Preseason WR Sleepers

With the season approaching, there are a handful of WR’s that are entering the season with a chip on their shoulder. Some of them didn’t get as many opportunities as they deserve to rise their stock last season due to COVID cancellations. With all of them being from the 2022 class, they’ll enter their senior seasons with something big to prove. Here’s a look at five sleeper WR’s across Washington: &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="151968" first="Anthony" last="Aguirre"], <strong><em>6’4" 200lbs, Ferris ’22</em></strong> [caption id="attachment_32246" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-32246" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/07/PRZSleepersOffensive-300x188.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="188" /> Photo: Josiah Donat Prep Redzone[/caption] Aguirre shouldn’t be a sleeper for long, as he sizes up with a good frame at 6’4" with solid length. He’s a long strider to stretch the field when they need him to, and has shown the ability to win contested catches. He’s a creative route runner and utilizes this to generate separation. Aguirre possesses a large catch radius with solid body control and will catch anything thrown in his area. He’s flashed the ability to make opponents miss after the catch as well even at his size and length. He’s a physical blocker in the run game and projects as a X/Z receiver at the next level with a high ceiling. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="151976" first="Tusi" last="Apelu"], <em><strong>6’2" 185lbs, Jefferson ’22</strong></em> Apelu sizes up with a lean, athletic build and possesses excellent functional strength. He comes off a short 3 game junior season and was a key player on both sides of the ball. Due to his ability to make an impact from different areas, he should probably be listed as an ATH. He is explosive out of his stick and possesses strong, reliable hands. He has the athleticism to play both in the slot or outsides. He does a great job as a blocker to sustain an control his opponents, frequently maintaining clutch blocks for ball carriers. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="151963" first="Brayden" last="Baker"], <strong><em>6’1" 180lbs, Curtis ’22</em></strong> Baker was a solid player for Curtis High throughout his junior season. They like to use him in a variety of ways and get him the ball any way possible. He did a great job on jet shovel passes as he was very effective along the edges. Baker does a good job forcing an outside release when needed to open up space. He flashes solid top end speed for big play ability in both the pass and run game, and is shifty with the ball in his hands. He shows a good football IQ to identify and call for the ball in the soft spot of coverages, and projects to have a big senior season. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="151971" first="Jadin" last="Dogan"], <strong><em>5’11" 180lbs, Jackson ’22<img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-108908" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/02/PRZ-crop-750x492-1613408357-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></em></strong> Dogan didn’t light up the stat sheet last season, but flashed enough potential to jot down his name on your radar. He did an excellent job finding and sitting in the soft spot of zone defenses, especially on quick "spot" routes. He was primarily utilized in the screen game and shallow passing game, so expect his role and production to take a leap in 2021. Dogan flashed the ability to extend past his frame to pull in difficult catches, and possesses excellent balance as a ball carrier after the catch. He is the definition of a sleeper heading into the season and could easily pop off. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="151957" first="Jalen" last="Edwards"], <em><strong>5’10" 170lbs, Ballard ’22</strong></em> Edwards had a very short junior campaign with only 2 games played, but still managed to make some plays within that short span. He lined up in the slot for Ballard and holds solid route integrity to get back on his original stem after contact. He flashes a little bit of twitch which he could and should build off of, and shows a nice burst out of his stick. Edwards did an excellent job securing the catch while anticipating contact, as he was fearless across the middle. Expect Edwards to draw those targets given a full season in the fall.