Baylor wide receivers find steep learning curve in NFL

9:38 PM ET

Baylor is proud of the fact that it has had receivers taken within the first three rounds of three of the past five drafts.

Tennessee took Kendall Wright 20th overall in 2012, Dallas took Terrance Williams in the third round in 2013 and the Cleveland Browns took Corey Coleman 15th overall in the 2016 draft.

Add in Josh Gordon, who spent two years at Baylor before being taken by the Browns in the second round of the 2012 supplemental draft, and there are four receivers in five years in the first three rounds.

It’s an impressive achievement — to a point.

The receivers, while talented, are also a product of former coach Art Briles’ spread offense, a system based on getting to the line quickly and getting the play off with fast reads and quick throws. Spread receivers don’t enter the NFL with a full knowledge of the “route tree” or a full knowledge of read-and-react routes based on coverage.

While Briles’ system leads to big numbers for receivers and quarterbacks, it also leads to an NFL learning curve.

“That is the beauty of the NFL,” said quarterback Robert Griffin III, another Baylor product. “You get to step up to the next level and add to your game.”

Wright’s best season with the Titans came in his second, when he had 94 catches for 1,079 yards. But his numbers have dropped every season since — to a low of 36 catches and 408 yards last season. When he left Baylor, he talked proudly of not using a playbook in college.

Williams has …

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