Few positions have had a worse return on investment over the past three years than wide receivers drafted in the first round. Will that fact, combined with the widely held view that this class lacks top end talent at the position, cause executives to pass on a position of need?

There is no doubt that teams like Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers have needs at the position, but will players get forced up the board as a result?

In the past three years, only Amari Cooper has made a Pro Bowl after being selected in the first round. The others selected there have mostly underwhelemed: Kevin White, Nelson Agholor, Breshad Perriman, DeVante Parker, Phillip Dorsett, Corey Coleman, Laquon Treadwell, Will Fuller, Josh Doctson, John Ross, Corey Davis, and Mike Williams.

Yikes.

In a league that revolves around the passing game, finding elite weapons on the outside will always be a priority, but given the recent history, how will teams approach the 2018 crop?

NFL coaches are quick to blame the college game for inadequately preparing prospects for the NFL, specifically when it comes to understanding the nuances of route running and reading defenses. But yet they continue to place heavy bets on physical talent over precision and then seem surprised when Cooper Kupp outperforms a player like Ross.

So who will teams target on Day 1? The names often floated are Maryland's DJ Moore, Alabama's Calvin Ridley, and SMU's Courtland Sutton.

But Ridley tested poorly as an athlete, Sutton isn't known for his separation skills as a route runner, and Moore doesn't have much of a track record of top tier production.

So will the NFL be tentative about investing in such a valuable position that has generated so many flops over the past few seasons? Or will those classes be viewed as anomalies, allowing teams to go back to the well once again early in the first round?