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The 2014 NFL draft was full of impressive receivers.

Of the players who ranked in the top seven in receiving yards in the FBS in 2013, six went in the first two rounds of the draft — Brandin Cooks, Davante Adams, Jordan Matthews, Sammy Watkins, Allen Robinson and Mike Evans. Teams deemed six other receivers worthy of first- or second-round picks, too, including LSU's Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry.

Then, there was Willie Snead, a Ball State standout who ranked third in the country with 1,516 yards that year. None of the 32 teams drafted him.

The Cleveland Browns gave Snead his first chance as an undrafted rookie, but cut him after the preseason. He then unsuccessfully tried out for the New York Giants, and a few weeks into September, he joined the Carolina Panthers' practice squad only to be cut in November.



Snead didn't know it at the time, but his experience of looking for a job would end when the New Orleans Saints added him to the practice squad that December. The Saints signed him to a futures contract at the end of the season, and in 2015, he proved that so many teams made a mistake.

"At the end of the day, I think it just came down to my speed," he said Saturday. "I didn't have any film in the NFL. I had a few plays in Cleveland for the preseason, but I don't know if guys wanted to take a risk on a guy that ran a (4.62-second 40-yard dash at the combine).

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skymike

i wish i could run 4.62.

SmashMouth

I thought you could in your neighborhood....

hagan714

Pro day? 4.56

Big difference in the forty was the ten split 1.6 vs 1.49.

other than that the rest was so so and nothing spectacular. So he was a tape and private workout player.

BUT he has lived up to his draft billing

Strengths
Controlled mover with nice balance. Gets in and out of breaks cleanly. Runs crisp routes -- shows some savvy and subtle physicality to work himself open. Tracks and adjusts very well. Has soft, sure hands and catches naturally. Good concentration to make contested catches. Confident and competitive. Excellent two-year production.

Desire is hard to measure

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins

dizzle88

Can't measure heart!

I still remember last camp when he caught a pass and tried to run straight through Brandon Browner, he didn't run over him but I bet it surprised a lot of people that he didn't try to juke him.

lee909

Got to laugh that Cleveland had him signed ad just like Lance Moore let him walk out the door. But then the Giants and Panthers let him walk too


Draft Profile

OVERVIEW
Prepped in Michigan, where he played for his father and was The AP's Division 5-6 Player of the Year as a dual-threat quarterback. As a true freshman in 2011, started 4-of-11 games and had 28 catches for 327 yards (11.7-yard average) and two touchdowns. Started 12-of-13 games in '12 and piled up 89-1148-9 (12.9). Started all 13 games in '13, producing 106-1,516-15 (14.3).

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS Controlled mover with nice balance. Gets in and out of breaks cleanly. Runs crisp routes -- shows some savvy and subtle physicality to work himself open. Tracks and adjusts very well. Has soft, sure hands and catches naturally. Good concentration to make contested catches. Confident and competitive. Excellent two-year production.

WEAKNESSES Lacks ideal height. Fairly monotone -- does not have explosive speed to separate vertically. Too many catches are contested. Lacks wiggle to elude tacklers and create after the catch. Did not face top-notch competition.

DRAFT PROJECTION Rounds 6-7

BOTTOM LINE Productive, dependable, fairly polished possession receiver with natural receiving skills. Lacks ideal size and horsepower to thrive outside, but his sure hands give him a chance to compete for a role as a chain-moving, short-to-intermediate slot receiver

"Two receivers to the left, Garcon to the right. Manning in the shotgun, puts Collie in motion. Looks in his direction...it's picked off! It's picked off! It's Tracy Porter again! He's runnin' free! He's gonna go all the way!

Utah_Saint

This.

He plays with heart. He goes back and gets the ball, he doesn't wait for it to come to him. And he's willing to take the lick, and he doesn't shy away from contact.

He's fun to watch.

st thomas

its nice option for brees to have, he looks for him with confidence and that alone is awesome. we will see some good football out of that alone, and another year together will just get better. hes going to get more respect this season and that will open up door for mike thompsons rookie year and cooks will also benefit from all the attention.

44Champs

Keep that chip on your shoulder Mr. Snead. All the great underrated players do.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

darstep

He's a good possession guy. Brees needs one.
He gets good separation and fights "to" the ball.
None of that matters if you can't catch the ball, but he can.
Good hands, tenacious, I like that.
Not afraid to catch in zone traffic with players converging.
I'd like to see some other guys step it up so that most get single coverage.
Brees will light teams up in those situations.