I wouldn't draft a wide receiver based on separation. Competitiveness is the key variable at wide receiver. That's why so many top picks at the position fail, because they can't deal with the round by round boxing aspect of wide receiver vs cornerback in the NFL.
Bottom line, if it looks like separation at the college level it won't be similar separation at the NFL level. Not even close. That's why the top criteria has to be the plucky guy, the one with athletic arrogance who will assert his superiority at the critical junction of hands. That is the make or miss element of the NFL.
I'm not saying I know who that is, in this debate. It needs to be the focus. You can't have a stable of low-separation guys. That's rare. Quite the feat for the Dolphins personnel guys to accomplish is. But I think the group element of low separation is causing the overreaction toward the variable and away from the vital pluckiness.
I like to make evaluations as if I never saw anything. It lends to greatest clarity, IMO. That's why I'm never impressed with anyone who brags about watching games or watching tape. Subjectivity leads astray. The Brady vs Belichick debate fooled people who watched the games...the details, the so-called strategy. They convinced themselves it had to be the head coach. But if you woke up out of a coma and saw nothing but the bottom line then it would be immediately 100% obvious it had to be the quarterback.
In Chase vs. Smith if I never saw anything I would pick the Chase blueprint and resume. But either one is fine. Seemingly there are more urgent topics.
I honestly can't believe anyone is being criticized for opting out. If I were owner I would use that as immediate black mark not toward any player but toward any general manager or scout who now brings it up. Those guys opted out when a once-per-century pandemic was raging, with uncertain dimension. I am actually far more impressed with the kids who opted out in the backwards states, than a kid like Sewell.
Also, I need to thank this thread for great evidence of why I eventually chose not to debate back and forth on message boards, especially sports message boards. It looks ridiculous, even when it involves two top posters, per this example. It actually looks even more ridiculous when it involves two top posters. Nobody changes their mind. It stands out as a colossal waste of time. That type of debate is fine in person. We used to do it literally all night in the sportsbooks. But then we'd grab early breakfast and it would be forgotten the next day. That's not the dynamic on message boards. The tension lingers. I eventually figured it out but it required several years. Now I'll debate back and forth on true crime forums but not elsewhere. That is a more reasonable population, probably because it's largely female.