Rookie Report Card: Will Fuller and Jalen Richard
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 kicks off with a look at Will Fuller and Jalen Richard.
Will Fuller, WR HOU
Week One Stats: five receptions, 107 yards, one touchdown (11 targets)
I haven’t been the biggest fan of Will Fuller since going back to his final year at Notre Dame for one reason and one reason only – his hands. As frustrating to watch as any pass catcher in the country, he dropped far too many passes as a Golden Domer due to his insistence on allowing the ball to get into his body rather than reaching out to make the catch with his hands. Also, consistently looking to make a move before securing the ball, he regularly made “focus drops” while in college which was enough to make even his biggest supporters question whether he could be a difference maker at the next level.
To go along with his extremely questionable hands, Fuller also lacks the ideal frame (6’-0”, 186 pounds) to be a fulltime outside receiver on Sundays and needs to become a more well-rounded route runner – particularly when he’s not asked to simply outrun the defense on a go route or post pattern.
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Despite his glaring deficiencies at the point of the catch and lack of polish as a route runner however, Fuller was selected with the number 21 overall pick in the NFL Draft due to his massive upside which is derived from his elite deep speed (4.32 40-yard dash) and uncanny ability to float under an over the shoulder deep ball. Also electrifying with the ball in his hands, he has the ability to stop and start with ease which makes him a threat to score from anywhere on the field.
There were times throughout the preseason when Fuller forced me to question why I was so critical of him as a dynasty prospect. He made a brilliant 26-yard touchdown catch in the Texans’ third preseason game where he chewed up the cushion given by the defensive back in off coverage, angled his route towards the front pylon perfectly and subtly created separation from the defender at the goal line with a slight push before making the over the shoulder catch. Unfortunately, he made me shake my head just a few minutes later with a horrible drop.
The same happened in week one. Fuller showed exactly how dynamic he could be in the second half against the Bears. Running a post route, he went up the ladder to high point an overthrow by Brock Osweiler. Later he ran a simple eight-yard hitch route on third and five. After making the catch he turned up field, blasted by his cover man and shook a pair of defenders, turning what should have been an eight-yard gain into a 27-yard hookup. Then in the fourth quarter, Osweiler made another inaccurate throw in the direction of Fuller on a bubble screen. Fuller caught the ball just before it skipped in front of him and after weaving through a handful of defenders, he turned on the burners and outraced everybody for an 18-yard score. Finally, Fuller put the finishing touch on his game by making an eye-popping 35-yard catch down the left sideline while being blanketed by a defender in man coverage.
Having only seen the highlights of the Texans game (as well as the tweets about Fuller’s performance) on Sunday evening, I once again caught myself thinking twice about Fuller’s upside. Then I watched the game and saw his disgusting drop in the second quarter. It would have likely been an 83-yard touchdown. I shook my head.
There’s no doubt the sky is the limit with Fuller. If he can figure out how to consistently catch the ball, he could be a dynamic fantasy receiver. But if he continues to let the ball hit the ground after hitting him in the hands, I’m not certain that the shine won’t will wear off the Texans’ new weapon causing Fuller to end up in the Houston coaching staff’s doghouse.
To me, Fuller is the ultimate boom or bust prospect. He has WR2 upside and is certain to play to that level from time to time – but he also has shown reasons for dynasty owners to question if he can ever reach that potential consistently.
| Rookie Report Card | ||
| Player: Will Fuller | ||
| Performance To Date | 2016 Potential | Long Term Upside |
| A- | B+ | B+ |
Jalen Richard, RB OAK
Week One Stats: three carries, 84 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, two receptions, 11 receiving yards
To be completely honest, I hadn’t heard of Jalen Richard until about a month ago when I read Matt Waldman’s RSP Sample on the rookie out of Southern Mississippi and we mentioned Richard in our Camp Watch article. In Matt Waldman’s article, he highlighted some similarities between Richard and Broncos tailback C.J. Anderson that instantly grabbed my attention. He wrote that, “like Anderson, Richard has a low center of gravity, good vision between the tackles, burst, and agility to make a surprising bid for a roster spot. Richard does an excellent job of getting his pads low and driving through contact.”
That was enough for me to dig up some tape of Richard. When I did, I saw a lot of what Matt wrote about.
Richard has interesting combination of size and skill. At 5’-8” tall and 210 pounds, the low center of gravity that Matt referenced is one of the first things you notice with Richard. He runs behind his pads well which makes him a strong ball carrier between the tackles and an above average short yardage and goal line back.
Richard also has very good burst at the line of scrimmage. A one cut runner with excellent vision to find running lanes, Richard is patient at the point of attack and always gives his blockers time to create space for him to run. When a rushing lane develops, he accelerates and instantly becomes a downhill runner with the ability to hit a hole quickly enough to beat an unblocked backside linebacker.
Although he isn’t known as a perimeter runner or as a pass catcher, Richard also has enough speed to get the edge when called upon to do so and good enough hands to contribute as a receiver. When you consider he’s also an above average pass protector, it’s easy to see that Richard is a good all-around tailback. Although he doesn’t have elite traits in any part of his game, he also doesn’t have any glaring deficiencies.
Despite missing a good chunk of training camp due to a relatively minor knee injury and being overshadowed by fellow rookie DeAndre Washington, Richard impressed throughout the summer and gained praise from beat writers as well as the Raiders coaching staff. Taking advantage of every opportunity he was given throughout training camp and in the preseason, where he ran for 45 yards on 10 carries, he won a roster spot.
Surprising to many however, Richard also won a role in the Raiders’ offense – at least he did in week one.
On Sunday, Richard played ten snaps, getting three carries and catching two passes while piling up 95 yards of total offense and scoring a touchdown. The interesting part about his role in week one was when he was on the field. Most of his playing time came in the fourth quarter, while the Raiders were trying to catch up with the Saints. Perhaps even more thought-provoking however, is Washington saw just eight snaps of offense in the game and didn’t see the field in crunch time in New Orleans.
At this point, it appears Richard is in line to be the complement to Latavius Murray in Oakland. Not because he scored a touchdown on Sunday, but because he was on the field and regularly touching the ball late in the game when the Raiders were desperate for a come from behind victory.
Although a role as the change of pace back in Oakland isn’t a sign of immediate fantasy value, Richard looks to be next in line for carries at this point if something were to happen to Murray. While that makes him little more than a handcuff for the 2016 season, Richard would instantly become a flex play if Murray were to go down which certainly makes him worthy of a roster spot for the immediate future and should make him a priority on the waiver wire for those in need of running back depth for their dynasty teams.
As I mentioned above, Richard is a well-rounded tailback. A good runner both inside and outside and a quality pass catcher and pass protector, he has the upside to contribute on all downs if given the opportunity. With current starter Latavius Murray in a contract year and having no guarantees of being back in Oakland next season, there’s a chance if Richard continues to impress that he could have a much bigger role for the Raiders going into 2017.
I have to say, I don’t hate Mr. Waldman’s comparison of Richard to C.J. Anderson. And I’m not convinced Richard can’t take a similar career path as the Denver runner.
| Rookie Report Card | ||
| Player: Jalen Richard | ||
| Performance To Date | 2016 Potential | Long Term Upside |
| B+ | C+ | B |
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