Heading into the 2019 season, the Oregon wide receiving corps is largely an unknown commodity. Last season it was the Dillon Mitchell Show as the junior wideout became the go-to guy for Justin Herbert many games. But that will not be the case this season as Mitchell declared early and will be trying to make the Minnesota Vikings roster after they selected him in the 7th round of the NFL draft.

Today the spotlight turns to this critical position in the latest edition of For Better or Worse.

Last season under Michael Johnson the wide receiver group did not perform particularly well. In Duck Sports Authority's Grades and Analysis, the unit averaged a C+ over the 13 games.

Our partners at Pro Football Focus were perhaps less kind. Their season unit grade nestled Johnson’s group in between the Elon Phoenix and the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at No. 185 of the 239 teams rated.

One of the biggest problems was simply holding on to the ball. Oregon had 33 dropped passes last season, seventh most in the nation. The wide receiver group accounted for 22 of them.

Coaching: Michael Johnson to Mississippi State

Johnson’s unit never performed particularly well his two years at Oregon so hopefully the move to Starkville will be a win-win for both schools.

Transfer: Tabari Hines

Hines transferred to Oregon from Wake Forest then left the Ducks in November of 2018. In his four games in Eugene he had three receptions. Since he was already gone part of last season, we will consider this a non-factor.

NFL: Dillon Mitchell

Mitchell’s productivity will be difficult to replace. Looking at wide receivers only, he accounted for 75 of 157 receptions, 1184 of 2114 yards and 10 of 21 touchdowns. Basically, his numbers matched those of all the other wide receivers on the team combined.

On the other hand, several times in the game grades I complained that Herbert was too locked in on Mitchell, that he needed to spread it around more. That will not be an issue in 2019.

Coaching: Jovon Bouknight

Bouknight brings his 10 years of coaching experience at Utah State to Eugene looking to upgrade the performance of his charges.

Transfer: Juwan Johnson Johnson had a tough junior campaign for the Nittany Lions. For the season, he was thrown at 43 times, had 25 receptions and one touchdown. The knock on him was that he had six dropped passes, two of them against Ohio State.

At Oregon he is looking for a new start and had a great spring camp to get the ball rolling in Eugene. He seemingly caught everything thrown his way. With tight end length and linebacker physique, he has an opportunity to make a big impact right away as a Duck.

Freshmen: Mycah Pittman, Josh Delgado, Lance Wilhoite, J.R. Waters

Oregon signed the No. 7 recruiting class in the nation last year and these four guys played a major role in that with 15 stars between them. Wilhoite was a member of the prestigious Rivals100, Pittman and Delgado both Rivals250 honorees. And looking at three-star Waters’ film, he was underrated.

Delgado and Pittman both enrolled early and participated in spring drills. All four wide receiver signees are now on campus.

Of the returning players, juniors Jaylon Redd and Johnny Johnson III will be strong contenders for two of the starting spots. Redshirt freshmen JJ Tucker, Isaah Crocker and Bryan Addison will be in the mix for the two-deep.

Graduate transfer Juwan Johnson likely has the best chance of the newcomers at a starting role, assuming he maintains the level of play he displayed this spring.

The four talented incoming freshmen, particularly Pittman and Delgado having an extra camp under their belts, also have shots at the two deep this year.

Oregon may have lost their leading receiver from last year, but overall the depth and talent level looks much better than in 2018. Sure, the overall level of play by the group last season set the bar low for this type of comparison. But the talent level heading into next season is very exciting. And with a fresh position coach at the helm, the future is hopeful for Justin Herbert’s prime targets.