Rookie Profile: Dede Westbrook, WR Oklahoma

Mo Brewington

The Conundrum

Dede Westbrook’s standing in the mock draft community is a bit of a mystery. Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling predicts Westbrook being selected in the third round of his latest seven-round project, while Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller thinks the former Sooner won’t be drafted until later… round six, to be exact.

When CBS Sports and Walter Football compiled their list of the top receivers in the draft, Westbrook’s name went unmentioned through the top ten. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah also failed to list Westbrook among his top 50 overall prospects for 2017.

To form your own conclusion on how Westbrook will fare at the next level, you have to decide which traits you value most in a prospect. If it’s on-field production, Westbrook checked every box in that category during his final season at Oklahoma.

The Output

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As a senior, Westbrook broke the Sooner’s single-season receiving touchdown mark, on his way to an 80 reception, 1,524 yard, 17 touchdown season. He finished fourth in the Heisman voting, and won the Biletnikoff Award, as the Nation’s most outstanding receiver.

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Statistics from sports-reference.com.

Going over 100 yards in eight of the final nine games of 2016, Westbrook also posted nine games with five or more receptions, four contest of over 150 receiving yards, and five with two or more touchdowns. There are a handful of receivers in the 2017 draft class who can boast the type of production Westbrook achieved last season, but very few who can match his level of consistency over those final nine tilts.

However, this strong season came with an asterisk… it was his only big year at Oklahoma. Westbrook played just two years of FBS football, after spending two seasons at Blinn Community College, in Texas. He came to Norman as a junior, and saw limited playing time in his first season, accruing a 46/743/4 statline behind former Sooner Sterling Shepherd.

Westbrook also took some time away from football to care for his children. That missed time contributed to his later-than-usual entry into the draft. He will turn 24 in November, making him one of this year’s older prospects.

The Measurements…

If measurables and stopwatch times are more your thing, Westbrook may miss the mark. He didn’t participate at Combine, but showed well at Oklahoma’s Pro Day, in early March — running his forty in the mid-4.3s and flexing a 34.5” vertical. He did not fare as well in the agility drills. Aside from his forty time, none of Westbrook’s timed drills or jumps would have earned him a top performer spot at the Combine. Here are his Player Profiler and Mock Draftable pages.

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… And Why They Should Matter Less

For many, measurables and timed drills dictate too much of a player’s fitness for the NFL game. Examine those top Combine performances among wide receivers over the last five years. You’ll find more mediocre NFL pass catchers and players who never panned out then you’ll find stars, dynasty or otherwise.

Given his strong production as a senior and obvious playmaking ability, it’s difficult to understand how Dede Westbrook could be omitted from anyone’s list of the top receivers in the upcoming draft. Yet, so often these list and mocks are loaded with players who aren’t nearly as dynamic, and haven’t proven their ability in a pro-style offense the way Westbrook has at OU.

Certainly, having a baseline for strength and athleticism makes sense. However, it should never outweigh a proven track record of production, especially when that production comes in a major conference against a high percentage of fellow NFL prospects. We’re picking playmakers to win a fantasy football league, not a medal at our kid’s elementary school Olympic Day.

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One of the biggest reasons for these oversights is Westbrook’s size. He stands 6-feet tall, a perfectly acceptable height for a professional wideout, yet weighs in at just 178-pounds (sixth percentile among receivers.) Some feel this slightness of frame will lead to an inability to beat press coverage in the NFL, even against smaller defensive backs. This is a legitimate concern, to the extent NFL corners bring a degree of strength and technique to the game Westbrook rarely saw in the Big 12.

But by the same the token… it is the NFL. The best offensive minds have already developed an array of formations and play calls designed to help physically overmatched wideouts get off the line of scrimmage clean, without having their release impeded and the timing of the play muddled. Any coordinator worth his salt will have a plan to make sure Westbrook gets out into his route, quickly.

His perceived inability to get off the line against press coverage means far less in comparison to the ease with which he will be able to create separation and find voids in coverage. His ability to shake cornerbacks with subtle movements in space will lead to wide open catches and numerous chunk yardage plays. Stopping Westbrook at the line of scrimmage will be the best plan of action for many of the NFL’s corners, who will have a tough time keeping up him in and out of his breaks.

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There will be those who test Westbrook at the line, but it will only take a few unsuccessful jams turning into long touchdown throws before teams realize they’re better off staying over the top of Westbrook, than trying to chuck him out his stance.

The Rap Sheet

The other concern leading draftniks to undervalue Westbrook are the multiple arrest on his jacket from alleged domestic incidents, all of which predate his time at OU. Though he was never convicted of a crime, the mere mention of his possible involvement in a domestic violence case is enough to send up the red flag for talent evaluators, especially in light of the attention Westbrook’s teammate Joe Mixon has earned for his own transgressions.

Dynasty Rankings and Value

Even in our own DLF Rookie Rankings, Westbrook is currently the 16th wide receiver on the list, and was not recognized among the top 50 rookies by our writers. This places him behind far less accomplished players with greater measurables like Malachi Dupre and Amara Darboh, as well as a host of players who achieved similar accomplishments in less competitive conferences such as Carlos Henderson and Cooper Kupp.

The doubts surrounding his ability to handle the strength of NFL defenders are the same type of criticisms which dogged T.Y. Hilton coming out of Florida International in 2012. Four 1,000-yard seasons later, including last season where he led the league in receiving yardage, and the 183-pound Hilton has become more than a deep-threat. He’s one of the most dangerous players in the game.

Westbrook’s workout numbers are eerily similar to Hilton’s, with both players posting 40-yard dash times in the mid-4.3 range, with verticals around 35”, and near 10-foot broad jumps. Hilton wound up a third round selection of the Colts in 2012. If the projections hold true, Westbrook may hear his named called around the same time.

For our purposes as dynasty owners, we should welcome the disregard for Westbrook’s NFL prospects. His placement outside the top 50 in our Dynasty Rookie Rankings means he could very well slide down to the fifth round of your rookie drafts, or lower.

Of course, the NFL team he eventually lands on will dictate much of his early success or failure. Yet, cruising through the NFL’s rosters, there are few teams in the league who are set at their third receiver spots. Westbrook’s proven playmaking ability will help him catapult up dynasty draft boards should he land on a team with a competent quarterback, and a void in the receiving corps.

Conclusion

It’s extremely difficult to watch Oklahoma play without Westbrook popping off the screen. It’s even harder to discredit his playmaking ability. He passes the eye test with flying colors. In the right offense he could have a first year on par with the one his former teammate Shepard logged with the Giants last season.

Westbrook has shown toughness on the underneath routes, quickness in and out of breaking routes, and speed over the top. His height and leaping ability are more than sufficient to compete for 50/50 balls, and the streak of production in 2016 shows that he’s tough to scheme into submission.

Dede Westbrook looks like a value pick at this moment, but if the mocks and top 10 list we study like farmer’s almanacs actually foretold the future, there’d be no need for the NFL to hold its annual selection meeting. The truth is, there’s a very good chance Westbrook comes off the board within the first 100 picks.

Should he land on a team with a capable QB and a need for a playmaker, he should be one of the first ten receivers taken in your own rookie drafts. If lands with a great quarterback, he should be one of the first five. We want to avoid prospects who require an intense amount of projection to envision their chances of NFL success. Dede Westbrook’s talents need no such theorizing.

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mo brewington
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