I'm the #1 Davante "hater"...never thought much of him but can't dismiss what he's done in multiple games this season. The one thing that has really stood out to me is he's gotten open on several go routes where he has a lot of separation between himself and the DB. I'm not sure how this is occurring as I don't have all 22 but it's hard for me to imagine it's due to his raw speed which isn't anything but a tick below average. Perhaps, he's winning at the line if they're pressing him with his strength?
Originally Posted by: uffda udfa
I could make a statistical argument that there is an inverse relation between speed and being a good WR, to wit:
Here’s the 3 fastest/slowest of top 10 WR per sports exchange:
2014 Cooks, Moncrief, Beckham/Evans, Benjamin, Allen Robinson (Landry #12 4.61; Archer #17 4.16)
2013 Austin, Patterson, Hunter/Allen, Hopkins, Terr. Williams (Marquisse Godwin #11 4.21)
2012 Hill, Givens, Jenkins/Sanu, Quick, Jeffery
2011 Julio, Gates, Titus Young/AJ Green, J Baldwin, Salas
2010 Tate, Benn, Mcluster/Decker, Lafell, Tie Dez Bryant, Demarious Thomas, Shipley
2009, Bey, Harvin, Maclin/Massaqui, Hicks, Crabtree (Jacoby Ford #15 4.22)
I think the reason is that College speedsters don’t need to learn to run routes to get open, so they don’t devote themselves to their craft [Guys like Beckham and Julio took to pro caliber WR coaching in college]. Suddenly they come into NFL and these speedsters can’t even run by slow pokes like Sherman and Gunter because these guys turn 4.33 speed to 4.65 speed with a touch of the finger.
WRs don’t get separation with speed, they get it by learning how to move at just the right time a certain way to get their DB off balance in a direction opposite of the direction they intend to head. And/or artfully pushing off like Chris Carter and Cobb on that Hail Mary. Of course, if a WR has speed and route running skill, you end up with Julio.