A 2QB Rookie Draft Experience: Round Two

James Simpson

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The first round of this 2QB rookie draft saw three quarterbacks taken in the top eight picks, so the second round was a chance for owners to capitalize on talented players who had fallen. Players who would be certain first round picks in standard one-quarterback leagues were still available, so owners could grab some great weapons at discount prices. I was armed with the top pick of the second round, and as the first drew to a close I had my eye on two players who rank in my top five – One receiver and one running back. I wasn’t sure which of them I would take if they were both available, but my decision was made for me as Jordan Matthews was taken with the final pick of the first round – making my selection an easy one.

13.) Carlos Hyde, RB SF

If someone told me before the draft that I could get Sammy Watkins and Hyde as my first two picks without having to trade up, I would tell them they were crazy. When I first started this team, I set out with my target year as 2015 and Hyde has a real chance to be a contributor by then – whether it is as the number one guy in the backfield or as part of a committee. He has almost everything you want in a running back except blazing speed (and you don’t need blazing speed) and will learn from one of the all-time great pros in Frank Gore. Hyde’s run against Iowa was one of my favorite plays in college football last year and I expect more tough yards and touchdowns in San Francisco.

14.) Cody Latimer, WR DEN

As I endeavoured to trade my way up from the third round into this spot for another wide receiver I loved (more to come on that), the owner with this selection told me he just couldn’t pass up on taking Latimer here. I fell in love with his hands when watching him, but he also does many other things extremely well, including route-running, blocking and playing strong. He is a tremendously talented player who should jump straight in and be an immediate contributor for the Broncos where similarly to Matthews in Philly, he will benefit from being in an offense that scores a lot of points and racks up a lot of yards.

15.) Davante Adams, WR GB

Davante Adams is a baller – and was the subject of my failed trade attempts at the previous pick. If I were to write a list of things that I love to see from receivers it would include:

  • Locates and catches the ball well
  • Catches in traffic/under duress
  • Plays smart
  • Plays strong
  • Times jumps well
  • Dominates in the endzone
  • Shows awareness after the catch
  • Plays with fire and feistiness

Adams ticks all of these boxes and more. His quarterback at Fresno State David Carr could throw a fade in Adams’ area knowing it will be caught (he had 38 receiving touchdowns in two years!) and now he will play with arguably the best quarterback in the league. Invest wherever you can.

16.) Tre Mason, RB STL

With no major needs, the league winner chose the Ram who is battling it out for a starting job with Zac Stacy. While I believe Stacy will be given every opportunity to take control of the backfield, I also hold Mason in very high regard and think he can be an eventual starter in the league. He excels at both being a direct runner in the middle of the field and making plays in space. An often overlooked aspect of any running back’s game is his stamina – something that we don’t really taken into account as fantasy owners but is very important on Sundays. Mason has the stamina and energy to take over games when defenders are gassed, something which he proved in the 2013 SEC Championship against Missouri when ran for 304 yards and wore the Tigers down deep into the fourth quarter.

17.) Terrance West, RB CLE

The running backs in this class weren’t overly exciting as NFL prospects (proven by where they were drafted), but some were certainly productive. In 2013, West ran for 2,509 yards and 41 touchdowns (both FCS records), and is one of the best runners in the class at what I call ‘finding the right path.’ He doesn’t wow you and isn’t overly athletic, but he knows how to make the most of each run by being patient and taking the right angles. He may be slightly overvalued and overdrafted because of the situation he is in, but he does show skills that could translate very well to the next level. If free agent signee Ben Tate can’t handle the workload for the Browns, West could step in and have great success.

18.) Jace Amaro, TE NYJ

I think this was a really good pick. Prior to the draft, I thought Amaro was great. He reminds me stylistically of Jason Witten, but could arguably have been drafted as a wide receiver considering the number of times he lined up in the slot each game for Texas Tech. The talent is there, but as we see with most rookies – the destination can determine the valuation. The New York Jets aren’t seemingly a place to look for fantasy stars so in some drafts he is falling too far, but Amaro is good enough that I think believe he can produce regardless of the situation. With a blend of strength and surprising speed, he could prove to be a valuable dynasty asset.

