Rookie SWOT: Josh Reynolds

Bruce Matson Posted On June 13, 2017

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Name: Josh Reynolds

Position: Wide Receiver

Pro Team: Los Angeles Rams

College Team: Texas A&M

Draft Status: Round Four, Pick No. 117 Overall

Video Highlights

Combine Review

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Height: 6’3’’
Weight: 194 Pounds
Arm Length: 31 ½’’
Hand Size: 9 3/8’’
Bench Press: DNP
40-Yard-Dash: 4.52
20-Yard-Shuttle: 4.13
3-Cone: 6.83
Vertical: 37’’
Broad Jump: 124’’

Strengths

Reynolds plays with a chip on his shoulder and is not afraid to go up for contested catches in the middle of the field. He’s a vertical threat who is very good at tracking the ball over his shoulder. The red zone is where he can make his money in the NFL due to his aggressive mentality to beat the defender. The “my ball” mentality that he institutes while out-muscling defenders will help him one-up overzealous defensive backs. Not only is he very determined at the catch point, but he has very strong hands that allow him to make tough contested catches. His larger-than-average catch radius enhances his abilities to make circus like catches with defensive backs draped all over his body.

Even though he only ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at the combine, on tape it appears he has enough speed to compete with corner backs on deep routes and his ball skills makes him an extremely tough task for defensive backs to try and cover down field. He also does a very good job at varying his speed while running routes to create separation from defenders.

Weaknesses

His tall lanky frame will remind you of the alien from the movie Signs. This is a major issue because his lack of size will present problems when it comes to separating from press coverage at the line of scrimmage, due to the lack of strength in the upper body. This could be one of the reasons why he didn’t partake in the bench press at the combine. Savvy cornerbacks will take advantage of his lack of size by knocking him of his routes and bullying him at the line of scrimmage. He does a great job at running vertical and simple comeback routes, but intricate intermediate routes are a different story due to his inability to get in and out of his breaks. This is something he will need to remedy if he wants to own a large target share in the Rams’ passing game.

Opportunities

The Rams’ depth chart is wide open for the taking and Reynold’s ability to get downfield and beat the defender at the catch point could help him see playing time early in his career. Top tier talent is lacking at the wide receiver position for the Rams with Robert Woods and Tavon Austin penciled in as the starters. This could mean Reynolds could eventually find himself as one of the top wide receivers on the depth chart within the first couple years of his career. All he needs to do is produce during training camp and in preseason games to become a candidate to overtake one of the starting roles in the offense.

Threats

First off, he’s on a team that’s currently rebuilding while struggling to find their identity. There are a lot of developmental wide receiver prospects on the roster who are very talented and are currently under the radar. Due to the Rams having a wide-open depth chart, Mike Thomas, Pharoh Cooper, Bradley Marquez, Marquez North, Paul McRoberts and Cooper Kupp are all potential threats to breakout this year. Reynolds could have issues getting the proper amount of reps in training camp to develop his skill set while competing against some of these wide receivers. He will need to produce immediately this summer in order for him to stand out amongst this group of talented wide receiver prospects.

Short-Term Expectations

Don’t be surprised if his career starts off a little bit slow due to the large amount of competition on the roster. He might be used sparingly during the first couple seasons of his career as he develops into a more versatile receiving threat. Dynasty owners will need to be patient, because it might take a few years for him to fully develop into a reliable fantasy asset.

Long-Term Expectations

Reynolds is one of those players who will either eventually develop into a perennial starter or become a lifelong journeyman who holds very little fantasy value. His ability to blow by defensive backs and use his ball skills to come down with tough contested catches could make him a reliable commodity to the team. However, his lack of versatility when it comes to running routes could stifle his career to just being a lifelong backup.

NFL Comparison

Justin Hunter has a very similar skill set when compared to Reynolds due to his tall lanky frame and his ability to win 50/50 jump balls downfield. Both players thrive at tracking the ball and winning at the catch point. The major difference between the two prospects is that Hunter is a little bit more athletic. Hunter has been a bust so far in his career due to his inability to separate from defenders while running routes in the short to intermediate sectors of the field. He also has trouble beating press coverage and getting off the line of scrimmage. Don’t be surprised if both players have a similar career archetype.

Tyrell Williams is another player that compares to Reynolds. He’s a taller thin receiver who excels at getting downfield and tracking down passes while running deep routes. Williams is a little bit faster and more explosive than Reynolds which is the main difference between the two prospects. Reynolds could become a similar option in fantasy leagues if he can receive a comparable target share in the passing game.

Projected Range for Rookie Drafts

Per DLF’s Rookie ADP, Reynolds is considered a mid to late third-round option in rookie drafts with a 30.50 ADP while being the twelfth player off the board in most drafts. According to DLF’s new MFL ADP, which takes the average draft position from most of the rookie drafts from My Fantasy League, Reynolds is being selected in the late third round in most drafts with an APD of 36.17 overall. He’s a dart throw at this point in the draft, because once you get past the third round you won’t find many options that are more talented than him. The price tag isn’t horrible, considering there are mostly developmental prospects on the board during this stage of the draft. It’s highly unlikely that he ever become a WR1 in fantasy but he does have enough upside to become decent fantasy asset if given the opportunity.

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Bruce Matson

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

I'm a financial counselor for a hospital in South Central Ohio. I graduated from Muskingum University with a bachelor's in business while minoring in Economics and Accounting. I won my first fantasy football title with Jake Plummer as my quarterback.