Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Colby Parkinson, TE SEA

Rob Willette Posted On June 29, 2020

The NFL Draft is behind us, rookie drafts are taking place, and as dynasty owners, we are looking ahead to the upcoming season. In the Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update series, we break down all the incoming fantasy-relevant rookies, looking at their profile and where they fit.

Name: Colby Parkinson

Position: Tight end

Pro Team: Seattle Seahawks

College Team: Stanford Cardinal

Draft Status: Round four, 133rd overall

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECc1CvQycC8

Combine Review

Height: 6’7”
Weight: 252 lbs
Arm length: 33 1/4”
Hands: 9.62”
40-yard dash: 4.77 seconds
Vertical jump: 32.5”
Broad jump: 109”
Three-cone drill: 7.15 seconds

Strengths

Parkinson is the type of athlete for whom the phrase “first off the bus” was coined for. At 6’7” and 252 pounds, Parkinson looks like he is ready to suit up on the wing for the Nuggets yet opted to take his skills to the gridiron.

More than just an ornamental pierce, Parkinson utilizes his size well, offering the quarterback a massive window to throw to as he extends towards the football. His massive frame is no doubt a selling point, and part of what made him a five-star recruit out of high school.

Parkinson has a lot of upside as a red-zone weapon. He excels at gesticulating mid-air to make tough catches, and is unperturbed by contact at the catch point. Parkinson may never be a dominant threat in all situations but he has a package of skills that can portend some fantasy goodness.

Weaknesses

As can be expected from a jumbo receiving prospect, Parkinson is a bit straight-line and is not going to offer much after the catch. He has credible speed for a big man but is not going to create opportunities in the open field. He’s going to be best utilized as a weapon who can stretch the seam and win one-on-one battles in the tight areas. Seldom is he going to be a player who can create on his own. He is also dealing with a Jones fracture that’s going to set him back a bit.

Opportunities

As they seemingly always do at every position, the Seahawks have a weird depth chart at tight end. Will Dissly is an accomplished veteran, though he’s had serious issues staying healthy. They brought in Greg Olsen – the presumed starter – and also have effective late 2019 starter Jacob Hollister on the depth chart.

Of the group, none have a ton of security beyond 2020, which is a point in Parkinson’s favor. However, the short-term snaps look few and far between. If he flashes, there is a puncher’s chance he opens 2021 as the starter, but he has to get past his foot injury first.

Threats

The obstacles Parkinson has to overcome to become a fantasy factor are numerous. Beyond a crowded depth chart, the Seahawks have an elite young duo at wide receiver with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. We’ve also seen Pete Carroll prefer his offense be dictated by its run game, often shackling Russell Wilson, much to the chagrin of fantasy Twitter.

On the plus side, Wilson makes any piece of this offense interesting. Any changes in philosophy in which Seattle skews more to the pass and this could be a high-yield fantasy offense. Knowing Carroll, I am not holding my breath, but one can always hope. An offense that was more predicated on spacing the field and working up-tempo would be far better-suited for Parkinson, as he could occupy a big slot role.

Short-Term Expectations

Tight ends are almost always duds in year one, no matter how elite a prospect they may be. When you’re a day-three prospect like Parkinson, early expectations are essentially nil. It is going to take the Stanford product time to get acclimated to this offense, though he has an interesting skill-set that could lead to splash plays in 2020 if his foot heals. Even sporadic contributions from Parkinson could help keep his value afloat given the dearth of options at the tight end position.

Long-Term Expectations

While things look fairly bleak short-term, one positive of the landing spot is the willingness of the Seahawks to simply play their best players regardless of draft status. Once camp opens, each player gets an equal shot to earn playing time. This is helpful for Parkinson as he looks to earn work despite day three draft pedigree.

Also working in his favor are Greg Olsen’s age (35), Will Dissly’s history of serious injury, and Jacob Hollister’s game which is better suited to play near the line of scrimmage. It is not far-fetched to see Parkinson emerging from this group as the best option long-term, despite warts in his overall profile. While they’ve lacked options who have become dynasty mainstays, we have seen numerous Seattle players assume value in this role.

NFL Comparison

While he was not always a tight end, Logan Thomas has many traits that resemble Parkinson’s. A big-bodied tight end capable of making some spectacular catches, Thomas nonetheless lacked the overall game and polish to really settle in as anything other than a backup at the NFL level. I believe Parkinson has a better toolkit and better general upside, but he may fall a bit short of being anything other than second on the depth chart, not a spot which generally lends itself to fantasy success.

Projected Range for Rookie Drafts

Rare is the tight end who even sniffs the top of rookie drafts. You’ll occasionally have a Noah Fant or TJ Hockenson who get people excited, yet the drop-off afterwards is often steep. This year’s tight end class is a certifiable hellscape, with Cole Kmet pacing the Rookie ADP at 33rd overall. Parkinson does not even register an ADP at outside of the top 62 picks, a good indication there are not many interested parties when it comes to Seattle’s fourth-round pick.

If you’re intrigued by what he brings to the table, you can toss a last-round dart at Parkinson to see what shakes out. Otherwise you’ll likely be able to scoop him up on dynasty waiver wires. The interest is simply not strong for a day three tight end.