Kiper's Climber | Washington State WR Milton Wynn

There has never been any question that wide receiver was going to end up being the strongest position in the draft this year, especially with the addition of top underclassmen such as N.C. State's Koren Robinson, Michigan's David Terrell, UCLA's Freddie Mitchell and Texas A&M's Robert Ferguson.

Wynn proved to be a top-echelon performer last season, demonstrating that he could get the job done against cornerbacks in the Pac-10.

The senior group alone was already figuring to be deep and talented (including Clemson's Rod Gardner, Wisconsin's Chris Chambers, Oregon State's Chad Johnson, Kansas State's Quincy Morgan, along with Miami's talented duo of Santana Moss and Reggie Wayne). The underclassmen obviously took it to a new level.

I've not even mentioned such intriguing prospects as Iowa's Kevin Kasper, Eastern Kentucky's Alex Bannister, Ohio State's tandem of Reggie Germany and Ken-Yon Rambo, Grambling's Scotty Anderson and Walter Williams, Florida State's Marvin "Snoop" Minnis and Tennessee's Cedrick Wilson (just to name a few).

My point is this: With all the talent and depth at the wide-receiver position, it would be easy for an underrated wideout to get lost in the shuffle. This brings us to Milton Wynn, who wasn't even expected to be in the draft process this year. However, when he was unsuccessful in his attempts to gain another year of eligibility, the 6-foot-2¼, 203-pounder was forced to turn his attention to the NFL earlier than he anticipated.

The well-traveled wideout spent the '96 season at Bakersfield Junior College, then moved on to Los Angeles Valley College where he redshirted in '97. That season, he saw action with the basketball team at L.A. Valley College, averaging 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. He also starred on the track team, running a 10.7 in the 100 meters and a 21.6 in the 200 meters.

In '98, Wynn returned to the gridiron at L.A. Valley College, hauling in 44 receptions for an impressive 17.3 yard average and seven TDs.

Then in '99, he moved on to the Pac-10, signing on at Washington State. Wynn provided a boost to the offense right away, hauling in three receptions in his first game against Utah. Unfortunately, during a routine practice session the following week, he suffered a broken finger that forced him to sit out the remainder of the campaign.

Wynn was back at full strength and ready to go last season. Once again, he proved to be a top-echelon performer, demonstrating that he could get the job done at the JUCO level and against cornerbacks in the Pac-10. He led the Cougars with 52 receptions for nearly 1,000 yards and five TDs (an average of 18.5 yards per catch). His top efforts of the season came against Utah (six catches for 132 yards and two TDs), California (six receptions for 125 yards) and Oregon State (seven catches).

As you can see, Wynn's college career took him to three different programs, which prevented him from putting together two successive seasons without an interruption. Even with the lack of continuity, Wynn proved last season that he can beat quality cover men, while possessing the size, speed and athletic prowess you look for when projecting him to the next level. During his individual workout, Wynn posted a 40 time of 4.41 on a track, while coming through with an eye-catching 40-inch vertical jump. When teams convert his 40 time to a grass surface, he'll end up with a posted clocking of 4.50, which is what you look for from a wideout of his dimensions.

When evaluating Wynn's performance during the 2000 season, what jumps out to me is that he started strong, then maintained a level of consistency the rest of the way. He showed better-than-average pass-receiving skills, proved to be a real force in the open field after the catch and demonstrated excellent body control in jump-ball situations. He's still a developing talent, though, needing to continue to upgrade his route-running skills and also work on beating press coverage. He releases a bit high, allowing physical CBs the upper hand initially. Even so, when you consider his effectiveness last season in the Pac-10, the fact that he's just touched the surface of his future ability in the NFL is a reason to be excited.

Since he became a part of the equation, the NFL brass has been forced to do some catching up in the evaluation process. Based on the late work that has been completed, I'm of the opinion that you could see Wynn end up being selected as early as round two. Remember, he was productive throughout the 2000 season, possesses ideal physical/athletic ability and has the necessary upside potential to really excite the NFL brass.