Draft preview: Wide receivers

Two generations of Panthers second-round draft picks at wide receiver: Dwayne Jarrett (2007) and Muhsin Muhammad (1996).  All but 15 of the receptions by Carolina wideouts the last two years came from wide receivers originally drafted by the franchise. (PHOTO: ANDREW MASON)

WIDE RECEIVERS FROM AROUND THE NATION:

Kenny Britt, RutgersHeight: 6-foot-3 - Weight: 218 pounds**NFL.com bio**

Is the Big East's all-time leader in receiving yardage, amassing 3,043 yards on 178 receptions in just three seasons with the Scarlet Knights … Shares the Big East's all-time record for 100-yard receiving games (14) with Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald … Averaged 89.5 yards per game for his career and 105.5 yards per game in his junior season last fall … Snared 87 passes for 1,371 yards last year … Ran the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds and had the 10th-best vertical jump among wide receivers at the Combine, measuring 37 inches … Posted 23 bench-press repetitions at the Combine, second-best among wide receivers and better than all but eight tight ends in Indianapolis … Ran the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day and was timed at 4.40 seconds.

Michael Crabtree, Texas TechHeight: 6-foot-1 - Weight: 214 pounds**NFL.com bio***| ***TexasTech.com bio**

The only player ever to win consecutive Biletnikoff Awards … Two-time first-team All-American … Set national records during his redshirt freshman campaign in 2007, setting NCAA freshman standards in receptions (134), receiving yards (1,962) and touchdown catches (22) … Finished his two seasons at Texas Tech with 231 receptions for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns … Is not working out prior to the draft while recovering from surgery to repair a fractured metatarsal bone in his left foot.

Percy Harvin, FloridaHeight: 5-foot-11 - Weight: 192 pounds**NFL.com bio***| ***GatorZone.com bio**

Multi-purpose threat at Florida who gained nearly as many yards on the ground (1,852) as he did receiving (1,929) during three seasons there … Had an equal tally of 100-yard receiving and running performances (six apiece), and went into triple digits in both during a 2007 game against Vanderbilt … Averaged 9.5 yards per carry, 14.5 yards per reception and 11.6 yards per offensive touch, and scored once every 10.2 times he touched the football … His 40-yard dash time of 4.41 seconds was sixth-best among receivers at the Combine; his bench-press tally of 19 repetitions was fifth at his position …

Darrius Heyward-Bey, MarylandHeight: 6-foot-2 – Weight: 210 pounds**NFL.com bio***| ***UMTerps.com bio**

Posted the fastest 40-yard dash time of anyone at the Combine, running it in 4.30 seconds … Among wide receivers, had the fifth-best vertical jump (38.5 inches) and the fifth-best broad jump (10 feet, six inches) at the Combine … Turned pro with one year of eligibility remaining after catching 42 passes for 609 yards and five touchdowns in 2008, his redshirt junior campaign … Finished his three years with the Terrapins with 2,089 yards on 138 receptions (15.1-yard average) and 13 touchdowns.

Jeremy Maclin, MissouriHeight: 6-feet - Weight:198 pounds**NFL.com bio***| ***MUTigers.com bio**

Set 18 Mizzou records, even though he only played two years there, redshirting his freshman campaign of 2006 and turning pro with two seasons of eligibility left … Gained 5,609 all-purpose yards for the Tigers, averaging 200.3 yards per game … His 2,776 all-purpose yards as a freshman are an NCAA record … Averaged 24.1 yards per kickoff return and 12.0 yards per punt return … Scored five touchdowns on 133 total returns, an average of one score every 26.6 runbacks … First-team All-American in 2008 … Forced to redshirt as a freshman in 2006 after injuring his knee during a seven-on-seven drill … Timed at 4.48 seconds for the 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine.

Brian Robiskie, Ohio StateHeight: 6-foot-3 - Weight: 209 pounds**NFL.com bio***| ***OhioStateBuckeyes.com bio**

Finished his time at Ohio State with 127 receptions for 1,866 yards and 24 touchdowns … Averaged one touchdown every 5.3 receptions … Ran the 40-yard dash at the Combine in 4.59 seconds … Played in the Senior Bowl and finished with three receptions for 47 yards … Is the son of Terry Robiskie, who played five seasons in the NFL as a running back before beginning a coaching career that is in its 27th year.

Mike Wallace, MississippiHeight: 6-feet – Weight: 199 pounds**NFL.com bio***| ***OleMissSports.com**

Is his school's all-time leader in kickoff returns, with 1,392 yards on 60 returns, good for a 23.2-yard average … Set career highs for receptions (39), receiving yardage (784) and receiving touchdowns (seven) as a senior … Averaged 20.1 yards per reception last season and 18.9 for his career … Clocked the second-best 40-yard dash time among all players at the Combine, checking in at 4.33 seconds, three-one-hundreths of a second behind Heyward-Bey's time.

