivers are set to make the leap from the SEC to the NFL this spring, and between Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., scouts consider Landry to be more NFL-ready at this point.
Landry is coming off a junior campaign in which he led the Tigers with 75 catches for 1,172 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to second-team all-SEC honors. He finished as the nation’s top wideout when it came to third downs, finishing with 453 yards and six touchdowns and six catches of 25 yards or more.
Touted for his ability to get open quickly, Landry is capable of being the quick go-to option for quarterbacks, as he excels at getting off defenders at the line of scrimmage. He’s a talented route-runner with superb catching ability even while working through traffic.
The knock on Landry is that he doesn’t possess game-changing speed and he’s not the home-run threat like Beckham is, which is why he’s better off playing from the slot. In addition, his size (6-foot-1) is an area of concern.
The seventh-ranked wideout in the class, right ahead of teammate Beckham, according to ESPN, and is No. 9, according to CBS Sports. He’s bound to be in that cluster of wide receivers that will fall anywhere between the end of the first to second round. According to ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay, Landry should be a Day 2 selection.
Should Landry get swept off the board in the first round, it seems as if the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers could be a perfect landing spot for him. Carolina has been trying to find another weapon opposite of Steve Smith for years, and throwing Landry into the mix from the slot could really benefit Cam Newton. Landry could also join the Niners, and along with Michael Crabtree split wide and Vernon Davis at tight end, the trio could become a palpable receiving corp for Colin Kaepernick entering his third year as a starter.
In the second round, teams looking to add a No. 3 receiver could be the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, and Denver Broncos. The Browns have Josh Gordon and Greg Little out wide, but could use a weapon in the middle of the field. The Bucs would have quite a trio between Landry, Vincent Jackson, and Mike Williams. New England makes sense, but that depends on what happens with Julian Edelman. And should Eric Decker walk in free agency, Landry could fit in with Peyton Manning and Co.
