J.J.

Arcega-Whiteside

Arcega-Whiteside (6’2/225) turned pro as a redshirt junior after tallying a career 135/2,219/28 (16.4) receiving line and earning second-team All-Pac 12 in 2018. Arcega-Whiteside’s 135.6 passer rating when targeted led all wideouts in the conference, and he led the entire nation in contested-catch rate last year. Arcega-Whiteside eased speed concerns by blazing forty times in the 4.47-4.50 range at Stanford’s Pro Day, although his vertical (34") and broad (9’10") jumps were disappointing. Still mainly a possession threat who struggles to beat man coverage, Arcega-Whiteside projects on the Terrance Williams-Malcom Floyd spectrum as a toolsy but probable role player in the pros.

The Saints didn’t have a first-round pick, as they traded their 2019 first to the Packers for the pick to select Marcus Davenport. New Orleans does have Michael Thomas -- one of the best wideouts in the country -- but outside of Thomas, the receiving room isn’t exactly scary. Arcega-Whiteside (6'2/223) would at the very least offer a red-zone threat, and we’ve seen what Drew Brees can do with big receivers near the end zone.

Jeremiah calls Arcega-Whiteside (6'2/223) a “huge asset on third down and in the red zone” and projects him as to have an “immediate impact.” If you’ve seen him play, you know Arcega-Whiteside dominates the 50/50 balls using a unique basketball box-out technique, but some are concerned with his separation skills. With that said, Arcega-Whiteside surprised during athletic testing when he ran a 4.49 40-yard dash. It appears that there’s some divide on where Arcega-Whiteside ranks in this deep wide receiver class, but he will likely be a Day 2 selection come this weekend.

This would be the first pick the Saints make, as they gave up their first-round pick in 2019 to the Packers in the deal to get Marcus Davenport. Arcega-Whiteside has received some first-round talk, but he mostly goes in the Day 2 range. With his ability to high-point the football, he could have a lot of fun in the Drew Brees offense, as Reuter notes. If he does “fall” this far, this pick makes a lot of sense on paper.

Arcega-Whiteside (6'2/223) is a contested-catch stud and he surprised with 4.49-speed at his pro day, but he’s expected to be a Round 3 or 4 selection. The reason why he’s not being viewed as a second-rounder is a worry about his ability to separate. Some draft analysts view this as a big deal while others see it as less of an issue. Ultimately, Arcega-Whiteside is best viewed as a team’s WR3 who can win deep and in the red zone.

Arcega-Whiteside (6'2/223) has plenty of production -- he posted a 63-1,059-14 receiving line last season -- but he is making a final push up boards after posting a somewhat surprising sub-4.50 40-yard dash at the Stanford Pro Day. On top of the speed, Arcega-Whiteside “looked terrific catching the ball” during positional drills, according to Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline who has previously reported that the Baltimore Ravens have interest in JJAW.

Arcega-Whiteside (6'2/223) came in with a respectable 40-yard dash on Thursday, in the vicinity of 4.48 or 4.49 seconds by the consensus. The Stanford wideout additionally logged jumps of 34 inches (vertical) and 9-foot-10 (broad). Pauline does not specify Arcega-Whiteside’s times on agility drills (change of direction ability is key to his evaluation). The Titans and Saints both met with the wideout around his pro day, while the 49ers sent out a contingent which included HC Kyle Shanahan, GM John Lynch and WR coach Wes Welker. Pauline passes along that the Baltimore Ravens are also intrigued by Arcega-Whiteside and that the team is looking to come away from the draft with two wide receivers before the end of Day 2.

Cardinal WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside was the big fish testing on Thursday and reportedly came through with a 40-yard dash in the high 4.4’s, a very sharp time when weighed against the general expectation. Barrows passes along that he “looked impressive” during position drills as well. We could potentially see the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder take part in the 49ers local pro day later this month. Arcega-Whiteside is looking to lock down a Day 2 selection for the draft.

Arcega-Whiteside did not run the 40-yard dash at the combine, instead holding off until his pro day. A 40-yard dash in the mid-4.5’s would have been respectable enough for him, so breaking into the 4.4’s makes for a sharp run. As encouraging as the straight-line speed is, the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder’s agility drills are what could truly make a difference in his evaluation. The Stanford wideout is a jump-ball wizard, but we’re looking to see if he has the athletic chops to be more than a one-trick pony in the NFL.

Arcega-White (6'2/225) was a beast downfield and in the red zone, where he scored touchdowns on 7-of-11 targets (62%). He did so by using a unique basketball-esque box-out maneuver and by high-pointing the ball. His size is obvious on tape, but a national scout told NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein that Arcega-Whiteside will run faster than expected as well. Perhaps a late riser in #DraftSZN, Arcega-Whiteside has the profile of a plus-WR2 in the NFL with upside for more.