2020 NFL Draft Dynasty Review: AFC South
The NFL Draft is comparable to Christmas morning. It’s fun, there’s a lot of excitement, and best of all we get gifted a bunch of new toys for our fantasy teams. Just about every team in the league selects at least one player who could possibly be rosterable in dynasty.
The AFC South has a lot going on. We are still trying to figure out why the Texans traded DeAndre Hopkins. The Colts signed old man Philip Rivers as they are trying to figure out life without Andrew Luck. Jacksonville finished last place in the division last year and is looking to improve upon their 6-10 season. Tennessee exploded in the playoffs with Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry leading the charge.
With all the craziness happening in the league, let’s review the picks from the AFC South.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Michael Pittman, WR USC (Round 2, Pick 34)
The Colts drafted Parris Campbell in the second round of last year’s draft and they followed that pick by drafting Michael Pittman in the second round in 2020. The team needed to add talent at the wide receiver spot. TY Hilton isn’t getting any younger. At times, they had to resort to playing some of their younger prospects to whether the storm of attrition.
Another reason why they needed to make this pick is to ease Rivers’ acclimation to his new team. He needs some young talented pass catchers to help him get the ball rolling. They have a strong offensive line and squeezing a little some extra juice out of the passing game could go a long way.
Pittman has the potential to develop into a stud wide receiver. He’s a big-bodied playmaker who excels at winning in contest catch situations. The rookie wide receiver has some of the best hands in the draft class. He only dropped five passes over the course of his career. Pittman was also very efficient at USC averaging 2.32 yards per route run during his final season.
This is a good landing spot for Pittman because he will get the chance to develop into the team’s main receiving threat. Considering the team is very underrated when it comes to talent, Pittman could turn out to be one of the most productive wide receivers from this draft class if he hits his ceiling.
Jonathan Taylor, RB WISCONSIN (Round 2, Pick 41)
The Colts traded up by sending their 44th and their 160th overall picks to the Cleveland Browns to select Jonathan Taylor. While going into the draft, many people didn’t peg running back as a major position of need for the Colts since they have Marlon Mack there to carry the load. The team couldn’t resist snagging an elite level talent to make their offense better.
Taylor should hit the ground running in this offense. Pro Football Focus ranked the offensive line as the second-best run-blocking unit in the league last year. The Colts have Quenton Nelson who is one of the best guards in the league. The running lanes should be wide open for Taylor to run through.
Courtesy of DLF’s Rookie ADP.
When it comes to his fantasy outlook, Taylor should easily be drafted in the top three of rookie drafts. He has the potential to be a top ten dynasty asset in the near future. We should see him develop into one of the most coveted running backs in the league within the first couple of years of his career.
Jacob Eason, QB WASHINGTON (Round 4, Pick 122)
Philip Rivers is currently 38 years old. Obviously, the Colts added him for the short-term since their team is well built on both sides of the ball and is ready to make a playoff run. Jacob Eason might not be the long-term answer for the Colts’ needs at quarterback, but he will compete for the backup quarterback spot. Jacoby Brissett hits free agency at the end of the 2020 season, leaving an opportunity for Eason to take over as the team’s QB2 in the not so distant future.
Eason is your prototypical pocket passer with elite size and arm talent. His lack of mobility and pocket awareness prevented him from being taken earlier in the draft. He’s a good developmental quarterback to have on the backend of your roster. Most mid-round quarterbacks don’t develop into fantasy producers, but we have seen some exceptions throughout the years.
He currently has a 32.50 ADP in superflex rookie drafts, making him a third-round option. If earns the starting role somewhere down the line, his value would skyrocket and dynasty owners would be able to trade him for a lot more than what they paid for him. The risk is high considering he may never develop into a functional starting quarterback.
Dezmon Patmon, WR WASHINGTON STATE (Round 6, Pick 212)
The Colts took a late-round dart throw on Patmon. He will compete for a spot on the depth chart in training camp. His size-adjusted speed will give him an advantage. At the combine, he measured in at 6-foot-4 and weighed 225 pounds. He also ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash, equating to a 116.3 size-adjusted speed score which ranks in the 95th percentile of wide receiver prospects.
