Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Brycen Hopkins, TE LAR

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: Brycen Hopkins

Position: Tight end

Pro Team: Los Angeles Rams

College Team: Purdue Boilermakers

Draft Status: Round four, 136th overall

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

COMBINE REVIEW

• Height: 6’4″
• Weight: 245 lbs
• Arms: 31 5/8″
• Hands: 10 1/4”
• 40-yard dash: 4.66 seconds
• Bench press: 21 reps
• Three-cone: 7.25
• Vertical jump: 33 1/2″
• Broad jump: 116”

STRENGTHS

• Athletic and fluid runner. Great hips and smooth movements
• Bursts well out of breaks – clean and precise
• Good body control – adjusts to the ball in air and great in contested situations
• Refined route runner who creates separation without wasted movement
• Fairly dangerous after the catch, sees the field well and adjusts on the run
• Tenacious blocker – not afraid to engage and mix things up

WEAKNESSES

• Needs to improve blocking and use pad level better
• Easily overwhelmed by speed rushers despite athleticism
• Doesn’t catch cleanly at times. Double clutches ball too often
• Needs to improve hand strength as he has drop issues at times
• Not powerful enough to slow down defensive players with even just hand usage or chipping

OPPORTUNITIES

With the learning curve tight ends typically face when transitioning to the NFL and the crowded room in Los Angeles, there not likely be many opportunities for Hopkins his first few years. He improved every season at Purdue and nearly doubled his production from his junior to senior season. He is a solid pass-catching tight end and could prove to be a valuable member of the Rams offense when he sees the field.

Statistics from sports-reference.com

Head coach Sean McVay is one of the brightest offensive minds in football and Hopkins did play snaps in the slot while in college. There may be a role and a situation where he sees the field. The Rams offense throws a lot and has been plagued with injuries the past few years. Hopkins can fill in with multiple spots and in many situations.

THREATS

Tyler Higbee is entrenched as the TE1 for the Rams and his contract could have him in the role until 2023. The dead money decreases rapidly after 2021 and the Rams could get out after but he has produced when he has been on the field. Gerald Everett filled in while Higbee was out last season and caught 37 passes for just over 400 yards. He is only under contract for one more season and Hopkins could slide into the TE2 spot if the team moves on from Everett.

I mentioned Hopkins played in the slot some at Purdue but the Rams are deep there as well. Josh Reynolds, Van Jefferson, and even Cooper Kupp can line up in the slot. It’s tough to see him garnering snaps from the slot without several injuries in the receiver corps.

SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS

Honesty, without two injuries to tight ends, I wouldn’t expect anything at all from Hopkins in 2020. He will not see the field much and likely only catch a few balls if he does. He will not be a fantasy producer in 2020 without some form of chaos on the depth charts ahead of him.

LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS

On the other hand, his long-term outlook is fairly good. Everett will likely not be a factor going forward after 2020. If the team signs him, he is still better in a complementary backup role. Higbee is the man for at least two more seasons which will allow Hopkins the chance to grow and learn the nuances of the NFL game.

Going into the 2022 season, Hopkins would only be 25 still and have several seasons of learning under his belt and could be the top tight end for a prolific NFL offense. He is a pass-catching weapon and could see a lot of work. This is a lot of speculation of course but the Rams will need to start clearing room to take on other salaries and remain competitive. Hopkins should be in their long-term plans and develop into a top ten tight end but it will be a few seasons at least.

NFL PLAYER COMPARISON

The pro comparison I like a lot for Hopkins is Ricky Seals-Jones. The raw numbers from the combine are similar and the playing style is also close to the same. The same article referenced in the last sentence also pointed out athletic similarities to Tyler Eifert and I could see this as a ceiling – hopefully without the injuries. Both comparisons are athletic and primarily move tight ends who created mismatches in the NFL. Eifert’s pass-catching and red zone prowess could easily be matched by Hopkins in the right system.

PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE

In June rookie draft ADP, Hopkins is not being drafted in the top 50 and could possibly be undrafted in your rookie drafts. His overall ADP is around pick 235 and he can be drafted late in startups as well.

He is worth a late dart throw in your startups or rookie drafts. The potential to be a solid pass-catching tight end is there and he is on a perfect offense to grow into the role. He won’t have the early quick return we like as dynasty owners but could be valuable a few years down the road. Hopkins is worth a draft pick or a throw-in on a trade if you have the depth to wait on him for a few years.