The Third Wheel
With a month until the NFL Combine and over three months until the NFL Draft, there is much to be decided when it comes to upcoming dynasty rookie drafts. For now, it seems to be a near lock that the top tier will be comprised of Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott. Much like last year, the top two players are essentially a pick ‘em and I’m not sure you can go wrong. Whether you chose Todd Gurley or Amari Cooper last off-season, you’re probably very happy.
Also like last season, things get a little messy after the top two picks. Some players stepped up last season because of landing spot or impressive off-season workouts and the same will happen again this season. I asked some of the Dynasty Scouts about their favorite candidates to claim the 1.03 spot in rookie drafts. Here’s what they had to say…
[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]
Michael Thomas, WR Ohio State
by Bruce Matson
He has the prototypical size for a wide receiver at 6-3 and 210 pounds. He does a very good job at utilizing his body to box out defenders to make contested catches. His strong hands make it possible for him to come down with tough receptions, and make spectacular catches away from his body. He’s not a body catcher – he rarely allows the ball to come into his body while catching the football. He only dropped four passes last season. There’s not many wide receivers you can take at the 1.03 that his size and thickness. Thomas is the prototypical flanker and has the potential to become a WR1 at the next level. The odds are highly likely that he will be a first round draft pick, and his potential draft pedigree combined with the prestige of coming from a power house school like Ohio State will make him a perennial dynasty prospect.
Last season, he caught 56 receptions for 781 yards and nine touchdowns. While his production wasn’t illuminating, he did manage to obtain 31.81 percent of the market share in Ohio State’s passing offense. He caught 65.33 percent of his targets. He played very well, when you take in account the carousel Ohio State had at quarterback and the fact they ranked ninety-sixth in the nation in passing yardage, throwing for just 2,455 yards as a team. Quarterback Cardale Jones’ play was very erratic and he would often provide Thomas with poorly placed targets. Thomas would have the hyper productive stats that we like to see if he had the chance to play in a prolific passing offense. He’s a very talented wide receiver and he’s a player you shouldn’t forget about during your rookie drafts.
Derrick Henry, RB Alabama
by Mike Valverde
There is no secret how good Derrick Henry performs. Observing Henry, you will notice that he isn’t your typical back. For instance, his combination of size (6-3” 240 pounds) and quickness is unique. Henry’s speed can be found in his high school track and field numbers, where he posted times of 11.11 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the 2011 FHSAA 2A District 3 Championships. Even though he was a talented track runner, nobody could mistake his skills as a running back. At the end of his senior season, ESPN.com nodded him the best of his position and graded him ninth overall with a 90 scout grade, and he was voted as the USA Today High School All-American (2012).
Henry was recruited by many schools, but decided on Alabama. Head coach Nick Saban knew what he had right away as Henry saw a ton of work as a freshman. He tallied 36 attempts for 382 and three touchdowns, and shined in the 2014 Sugar Bowl, catching one pass that he took for 61 yards and a score. He also tallied 100 yards rushing and a touchdown, playing behind sophomore T.J. Yeldon.
In 2014, Saban decided to split carries between Henry (172-990-11) and Yeldon (194-979-11). Alabama finished the regular season as the number one team in the nation, only to fall to Ohio State in the playoffs 42-35. Henry shined again when it mattered most, running for 95 yards on 13 carries and scoring one touchdown.
The 2015 season saw the departure of Yeldon to the Jacksonville Jaguars and an opportunity for Henry to display his superior skills. He carried the ball an unforgiving 395 times, rushing for 2,219 yards and scoring a whopping 28 touchdowns. The Crimson Tide entered the playoffs once again, but this time, they would not be denied. Alabama went on to beat Clemson in the championship 45-40. Henry finished with 158-yards on 36 carries and three touchdowns. In the process, he broke Shaun Alexander’s record for most yards rushing in Alabama history.
Not only was his season statistics monumental, but he also took home the hardware to prove it. Henry won the Heisman Trophy, but he didn’t stop there, taking home the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award, and the Maxwell Award.
Derrick Henry’s College statistics (via Wikipedia)
NFLDraftScout dictates that Henry is a big power runner that blends that with size and speed. He can bounce plays outside and has the vision and patience to find the crease and explode upfield. Once he begins to go downfield, pray for any defender trying to take him on. He has improved as a blocker and a receiver, even though he wasn’t utilized in that part of the game much.
