The NFL Draft is a place where NFL teams can potentially change their fortunes or continue building success at multiple positions. The NFL Draft is also important for fantasy football owners in dynasty format. Assessing rookies and adding youth to an owner’s rosters is a key to long term success. Most people playing dynasty are aware of the potential first round players, The difference between good drafts and elite drafts is being able to hit well on the second round and on, for players that will be available in the rookie draft. This year is loaded at wide receiver and offers great depth and upside through the entire rookie draft. I will be taking a look at several players I have watched film on and their prospects for being able to help fantasy teams.
Denzel Mims
Looking even further, receivers are plentiful in this draft. Another receiver that could be a great value in rookie drafts is Denzel Mims. Mims is one of the more physically imposing wide receivers in this draft. His story can be summarized by stats but is not a clear picture. He had 28 touchdowns in three years production and 186 receptions. Mims enters the draft still with some questions. Mims does some things really well, including leveraging his size to block out defenders or win contested catches, his 40-yard dash time will tell a lot at the combine, but his speed while not top end is functional for his size. His blocking will help him see the field as he Is a very good screen blocker and recognizing when he engage defenders, He’s somewhat puzzling at route running but looked unmotivated at times as Baylor consistently read one side of the field, and when it was his side, he had aggressive breaks and could find spots to get The ball. He had some really bad drops but amazing catches. consistency will be key for Mims. Mims showed ability to run with ball to create yards after the catch on designed screens, and was a very consistent scorer. This class is so deep, but Mims could really benefit from a great combine effort to help separate himself, I think that he is a day two talent in a class that will see a lot of these talented WR fall because of the depth.
K.J. Hamler
The first receiver that could sky rocket in value after the draft but is a really good target at this point, is K.J. Hamler. Hamler is 5’9” 178 pounds. He is not large by any means, but is absolutely electric with the ball. Hamler suffered an ACL injury in his last year in high school and redshirted his first year at PSU. In his first year playing Hamler had an instant impact with the most yards as a first year player; breaking Saquon Barkley’s record and following that year with a second season of 56 receptions and 904 yards. He finished his career with 17.05 yards per carry. Hamler has top tier speed that has to be accounted for by opposing teams at all times. Hamler was double covered and made an impact with his speed by having to be accounted for and opening targets for others. His speed allows him to be utilized outside and inside, as well as jets sweeps and carries. He can be used for gadget plays, but his ability to take the top off defenses and win one on one matchups with speed will be noticeable very quickly in the NFL. He’s hard to press because if defensive back misses, he is will blow by them. He has good hands but if given cushion can use speed to push defender back and come back to the ball. He is small and will need to add muscle to sustain through a season and will not have a physical presence in the red zone and must win with speed or play design. Hamler only has two seasons of film but will be coveted and could surprise as a first round pick if he tests well at the combine. He is a lock for the second round and because of his speed could have a Brandin Cooks ceiling in the pros.
Quintez Cephus
This next receiver is quietly gaining momentum through the process but will most likely be a day two or day three pick with real upside. Quintez Cephus started out his career at Wisconsin with minimal impact before contributing more his sophomore year. He had over 500 yards and 6 touchdown before off field issues led him to miss the 2018 season, when he returned his impact was felt with over 400 yards more than his sophomore year and a slight uptick in touchdowns. He is a physical receiver that thrives in contested spots and strong breaks to separate enough. He is able to play through contact and not be overpowered very often. He can play as big slot and outside red-zone threat. His routes aren’t real crisp and while he can use his strength and athleticism to separate the route errors can cause defenders to close quickly. He can make spectacular catches but can have a mental lapse and suffer drops. He was cleared of off field charges but will get a lot of questions from NFL teams about his history, and could fall because of it. Cephus is athletically a top tier WR in terms of build and strength, if he runs a good forty-yard dash, I expect his stock to improve from early day three to late day two. Cephus is a diamond in the rough that could potentially be an early breakout and outplay his draft status, his aggression and size will let him play in the big slot role or on the outside. The draft class he is in is filled with elite players and will push his stock down but don’t be surprised when Cephus emerges as high end WR2 if he gets to the right team.
Devin Duvernay
The fourth and final receiver to highlight is Devin Duvernay. Duvernay played four years at Texas where he played outside receiver for the first three years and scored seven touchdowns and had 1082 yards. His senior year he moved into the slot and had more yards and touchdowns than the previous three years. Duvernay has a good frame at 5’11” 210 and should test well at the combine with agility drills and speed which translates well to the pros, Duvernay looks fit best in the NFL as a slot receiver at the next level but in my opinion could be one of the best pure slots in the draft. He runs routes about pretty well and is able to create separation enough for the catch. He is than able to use his speed and physicality to demand yards after catch opportunities. He’s not going win against the press often but as a slot he should be able to leverage his other skills to win. He has great hands but doesn’t look like he will win a lot of 50/50 balls. Watching his senior year, there is definitely some opportunity for Duvernay to find a niche role, as a big play threat, and his best case is to be a top tier slot similar to a Sterling Shepard if he can improve his route execution.
The 2020 NFL Draft is filled with wide receiver talent. The first round on April 23rd could see as many as four or five taken. Many receivers with day two draft grades will fall because of the sheer size and talent of the class. Don’t focus too much on when a receiver is taken in the 2020 NFL Draft. Focus on which team, as many teams with a need might wait because of the immense amount of talent that will be available on day two and day three. When drafting in your rookie drafts, make sure to keep an eye on these potential gems, and the many others not listed. Good luck and happy draft season!
