Dynasty Draftnik

Jaguars, Round 2. Was a junior. I really wasn’t much of a fan before the draft, but a lot of smart people were – as were, apparently, the Jaguars, who also drafted Marqise Lee in the second round. The team seems ready to walk away from Justin Blackmon and are building a solid young offense. Athletically,  he could be very effective; but his weaknesses as a route runner and his inconsistent hands may limit him.

Positives: Very good height and bulk for the position. Adequate hand size. Runs like a running back after the catch – gets low. Above-average vertical leap and can go up to get it. Above-average body control and adjusts well to off-target passes. Tracks passes fairly well over his inside shoulder. Above-average track speed for his size. Above-average vertical leap and general lower body explosiveness. Did better at his pro day at 208 pounds than he did weighing 220 at the Combine.

Negatives: Below-average hands when he has to extend. Below-average patience. Suspect balance making cuts. Body catches too often and seems to have some trouble extending for passes away from his frame. Below-average routes and rounds them off consistently. Though his track speed is pretty good for his size, it’s below average for the position.

Projection: Right now, he’s probably the fourth option as a receiver on the team. Draft as a WR5 with eventual WR3 potential.

Titans, UDFA. Was a junior. His best bet is to make the team as a punt returner, but will need to improve his decision making.

Positives: Adequate hand size. Very good effort on punt returns. Above-average balance after contact. Patient as a punt returner. Fair routes. Above-average speed, acceleration and quickness. Okay hands and is able to extend fairly well. Gets good depth on third-down routes.

Negatives: Short and slight for the position. Below-average decisions on punt and kick return fielding, and will try to return punts inside 10-yard line in traffic and also let the ball hit the ground when he should fair catch it. Runs a little bit out of control with the ball in his hand. Below-average upper body strength. Generally below-average vertical leap, lateral quickness, and lower body explosiveness in Combine testing.

Projection: No need to draft.

Buccaneers, Round 6. He could probably slide into the slot on the team, and , with Jackson, Evans, and Seferian-Jenkins taking a lot of attention, Herron could provide solid, if unspectacular, production.

All-Star Games: Senior Bowl.

Positives: Though he is short for the position, he has adequate bulk. Above-average hand size. Good hands and can extend and adjust well for fast passes. Fairly quick in his breaks with a sudden double move. Tracks well over inside shoulder. Appears strong and can fight off contact from cornerbacks. Above-average concentration on contested passes. Accelerates well off the line. Above-average track speed for his size and the position. Above-average upper body strength. Adequate vertical leap. Above-average ability to change directions in Combine testing.

Negatives: Short for the position. Missed four games in 2012 due to injury. Below-average lateral quickness in Combine testing.

Projection: Draft as a WR5 with WR3 potential.

UDFA. Signed by the Rams as a UDFA but was released in August. Was a junior. Has enough athleticism and receiving skills to stick on a roster somewhere, but I’m not sure where.

Positives: Above-average hand size. Above-average quickness. Adequate hands, and can extend somewhat. Gets good yards after the catch using his change of direction and acceleration abilities. Above-average vision in the open field. Above-average vertical leap.

Negatives: Slightly below-average height and bulk for the position. Suspect concentration on easy passes. Academically ineligible for four games in 2012. Below-average track speed for his size and position. Week upper body. Below-average lateral quickness and ability to change directions in Combine testing.

Projection: Probably not going to be fantasy relevant.

Lions, Round 6. Drafted by a Lions as probably their third or fourth wide receiver. Will probably back up Golden Tate but would probably do fairly well if he had to be a starter, too.

All-Star Games: Invited to Shrine Game but pulled out due to injury.

Positives: Above-average hand size. Above-average speed and acceleration. Very nimble on sidelines. Fair vision and is slightly dangerous after the catch and gives good effort. Good effort on contested passes. Agile, slippery, and hard to wrap up after the catch. Above-average balance after contact. Tracks well over his inside shoulder. Above-average track speed for his position. Adequate ability to change directions in Combine testing.

Negatives: Slightly below-average height and bulk for the position. Inconsistent hands and can extend, but tends to body catch – was improved at the Combine gauntlet drill. Below-average concentration and drops some easy passes and will misjudge punts as well. Suspect field sense for first downs. Below-average routes and is pretty slow into and out of breaks, lacking acceleration after stopping momentum. Below-average vertical leap, lateral quickness, and general lower body explosiveness in Combine testing. Pulled right hamstring in pro day workout.

Projection: Drafted by a Lions as probably their third or fourth wide receiver. Will probably back up Golden Tate but would probably do fairly well if he had to be a starter, too. Probably no need to draft, but keep an eye on him and pick him up if he’s going to get game reps. In the Lions offense, could put up WR3 numbers if given the chance.

