To see the real value that Texas A&M football’s star receiver Christian Kirk provides to his team, you have to look beyond the stat line this year.
The debate among nation’s best wide receivers starts with three names. Senior Oklahoma State receiver James Washington is the first name that comes to mind. Junior Alabama receiver Calvin Ridley could also get that title. Yet, the most versatile of all three of the names is junior Texas A&M pass-catcher Christian Kirk.
This has been somewhat of a down season statistically for Kirk so far. The quarterback transition that the Aggies are going through this year has not been friendly to the receiving corps. Head coach Kevin Sumlin has not found many ways to get the ball to Kirk either.
Kirk’s touches in all phases of the game have seen a small decline because of the greater emphasis on the ground game. True freshman starting quarterback Kellen Mond is getting more and more comfortable with the offense which means good things for Kirk, though.
As Mond continues to get acquainted with the Texas A&M offensive scheme, the reliance on running backs like Keith Ford and Trayveon Williams will continue. However, Kirk is the best weapon on this entire offense, if not in the entire SEC.
The opportunity is there for Kirk to make some noise rounding out the regular season. Texas A&M has been a pleasant surprise in the SEC West since the collapse in the season opener against the UCLA Bruins. Texas A&M now has five wins through seven games, with the only loss since the UCLA game coming against the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide.
Now, let’s take a look at three reasons that Christian Kirk is the nation’s best wide receiver.
3. Kirk is good on special teams, not just offense
This year was the first time that Kirk returned a kick for a touchdown in his three year college career. That touchdown also helped the Aggies defeat the Arkansas Razorbacks, which came by a seven-point margin in overtime.
In his first two seasons of his career, Kirk took five punts back for a touchdown. It’s only a matter of time before Kirk breaks open a game and returns his first punt for a score this season. Texas A&M should still have six games left to play.
Some of the best players in the country show that they are not just valuable on just one side of the football. Kirk is one of those players talented enough to make a huge impact on both offense and special teams.
Much like Washington’s Dante Pettis, Kirk can make an impact on a game in more than one fashion. Opposing punters have started to kick away from Kirk more which should not surprise many college football fans.
2. Good things happen every time Kirk touches the ball
Even though Kirk has seen a reduction in the amount of times he’s caught the ball this year, he’s still making the most of the chances he does get. Kirk has the same ratio of 20-plus yard plays that he did in year’s past.
So far, Kirk has been targeted 53 times for 29 receptions. He’s taken those 29 catches for 360 yards and five touchdowns. Kirk is still without a rushing touchdown in his career. Yet, he has a great chance to still set a career-high in receiving touchdowns.
Since Kirk’s career-high in touchdown catches was seven from his freshman campaign back in 2015, he only needs three more to eclipse that mark. Another thing that Kirk could set a personal best for is yards per catch. He’s just 0.2 yards off tying his career-best mark of 12.6.
As Mond continues to progress with the Aggies week-by-week, Kirk’s chances will continue to increase. He could be in store for one of the hottest finishes to the season of any wide receiver in the nation.
1. He should be the first receiver picked in the 2018 NFL Draft
NFL teams will take a page out of what franchises like the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks have gotten from players like Tyreek Hill and Tyler Lockett. Kirk offers the same versatility as both those NFL talents.
Depending on the NFL Mock Draft that you look at, Kirk is quite often the first receiver projected to be taken in the 2018 NFL Draft. Calvin Ridley and James Washington both have good chances of being the first receiver picked as well.
Some experts even say that Memphis’s Anthony Miller or SMU’s Courtland Sutton could be the first off the board in this class. Yet, neither has the exposure of an All-American like Kirk against SEC competition on a weekly basis.
Next: Complete 2018 NFL Mock Draft after Week 8
Kirk is not going to put up the biggest stat line of any wide receiver this season. As a team, Texas A&M has attempted just over 100 more rushes than passes. And, Mond’s completion percentage is just slightly over 50. NFL scouts do know what Kirk can do by this point, though.