Rookie Report Card: Hunter Henry, Cody Kessler and Tanner McEvoy

Dan Meylor

Each week throughout the season, I’ll cover at least two rookies in the Rookie Report Card and try to always include the biggest performers from that particular week.  On top of reviewing my expectations for each player coming into the league and covering how he’s performed at the NFL level to this point, I’ll actually give him a grade in three categories. Those categories are performance to date, 2016 potential and long term upside. 

The series continues with a look at Hunter Henry, Cody Kessler and Tanner McEvoy.

[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]

Hunter Henry, TE SD
Week Four Stats: four receptions, 61 receiving yards, one touchdown (seven targets)

Who says rookie tight ends can’t make an immediate impact?  Since Antonio Gates has gone out of the lineup with a hamstring injury, Henry has caught nine passes for 137 yards and a touchdown over two games.  Over that time he’s proven why he was considered by most as the premiere tight end in the 2016 NFL draft.  A quality run blocker and good receiver, he entered the league out of Arkansas with a reputation as a very good all-around tight end. 

For the most part, Henry is a traditional in-line tight end but has the athleticism to play as a move tight end or in the slot.  He’s smart at the line of scrimmage, using his powerful hands to fend off defenders and create space to immediately get into his route.  Too fast for most linebackers to keep up with on the seam and far too big and powerful for most defensive backs to cover underneath, he creates mismatches everywhere on the field.

At the point of the catch, Henry is particularly impressive when in a crowd.  His large frame, along with his ability to make catches away from his body, help him secure inaccurate throws and give him the potential to become a dynamic playmaker around the goal line. 

A lot of the strengths Henry showed coming out of Arkansas were on display on Sunday against the Saints.  He made a powerful kick-out block in the first quarter to spring Melvin Gordon for a nice run but it was what he did as a pass catcher that has dynasty owners excited this week.

Henry’s biggest play of the game came late in the first quarter on second and eight from the 20-yard line.  Lined up flexed to the right of the formation, he ran a simple post route where he quickly got behind the linebackers and bent his route back towards the middle of the field, taking advantage of a slow rotation by the backside safety.  It certainly wasn’t an eye popping athletic play, but Henry showed his burst off the line of scrimmage and route running awareness on the play.

Although the last two weeks have been a step in the right direction for Henry, his short term upside is tied directly to Gates’ hamstring.  As we’ve seen in the past with other backup tight ends in San Diego, there simply isn’t enough footballs to go around for a second stringer to be fantasy relevant when Gates is on the field.  All that gives Henry mid to low end TE1 upside when Gates is in street clothes and makes him bench fodder when the starter is in the lineup.

As for his long term outlook, Henry looks the part as the true heir apparent to Gates far more than Ladarius Green ever did during his time with the Chargers.  The fact that he’s made such an impact so quickly and has gotten such rave reviews from the coaching staff as well as veterans like Philip Rivers and Gates speaks even louder to his potential to be an impact player for years to come in San Diego. 

All things told, Henry should be looked at as one of – if not the – top developmental tight ends in dynasty leagues.  He has TE1 upside and it shouldn’t surprise anybody if he ranked similarly to Zach Ertz and Eric Ebron as early as this coming off-season.

Cody Kessler, QB CLE
Week Four Stats: 28/40 passing, 223 yards, one touchdown, one interception, two rushes, two rushing yards

Selected in the third round out of USC, Kessler was expected to hold a clipboard behind Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown for the entire 2016 season and likely longer.  He was picked in the third round back in April because he never had a completion percentage lower than 65% and protected the ball well, throwing just 19 interceptions in his 41 starts in Southern California.  Despite his impressive completion percentage in college however, Kessler was drafted to be a project for head coach Hue Jackson. 

There was supposed to be time for Kessler to work on his deep accuracy, develop a quicker release and improve his touch to feather in throws between defenders.  The intent was for Jackson to spend a year or two working with Kessler to become more aggressive throwing the ball down the field and develop him into more than just a game manager.kessler

Then injuries forced Kessler into the lineup, giving us all an opportunity to see if any of the work Jackson has done with the rookie passer has sunk in. 

Overall, Kessler hasn’t looked half bad in his two games as a starter considering the situation he’s been thrust into.  Completing 49 of 73 (67.1%) of his passes for 467 yards with a touchdown and an interception, he’s taken care of the ball for the most part and kept the Browns offense moving even without quality skill players around him.

With all that said however, Kessler’s been exactly what he was while at USC.  Exclusively throwing underneath and using check downs, he’s averaged just 6.4 yards per attempt which ranks him among the worst in the league. 

On Sunday, Kessler continued to refuse to push the ball down the field with the exception of a couple of throws.  His interception came late in the game on a post route where – much like he did at USC – he threw behind the intended receiver slightly, giving Josh Norman a chance to make a play on the ball 15 yards downfield.

After watching Kessler play the last two weeks, it’s obvious that he still needs time to develop into more than just a check down specialist in order to become an NFL starter and regular fantasy contributor.  With some more talent around him, he could become fantasy relevant in 2QB and super-flex leagues.  Even then however, his ultimate upside is most likely equal to that of Alex Smith unless he gets far more aggressive with the ball in his hands. 

Most likely, even if he becomes a regular starter in the NFL, Kessler will become a poor-man’s version of Smith.  And a game manager that doesn’t push the ball towards the end zone doesn’t have a place in most fantasy football starting lineups.

Tanner McEvoy, WR SEA
Week Four Stats: one reception, 42 receiving yards, one touchdown

McEvoy certainly isn’t a household name to most but because I’m a Wisconsin Badgers’ fan, I’m quite familiar with the former college quarterback, wide receiver and free safety. 

While in Madison, McEvoy proved to be an eyebrow raising athlete, particularly for a guy standing 6’-6” tall and weighing 228 pounds.  He showed excellent instincts on both sides of the ball and seemed to be destined to be a defensive back (he intercepted six passes as a part time safety in his senior season) in the NFL if he were to make a team.

After going undrafted back in April, McEvoy signed with the Seahawks and they chose to make him a receiver.  He made a few highlight catches in the preseason including a touchdown on a Hail Mary and made the team.  Then on Sunday, he caught a 42-yard touchdown from Russell Wilson and nearly everybody watching asked, “Who caught that?”

For good reason, McEvoy isn’t going to be added to many fantasy rosters after making his first career catch.  The truth is, he was likely only on the field because Doug Baldwin was forced to miss time with an injury.  With all that said however, his is a fun name to mention in an article like this one because Pete Carroll and the Seahawks’ front office has a history of turning undrafted athletes into contributors and McEvoy certainly fits the profile as an athlete. (He posted a breathtaking 6.84 three cone drill at his pro day.) 

McEvoy probably doesn’t even need to be on your radar going forward… unless you hear his name again over the next handful of weeks and ask yourself, “Is that the same guy that made that other catch?”

[/am4show]

dan meylor