Catching the ball is key, but if you can't get open it doesn't really matter. Iowa had zero separation ability the past several years.
Our WRs have trouble creating separation on there own, but so do most, except for the very elite. Very rarely are wrs clearly open D1 level unless "schemed" open, "thrown" open, or busted coverage.
This is absolutely not to say I wouldn't like to see more talent at WR, I would, and we need it. It IS to say although we had one NFL level Wr talent, an NFL TE, and a very legit #2 slot wr in Vandeberg, in '15......"separation" was still a huge issue and the passing game was well below avg....we had enough receiver talent in '15 to have a more effective passing game.
I will continue to contend that scheme, pass routes, pass playcalling, WR coaching, rarely throwing in the middle, and not taking more 50/50 shots(thus not moving safeties back) has had just as much to do with separation, as lack of talent, if not more, the last 5 years.
Again, I see teams all over D1 football, many with less talent at WR than Iowa, have significantly more throwing success. And few had even close to the level of running game Iowa had the last 2 years.
Would Love to see more high level talent at WR. I'm just not sure it would have been helped as much as many believe, given how we used it the last 5 years....
And I do think there's a really we are going after bigger "possession" receivers...and I have a feeling(and really hope) the passing game might look something like what PSU had under O'brian.....Oliver would be IDEAL in that scheme. I could be wrong...but it makes sense....