2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Jaylen Wright, RB Tennessee
The calendar has flipped to April, which means we are now weeks away from the NFL Draft. For all the moving and shaking we do through rookie mocks, startup ADPs, and prospect evaluation, we are actually just buying our time until the real draft comes to find out where our favorite prospects will land. It is the most exciting part of the dynasty off-season.
And speaking of moving and shaking, I think no other prospect has shimmied up draft boards more than Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into Wright’s profile as we continue with our rookie prospect series.
The Stats
Courtesy: Sports Reference.
Wright broke out as a true sophomore in 2022, scoring double-digit touchdowns and averaging a solid six yards per rush. He then built off his breakout campaign last season, eclipsing over 1,000 yards rushing and earning second-team All-SEC honors.
One of the quieter developments to occur was his receiving production for the Vols’ offense. After not really being used at all as a receiver in 2022, that changed in 2023 as Wright caught 22 balls – averaging six yards per catch – displaying his versatility as a rushing and receiving threat.
The Film
The film highlighted above is Tennessee at home against Texas A&M. Wright dominated this game, rushing for 136 yards on 19 carries. Tennessee set the tone early, feeding Wright the ball, letting him and the run game establish the line of scrimmage and control the tempo.
This game also displays what makes Wright such an exciting prospect, such as his accelerated burst through the hole and his juice at the second level to make defenders miss. At the 1:15 mark of this game, Wright flashes his vision and processing in the open field, and then shows an explosive lateral twitch to avoid perimeter defenders and get to the edge for an impact run, finishing with a physical broken tackle before being brought down.
The Measurables
Courtesy of NFL.com.
When he declared for the NFL Draft, Wright was more of an unknown leading up to the Combine. Not only was he a standout at his position group, but he was one of the biggest overall winners post-combine in Indianapolis. Wright has put himself squarely in the day two conversation after his superb athletic testing and showcasing his straight-line speed with a blazing 4.38 forty.
Those measurables are exciting, and even more impressive, after checking in at a shade under 5 ft 11 and a solid 210 pounds.
Dynasty Value
There may not be another rookie prospect who has helped himself more post-combine than Wright.
Courtesy of Dynasty League Football/adp-value.
Look at the graph above, which illustrates just how much Wright has increased in dynasty value in one month with his standout Combine performance. He is the highest of any running back, which includes a combination of elite and solid starters at the position.
Courtesy of DLF Rankings/2024 Feb ADP.
Courtesy of DLF Superflex Rookie March 2024 ADP.
The story for Wright’s pre-NFL Draft rookie profile is written within the pictures. It also goes to show how reactionary the market can be with new information given and how much can change in one month.
Wright was a near fourth-round rookie pick before the Combine happened, and now is all but a lock to be a mid to late second-round rookie pick come draft season. The only thing that will change his value at this point, is if he doesn’t go on day two as he’s projected right now.
Should Wright fall into day three, it will most likely push him into the third round of rookie drafts. Still, he will be an exceptional value pick and worth the dart throw selection if you wish to make the pick.
Lastly, if Wright falls into an ambiguous situation where he will have an opportunity to compete for an early role in year one, I believe he has the talent to be the lead back for his respective landing spot throughout his rookie contract at the very minimum.