He does need space to get going, and Henry’s power dissipates when running east and west. His balance needs to improve especially being a running back, and his long legs make him an easy target to get tackled. Many analysts are pointing out that what Henry did well in college won’t translate well to the NFL. I agree with that assessment, but the one thing we all know, scouts and analyzers have been wrong before. He will play best in a power running scheme, but also could factor in a zone-blocking scheme as he has the vision and ability to get the job done.
Josh Doctson, WR Texas Christian
by Austan Kas
I’m the perfect guy to stump for Doctson at 1.03, because I’m the only one who has him ranked third on our big board.
Doctson broke out in 2014, racking up 65 receptions for 1,018 yards and 11 scores as a junior. Despite missing TCU’s final three games with a wrist injury, he absolutely shattered those numbers in 2015, putting up 78 catches for 1,326 yards and 14 touchdowns. The stats are impressive, but as the go-to wideout on one of the country’s top offenses, he was bound to put up big numbers. With that said, Doctson’s play elevated TCU’s offense to another level in 2015.
At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Doctson checks off just about every box — size, hands, leaping ability and quickness. There’s so much to like. Docston is more of a sudden-burst, quick-twitch athlete than a flat-out burner. His body control is to die for, and he excels in jump-ball situations. The way he tracks the ball is special.
Doctson’s only weaknesses, in my book, are his relatively thin frame and lack of top end speed. It will be interesting to see what he runs in the 40-yard dash, because he doesn’t appear to be a burner, although I could be wrong. As for his frame, I believe Doctson will add some bulk when he gets into an NFL weight room.
Tyler Boyd, WR Pittsburgh
by Nathan Powell
Tyler Boyd is my number two wide receiver in this draft class, and slots in at 1.03 for me. One of the things I look for in prospects is production early on, and Boyd was dominant in his freshman season at Pittsburgh: catching 85 passes for 1174 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He also got involved in the running game, with 108 yards on only 11 carries. Getting Boyd involved in both facets of the offense in his freshman season shows how good Pitt knew he was.
His sophomore season provided more of the same as he caught 78 passes for 1261 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, good for 52.8% market share of the Pitt passing offense and best in the nation per Rotoviz. When running back James Conner was ruled out for Boyd’s junior season, Pitt’s usage of him evolved as he became more involved in the rushing offense with 40 carries for 349 rushing yards while still being heavily involved through the air with 91 catches for 926 receiving yards and six scores. I don’t love seeing the dip in yards per reception from 16.2 to 10.2, but I’m attributing that to how Pitt was forced to use Boyd at their only real weapon. The rushing yards aren’t necessarily something you are going to be able to rely on for fantasy points for Boyd for the next level, but it shows his versatility and teams will have the ability to use his talents in a number of ways.
Additionally, for leagues that reward return yards/return touchdowns, Boyd excelled there with 1124 kick return yards (24.4 average) and 238 punt return yards (8.8 average). Most mocks I have seen have Boyd going in the late 1st/early 2nd range, and unless someone like Corey Coleman or Derrick Henry unexpectedly goes top 16 in the NFL draft, Boyd will be my locked in 1.03. I’m a big fan of the number of things he can do for an offense and your dynasty team.
Corey Coleman, WR Baylor
by Ryan McDowell
I really like each of the players already discussed, but my current favorite to be the 1.03 pick is Baylor’s Corey Coleman, the little man seeming always making big plays. As a recovering heightist, Coleman got my attention early in the season when he was beating defensive backs like it was his job. By the end of the season, he had amassed over 1,300 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns, doing enough to earn the Biletnikoff Award as the country’s top collegiate receiver. He’s shown enough that Rotoworld’s Josh Norris tabbed Coleman as his third ranked prospect. That’s third overall, not at the wide receiver position.
Coleman often displayed high level speed as he made his weekly big touchdown catch, but he can do more than just catch and run for long scores. He possesses a good mixture of power along with that speed and will not be locked into the slot, despite his 5’10”, 190-pound frame. Coleman has drawn comparisons to Emmanuel Sanders and Anquan Boldin, which is very interesting since I don’t consider those two similar players. Nonetheless, Coleman has a strong chance to be a first round NFL Draft selection and as it did with players like DeVante Parker and Phillip Dorsett a year ago, would give his dynasty value a boost.
[/am4show]
- Monday Mocks: 2024 Landing Spots - April 15, 2024
- Five Landing Spots That Would Tank Rookie WR Value - April 13, 2024
- Monday Mocks: 2024 Backup Quarterbacks - April 8, 2024
