DeVonta Smith or Ja’Marr Chase?
Which receiver should go first in the upcoming draft?
While quarterbacks usually rule the debates when it comes to the NFL draft, this year we have another position that rises to the challenge. The 2021 wide receiver class is expected to be one of the best and deepest of all time. But with such a great class comes great debate.
Who is the best receiver in this year’s class?
The debate is ultimately between two game-changing players. The first being LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase. The second being Alabama’s DeVonta Smith.
Now most mock drafts and player rankings look the same. Analysts have Chase rated higher and being selected before Smith the majority of the time. I however, disagree with those rankings. In my opinion DeVonta Smith is slightly better than Ja’Marr Chase. There’s a few reasons for this; but first, let’s take a look at both player’s stats from their last season.
Chase opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL draft. The last time we saw him however, he was as explosive as anyone. In 14 games played, Chase finished with 84 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was a consensus All-American, and won the Biletnikoff Award (given to the nation’s best receiver).
Moving on to DeVonta Smith now. The Alabama superstar was the face of college football last year. In 13 games played, Smith finished with 117 receptions for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns. Like Chase, Smith also was a consensus All-American while winning the Biletnikoff Award. The Alabama wide out took it a step further though, as he also won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first receiver to win the award since 1991.
Now statistics alone doesn’t make Smith better than Chase. It should be noted however, that Smith finished with 33 more catches, 76 more yards, and three more touchdowns than Chase, despite playing one fewer game. Numbers aside, the Alabama also has a few more things going in his favor for this debate.
The first being each receiver’s respective teammates. Let’s start with the quarterback. Ja’Marr Chase was lucky enough to play with the number one pick in the draft, Joe Burrow. Smith’s quarterback on the other hand was Mac Jones. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a Mac Jones fan, and he’s likely going to be a top 15 selection in this year’s draft. But ask anyone and they’ll tell you Burrow is better than Jones. Just look at each QB’s stats. In 15 games, Burrow finished with 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns, and six interceptions. In 13 games, Jones finished with 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Jones’ numbers are impressive, but Burrow’s are out of this world. Simply put, Ja’Marr Chase had an advantage over DeVonta Smith when it came to their QB.
That’s not the only teammate advantage Chase had either. Now you can look at this one of two ways. Either this player drew targets away from Chase, or this player opened up easier coverage for Chase. Both probably hold some truth to them, but I tend to lean for the latter. Now who’s that player? Only NFL offensive rookie of the year finalist Justin Jefferson. Before Jefferson took the league by storm finishing fourth in receiving yards with 1,400, he was Chase’s teammate at LSU. Having a player of Jefferson’s caliber on the field with Chase definitely opened up easier coverage for Chase. DeVonta Smith on the other hand, was without his coverage opener Jaylen Waddle for the majority of the season. This meant Smith was drawing the toughest matchup every time he stepped onto the field. Despite that, he still put up better numbers than Chase. Another advantage for DeVonta Smith.
The final reason I tend to lean Smith over Chase, is the schedule. In 2019 LSU got to face schools like Georgia Southern, Northwestern State, and Utah State. Alabama didn’t get that luxury in 2020 due to the Coronavirus. The pandemic forced schools like Alabama to play a conference-only schedule last season. Meaning Smith, and the rest of his Crimson Tide teammates didn’t get to face their regular two to three games against much weaker opponents. Even still, Smith was able to dominate all season.
Now this doesn’t mean Ja’Marr Chase doesn’t have things that lean in his favor. Chase was only a sophomore in 2019 as opposed to Smith who was a senior last season. The potential definitely plays a factor in Chase over Smith. The other thing is measurables. Chase is around 6 feet tall, and weighs in at 201 pounds. Smith on the other hand, is 6’1” but weighs about 174 pounds. The slim stature of DeVonta Smith might worry some scouts, giving the advantage to Chase.
With that being said, I still think Smith is the better prospect. The potential shouldn’t be too much of a deterrent considering Smith is 22 while Chase is 21. Smith’s size also shouldn’t hinder team’s decisions since he was able to dominate SEC defenses filled with NFL talent. In the end DeVonta Smith just has too many things going in his favor in terms of the debate against Ja’Marr Chase. We’ll just have to see what the NFL teams think come draft night.
