John Ross is the kind of speedy wide receiver that the Arizona Cardinals love
Conventional wisdom says the Arizona Cardinals will use their first round pick on either a quarterback or a cornerback. With Carson Palmer on the verge of retirement, a passer for the future makes sense. On the other side, the team has been looking for a number two cornerback for a while, so that’s logical as well. A non-conventional pick, but one that could be metaphorical, and a literal, homerun is wide receiver John Ross.
At the NFL Combine, Ross created quite a stir. The 40-yard dash is always the most watchable event, and the fast guys are always fun to watch. One of the sub-plots is always whether or not anyone would run faster than Chris Johnson did at the 2004 event, where posted a blazing 4.24 second time. Thirteen years after Johnson set the record, John Ross stepped up to the line and set fire to the track with a 4.22.
Speed isn’t the only part of Ross’ game, however. Despite being under six foot tall, he was a very effective goalline receiver. He knows how to get open, and not just by running fast down the field. He is a solid route runner, and can get open a number of ways. Then, of course, there is that ridiculous speed.
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There are some question marks that the Cardinals need to consider. First, and foremost, is his health. Ross has had knee injuries in the past, and had surgery on his shoulder less than a month ago. With his smaller size, teams will want to be sure he’s able to hold up in the long run. His lack of size could also limit his ability to be effective in tight coverage.
With Ross’ speed, he is unlikely to make it out of round one, meaning the Cardinals would have to select him with their number 13 overall pick. In his favor, Arizona loves speedy receivers, no matter their size. His production is certainly worthy of a top pick. His last year at Washington saw him record 81 catches for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns.
With Larry Fitzgerald’s career winding down, and no sure things behind him, it’s almost a given that the Cardinals will draft some help at wide receiver in this draft. There are bigger needs, so they might not use that number 13 pick on a pass catcher, but if Ross is still available, that 4.22 speed is going to be tempting.