When I think of Ole Miss wide receiver and NFL Draft prospect Laquon Treadwell, I think of the scene from Friday Night Lights when Boobie Miles' uncle was shouting his nephew's praises from the stands.
Laquon Treadwell is good at basically every football thing
Not only is he an elite wide receiver, he’ll happily knock somebody over or throw a trick pass.
He can block, tackle, score the touchdowns, snap the ball and kick the extra point. Hell, the boy will fill up the Gatorade cooler, walk the dog and paint your back porch. I’ll tell ya, that boy can flat out play football!
Treadwell’s career at Ole Miss has been a towering success by every measure. He’s done remarkable things in basically every phase, put up staggering numbers, helped build the program to a level of success not seen in over half a century and overcame a gruesome injury only to come back stronger.
During his three seasons, Treadwell’s receiving yards, average yards per reception and touchdown catches increased each year. By 2015, he became the focal point of an offense that was fourth in the nation in yards per play (7.07) and ninth in Offensive S&P+. Treadwell’s numbers as a junior in the SEC were exceptional, with 82 passes for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Numbers can say a lot, but they don’t give you a fully colored picture of 2016’s No. 1 wide receiver prospect. Let’s look over his resume.
Receiving
I’m not a scout, but I’m confident in saying Treadwell is good at catching the ball.
It takes incredible concentration to locate the ball over your shoulder, especially when you have a defender starting to climb your back like a ladder. He looks the ball in, secures it and makes sure it doesn’t get punched out. And he does all this while carrying a guy a good 5 yards on his back. Most receivers probably can’t make that catch.
He can also catch the ball when players are not draped all over him like wet laundry, which is an important skill as well.
Blocking
It’s not surprising he is a pretty good blocker. At 6’2, 221 pounds, he’s got a good frame with lots of muscle. But most of the time with wide receivers, blocking isn’t so much a matter of “can do” as much as it’s “want to.” And Treadwell has no problem getting physical, says one retired NFL defensive end with delight.
Rushing
He had six carries for a handful of yards. Okay, this one isn’t that impressive.
Defense
The three-year two-way player in high school had one tackle in college, when he fixed a Bo Wallace interception in the 2013 Egg Bowl by forcing a fumble. He is batting 1.000 at defense.
Passing
I mean, of course Treadwell can throw a good ball. Like a lot of other skill players, he spent some time at quarterback in high school, so this isn’t a shocker. He went three-for-three on trick passes in 2015, but this isn’t just a completed pass; it’s smooth.
Non-football
Yeah, that too.
The only thing he can’t do, apparently?
Run an impressive 40-yard dash time, turning in a 4.63 at Ole Miss’ pro day in March. This, of course, doesn’t mean much, since Treadwell’s game isn’t predicated on being a straight line burner anyway.
He’s been ruining defensive backs’ lives for years now, and that should be enough to stand on its own.
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