Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Collin Johnson, WR JAC

Levi Chappell Posted On July 9, 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: Collin Johnson

Position: Wide receiver

Pro Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

College Team: Texas Longhorns

Draft Status: Round five, 165th overall

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

COMBINE REVIEW

Height: 6’6”
Weight: 222 pounds
Arm Length: 32 1/4”
Hands: 9”
40-yard dash: N/A
Bench press: 17 Reps
Vertical jump: N/A
Broad jump: N/A
Three-Cone: N/A
20-yard shuttle: N/A

STRENGTHS

Great route-running for a big receiver
Excels at contested catches
Large catch radius
Wins on the inside and outside of the field
Plays very physical
Bullies smaller defenders
50/50 goal-line fades
Effective in run blocking

WEAKNESSES

Small hands
Lacks top-end speed
Doesn’t separate well
Very little RAC
Needs time to build up speed

OPPORTUNITIES

The opportunity for Johnson will come from the simple fact that the Jaguars needed some serious help in the receiving game. Other than DJ Chark, you are looking at a group with Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook, and Chris Conley. They are all fine wide receivers, but none are going to win you games. Johnson joins Laviska Shenault as rookies who will try and make an impact in what was a depleted receiving core. Johnson may start out as a depth WR, but it would not surprise me to see him pass a couple of names on the depth chart.

THREATS

One of the cons to the landing spot for Johnson is that the Jaguars now have one of the “taller/bigger” receiving groups in the NFL. Chark, Shenault, and Conley are all big receivers, and Johnson may be able to make the biggest impact down at the goal line. A team with a much “shorter/smaller” wide receiver core could have benefited from Johnson’s skill-set more. Needless to say, Johnson will need to carve out a specific role before he is able to make an impact.

SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS

Short-term expectations for Johnson and many rookie wide receivers should be relatively low. He will most likely start on the depth chart as the fourth or fifth receiver. For his rookie campaign, success would be carving out a role that allows him to see the field on a semi-regular basis. I have a hard time seeing him getting to the WR3 on the depth chart, so playing time may be sporadic at times.

LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS

The long-term expectations for Johnson look quite a bit better than the short term. While he may not be able to pass Westbrook or Conley on the depth chart quickly (if both even make the active roster), both players are unrestricted free agents after the 2020 season, which would allow Johnson to move forward as a significant member of the receiving group alongside Chark and Shenault. As long as Gardner Minshew takes a step forward and can lead that passing attack, I think the Jags are in for some better days ahead.

NFL PLAYER COMPARISON

It’s tough to find a player comparison for a WR who is all of 6’6”. But a comparison to a player who I think had a similar playstyle and was effective, while not being overly athletic or possessed the ability to create significant separation, was Eric Decker.

Yes, Decker is three inches shorter than Johnson, but they are similar in hand size, speed, weight, and strength. Decker was really good at finding openings in the defense, winning 50/50 balls, and utilizing his strength on smaller defenders… all things Johnson also does well.

If you are looking for a closer physical comparison, think Equanimeous St. Brown… just bigger.

PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE

According to DLF’s Rookie ADP, Johnson is being drafted at the very backend of the fourth round or going undrafted. His average rookie draft ADP is 46.60 and he is the 22nd wide receiver being drafted.

Johnson is in that same range of late-round wide receivers like Gabriel Davis, KJ Hill, and James Proche who you hope can get a shot at playing time. I would spend a very late fourth-round pick on a player who has unique size and skill-set.

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Levi Chappell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Fueled by coffee, Levi spends most of his days in the real estate industry. When not in the real estate world, he is engulfed in dynasty and other sports. When other kids were playing with lincoln logs and legos, Levi was reading sports almanacs... for fun. "Too much fantasy" is not in his vocabulary.