Rookie Profile – Tajae Sharpe, WR UMass

Tajae Sharpe is flying under the radar. Yet he’s a player I’ve had my eye on for quite a while now, and is without question one of two players I am targeting in 2016 Rookie Drafts.

With that said, let’s examine Sharpe’s strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths

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It’s no secret I’m a “tape guy,” and Sharpe is one of those players you can’t help but notice when you watch the film. He passes the eye test with flying colors, and here’s why:

What really distinguishes Sharpe from the field are his route running, and body control. When you watch the film on him, play after play he burns defensive backs with basketball-like juke moves at the top of his routes to create separation. In addition to running crisp routes, he’s deceivingly strong, and uses his hands well to fight off press coverage and get into those routes. Not only is he capable of elite maneuverability, he is also an instinctive route-runner, which cannot be overstated. A number of times I saw him recognize zone coverage, find the hole, and “sit down.” In the NFL, that instinct will turn would-be turnovers into first-downs.

What I find even more impressive than his route running ability is his knack for finding the ball in the air, and hauling in the over-the-shoulder catch. He truly looks like a center fielder at times, and I look for him to make an NFL quarterback very happy in the near future. He is quicker than his 40-time would tell you, showing good burst in pursuit of passes in flight, and appears to have that “extra gear” when running from would-be tacklers in the secondary.

Sharpe’s profile at www.PlayerProfiler.com:

Sharpe has shown an extraordinary ability to position himself against coverage, while on the run, in such a way that only he can make a play on the ball. On most plays, he leaves only two possible outcomes: either he is going to make the catch, or the pass will be incomplete, and most of the time; he’s going to make the catch. He high-points the ball well, and isn’t afraid to go over the middle – often making difficult catches look routine.

Finally, the guy has a nose for the pylon. When you watch the film on Sharpe, I dare you not to marvel at his ability to fight off would-be tacklers, and battle for extra yards. Add that fight to his shake-and-bake, and you have the makings of a talented ‘X’ receiver in the NFL.

If you haven’t had a chance to watch him play yet, here’s a little highlight reel worth checking out:

Weaknesses

Clearly, I disagree with the general consensus among scouts that he’s “small” and lacking strength. However, it’s undeniable that he could afford to put on a little weight. At 6’2” 194 lbs, he’s only marginally smaller than where you’d want him to be, so I have to imagine he will be able to add 10-12 lbs pretty quickly at the NFL level with all of the resources that will be available to him. His 40-time left a little to be desired (4.55), but I think at times he “glides” as a runner, and that his true speed shows up on the actual playing field. All-in-all, I don’t think Sharpe has any glaring weaknesses, but if I had to choose one area he could improve in, I’d say he could afford to add a little muscle weight.

Here’s how Sharpe measured up to other players, courtesy of Mock Draftable:

Best Potential Landing Spots

There are a number of teams I think Sharpe would pair nicely with, so I will rank those (starting with the team I think he’d offer the most fantasy production with right off the bat), and give a brief explanation why I have them ranked how I do.

1. New England Patriots

You think Chris Hogan is the answer for the Patriots? Think again. For some time, New England’s modus operandi has been flat-out killing it in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft, which is exactly where I see Tajae Sharpe being selected. The Patriots know a good value when they see one, and though I think the addition of Martellus Bennett gives that offense a huge boost, you don’t think Bill Belichick is finished there, do you? Tom Brady has made it clear he intends to keep playing for at least a couple more seasons, and they’re going to need more than Julian Edelman at the receiver position to keep him happy. Over the past four seasons, Rob Gronkowski has, on average, missed four games per season, and has only played a full slate of games twice (during his first two seasons in the NFL). And, what if I told you that Julian Edelman has played only three more games than Danny Amendola over the past seven seasons?

I’ve already alluded to Sharpe’s route running ability, and he has the football IQ to match it—having played for Mark Whipple at UMass (who was the quarterbacks Coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers during Ben Roethlisberger’s first three NFL seasons). Oh, and did I mention that he’s already played at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro? That’s right. You have to figure Sharpe’s on the Patriots’ radar having spent the past two years going off at the collegiate level right in their back yard. Though everyone in the fantasy community always wants to put everyone on the Pats, I legitimately think this pairing makes perfect sense, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Patriots selecting him with their third-round pick.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals just lost Marvin Jones to the Lions, and Mohamed Sanu to the Falcons. They are going to need someone opposite of AJ Green, and Sharpe would be a great value selection for Cincinnati. However, just because the fit would be a good one for Sharpe doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. I actually see Cincinnati going WR earlier in the draft, so I don’t look for him to land with the Bengals. If Sharpe does land in Cincinnati though, he could wind up surprising everyone with a WR2 season.

3. San Diego Chargers

Sure, the Chargers just added Travis Benjamin, but they also lost big bodied Malcom Floyd. Philip Rivers continues to be a great quarterback, and though I think the Chargers’ biggest need is their offensive line, I can’t help but envision Sharpe doing very well opposite of Keenan Allen, with Benjamin in the slot.

