Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Isaiah Hodgins, WR BUF

Levi Chappell Posted On July 13, 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: Isaiah Hodgins

Position: Wide receiver

Pro Team: Buffalo Bills

College Team: Oregon State Beavers

Draft Status: Round six, 207th overall

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

COMBINE REVIEW

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 209 pounds
Arm Length: 33.13”
Hands: 9 7/8”
40-yard dash: 4.61 seconds
Bench press: 9 reps
Vertical jump: 36 1/2”
Broad jump: 10’4”
Three-cone drill: 7.01 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.12 seconds

STRENGTHS

Fantastic hands
Next to no drops
Makes all catches look simple
Refined route runner
Finds openings in zone
Large catch radius
Works the sideline well

WEAKNESSES

Little to no yards after catch
Slow off the line
Lacks urgency in blocking
Average play speed
Lacks explosiveness

OPPORTUNITIES

Hodgins had an outstanding junior year at Oregon State, posting a stat line of 86 catches, 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns. He possesses several useful qualities that should make him a solid developmental receiving prospect. Hodgins has other things you like to see in a prospect as well: size, college production, and great hands.

He will be in the same receiving room as Cole Beasley, John Brown, and Stefon Diggs, which will allow him to learn the nuances of how to play the position. Realistically though, I don’t see much opportunity for Hodgins to make an impact on the team unless the group is hit with some injuries.

THREATS

Unfortunately for Hodgins, he landed on a team that is pretty well set at wide receiver for 2020 and beyond. Beasley is signed for another three seasons, Brown is signed for another two, and the team recently traded for Diggs who signed a new deal that runs through 2023. Not to mention the Bills also drafted Gabriel Davis two rounds ahead of Hodgins.

So obviously the main threat to Hodgins’ success is simply going to be the lack of playing time and exposure that he would need to be successful.

SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS

Hodgins short-term expectations should be next to nothing. He will most likely see a bit of run in the shortened preseason, but come the regular season, I don’t see him making the field unless an injury or two hits the receivers. One thing working in his favor is that he is clearly the biggest bodied receiver on the team and the Bills could possibly work some goal-line packages in for him so that he can get some playing time and see the field.

LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS

For many rookie receivers, I note that the long-term expectations look much brighter than the short-term… and while that is still the case for Hodgins, the long-term doesn’t look great either. As I mentioned before, all of the receivers in front of him are signed for at least another two seasons. The team could decide to part ways with Brown or Beasley after a season or two, which would clear up some roster space, but even then, Hodgins would be fighting for the WR3 spot on a run-first team.

NFL PLAYER COMPARISON

A player who comes to mind with similar build, athleticism, and play style is Brian Quick. Quick caught almost everything thrown his way in college, wasn’t a burner, but knew how to utilize his long stride to get open, and was able to use his size and strength to his advantage. All of those traits are similar to Hodgins.

The main difference between the two is that Quick was a high draft pick and was given many opportunities to be successful, which I am not sure Hodgins will receive.

PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE

According to DLF’s Rookie ADP, Hodgins is being drafted at the very, very backend of the fourth round or going undrafted. His average rookie draft ADP is 48 and he is the WR25.

Hodgins is a perfect player to let sit on your taxi squad for a year or two and see if he can make an impact while investing very little into his draft capital… if any.

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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.