Alabama Football: There has been a serious wide receiver shortage recently
Between 2020 and 2022, the Alabama Football programme produced elite wide receivers for the NFL, with two or more receivers selected at such time. Jerry Jeudy was drafted fifteenth overall in 2020, and Henry Ruggs III was selected twelfth overall. Devonta Smith was chosen tenth overall in the 2021 draft, while Jaylen Waddle was selected sixth overall. John Metchie finished 44th overall in 2022, and Jameson Williams finished 12th overall.
Before the Alabama Football team began selecting two wide outs annually, they were almost always producing first-round talent. In 2018, Calvin Ridley was selected 26th overall, and ArDarius Stewart was selected 79th. Julio Jones was selected sixth overall in 2011 and Amari Cooper was selected fourth overall in 2015.
Next, let’s start with the 2023 NFL Draft, in which, despite having a quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy, no wide receivers were selected. Additionally, no Alabama receiver has exceeded the 800-yard mark since 2013, which changed during the 2022 Alabama Football season. Jermaine Burton was the top receiver in 2022 with 677 yards on 40 catches and seven touchdowns.
This pattern continued into the 2023 season, when Jermaine Burton of Alabama Football came the closest with 798 yards, but no receiver from the team broke 800 yards once again. Since 2004 and 2005, this was the first time that the Alabama Football programme had consecutive seasons without a receiver accumulating more than 800 yards. If Jermaine Burton declares, the Alabama football team will also not have a receiver selected in the first round; instead, they will probably select him on day two.
Why has this started to catch on? Where is the right location to assign blame? Will this be fixed by a new receiver coach? Is there a coaching or recruiting issue here?