He’s a good stash to have at the end of your roster just in case he develops into a starter. Patmon wasn’t hyper-productive at the college level, and the odds of him seeing a large snap share isn’t likely to happen. I wouldn’t be afraid to cut bait if there’s a more promising player on the waiver wire.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Laviska Shenault, WR COLORADO (Round 2, Pick 42)
After drafting cornerback CJ Henderson in the first round, the Jaguars decided to beef up their receiving corps with their second pick. Shenault has a jack of all trades skillset and could thrive as a big slot receiver. He can also carry the ball out of the backfield and operate as a wildcat quarterback in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
Head coach Doug Marrone is planning to use Shenault in multiple roles. We should see him used frequently on the field. His career might start out with him taking carries out of the backfield but he should quickly transition to taking most of his snaps at wide receiver. Shenault currently has an 18.70 ADP, making him a second-round option in rookie drafts. He’s priced at a good value when you take into consideration his draft capital, athleticism, and college production.
Collin Johnson, WR TEXAS (Round 5, Pick 165)
Johnson is a big-bodied wide receiver who can make plays downfield. He was once a popular devy prospect, but his popularity never matured to any real draft value. Johnson will be competing with the rest of the wide receivers on the roster for a spot on the final 53-man depth chart. Hopefully, he can work his way into the starting rotation. Johnson is an end-of-bench roster stash until he starts gaining some traction.
Jake Luton, QB OREGON STATE (Round 6, Pick 189)
The Jaguars added competition to their quarterback room in the sixth round. At 6-foot-6 and 224 pounds, Luton has the prototypical size for an NFL-caliber quarterback. He will need to work on going through his progressions and deep ball accuracy if he wants to move his way up the depth chart. Right now, he’s best left on the waiver wire in all formats. The odds aren’t in his favor of ever making an impact in fantasy.
Tyler Davis, TE GEORGIA TECH (Round 6, Pick 206)
Davis was drafted to develop behind Tyler Eifert, Josh Oliver, and James O’Shaughnessy. There’s nothing exciting about his profile, he doesn’t have a season with more than 240 receiving yards and only has one year with more than 20 receptions. His athletic profile is average. He ran a 4.76 40-yard dash at 252 pounds, equating to a 57th-percentile size-adjusted speed score. Davis projects as a role player at the NFL level. I wouldn’t bet on him ever delivering any results in fantasy.
HOUSTON TEXANS
Isaiah Coulter, WR RHODE ISLAND (Round 5, Pick 171)
Coulter is an FCS prospect with NFL-level ball skills. He will be competing for a roster spot in training camp. Usually, late-round FCS prospects don’t really have a chance at developing into seeing a large enough snap share to gain any traction for fantasy. The recent ambiguity implanted from Bill O’Brien’s recent roster moves makes anyone a candidate to seeing opportunity in the passing game. Coulter is a stash in deep leagues.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Darrynton Evans, RB Appalachian State (Round 3, Pick 93)
The Titans drafted Evans to be the lightning to Derrick Henry’s thunder. Henry is going to get the bulk of the workload, but Evans will be there to spell Henry when needed. His fantasy value will dramatically increase if Henry is ever out of the lineup.
Tennessee slapped the franchise tag on Henry this off-season. Unless he resigns, he will be a free agent in 2021. If he hits the open market, then Evans could be the team’s lead back or at least see a larger share of the touches. This situation alone makes it worth taking a flier on him in dynasty.
Cole McDonald, QB Hawaii (Round 7, Pick 224)
Earlier this off-season, the Titans signed quarterback Ryan Tannehill to a four-year, $118 million contract extension. There’s currently no real plan for what the team wants to do behind Tannehill. It appears seventh-round pick Cole McDonald will compete with Logan Woodside for the backup quarterback spot. McDonald passed for 8,032 yards and 70 touchdowns during his three-year career at Hawaii. Unless the Titans sign a backup before the season starts, there’s a chance we might see McDonald take some snaps this season if something happens to Tannehill.
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