Tavon Austin vs Deandre Hopkins

[Legatron4]

I feel like these two should be compared more in their careers. Is there a reason why Hopkins wasn't taken higher?

Hopkins
2015: 111 receptions 1,521 yards 11 TDs
2014: 76 receptions 1,210 yards 6 TDs
2013: 52 receptions 802 yards 2 TDs

Austin
2015: 52 receptions 473 yards 5 TDs
52 rushes 434 yards 4 TDs
2014: 31 receptions 242 yards 0 TDs
36 rushes 224 yards 2 TDs
2013: 40 receptions 418 yards 4 TDs
9 rushes 181 yards 1 TD

From a receiving aspect, Hopkins has been the clear cut better option. But from an overall perspective, Tavon has the same amount of total touchdowns at 19 and can do more(Hopkins has 0 rush attempts) for the running game. Plus, you can put Austin back to return punts and kicks.

I love Tavon as a player and think he is prime to put up big numbers this year. But would you still take Tavon at #8 overall or would you pick Hopkins instead?

 

[tahoe]

I wanted Hopkins very badly in that draft and over Austin. Hopkins would have improved the rams offense more than Austin has. The rams could have stayed put and drafted Hopkins and still had their second round pick.

 

[JoeBo21]

Yeah Nuke was one of my favorite players in that draft but still happy with Tavon and think he can put up some serious numbers with Goff

 

[…..]

Oh boy.....great thread because of the potential for divisive discussion.

To me, they're apples and oranges. WR1 DeAndre Hopkins vs Tavon (not allowed to call him a gadget player anymore) Austin.

Hindsight 20/20, I go with Hopkins. But thats because I'm older school and love protoypical players. I like the pocket QB, the MLB with blood on his jersey, and the true No 1 WR.

Not going to diminish Tavons skill set or value, and hope the Rams continue to find ways to get production out of him.

 

[Faceplant]

Yeah, good thread here. I am going to stay in the Austin camp only because every time he gets a touch, it could be 6. To me, there is no more exciting player in the game. Don't get me wrong, Nuke is a great WR and I would love to have him. I just keep imagining Tavon in an offense where the opposing defense can't afford to game plan to stop him like they have been able to thus far. The kid is dynamite.......

 

[Prime Time]

But would you still take Tavon at #8 overall or would you pick Hopkins instead?

He would have been wasted considering the QB's we've had. Happy to have Tavon with us.

 

[HitStick]

My final mock that year gave us both Austin and Hopkins...

I still dream about that scenario.

 

[NateDawg122]

I like Tavon a lot, but I'm taking Hopkins every time. Guy is a legitimate top 5 receiver right now.

 

[tempests]

He would have been wasted considering the QB's we've had.

I don't know. He was playing with Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett last year.

 

[Warner4Prez]

Wondering what the additional pick could have been makes it tempting, but I've been very happy with Tavon. I think last year's play was a revelation, and he really did things for this offense that other receivers could not do to generate yards and points.

The receptions aren't eye popping, but from a team standpoint, the production is real.

 

[Prime Time]

In the 2013 draft, instead of Tavis Austin, we could have picked Travis Frederick at Center or Tyler Eifert at TE. Wouldn't have complained about either of those two players.

 

[Ramrasta]

Hopkins has developed into a #1 receiver while Austin hasn't yet but I also feel safer about how Austin will conduct himself off the field. It's still too early to say which player should have been picked though because both of them still seem to be on the rise.

 

[OntarioRam]

Tavon is the better football player in my opinion (although not the better pure WR), so I'm fine with the pick.

If the Rams had any sort of passing game or decent QB play to speak of the past few seasons, Austin's all around numbers would be off the charts. It's no mystery why he finally broke out last year - Gurley finally gave the Rams another legitimate offensive weapon, to help take some of the heat off Tavon. If Goff pans out, gives this team a QB and passing attack, and has the accuracy to hit Austin in stride despite his small catch radius, Tavon Austin could easily become the league's biggest touchdown threat on any given snap by a fair margin - he's already got to be near the top as it is. The man does it all. Return punts, take snaps as a RB, line up anywhere on the field as a WR, BLOCKS....