OTHER RECEIVERS:

Ramses Barden, Cal Poly
Deon Butler, Penn State
Demetrius Byrd, LSU
Jeremy Childs, Boise State
Austin Collie, BYU
Quan Cosby, Texas
Jarrett Dillard, Rice
Dominique Edison, Stephen F. Austin
Brandon Gibson, Washingon State
Brian Hartline, Florida
Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma
Manuel Johnson, Oklahoma
Taurus Johnson, South Florida
Johnny Knox, Abilene Christian
Quinten Lawrence, McNeese State
Brennan Marion, Tulsa
Mohamed Massaquoi, Georgia
Andrew Means, Indiana
Marko Mitchell, Nevada
Louis Murphy, Florida
Jordan Norwood, Penn State
Kevin Ogletree, Virginia
Greg Orton, Purdue
Darius Passmore, Marshall
David Richmond, San Jose State
Lydell Sargeant, Penn State
Sammie Stroughter, Oregon State
Nate Swift, Nebraska
Mike Thomas, Arizona
Patrick Turner, Southern California
Tiquan Underwood, Rutgers
Derrick Williams, Penn State
Jaison Williams, Oregon

WIDE RECEIVERS FROM THE CAROLINAS:

Brooks Foster, North CarolinaHeight: 6-foot-1 - Weight: 211 pounds**NFL.com bio***| ***TarHeelBlue.com bio**

Led all wide receivers at the Combine with 27 bench-press repetitions; he was one of just three receivers there to break 20 … Set two school records in the weight room … Finished his career with 97 receptions for 1,237 yards and six touchdowns … Had an 11-reception day as a redshirt sophomore in 2006 against Rutgers … Ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds at his pro day on March 17 …A product of Boiling Springs (S.C.) High School … Was a member of the 2004-05 UNC basketball team that won the national championship, playing in five games.

Aaron Kelly, ClemsonHeight: 6-foot-5 – Weight: 204 pounds**NFL.com bio***| ***ClemsonTigers.com bio**

Finished his four years at Clemson as the ACC's all-time leader in receptions with 232 … Is Clemson's all-time leader in receiving yards (2,733) and touchdown catches (20) … Averaged 6.0 receptions, 69.3 yards and 0.6 touchdowns per game in his junior and senior seasons … Clocked at 4.53 seconds in his 40-yard dash run at the Scouting Combine … Had the sixth-best vertical jump among wide receivers at Indianapolis (38 inches).

Hakeem Nicks, North CarolinaHeight: 6-foot-1 - Weight: 212 pounds**NFL.com bio***| ***TarHeelBlue.com bio**

Turned pro after three seasons in Chapel Hill, but nevertheless amassed school records in receptions (181), receiving yardage (2,580) and touchdown catches (21) … More than half of his scores (12 of 21) came last season, when he snagged 68 passes for 1,222 yards … Had a streak of 26 consecutive games with at least one reception … Was clocked at 4.63 seconds for the 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine … A product of Independence High School in Charlotte, where he earned SuperPrep and EA Sports All-America honors after earning 4-AA state-championship MVP honors in a 38-19 win over New Bern.

Kenny McKinley, South CarolinaHeight:6-feet - Weight: 189 pounds**NFL.com bio***| ***GamecocksOnline.com bio**

Is South Carolina's all-time leader in receptions and receiving yardage, finishing with 207 catches for 2,781 yards … Had career highs in receptions (77), yardage (968) and touchdowns (nine) as a junior in 2007 … Started through all four seasons in Columbia … An All-Southeastern Conference first-team selection in 2007 … Ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds at the Scouting Combine, 10th-best among receivers … Had the second-best short shuttle time at the Combine (4.10 seconds).

Brandon Tate, North CarolinaHeight: 6-feet - Weight: 183 pounds**NFL.com bio***| ***TarHeelBlue.com bio**

Saw his senior season come to an early end after suffering two torn ligaments in his right knee against Notre Dame, forcing him to the sideline for the final seven games … Was averaging 22.6 yards and 27.7 yards on punt and kickoff returns, respectively; at the time those placed him fifth and 18th in the nation … In spite of the injury, he finished his four years in Chapel Hill as the NCAA's all-time leader in combined kick return yardage with 3,523 yards, and is the Atlantic Coast Conference's all-time leader in kickoff return yardage (2,688) … Posted career averages of 24.7 yards on kickoff returns and 10.6 yards on punt returns … Scored on six of his career 188 returns, an average of once every 31.3 runbacks.

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](http://www.panthers.com/media-vault/videos/wrs-at-the-combine/f8d14934-18de-46cc-9616-c6567d8e2c2b)

Click here or on the above image to watch NFL Network's report card on wide receivers at the National Scouting Combine in February.

PANTHERS DRAFT HISTORY:

Over the last 10 seasons, the Panthers have enjoyed nine 1,000-yard seasons from wide receivers.  All but one came from wideouts the Panthers drafted; the sole exception was Patrick Jeffers, who snatched 63 receptions for 1,082 yards in 1999.

In the last two seasons, Carolina's wide receivers have combined for 335 receptions.  All but 15 of them – 95.5 percent – were from receivers that the team drafted.  Its three leading returning receivers this year were Day 1 draft picks -- Muhsin Muhammad (second round, 1996), Steve Smith (third round, 2001) and Dwayne Jarrett (second round, 2007). 

The Panthers have only selected receivers in seven of their 14 drafts, but four of those seven saw them select multiple wideouts -- 1996, 1998, 2004 and 2007.