Panthers, Round 1. Was a redshirt sophomore. Another wide receiver who went pretty much exactly where we expected him to in the draft – at the end of Round 1. And he ends up in a fantastic situation for him, on a team without a single established wide receiver, and with a quarterback who can get him the ball in a lot of ways. Though I’m not as sold on Benjamin’s talent as a lot of people were before the draft, this helps not only the Panthers offense, but his own prospects also kind of go through the roof.

Positives: H-back height and bulk, and could change to H-back in NFL. Long wingspan for increased catch radius. Great hand size. Adequate track speed for the size. Above-average upper body strength. Tracks passes over outside shoulder well. Good concentration on off-target passes.

Negatives: Needs to fight for the ball in the air more often and often loses in contested passes. Though his hands flash occasionally, they are inconsistent, and he lets the ball get to his body too often. Extends inconsistently for passes away from his frame. Doesn’t change directions very quickly or smoothly. Below-average vertical leap. Poor lateral quickness and ability to change directions in Combine drills.

Projection: He’s been put in a great position to succeed, and, though he’s very raw, he should immediately put up WR2 numbers. If he ever learns how to improve his consistency, he could be a WR1 with Cam Newton for a long time. Draftable high in the first round of dynasty rookie drafts.

Steelers, Round 4. Was a junior. He enters a WR corps as probably the fourth-best guy, but he provides the size and the red-zone target the team’s been trying to rediscover for years since Plaxico Burress left town the first time. So they’ll probably be able to find him some targets.

Positives: Very good height and good bulk. Gives very good effort on off-target passes. Adequate hand size. Above-average concentration in traffic, and will come up with difficult catches. Can extend for passes away from his frame. Fairly effective after the catch. Very effective in red zone and on fade routes. Pretty good concentration on tipped passes. Tracks passes well over his outside shoulder. Adequate track speed for the position, and a very good for his size. Adequate upper body strength. Above-average vertical leap for the position.

Negatives: Indecisive on kick return. Suspended from 2012 bowl game for academic reasons. Though he can extend for passes, he tends to body catch. Below-average ability to change directions in Combine drills.

Projection: Don’t expect him to start right away, but he’ll contribute. Expect WR3 numbers by year two.

UDFA. Was a junior. Signed as a UDFA by the Saints but released in August.

Positives: Tight end height with good wide receiver bulk. Adequate hand size. Generally above-average hands and can extend and snag even in the rain. Above-average speed and can get separation deep. Can high-point passes. Tracks passes fairly well over his outside shoulder. Above-average track speed for his size. Good upper body strength.

Negatives: Though his hands are generally good, he has lapses in concentration, and will drop passes he should come down with. Long strider with a lanky build, which limits his acceleration and makes it hard for him to change directions and make crisp cuts. Inconsistent routes. Injured knee in spring 2013 and had minor surgery. Below-average vertical leap. Poor lateral quickness and ability to change directions in Combine drills.

Projection: No need to draft.

Cowboys, Round 5. With his size, hands, and route-running ability, I’m a little surprised he went this late in the draft. It’s an OK situation for him, with only Dez Bryant definitely ahead of him. Terrance Williams is their other young, talented, productive wide receiver, but Street should be able to supplant him or at least take a large amount of the WR rotation.

Positives: Very good height and adequate bulk for the position. Adequate hand size. Generally good hands and can extend very well. Strong after the catch and is hard to bring down. Fights hard for yards. Above-average speed for his size. Crisp routes. Holds ball with hit. Adjusts fairly well to passes over his outside shoulder. Generally above-average vertical leap, lower body explosiveness, lateral quickness, and ability to change directions in Combine testing.

Negatives: Though he has nice size overall, he has a slim build. Charged with assault in November 2012. Ankle injury in November 2013, and didn’t play in bowl game. Seems to be a little slow off the line and has build-up speed.

Projection: Before the draft, I expected him to have maybe WR2 potential by year two, and that hasn’t really changed with this selection. Draft in Round 2 or 3 of dynasty rookie drafts with those expectations.

Panthers, UDFA.

Positives: Adequate hand size. Good hands and can snag off-target passes. Above-average quickness and acceleration. Nimble and can extend very well. Consistently spins for more yards. Fights through contact. Above-average balance after contact. Adjusts fairly well to off-target passes.

Negatives: Slightly below-average height and below average bulk for the position. Below-average track speed for his size and for the position. Below-average ball security. Makes too many risky punt return decisions and he seems to misjudge punt trajectory at times, resulting in fumbles. Suspect tracking over his outside shoulder. Suspect balance making cuts. Below-average lateral quickness and ability to change directions in Combine drills. Below-average vertical leap.

Projection: Going to a team with very little established WR talent helps him a lot. He still comes into the team as probably the sixth WR, and has a lot of work to do if he wants to stick on the roster. Even with an optimal situation, his best bet is probably on a practice squad somewhere. Has the hands and speed to be able to contribute, but I don’t see him being a fantasy factor anytime soon.