Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR CLE

Mike Havens

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: Donovan Peoples-Jones

Position: Wide receiver

Pro Team: Cleveland Browns

College Team: Michigan Wolverines

Draft Status: Round six, 187th overall

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv94p6xx3KA

COMBINE REVIEW

  • Height: 6’2’’
  • Weight: 212 pounds
  • Hands: 10 1/8”
  • 40-yard dash: 4.48 seconds
  • Bench press: N/A
  • Vertical jump: 44.5”
  • Broad jump: 11’07”
  • Three-Cone: N/A
  • 20-yard shuttle: N/A

STRENGTHS

  • Athleticism
  • Size
  • Strength
  • Hands
  • Speed
  • Catch radius
  • Yards after the catch

WEAKNESSES

  • Route running
  • Release at the line
  • Inconsistent drops
  • Body catches
  • Downfield blocking
  • College production

OPPORTUNITIES

Cleveland already has a couple of receivers named Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry, and fifth-year wideout Rashard Higgins, so they don’t need rookie Peoples-Jones to produce right away. In fact, getting drafted to Cleveland might have been a blessing in disguise since he will benefit by learning from these veterans.

Higgins is under a one year contract, while Beckham and Landry are signed through 2023 and 2022, respectively. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Browns used this season to get  Peoples-Jones groomed to take over the spot opposite Beckham when Higgins moves on.

THREATS

The only real threat is the aforementioned Higgins, who signed his one-year, $910,000 contract earlier this year. The length and size of the contract signifies the faith the Browns have in Higgins long-term.

I think Peoples-Jones would be wise to use this season to hone in his skillset, or should I say lack-there-of. He’s going to need time to develop, and being able to sit and learn will be a luxury, not a penalty.

SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS

I wouldn’t expect Peoples-Jones to contribute much, if at all for the 2020 season. He could make a rare appearance during games at wide receiver, but I doubt he’ll be someone worth using as a flex or even sitting on your bench. He’s the kind of player you want to draft and let sit on your taxi squad if possible.

LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS

In dynasty, Peoples-Jones is an intriguing prospect. He was rated the number one high school wide receiver in the country by 24/7 sports, and 12th overall. His career in Michigan was a bust, but much of that might be attributed to terrible quarterback play, as no receiver had accounted for more than 48 receptions in any of the past three seasons.

screen shot 2020 07 06 at 16.20.24

Statistics from sports-reference.com.

It’s also difficult to find another physical specimen built like Peoples-Jones. He’s a tall, fast receiver with big hands and great speed. He’s tough to bring down and agile enough to avoid defenders in the open field.

I like a receiver who can display versatility. During his three years in Michigan, he accounted for 89 punt returns, returning two of them for touchdowns. He has good field awareness and was able to use blockers to his advantage. A receiver who is superb with the ball in his hands is a valuable asset in the YAC game.

Given the Browns already have Beckham, Landry, and the newly-acquired Austin Hooper locked up to long-term contracts, I don’t see Peoples-Jones ever amounting to more than a role player with the Browns in the near future. There are too many mouths to feed, and the draft capital suggests that Peoples-Jones will be a project player for a few seasons.

This could change if trades or injuries have their say. There are more than enough examples of such things over the years, so nothing is out of the realm of possibility. But if you love physical receivers with upside, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better one late in rookie drafts.

NFL PLAYER COMPARISON

There are several players I can select, but I think the best comparable is Miles Austin. Austin had similar size, speed, and athleticism. He went undrafted because of his lack of skills, and made a name for himself on a crowded Cowboys roster back in 2006 that consisted of Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn at wide receiver, and Jason Witten at tight end.

Austin had to wait three years to make a name for himself. He excelled at punt and kick returns in the interim, and made himself to be an invaluable part of the Cowboys roster immediately. Peoples-Jones will have to have a similar impact with the Browns. If he is unable to gain any value as a returner, despite the ability he showcased in college, then it won’t bode well for Peoples-Jones long term.

PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE

It wasn’t that long ago that Peoples-Jones was mocked as a first-rounder. He has first-round talent, he just failed to live up to the hype in 2019. This is the biggest reason for his slide to the sixth round in the NFL draft.

As a result, his dynasty value fell with it. He’s ranked 44th overall by our rankers at DLF, which is on par when compared to MFL rookie drafts. He’s projected to be available nearly 100% of the time until the 35th overall spot, and his availability slowly decreases from there according to our draft app.

I think one would be hard-pressed to find a more-athletic player with better upside than Peoples-Jones in the fourth round of any rookie draft. If you have deep benches, taxi squads, or another method that would allow you to draft and hold this player as he develops for a few years, I think you would be wise to select Donovan Peoples-Jones and let it play out.

mike havens