The Arizona Cardinals took a chance on a former quarterback turned wide receiver who ran slower than expected prior to the draft in 2003. That picked turned into a two time Pro Bowler in his first five seasons. Anquan Boldin was a high school quarterback who moved to wide receiver in college, even though he moon-lighted at QB during his time at FSU. He ran a very pedestrian 4.72 forty at the combine and even though he ran quicker at his pro day (4.58), questions about his ability to get open at the NFL level remained.
Enter Early Doucet: another wide receiver with experience at QB but questionable forty times. His time (4.59) at the combine dropped the one time first round prospect to the third round and led to more comparisons between the two. They are both six foot tall and were within 7 pounds of each other at their respective combines (Q - 216 & ED - 209). Doucet recognized the similarities long before the combine though when he contacted Boldin through mutual friend before the 2007 season in an effort to get some advice from the accomplished star. Boldin has since taken Doucet under his wing both throughout last season but also in mini-camps shortly after the draft. Does all this really mean that Doucet is destined for stardom though?
Odds are Doucet isn't going to burst on the NFL scene with a 100 catch season or break rookie-records the way that Boldin did, but that's not what the Cardinals are expecting by any means. Doucet will most likely start out in the slot as the #3 or #4 receiver. From there he'll benefit from playing against lesser corners and should be able to be productive going over the middle and making tough catches in traffic. He'll be able to use his sure hands and shifty run ability to turn some short slants into decent gains. Look for him to put up numbers similar to Bryant Johnson's stats from his first three seasons with 400-500 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Doucet's role should increase as he grows in the offense, but as long as Boldin and Fitz are in the desert, Doucet will have to make his living in the slot.
So what do you guys expect out of Doucet in 2008 and in the next couple of seasons? Is he a future replacement for Q, or just a 'poor-man's Q'?