2021 Dynasty Rookie Draft First Look: Wide Receivers
The beauty of the dynasty format is the fact it’s a 365-day affair. While the regular season may be over, we now turn our full attention to the 2021 draft class.
Truth be told, we here at DLF never truly take our eyes off the horizon when it comes to assessing tomorrow’s fantasy talent and this is evidenced simply by looking at our weekly content coverage. We fully understand whether you just hoisted your league trophy or were on the outside looking in, dynasty coaches are always interested in assessing next year’s class. After all, there’s never a guarantee the stars of tomorrow are going to be selected highly in the first round of dynasty rookie drafts. In recent years, there’s an expanding number of productive players coming out of fantasy rounds two, three, and even four. Ask Justin Herbert or James Robinson managers about the potential of late-round rookie selections.
Rookie mock drafts are all the rage once the off-season begins and it’s what keeps dynasty fun. There’s always a reason for excitement (regardless of your record) once the season comes to a close. Savvy dynasty coaches know how to assess their squads prior to the league trade deadline in order to make moves to set up their team(s) for the future. But it’s a moving target. No two drafts are the same and each year brings varying levels of depth for the incoming rookie class. It’s always a balance between assessing your team needs and the projected depth at those positions within the draft.
Many things will change between now and then. As I write this, draft declaration day remains January 18th. The NFL Combine will begin on March 8th and Pro Days will begin shortly thereafter. But, as we’ve learned over this past year, these dates are not chiseled in stone. What is etched in stone is our work to help you get prepared.
So, with that all said, let’s take a closer look at my top wide receivers for the 2021 NFL Draft.  A couple of quick notes here: Some of these players could choose to return to school and not declare for the draft. Additionally, this listing is loosely ranked as I still have a lot of additional tape review to complete. So while the list is my current ranking, please consider it very fluid. All stat images are courtesy of ESPN. We start our positional review with the pass catchers.
2021 Wide Receivers
Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
6’1/200 lbs.
Age: 20 –Â Junior
Chase remains a bit of a one-year wonder, though he was poised for a huge 2020 campaign before opting-out to prepare for the NFL Draft due to Covid. Sharing the field with NFL rookie phenom Justin Jefferson, Chase benefitted from not only from being a part of a ridiculously talented receiving corps but also being on the receiving end of passes from NFL draftee and first-overall selection Joe Burrow.
Make no mistake, the single year of production, while normally a concern I always take into consideration, is less of an issue with Chase than with most other receivers. Similar to 2020’s dynamic rookie duo of CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy, pre-draft, Chase and Alabama wideout DeVonta Smith are neck-and-neck to be the top receiver on the board in 2021. In fact, I find Smith narrowing any remaining gap with Chase at a quick pace and it’s not out of the question the pair change positions for me when my final rankings are released. I see little threat to either of these receivers holding the top two positions on my receiver rankings, though.
Chase’s listed 6’1 size is suspect, though I hope it holds. Regardless, he’s a route technician who projects to the next level very well. He’s sudden and violent with his hips, has natural and quiet hands at the point of reception, stems routes fluidly to stack defenders whether on hitch/dig routes or on posts, corners and go routes. Off the line of scrimmage, he uses his hands well to attack press with violent jabs to the forearm, elbow and shoulder of the press corner to get into his route. Following his get-off, he shows few wasted steps at his break points and is extremely efficient.
He will need to improve in his blocking and he’s not an elite athlete with elite measurables such as Julio Jones, Calvin Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins or DK Metcalf, but he looks the part of a WR1 at the next level. My growing belief is Chase, still only 20 years old, will be drafted as the second receiver off the board behind the Alabama dynamo found below.
DeVonta Smith, Alabama
6’1/175 lbs.
Age: 22 – Senior
Ultra-productive and possessing a great football IQ, DeVonta Smith is projected to be the first receiver off the board in this year’s NFL Draft, potentially within the top five selections.
As a senior, Smith is older than Chase and, thus, could potentially have a shorter career. Unlike Chase, Smith is thinly built, relies on quickness and agility in his routes but combines those with an incredibly high football IQ to set up his defender, optimize his stems and breaks and accelerate into the reception. The undersized component is a concern, but more on social media than in NFL circles where his comp to Colts’ Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison has been made and is appropriate in my estimation. It remains to be seen how he handles the physicality of press corners at the NFL level but the combination of his agility and acceleration should serve him well and pose significant issues for NFL cornerbacks and secondaries.
In review of Smith, it’s hard not be excited about his prospects at the next level. Even in an offense loaded with talent, he’s remained extremely productive, continues to hone his craft and will be one of the top two receivers off the board in dynasty rookie drafts. Until my final review sessions and, ultimately, my final rankings, it’s Chase and Smith as my 1A and 1B receivers, clearly in the top tier.
Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
6’2/210 lbs
Age: 21 – Junior
Bateman cut his 2019 follow-up season short as he opted-out early in the 2020 season due to Covid. Whereas the receivers above him on this listing don’t carry elite size, Bateman is much closer to the true prototypical big receiver with the potential to play the “X” at the next level.
A high character player, Bateman isn’t elite in any one area but excels in many. Playing all over the formation for Minnesota, he excels in short to intermediate routes, especially outs, digs, comebacks and the occasional slant where he utilizes quick feet and plus-level hips to sell the route, ultimately breaking down to create separation. While not overly elusive with the ball in his hands and not possessing obvious second-gear after the catch, Bateman’s timed speed will be in focus during the Combine but tape shows enough ability in this area to keep a level of intrigue.
Bateman doesn’t possess the fluidity, suddenness or agility that both Chase and Smith above do, but he has the potential to be a complete receiver in the NFL with some plus-level upside should his long speed stand out during the Combine. A comp of Keenan Allen has been suggested by multiple sources and seems appropriate here as well.
Chris Olave, Ohio State
6’1/188 lbs.
Age: 21 – Junior
The fast-rising Ohio State junior is now an odds-on favorite to rise into the bottom of the first round in the NFL Draft. In tape review, it’s easy to see why Olave could be a better pro than collegiate player.
On the receiving end of passes from fellow 2021 rookie Justin Fields, Olave didn’t produce to his 2019 level but improved in multiple aspects as a receiver. Ohio State prospects at the position often don’t post a level of superior production in college as evidenced by recent draftees Terry McLaurin (2019) and Michael Thomas (2016), but that’s not to say they don’t go on to be productive at the NFL level. In that vein, Olave’s production suggests a similar potential and dynasty players should not reduce his value based on production alone.
As a true route technician, Olave wins not with elite speed but but through IQ and manipulation of the defender by attacking the mid-line, selling the route and using violent/sudden hips to create separation from his breaks. He stays low through his breaks, bringing his chin to his knees as he drops his hips, not losing speed by raising his chest or wasting steps. He uses effective head and shoulders to become an elite salesman to gain the advantage on the route creating space to either stack the defender on a vertical route or attack the weak hip and blind spot on out and dig patterns. While I don’t believe he possesses elite speed (a subject I’ll be squarely focusing on during the Combine), his route intelligence and attention to detail allow him to win at all levels.
Olave won’t “wow” in any one area and he struggles in contested catch or trafficked situations but he possesses enough of what I need to see to provide similar potential to other successful OSU products.
Terrace Marshall Jr., LSU
6’3/200 lbs.
Age: 20 – Junior
Marshall profiles as a very intriguing size-speed player who looks like a prototypical “Z” receiver at the next level, though he was utilized in multiple positions while at LSU. For a big player, he possesses surprisingly quick feet though sometimes does have the tendency to waste steps or “beat the drum” when unneeded for the situation. In most situations, however, smaller cornerbacks are simply overmatched both on crossing patterns or stacked in Marshall’s hip pocket, usually with significant separation.
On film review, Marshall is a somewhat difficult assessment due to the cushion provided by the secondary. He rarely saw press coverage or had to use his hands off the line of scrimmage or at the route break-point off the stem. He understands how to attack the weak hip and fluidly uses rocker steps to benefit his acceleration out of the break. The most impressive part of Marshall’s game is his confident and strong hands. He naturally extends to the ball is able to secure the reception at multiple points displaying near-elite hands utilized as a complement to his speed and separation abilities.
LSU has produced an extremely exciting set of skill position players of late and Marshall looks like a continuance of that trend. I believe he has NFL Draft second-day potential.
Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
5’10/182 lbs.
Age: 22 – Junior
We thought a fractured ankle in the fifth game of 2020 ended Waddle’s breakout season, but he looks to be returning for the National Championship game. In his first four games of 2020, he averaged almost six receptions, 140 yards, and one touchdown per game. What he could have done with a full season can only be speculated but, regardless, he’s shown enough to garner first-round draft grades from most.
Though somewhat undersized, Waddle is more than a prototypical speed merchant and has more upside, in my estimation, than his size-speed would suggest on first review. I like him better than the other speed products in this year’s draft. While his speed is elite, he’s an exceptional route salesman, has the ability to receive the ball at multiple points outside his frame and possesses multiple release and break techniques that allow him to be used at all levels on the field. Like many receivers on this list, Waddle didn’t face significant press coverage, making it difficult to assess of the line of scrimmage against strong corners.
In the NFL where most every team is now searching for their own Tyreek Hill component on offense, Waddle’s combination of physical skills and route mechanics are enough to secure him a spot in the first round and he projects much more highly in my view than recent smaller receivers from 2020, Henry Ruggs and Jalen Reagor.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC
6’1/195 lbs.
Age: 21 – Junior
A shortened season for USC curtailed St. Brown’s potential for a follow-up season from his 2019 1,042 receiving yard campaign. In his five regular season games, he still produced 36 receptions, 404 yards, and six touchdowns, all six coming in his last two games vs. UCLA (2) and WSU (4). In the Pac-12 Championship game against Oregon, he produced a notable 5/74/1 stat line and has now declared for the 2021 NFL Draft.
