Dynasty Draftnik

Positives: Runs with above-average speed and quickness. Adequate acceleration off the line and after the catch. When running routes, he is fairly quick in and out of his breaks. Above-average hands and extends and adjusts fairly well to catch passes away from his frame. Doesn’t let passes get to his body. Tracks passes over his inside shoulder fairly well. Shows good effort on off-target passes. Okay concentration in traffic. Above-average vision for yards after the catch. Reads downfield blocks well. Makes consistently smart punt return and kick return fielding decisions, and has reliable hands enough that he isn’t afraid to field the ball in traffic. Gets upfield quickly on returns and doesn’t waste much motion.

Negatives: Short for the position and has a slight build. Though his breaks are quick, he isn’t very deceptive in his route running – runs with flailing arms that telegraph his routes. Below-average tracking over outside shoulder. Suspect concentration when a hit is coming. Sometimes is late to look for the ball on deep routes. Below-average upper-body strength.

49ers, Round 4. Was a junior. Cousin of Andre Ellington, running back for the Cardinals. He went pretty much exactly where I expected him to, in the beginning of the 4th round. Good ball skills, athleticism and route running give him a good shot at being a fairly immediate starter. And he has the toughness to fit in on a team with Anquan Boldin. Would be difficult enough to cover out of the slot, but is physical enough to play an outside receiver spot, too.

Positives: Though he is short for the position, he has adequate bulk, and is proportioned like a running back. Above-average hand size. Runs with good speed and quickness, and accelerates off the line quickly. Above-average route runner who is crisp in his breaks. Adjusts his routes well to keep an angle on the ball in the air. Shows good hands and can extend and snag passes away from his frame. Good concentration and body control, and adjusts to off-target and tipped passes very well. Tracks passes well over both his inside and outside shoulders. Not afraid to go over the middle and holds the ball with a big hit. Above-average balance both on the sidelines and after contact. Willing to get in the way as a downfield blocker. Generally very athletic and versatile, and was a wildcat quarterback for the team and the point guard on his college basketball team. Even threw a touchdown in the 2013 bowl game. Above-average track speed for the position. Adequate upper body strength. 6 good vertical leap, lateral quickness, and ability to change directions in Combine testing.

Negatives: Short for the position. Makes suspect decisions as a kick returner. Though a willing blocker, he’s not a good one – gets caught flat footed and doesn’t maintain blocks. Injured his hamstring in Summer 2013 and missed a few weeks.

Projection: Has the potential to put up WR2 numbers. Draftable late in the first round of dynasty rookie drafts.

Saints, Round 1. Was projected pretty universally to go in the late first round as the fourth receiver overall, and that’s where he went. It’s just that nobody expected his team to be the Saints. Probably becomes the second or third wide receiver on the team, behind Kenny Stills and Marques Colston (until his leg falls off). He’s also behind Jimmy Graham on the pecking order. But, as much as Brees spreads the ball around, he’s likely to get a lot of targets anyway. Reminds me a lot of Jarrett Dillard, who was a super-athletic smaller wide receiver with a lot of speed, quickness, and ball skills whose career never took off due to injuries and, well, the Jaguars. With his lack of size, Cooks’s career could see the same flat trajectory. Or maybe he’s a Desean Jackson.

Positives: Though he’s a smaller receiver, he’s well built. Above-average hand size. Runs with great track speed and above-average game speed and very good quickness and acceleration off the line and after the catch. Very good stop-and-start ability. Runs good routes, and is very quick in and out of his breaks, getting good separation from defenders. Above-average hands and concentration – even on passes in traffic. Extends and adjusts very well for off-target passes and passes away from his frame, and can snag passes at their highest point. Shows good effort on errant passes and will go to the ground for the catch. Shows above-average body control to come down with off-target passes and is nimble on the sidelines. Good vertical leap, and can go up and get the pass – very effective in jump-ball situations despite his height. Good open-field vision and elusiveness for yards after the catch and is patient as a runner, waiting for blockers. Makes generally smart punt-return fielding decisions. Good downfield blocker despite his size. Smart receiver. Very agile and can reset his feet after being knocked off balance quickly. Adequate upper body strength. Very good lateral quickness and ability to change directions in Combine drills. Tough — though he’s been injured, he’s never missed a game.

Negatives: Short for the position, with below-average bulk. Ankle and knee injuries in 2012 slowed him down for a while. Not very strong, and will probably have trouble with physical defenders if they can stay with him. Injured ribs in September 2013, and it seem to hamper his ball security.

Projection: I expect him to put up immediate WR3 numbers and could eventually grow into a WR2, though his ceiling is probably limited by the way Brees consistently uses every receiver on the field. Draftable high in the first round of dynasty rookie drafts.

Dolphins, Round 2. Was a junior. I was lower on Landry than most before the draft, ranking him as the 15th-best WR available. He went as the 12th WR. But being the 12th WR taken in this draft class is a feather in his cap. He goes to a Dolphins team that has Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline as the leading receivers, and he should line up with them right away.

Positives: above-average bulk for his height and the position. Solid build. Great hand size. Runs with above-average speed. Shows above-average routes, running smoothly and crisply, getting positioning on cornerbacks well. Generally good hands, and can extend for passes away from his frame. Shows fair effort on off-target passes and will go to the ground for the catch. Has quick feet and is dangerous after the catch. Runs tough after the catch and isn’t afraid of contact. When contact happens, he is able to regain balance easily. Gets upfield quickly after catching the ball. Above-average run blocker who is willing to get physical and sacrifice his body.

Negatives: slightly below-average height for the position. Has a hard time with press coverage. Below-average focus – will try to make one-handed catch when it isn’t necessary or will turn upfield to get yards before securing the pass. On contested passes, he needs to be more aggressive and fight for the ball. Below-average ball security. Though he’s a willing blocker, he needs work on his technique and strength, and seems to be easy to push back. Below-average upper body strength. Poor track speed, vertical leap and general lower body explosiveness in Combine testing due to tight hamstring.

Projection: If they use him out of the slot, he should be super-effective since he won’t have to deal with press coverage. But the team’s general offensive mediocrity will probably hold him back for a while. Draft as a WR4 with WR2 upside.

Giants, Round 1. There was little surprise about where he went in the draft. He was generally considered the third-best WR in the draft and the Giants needed a WR to pair with Cruz and Randle. He also gives them a nice option at punt returner.

Positives: adequate bulk for the position. Above-average hand size. Above-average vertical leap and general lower body explosiveness. Very good lateral quickness and excellent ability to change directions in Combine drills. Runs with above-average speed and quickness and changes directions well. Difficult to get a hand on in the open field. Pretty good route runner who gets good inside positioning on slant patterns right off the line. Has good, strong and quick hands and is able to extend to snag passes away from his frame. Also has the concentration to be able to make the one-hand catch. Gives good effort on errant passes and will dive and go to ground for the reception. Above-average balance after contact and isn’t afraid to get physical with defenders. Good sense of where the first-down marker is. Works back to quarterback in trouble. Reliable PR hands – even under pressure. Heads upfield quickly on returns and has good vision that lets him pick his way through traffic. Willing downfield blocker. Tracks well over his outside shoulder.

Negatives: Very weak upper body. Slightly below-average height for the position. Runs a little out of control at times and will lose his balance making cuts with the ball in his hand. Makes consistently risky decisions as a punt returner and will try to field and return a ball on a bounce in traffic.

Projection: Expect him to put up immediate WR2 numbers and potentially low WR1 numbers by year two – if Eli Manning’s skills don’t completely fall off the cliff. He’s worth a top-five pick in dynasty rookie drafts.