One Man’s Rookie Rankings with Commentary: Part Two

Steve Wyremski

The Combine is behind us and the NFL Draft is less than a month away. Rookie drafts are starting (two in the books for me) and dynasty owners are hooked with a case of rookie fever. Rankings are still very fluid at this point, but it’s clear that this draft has a lot more depth than last year’s.

Given Combine and pro day performances, here are how the rest my rankings are shaking out. Keep in mind that the rankings of certain players (i.e., Marqise LeeDonte Moncrief, Jordan Matthews, etc.) do not align with the current thinking of the dynasty community. For receivers, their catch technique is huge. If a particular player traps the ball into his body and does not properly catch the ball away from his body with a fluid motion consistently, I will drop him in my rankings. That’s a huge red flag for NFL potential in my eyes.

Note: Rankings are based PPR scoring (1 point across all positions); picks 5-15, in particular, are extremely fluid and will continue to be until the NFL draft concludes.

Let’s conclude the two-part series with a look at some more of the 2014 rookie prospects.

21.) Bruce Ellington, WR South Carolina

Prior to the combine, Ellington wasn’t really on my radar. His combine performance had me jump back to watch some of his college games. There’s no question he’s athletic, but he’s definitely on the shorter side. At 5’9”, 197 pounds, he possesses a very similar build to Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb. He’s another receiver who exhibits solid pass catching ability with the tendency to catch with his hands away from his body. Size and route running ability continue to be the points posed against Ellington. Given the success of Cobb and other smaller compact receivers, that shouldn’t be a big concern.

As far as the route running ability, that’s a refined craft that players work on throughout their career. Now that Ellington is focusing on football alone and has ditched the basketball dream, you would expect his route running to improve. He’s another receiver who is currently underrated.

22.) Blake Bortles, QB Central Florida

bortlesBortles has the prototypical size, but is still raw. He still needs some work on his mechanics. With that said, he arguably has the highest ceiling of any quarterback in this draft. Patience will be needed though.

23.) Donte Moncrief, WR Mississippi

Moncrief is a physical freak with terrific measurables. He excelled at the Combine, but his hands are a big question mark. Typically, I’d be all over a player with these measurables, but he either uses his body too much to catch or exhibits inconsistent hands and poor form. Watch his combine workout and you’ll view this awkward form for yourself. The upside is there with Moncrief, but the hype surrounding his physical attributes reminds me of Stephen Hill. He continues to tumble down my rankings the more I watch his college play.

24.) Derek Carr, QB Fresno State

Carr possesses a big arm that should hopefully serve him better than his brother. His experience in a pro style offense in one of his seasons at Fresno State helps his cause, as does his strong natural arm. He’s a very safe pick.

25.) Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville

Big time concerns continue to surface for Bridgewater. Most recently, his pro day was a “disaster.” It sounds like the former ‘sure thing’ at the NFL level is taking a value nose dive. The question is whether teams are pushing this as a smokescreen. Time will tell, but his hype is probably bigger than his ultimate production will be.

26.) Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M

Manziel is a polarizing prospect. His style fits the current trend of dual-threat quarterbacks, but he does have some shortcomings. Specifically, he needs to improve as a pocket passer. He was able to get away with inconsistencies as a traditional passer in college, but he may not be as fortunate in the pros. We saw that with Colin Kaepernick this past season where defenses forced him to pass and locked up his running lanes. The same is going to be done with Manziel and if he can’t overcome that and improve in the pocket, he may not live up to the already lofty expectations.

27.) Cody Latimer, WR Indiana

Latimer is an underrated receiver. His physical ability, hands and measurables are up there with some of the better receivers in this draft class. He proved that at his pro day late last month. However, there isn’t much dynasty buzz surrounding Latimer. Expect him to be a popular sleeper come rookie draft time.

28.) Jordan Matthews, WR Vanderbilt

Matthews makes some tough catches, but I view him as a mediocre prospect. He has average size (i.e., not ideal / not small and compact) and he’s not terribly athletic. I don’t expect him to fizzle, but I also don’t expect him to be a top reliable fantasy receiver long-term. He’s not a player I’ll be targeting in rookie drafts as I view him as a better NFL receiver than fantasy option.

29.) Troy Niklas, TE Notre Dame

Niklas has only played tight end for two years, but he’s excelled in that short time. He’s not as athletic or a consistent receiver compared to Amaro and Ebron, but he’s more of a true tight end than the others. He’s much more physical and willing to engage with a defensive lineman, though, so he could see a bit of time inline as compared to the other two prospects. He still has room to improve given the limited experience at the position which makes him an intriguing prospect.

30.) Andre Williams, RB Boston College

Another ground and pound type runner, Williams is about the same size as Hyde and Hill. However, he doesn’t show the same lateral agility and isn’t as fluid a runner as Hyde. He’s certainly a powerful back, but may be better suited for non-PPR leagues as he has only a handful of receptions in his career. Williams, if he lands in a favorable spot a la-LeVeon Bell, could end up shooting up draft boards, though. He’d be a perfect fit for Rex Ryan’s philosophy.

31.) Jerick McKinnon, RB Georgia Southern

McKinnon played against lower lever competition, but he possesses many of the natural skills you look for in a running back. He doesn’t have ideal size, but the rest is there. His combine measurables were off the charts and his college production supports those numbers. He’s not being drafted too high yet and represents a great later round pick with tremendous upside.

32.) Devonta Freeman, RB Florida State

Speed is the main concern with Freeman. That’s no small item, but otherwise, Freeman possesses many of the skills you look for in a running back – size (i.e., bulk), lateral agility, quick burst, and solid hands.

33.) Shaq Evans, WR UCLA

His measurables aren’t dazzling, but Evans is one of my favorite sleepers who can be acquired very cheaply. He has nice size at 6’1”, 213 pounds and appears to play faster than his 40 time. His college production leaves much to be desired and he is often inconsistent, which are big knocks to his prospects. If he can get his concentration issues under control, he has a shot to produce at the next level.

34.) Jeff Janis, WR Saginaw Valley State

A combine hero with solid small school production, Janis is another popular sleeper. The concern is that Janis looks good in shorts, but is tentative on the field. You could do worse with your sleeper pick.

35.) Paul Richardson, WR Colorado

Richardson is fast, but he’s small. Despite the speed, with his slim stature he’s likely to have issues creating separation at the NFL level against some of the more physical corners. I view his size and inconsistency catching the football as factors that will limit him to a reserve role.

36.) Jarvis Landry, WR LSU

Average. There isn’t much more to Landry. He has decent size, but his combine 40-time of 4.77 kills his prospects for me. Overweighting of the 40-yard dash? Maybe, but despite his college production, he’s not a special player to begin with.

37.) Ka’Deem Carey, RB Arizona

A popular developmental pick last summer, Carey’s speed is a big concern. Scouts have been talking about his speed deficiency since February and continue to talk about it. That and the fact the scheme he comes from hasn’t produced many successful running backs historically leads him to the bottom of these rankings. I’ll be avoiding him.

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