St. Brown plays larger than his listed size and excels in traffic and contested-catch situations. He tracks the ball extremely well and displays confident and strong hands in combination with the leaping ability to high point for the reception. His route tree is somewhat limited and his mechanics are satisfactory but will need to be improved at the next level, specifically in the areas of step mechanics and suddenness. He does appear to have the agility and hips for an increased route tree. Long speed is suspect and he may struggle to gain separation over-the-top. In press coverage, St. Brown does show physicality and seems adept at using jabs and a strong attack of the defenders leading arm and/or shoulder, something absolutely necessary for bigger receivers at the next level.
USC receivers have a somewhat checkered history in the past decade and St. Brown doesn’t project as highly as former Trojan Juju Smith-Schuster but he has the makeup of a day-two selection come the NFL Draft.
Rondale Moore, Purdue
5’9/180 lbs.
Age: 20 – Sophomore
Rondale Moore is my rookie upside “mystery” selection of 2021. A social media darling, I expect him to rocket up draft boards after he lights up the Combine on his way to, potentially, being well over-drafted. But if you seek lightning in a bottle and are willing to take on the risk Moore presents, he’ll be an intriguing selection in the back half of the first round in dynasty rookie drafts.
As his stat bar above shows, Moore hasn’t had a notable season since his freshman year in 2018 when he produced an impressive 114 receptions, 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s been timed at 4.33 in the forty and is said to be able to clear 40″ in the vertical jump while also possessing plus-level strength, including a verified 600-pound squat, something evident on tape. I won’t lie in the fact he presents a package who, if used similarly to Tyreek Hill in an offense with an adept quarterback and surrounding components, Moore could be the risk-reward selection of 2021.
As a receiver, he shows quickness off the line of scrimmage and effective use of a jab step to create misdirection, of which only a moment of is needed to create the separation utilizing his acceleration. His hands are not elite but sufficient and he shows the ability to track over his shoulder as well as extend and snatch away from his body without losing speed. With the ball in his hands, as already noted, his lower body strength is impressive and his base and balance over his hips make for a difficult tackle. In my estimation, so much of Moore’s upside will be determined by his offensive system at the next level.
Kadarius Toney, Florida
6’/193 lbs.
Age: 21- Senior
Toney, a Senior, exploded in 2020 and has been rising in draft circles. Though many see him as fluid, I don’t believe it to be the case. He’s extremely agile and possesses a quick-twitch style with the ball in his hands, but often times his upper-body seems surprised by what his lower body is doing – this shows in his route running as well as after the catch. In style, he reminds me of a less fluid Percy Harvin, also a Florida product.
While the Gators used him all over the formation (including out of the backfield), his primary usage was a receiver in space. His route tree is limited and he specializes in dig and hitch routes in addition to slants to utilize his quickness off the line of scrimmage. His route mechanics are sloppy, bordering on uncontrolled and his hands don’t seem natural, though he did put some impressive catches on film. Too often he reverts to body catching. I don’t believe he will put in an official measurement at 6′ but his low center of gravity and strength make for a powerful and compact presence after the catch.
A selection of Toney will be made by a team looking to manufacture touches for playmakers in space. This provides high-ceiling potential but also presents as a very high risk selection in dynasty leagues.
Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State
6’/190 lbs.
Age: 21Â – Senior
Wallace tore his ACL in 2019 and played through a groin injury early in 2020 on his way to another solid campaign. Of course, Oklahoma State employs a system which produces sometimes gaudy numbers for its receivers, leading to difficult rookie assessments for the next level.
Not particularly physical off the line of scrimmage, he’ll need to develop in this area at the next level if he expects to work anywhere other than the slot. Once into his stem, he does show the ability to sink his hips and turn his head and shoulders quickly for comeback, hitch, and slant routes with better than average foot agility. His hands are extremely confident and he displays gifted extend and snatch ability with fluidity and little effort. Once the reception is complete, he’s a long strider with deceptive speed. His route tree is limited as is his separation toolbelt but with my comp of Will Fuller, there’s upside here in time.
Summary
The 2021 draft class is not nearly as deep as the historic class of 2020. However, that is not to say there aren’t pockets of strength, the receivers being one of them.  Unlike 2020’s receiving class, following the clear first tier of Ja’Marr Chase and Devonta Smith, we find a relatively deep second and third tier filled with players with plus-level ability and high ceilings, but also possessing greater bust potential than that of 2020.
Given the relatively poor depth at running back in this class, the wide receivers should shine in dynasty rookie drafts while the upside quarterbacks are interspersed within the first two rounds, creating a potential talent-rich second round in dynasty rookie drafts.
Stay tuned while I continue this series with a look at the rookie running backs of 2021.
You can find Jeff on Twitter at @dlf_jeff
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