4. Atlanta Falcons

They just added Mohamed Sanu, whose talent I actually like more than Marvin Jones, but he’s never translated that into much statistical success in the NFL. The Falcons will surely be looking to add another receiver, and I could definitely see Sharpe landing there. If the Falcons do select him, which I see as more likely than Cincinnati or San Diego, I think he’d benefit greatly from all the attention Julio Jones will garner on the other side of the field—not to mention the fact that defenses will need to pay a bit more respect to Atlanta’s running game in 2016.

5. Dallas Cowboys

I think the Cowboys will go receiver earlier, but Dallas would make for one hell of a landing spot for Tajae Sharpe. Much like the Falcons and the Bengals, Sharpe would benefit from having an elite receiver on the other side of the field—in this case, Dez Bryant. With a healthy Tony Romo and Bryant, the Cowboys’ offense should post much better numbers in 2016, and I could see Sharpe supplanting Terrance Williams in the pecking order before long.

Honorable Mentions

New Orleans Saints: While I know everyone thinks Brandon Coleman is the “next Marques Colston,” Sharpe is a better football player than Coleman, and would offer the Saints offense a very different set of skills than Brandin Cooks or Willie Snead can. Having Drew Brees throwing passes to him would certainly help pad Sharpe’s stats.

Green Bay Packers: Davante Adams and Jared Abbrederis just aren’t that good. I’ve seen Rashard Higgins mocked to the Packers, but I think Sharpe is a cut above Higgins, and he’d thrive with Aaron Rodgers. If Sharpe is drafted by Green Bay though, his hype might get too out of control to “steal” him in your rookie drafts.

Pittsburgh Steelers: With the suspension of Martavis Bryant, the Steelers again find themselves with a need at receiver. However, they have plenty of other more important needs, so I don’t see them taking a receiver when they still have Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Sammie Coates. In the off chance Sharpe does land in Pittsburgh though, I can see him commanding playing time, and benefiting from a potent passing attack.

Worst Potential Landing Spot

Los Angeles Rams: They need a receiver like Sharpe. The problem for Sharpe if he landed in Los Angeles is that they need a quarterback even more, and with Todd Gurley at running back and Jeff Fisher as their head coach, I can’t imagine Sharpe would do more than flutter with the Rams.

NFL/Dynasty Value and Analysis

He has been climbing a bit of late, boasting a February ADP of 17th overall (13th among receivers), but those numbers shouldn’t deter you as I still find Sharpe an underrated value in dynasty. Unfortunately, his climbing ADP does tell us that—unless we play in relatively novice leagues—we won’t be able to wait around and steal him at the end of the second round as we’d hoped. Personally, I’m planning to draft him with the last pick of the first round in one league, and think he’s worth any pick after the 1.10.

Sharpe comes into the NFL draft relatively unknown, but that is mostly due to where he played collegiate ball, and I think he’s going to make for a steal both for the NFL team that drafts him, and the dynasty owners savvy enough to do so as well. He’s going to be a first-down machine, and though that doesn’t do much for his fantasy value, it will endear him to his quarterback and his coaches, and they will be looking to him very often.

Let’s take a quick look at his college stats:

 You might think to yourself, “Boy, he only caught 63% of his targets during his most impressive seasons.” Well, did you know that his quarterback, Blake Frohnapfel, completed just 55.83% of his passes over that same span? In 2015, Sharpe hauled in 42.72% of Frohnapfel’s completed passes, which helps demonstrate just how much of a focal point he was for UMass’s offense. Moreover, the Minutemen haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2011 (Jonathan Hernandez), so who do you think opposing teams’ defenses were focusing their game plans on every time they took the field against UMass? You guessed it: Tajae Sharpe.

He didn’t just play well against MAC opponents either.

2015: @ Colorado 11/138/0 and @ Notre Dame 8/83/0;

2014: vs. Boston College 2/90/1, vs. Colorado 5/83/0, @ Vanderbilt 8/73/0, and @ Penn State 4/99/1

I think Sharpe will be an immediate impact guy with a moderately high floor, and a WR2 ceiling. Depending on his landing spot, I can even see him growing into a WR1 on an NFL depth chart, though even if that does come to pass I believe his roof—in terms of fantasy—is the mid-to-low WR2 level. That being said, he is a far better receiver than Devin Funchess, and Funchess’ ADP is 26 spots higher than Sharpe’s! If that’s not comedy, I don’t know what is.

I’m sure you’ll all be watching the NFL Draft next month, and when you do, make sure you’re paying close attention for Tajae Sharpe. If he lands in the right situation, he will do work, and I’d much rather have him posting numbers for me than my opponents.

If you’d like to read one of my colleagues’ takes on Sharpe, check out this article by DLF Writer Nick Whalen:

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