Value-wise, we should have probably taken Hopkins and kept the 2nd round pick. But what's done is done. I'm thrilled Austin is a Ram. The real blunders are the drafting of Quick and Pead. I'd also add taking Robinson instead of trading #2 overall to Buffalo. However, if the Rams were set on staying put taking a lineman, I still think G-Rob will prove to best tackle taken that year before it is all said and done (yes, I have drank the kool-aid after seeing his off-season training at the o-line camp this year).

 

[Legatron4]

Tavon is the better football player in my opinion (although not the better pure WR), so I'm fine with the pick.

If the Rams had any sort of passing game or decent QB play to speak of the past few seasons, Austin's all around numbers would be off the charts. It's no mystery why he finally broke out last year - Gurley finally gave the Rams another legitimate offensive weapon, to help take some of the heat off Tavon. If Goff pans out, gives this team a QB and passing attack, and has the accuracy to hit Austin in stride despite his small catch radius, Tavon Austin could easily become the league's biggest touchdown threat on any given snap by a fair margin - he's already got to be near the top as it is. The man does it all. Return punts, take snaps as a RB, line up anywhere on the field as a WR, BLOCKS....

Value-wise, we should have probably taken Hopkins and kept the 2nd round pick. But what's done is done. I'm thrilled Austin is a Ram. The real blunders are the drafting of Quick and Pead. I'd also add taking Robinson instead of trading #2 overall to Buffalo. However, if the Rams were set on staying put taking a lineman, I still think G-Rob will prove to best tackle taken that year before it is all said and done (yes, I have drank the kool-aid after seeing his off-season training at the o-line camp this year).

He scores every 11.5 times he touches the ball. I believe those numbers will go up with a better QB and more options to take attention away from him. Not to mention all the touchdowns that have been called back. He had two last year. Not many players can score a touchdown every 10 times they touch the ball. Give him 5 rushes and 5 catches per game and watch his touchdowns shoot to the 15-20 range.

 

[WvuIN02]

Tavon is the more explosive player imo and has been on a statistically much worse offense while putting up the same number of touchdowns since he does it all. Hopkins is a talented receiver though.

I think people forget sometimes football isnt tennis and there are ten other guys that determine how productive your career is going to be. Take Steve Young. He would never have made the Hall of Fame if he had stayed on the awful Buccanneers team he was drafted by....he was 3-16 as a starter there with 11 tds and 21 ints and didnt even complete 55% of his passes. Did he turn into a HoFer overnight going to a stacked SB team? Hardly.

Let's see what Tavon does if Goff is the real deal.

 

[yrba1]

Would've preferred Hopkins but I'm happy with Austin. I'll be curious to see both players' production with a reliable QB. Don't think Osweiler is the real deal but he should do enough to give the Texans a playoff berth.

 

[ramfan46]

I'm with Tavon. He would have 5 PR for TD's if not for 2 very questionable calls. He's on HOF pace just for his return ability. He routinely gets behind his man on his go routes. He just hasn't had a QB hit him in stride except for Kellen Clemens of all people. What he adds to the running game is incredible given his size and the D knows he's getting the ball the certain amount of times. What's his rushing average last year, 8.2 or something silly like that? He's still getting better in all areas of the game. One little thing I like is how he will come up and fair catch a punt to save the Offense some yards in case of a bad bounce. He used to let most of the balls he didn't return bounce. Now he understands the game at a little deeper level. Hopefully that translates to his growth as WR.

 

[LesBaker]

He scores every 11.5 times he touches the ball. I believe those numbers will go up with a better QB and more options to take attention away from him. Not to mention all the touchdowns that have been called back. He had two last year. Not many players can score a touchdown every 10 times they touch the ball. Give him 5 rushes and 5 catches per game and watch his touchdowns shoot to the 15-20 range.

Sabermetrics says get him the ball 57.5 times per game and the Rams win it all. Simple!

This coaching shit is so over rated. This is exactly why Fisher sucks.

 

[Rynie]

Sabermetrics says get him the ball 57.5 times per game and the Rams win it all. Simple!

This coaching crap is so over rated. This is exactly why Fisher sucks.

No offense, but Fisher is way overrated. Having said that, he's still better than that red-headed piece of shit we have.

 

[tahoe]