19.) Marqise Lee, WR JAC

[inlinead]Lee was seemingly a ‘value’ pick when the Jaguars drafted him. He was a value pick in DLF’s industry draft at 2.06 and he can certainly be considered a value pick here at 2.07. But if Lee is so good, then why does he seem to be drafted too late everywhere? He has enough talent to make this an easy selection, but the same issues that caused problems in 2013 are bugging him now as he has been watching Jaguars’ OTAs with a walking boot on. Assuming Lee can regain his health and keep it, expect an electrifying deep-threat – but it’s a risk drafters must take.

20.) Charles Sims, RB TB

Sims does not have the ‘look’ of a full time starter at running back, but he does do a lot of things extremely well – especially his ‘shake-and-bake’ moves. He catches the ball cleanly, and good vision helps him out in both running and pass protection. The question with Sims is – where does he fit in the new Bucs offense? Prior to the draft, Eric Hardtner explored how offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford would use Doug Martin and guessed that Mike James would cut into Martin’s workload – resulting in drops in receptions and receiving yards. I would now expect Sims to be the back who is heavily involved in the passing game as it plays to his strengths.

21.) Allen Robinson, WR JAC

It took me a while to ‘see it’ with Robinson, but I was won over by his outstanding intelligence on the field. His route running, acceleration and the way he uses his speed to get open are impressive. His 65-yard catch and run vs Ohio State was a perfect example of the way he sets up his blockers, exploits the open field and uses acceleration when necessary despite not being the fastest player on the field. He is better at setting up blockers than making people miss, but makes the most out of plays by taking good angles in the open field. Robinson could be great and develop into a star, so this is a solid pick towards the end of round two.

22.) Derek Carr, QB OAK

This was a logical pick by the owner of Matt Schaub, anticipating the young quarterback eventually taking over. However, I question how good Carr will actually be in the NFL. He was one of the hardest quarterbacks to evaluate as the offense he played in was designed to get the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible. While his arm is a thousand times better than that of Kevin Kolb, I can’t help but notice a similarity in the way that both players run away from pressure. When given the time and space, Carr proved he could make all the NFL throws, including beautiful fades to Davante Adams seemingly every game (see pick number 15), but simply having the arm isn’t enough. He is, however, expected to start within the next two years, so the owner has gained a valuable future starting quarterback.

23.) Donte Moncrief, WR IND

Moncrief is a physical specimen. Extremely fast, strong and explosive, he has the potential to be a star in this league because he can do things that other players can’t. While he had a disappointing season in 2013 and was overshadowed by the incoming freshman superstar Laquon Treadwell (number four on Rob Leath’s Devy 100, Moncrief still offers tremendous long-term fantasy upside and has an excellent opportunity to grow with Andrew Luck.

24.) Andre Williams, RB NYG

As a fantasy commodity, Williams’ value comes from his situation. He enters the league with tons of college production but no real wow factor or special ability that will make him stand out. However with no real star in the backfield, if New York decides that its ground game will be the focus of the offense in 2014 then Williams could be the beneficiary. He is a rumbler who can get straight upfield without dancing and certainly fits the mold of a ‘workhorse back’ but I think his upside is limited as he lacks great acceleration and elusiveness. Rashad Jennings will be able to provide more of a spark for the Giants, but Williams will challenge the 29 year old veteran.

In the first two rounds of this rookie draft, four quarterbacks were taken. The 2014 quarterback class was not very strong (only five were taken in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft) so despite the need for them, some owners felt more value lies in other skill position players who can make a real contribution to their team. If a quarterback doesn’t have to chance to start immediately, then a potential starter (or at least contributor) at any other position is more worthy of a pick. Stay tuned for the concluding rounds which see the remainder of rookie quarterbacks taken.

Who do you think was the best value pick in round two? Biggest reach? Best player still available?

Follow James on Twitter @JS_Football

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james simpson