Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Miles Boykin, WR BAL

Dwight Peebles Posted On May 25, 2019

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Name: Miles Boykin

Position: Wide Receiver

Pro Team: Baltimore Ravens

College Team: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Draft Status: Round three, 93rd overall

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

COMBINE REVIEW

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 220 pounds
Arms: 33 ½”
Hands: 9 ⅞ ”
40-Yard Dash: 4.42 seconds
Bench press: 12 reps
Vertical Jump: 43 ½”
Broad Jump: 140”
3-Cone Drill: 6.77 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.07 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A

STRENGTHS

A rare blend of size and length, coupled with blazing speed
Long strides that catch cornerbacks off-guard, covers ground quickly
High-points extremely well and makes loads of leaping catches
Has traits to be better route runner with coaching
Quickness to separate downfield leads to pass interference at times
Separates quick if not pressed, makes him difficult to cover in red zone
Catches with hands and away from his body

WEAKNESSES

Press corners interrupt stride early and can take him out of play
Doesn’t counter well, hand usage is not good when engaged
Needs to develop the route tree to be more effective
Has to be more aggressive, strength isn’t a strong suit or blocking
Loses focus at times and doesn’t finish out plays

OPPORTUNITIES

Miles Boykin was a heavily recruited four-star wide receiver who attended Notre Dame, a school 100 miles from his hometown in Illinois. His star didn’t get a chance to truly shine until his senior season in 2018 and even then, inconsistent quarterback play suppressed his production. Boykin broke out with 59 grabs for 872 yards and 8 scores in 13 games during 2018. The Irish reached the BCS Championship series before getting throttled by eventual champion Clemson, where the offense led by junior Ian Book floundered.

Flashes of talent were evident, and Boykin had a strong combine showing to raise his draft stock. Among wide receivers tested, his 40-yard dash time of 4.42 was sixth fastest, broad-jump second longest, vertical jump the highest, and his 3-cone the fastest time. At 6’4” and 220 pounds, those numbers are elite, even borderline freakish. After the strong senior season and great combine, the Ravens grabbed Boykin in the third round to give their young quarterback Lamar Jackson another target. The team also drafted Marquise Brown in the first round, forming a young dynamic receiver duo for Jackson to grow and thrive with for many years.

THREATS

If there was any team in the NFL for Boykin to join and be the WR1 from the first day of training camps, it is the Baltimore Ravens. He is instantly one of the most talented pass-catching options and could legitimately emerge as the top receiver going into the 2019 season. Brown was drafted higher, but is not necessarily going to be the Ravens’ WR1. He and Boykin could form one of the most dangerous duos in the NFL. Both have serious deep speed. The rest of the receiver corps features Willie Snead, Jordan Lasley, Chris Moore, Michael Floyd, and rookies Joe Horn, Jaylen Smith, Sean Modster, and Antoine Wesley. Many if not most of those players would not make the roster on any NFL team.

SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS

Boykin may earn his way to the top of the Ravens’ depth chart day one, but that spot in their offense is not likely to be super productive. Jackson only threw the ball 170 times over 16 games, seven as a starter. The offense will continue to be run-focused, and added Mark Ingram in free agency. Jackson is going to have to evolve to throw more, but it won’t happen overnight. Pass attempts will still be below league average. For 2019, I project 35-40 catches for 500 yards and three touchdowns for Boykin. This will create a prime opportunity to continue to buy Boykin low. I like the talent and if the offense evolves, well, see the next section.

LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS

The opportunity to emerge and be a top wide receiver is readily available for Boykin to grab, he is chock full of talent and will need to polish some aspects of his game. The top spot at wide receiver is going to be easy for him to grab, but posting numbers we consider WR1 will be tougher unless Jackson becomes a better passer, and the Baltimore offense becomes more balanced. Both of those are things I do not see happening. Long-term, Boykin has the upside to put up numbers in the 70 catch range with 900 to 1000 yards and 8 scores if the offense can at least become balanced. Those numbers will likely be the high end, though, as his production will be capped by the offense as a whole.

NFL PLAYER COMPARISON

Based on the size and athletic profile, Boykin reminds me a lot of Josh Gordon coming out of college. Both players didn’t get a chance to fully prove themselves in college, albeit Gordon’s situation was different. Athletically, the two are very close from a combine/pro day standpoint. Both players demonstrated speed that would catch defensive backs off guard with long strides, both needed some route work, and both were very good getting up to catch contested passes. Boykin has not had character or off-field issues, but the similarities coming out of college are uncanny.

PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE

According to our Rookie ADP, Boykin is currently 23.30 on average in the first 10 rookie mocks since the NFL Draft. He is currently the twelfth receiver selected. The end of the second round or early third round is the ideal spot for the rookie wide receiver. That draft spot with his talent and opportunity provide a chance for Boykin to be a steal in rookie drafts.