Next Man Up: Ermon Lane and Travis Rudolph

Rob Willette

lane

Dynasty Scouts “Next Man Up” series will profile the players ready to replace departing stars. They’re the talents that have bided their time behind Heisman candidates, or the freshman ready to explode onto the national scene. They may not replicate the production of their predecessors, yet they’re the best person equipped for the job.

Florida State Seminoles Receivers:

Moving On: Rashad Greene (99 receptions for 1,365 yards and seven touchdowns)
Taking His Place: Travis Rudolph (38 receptions for 555 yards and four touchdowns), Ermon Lane (13 receptions for 267 yards and one touchdown)     

Next Man Up

A departing star is often replaced by a committee and it will likely take several individuals to fill in for former Seminole receiver Rashad Greene. Despite being a middling NFL prospect, lasting until round five before being selected by the Jaguars, Greene was the top target for both E.J. Manuel and Jameis Winston during his college career and seemingly got open at will against ACC defenses. The Seminoles have loaded up on elite recruits at the receiver position in the last two classes, though it is likely two sophomores will get the first crack at becoming the top man in the Seminoles’ passing game hierarchy.

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The Goods

Both Ermon Lane and Travis Rudolph were ballyhooed members of the 2014 Seminoles’ recruiting class. A juxtaposition of their careers in Tallahassee will undoubtedly take place, with each expected to become a premier playmaker for an offense in transition. Lane fits the prototype, with a long, sinewy build and effortless movement skills. The former Gator commit was a composite five star recruit on 247 sports and on raw high-end upside alone may have been rivaled by only Malachi Dupre and Josh Malone in the 2014 cycle. Of course, the college football landscape is littered with the tattered remains of five star dreams, but it illustrates Lane’s physical tools and natural talent.

Rudolph took a less orthodox path to Tallahassee. For much of his high school career, the West Palm Beach native was a dime a dozen three star recruit who had the look of a cornerback at the collegiate level. Following a strong senior season and dominant all-star game run, Rudolph emerged as one of the nation’s best receivers, with Rivals even anointing him as the top receiver in the class. Much like Lane, he offers more short area quickness than elite long speed and becomes more dangerous with the football in his hands. Despite holding a somewhat prominent role for one of the nation’s elite programs as a true freshman, Rudolph’s game is still somewhat of an unknown. His high school offense featured a run-heavy scheme and the Seminoles found ways to get him in space in order to make plays after the catch. This makes his true potential both appealing and puzzling.

Current Value

It seems both Lane and Rudolph are being punished for not dominating college football as true freshman. While a cautious approach is understandable for two relatively unestablished players, their respective ADPs of 61 (Rudolph) and N/A (Lane) indicate they are merely afterthoughts during the commissioning of devy drafts. There are countless of pedestrian talents being valued more highly than these two, most notably Ricky Seals-Jones (40); Storm Woods (56); and Dak Prescott (59). If I am taking a back-end flier – whether it is to fill my bench or the last spot on my devy roster – I do not see the value in looking for a bunt single when you can swing for the fences with one of the Seminoles’ talented sophomores.

Devy Projection:

Both Lane and Rudolph will be leaned on heavily in 2015, with junior Jesus “Bobo” Wilson also doing the heavy lifting at receiver. We’re not going to get an extended look at either until this fall; however, waiting to see if one or both break out during their sophomore campaigns is not a luxury those in deeper leagues have. The morsel of action both got last season is what we’ll need to nibble on for now.

Jimbo Fisher excoriated his team and receivers specifically this spring, referring to them as “not very tough,” which is perhaps the biggest indictment you can have of a football player. While much of this is likely typical spring motivational fare, it has some merit with young receivers and Lane in particular. Despite his natural size, he has yet to embrace a physical style that allows him to dominate smaller defensive backs. With a natural ability to climb the ladder and makes plays on the football, he could become an unstoppable jump ball receiver with a semblance of physicality.

Rudolph’s game is likely never going to be predicated on making the big play. He’s thus far been a very effective player working the intermediate game and operating after the catch. That may make him a safer bet for collegiate success, though I view his long-term upside as inferior to Lane. For all the warts that Lane currently has, he’s the superior athlete and showed downfield ability during his brief stints last year. When projecting out, I give the nod to Lane, and would be comfortable selecting both towards the back-end of deeper devy drafts. Much like the true freshmen, they’re dice rolls but have the natural talent to warrant an investment.

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rob willette