I think you can make the argument for 5 receivers going anywhere from the late 1st to early 2nd in their own right, with scheme fit and positional need [slot vs perimeter] being the ultimate determinant b/c they're all fairly different players for the most part.
The more I look at Kelvin Benjamin the more I don't know how he could be one of those guys in the 1st. I definitely see it with Odell Beckham more than Benjamin. Watching Benjamin produce sometimes is a bit like watching Roberto Wallace have his big game in the preseason against the Bucs' soft zone. There's a lot of production that comes about because of Jameis Winston's ability to hit his receivers in the soft spots between the zones. But otherwise Benjamin isn't creating a lot of separation, if any at all, when covered in man. He's really good at certain things because he's so much bigger and stronger than everyone was in college...but I see him as a role player that I probably wouldn't even think about until the 3rd round.
I agree with all this for the most part which is why I have trouble slotting him. He seems to possess some serious boom/bust potential, but b/c of the boom part I gotta put him in the mix with the other 4 even though he makes me apprehensive in doing so. I share the same concern about separation, and part of me is thinking, he's already roughly 235, has good length, and plays with a physical demeanor and likes to knock defenders around, so why not just promote him to keep growing like he is and turn him into a TE where he'd actually be fast for the position? It'd really be no different than Miami transitioning Egnew from what was essentially a huge slot receiver to a genuine Hback who after just one year developed into a decent blocker. Spend the first year teaching him the trade and allowing him to fill out while giving him some redzone packages [like the Lions did with Fauria- 7 TDs] and by year two or three you'd have yourself an impressive looking 250+ pound specimen who might very well rival the talent and ability of Julius Thomas, if not more.
