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Dynasty Prospect Profile: Laquon Treadwell

Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss

Height: 6’2

Weight: 221

Age: 20.7

Combine results:

(percentile rank among all WRs at the Combine since 1999, courtesy of mockdraftable.com):

40-yard dash: DNP

Vertical: 33” (16th percentile)

Broad: 9’9 (27th percentile)

3-cone: DNP

20-yard shuttle: DNP

College career:

A 5-star recruit and widely regarded as the top WR in the nation coming out of high school, Treadwell made an immediate impact as an 18-year old freshman. He led the Rebels in catches and finished behind only Donte Moncrief in receiving yards and TDs. All 3 of those marks set Ole Miss freshman records. Treadwell was named SEC Freshman of the Year.

His junior season produced 5.3 catches, 70.2 yards and .56 TDs per game but ended on November 1 with a nasty broken fibula and dislocated ankle.

Treadwell made it back for the beginning of the 2015 campaign. He got off to a decent start, averaging 5.4 catches, 74.8 yards and .2 TDs over the first 5 games. Then he exploded the rest of the way, topping 100 yards in the next 5 outings, scoring in 6 straight and posting a 6-71-3 line in his final contest. He averaged 6.9 catches, 97.4 yards and 1.25 TDs over his last 8 games.

Treadwell led Ole Miss in all 3 receiving categories, accounting for 25.8% of the team’s catches, 26.5% of its receiving yards and 31.4% of its receiving TDs. He led the SEC in yards and TDs, finishing 3rd in catches.

Treadwell was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award (nation’s top receiver) and was named First-Team All-SEC and Third-Team All-American.

Film study:

Courtesy of DraftBreakdown.com

Games watched - Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Auburn, Oklahoma St.

Treadwell doesn’t jump off the screen like you’d expect from a potential top-10 pick. He’s not particularly big or fast. And he wasn’t truly featured in Ole Miss’ offense. In fact, he was often the blocker, rather than receiver, on WR screens. He is a willing and able blocker, which will help him get and stay on the field in the NFL.

On the plus side, it’s tough to find a real hole in Treadwell’s game. He was assigned and ran a variety of routes at all 3 levels. He creates enough separation. And he has strong hands.

Treadwell’s 2 best attributes are his ability to win contested balls and his run-after-catch skills.

Check out this TD in his final college game. He makes the catch despite tight coverage — and a pass-interference call against the Oklahoma St. defender.

Here’s a contested TD catch against Auburn. Treadwell displays excellent body control, ball-tracking ability and hands.

After the catch, Treadwell is able to make defenders miss, break tackles and pick up yards after contact.

Laquon Treadwell (Ole Miss) vs. Auburn (2015)

Laquon Treadwell (Ole Miss) vs. Auburn (2015)

Fantasy potential:

Treadwell’s numbers, tape and measurables don’t scream elite WR and sure-fire fantasy stud. But it’s important to keep 2 things in mind:

1. He’s extremely young. Not turning 21 until June, he’s about a year younger than Baylor’s Corey Coleman and 2-and-a-half years younger than TCU’s Josh Doctson — 2 of the other top WR prospects in this class.
2. He was returning from a gruesome leg injury in 2015. Treadwell got off to a so-so statistical start and even looked a bit hesitant in the Vanderbilt game early in the season. But he posted elite numbers in the 2nd half and looked more explosive.

The point is that there’s still lots of room for growth here. His size and skill give him the potential to develop into a highly productive pro. But his path to get there is made tougher by the fact that he’s not an elite athlete on the level of recent 1st-round picks such as Sammy Watkins and Amari Cooper.

An optimistic comparison for Treadwell is Alshon Jeffery, a WR who wins with size, physicality and strong hands. A lower-end comp might be James Jones, whose production has fluctuated depending on situation.

Landing spot will be important for Treadwell. For now, I’m viewing him as a WR2 with WR1 potential if things break right.

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.