This list will undoubtedly change as we progress toward the season, but there are some things that we can draw from a player’s current team context and college profile when projecting their impact. Note that this is a 2014 piece… if you’re looking for dynasty info, our Chris Meaney has you covered later this offseason. So, while I might have an interest in Carlos Hyde he won’t be on the top of my list as his path to carries looks quite clouded behind Frank Gore and Marcus Lattimore (though, he may find himself ahead of the latter with a strong camp). One final thing to bear in mind, rookies (receivers specifically) do take some time to adjust to the pro-game, so note that the commentary and the ranking below doesn’t suggest that any of these players is going to be a top flight option at their position – those ranks come later in the process. The discussion below will speak a bit about each player’s overall team impact, but the rough ordering pertains only to their own fantasy output this season (i.e. Eric Ebron would rank a few pegs higher if I was considering what he’ll do for Matthew Stafford‘s numbers). It’s also why you won’t see any linemen listed. We did look thoroughly at the first round through this lens in the immediate post draft aftermath. Caveats now in place, lets take a look:
2014 NFL Draft Review: Impact Players for 2014
Bishop Sankey, RB, Tennessee Titans
The path from draft to production is often shorter at RB and Sankey finds himself in the perfect situation (Photo: Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times).
In most cases, you’ll note that the immediate impact players listed below are first round picks of their respective teams. With the Titans selecting a player on the offensive side of the ball, you’d think that the number one impact player would have been that pick. In the case of Bishop Sankey, however, that isn’t the case. Instead, the Titans went with Tackle Taylor Lewan at #11 overall and came back with Sankey at 22 (54 overall) in the second round via Philadelphia. Nevertheless, Sankey is primed to have a big impact in his first year. The 5’9″ 209 pound Running Back is coming off a significant workload with 327 carries logged for Washington. Logging 5.7 yards a pop and scoring 20 times over those 327 totes, Sankey has proven he is a back who can handle the load. Given the uncertain depth chart after the departure of Chris Johnson he may have the opportunity to do just that in his first year. His primary threat for work is Shonn Greene, whose Tennessee career got off to a slow start last year with a knee injury, and wound up with just 77 carries in 11 games. The work he did have wasn’t all that effective, as the fifth year pro posted a 3.8 YPC average.
Thought of as a plodding runner, Greene hasn’t shown a great ability to make the explosive play through his career. By contrast, Sankey projects as a player who will hit the hole hard and possesses the vision to make the best of what the line gives him. On that note, lets look at my assessment of the Lewan pick in the first round; “the Titans’ line, which already ranked top five league wide in run blocking but was a bottom six unit when protecting for the pass finds itself with another tool in the chest.” Was the area a position of need? Definitely not – certainly not as far as run blocking is concerned – but depth does nothing to hinder the run game. Lewan seems likely to start at one of the interior positions this year, and while he has done his best work in pass protection to date he showed enough power at the scouting combine to suggest that he can win a few battles in the trenches as well. Add another knee surgery to the mix for Greene, and we’re looking at a scenario whereby Sankey could leave camp as a 20 carry back. Failing that, given the limits of Greene’s game he should find himself in a Zac-Stacy-like situation where injury or ineffectiveness propels him into a higher workload that he doesn’t relinquish. Again, like Stacy, he could find himself on a run first team trying to hide issues at and/or keep healthy the Quarterback position.
In many respects, fantasy football – and the run game in particular – is all about context. With a strong line, a run heavy philosophy, and a clear path to significant work (plus the profile to suggest he can handle it) the first back off the board landed in one of the better fantasy football scenarios he could have. Keep an eye on the word coming out of training camp, but either way I’m expecting Sankey to be my top ranked rookie heading into the season.
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Speaking of context, Josh McCown has to be loving the situation shaping up around him in Tampa Bay. With (what is likely to be) his second turn as a Week 1 starter on the horizon he finds himself working with a couple of 6’5″ monsters in the veteran Vincent Jackson and the rookie Mike Evans after showing he can work with a pair who can go up and get it in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery last year. Would the situation be even better for Evans if he found himself with a more established starter in Tampa Bay? Certainly. But McCown showed he can spin it last year and kept both Marshall and Jeffery fantasy relevant when tasked with leading the Bears. In fact, Jeffery averaged 16.3 FPPG (4th best at WR) during the four game stretch in which McCown had the reigns from Week 11-14. He’ll be able to learn from Jackson, and benefit from the defensive attention paid to the still strong veteran WR down field. A redzone threat with a big catching radius and the strength to make space for himself off the block, Evans should fare well in single coverage situations right from jump in an offense that NFL Media’s Mike Mayock suggests will be “like basketball on grass“. He’s not just big, Evans is fast enough too – posting a 4.53 40 at the combine but averaging 20.2 YPC from Johnny Manziel for Texas A&M last year.
Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills
The Bills sold the farm to get the rights to Watkins, and that means he’ll have no impediment to playing time. The departure of Steve Johnson (even with the addition of Mike Williams and presence of Robert Woods) suggests that not only will he start, but he’ll be the most targeted receiver on the team right out of the gate. As with Evans, you’d like a WR playing with a QB who is a little more well proven and with Buffalo projecting as a run-heavy offense, even leading the team in targets doesn’t guarantee Watkins a solid workload. With that said, he is a home run threat with the ball in his hands and I’ve already noted that those opportunities should come early and often. For an example of how Watkins can take over a game, go watch last year’s Orange Bowl… or, just note that he caught an obnoxious 16 balls for 227 yards and two scores on College Football’s biggest stage. His youth (a 21-year-old rookie this season) may hinder his development slightly, and that of his QB suggests there will be some mutual growing pains. Watkins should be an elite level talent at the NFL level, and as my third most interesting rookie from a fantasy perspective I’m not trying to slight him, but I’ll take Evans’ size and situation over Watkins this season.
Johnny Manziel, QB, Cleveland Browns
While Jimmy Haslam and the Browns organization have taken great pains to inform us that Johnny Manziel is the team’s backup QB at this point he does have the clearest path to the starting job with only Brian Hoyer – who only has a handful of career starts to his credit and is coming off a major surgery – standing in his way. We’ll get to Teddy Bridgewater who, if the suspension to Josh Gordon holds, finds himself working with a better supporting cast, and some of the other early round QBs later on. Manziel will start, and unfortunately projects to be without one of fantasy footballs greatest weapons. Even with the additions of Miles Austin and Earl Bennett the rest of the receiving corps in Cleveland is mediocre at best – particularly with Nate Burleson projected to miss some of the summer with a broken arm. How the final depth chart shakes out at that position will be determined through the offseason and in camp. Make no mistake, Austin has some strong seasons to his credit but this is a below average group of receivers at best.
So… there we go again on team context but Johnny Cleveland may be able to contribute fantasy numbers without this group. Running Quarterbacks have a higher fantasy floor in any given week because they’ll give owners valued rushing points through the course of a game, just by getting out of the pocket. On his pro day, we saw that Manziel can make throws as a pocket passer but he’s at his best when he is on the move. Long term, the team will likely try to change that but in season one expect him to be on the move. Over the last two seasons at Texas A&M, he put up over 2000 yards on the ground. Add the prospect of 30-50 rushing yards per week (and sometimes more) and you’re looking at 3-5 points from your QB before he even throws the ball.
With that in his pocket, Manziel can absorb some inconsistent play from the position (I’d termed that Greg Little drops at one point, but he was axed before publication)… it won’t help the Browns overall, who look entirely different with Gordon in the lineup, but a healthy Burleson and Jordan Cameron can make enough catches to help move the offense as well. Remember that Kyle Shanahan, Manziel’s OC in Cleveland, worked wonders with Robert Griffin III in his rookie season – getting him acclimated to the league quickly and more important for our purposes, generating a fantasy monster in year one. Manziel’s size doesn’t project well as a read option QB at the NFL level mind you, but count on the younger Shanny putting him in a position to succeed.
Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers
If he goes anywhere but Carolina, Benjamin probably doesn’t register as an impact fantasy contributor this season but immediately atop the WR depth chart in Carolina, and established by size alone as a much needed red zone threat for Cam Newton, he is one of the more appealing rookie wideouts. It’s not that Benjamin had a bad draft profile – the 4.61 40 time is underwhelming, but last year’s ACC touchdown reception leader has produced well at the college level – but without top end speed and polished route production skills, he is a bit of a raw product.
The Panthers finished in the bottom half of the league last year (52.08%) in redzone touchdown efficiency and a tool like the 6’5″ 240 pound Benjamin should help them in that area. With most rookie wideouts, we can’t predict 70 reception, 1000 yard seasons. I won’t do that with Benjamin either, though he could easily be in line for 100 targets atop the Panthers’ group of receivers, but what helps his fantasy value in his first season is the fact that he won’t be able to avoid red zone looks. Overall, a 50-600-9 line is just as valuable as a 65-850-5
Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints
In contrast to Benjamin, with his impressive speed (4.33 in the 40 yard dash) we were bound to be talking about Cooks regardless of where he landed. He was, after all, the second fastest prospect at the combine this year – sorry Dri Archer, I’m not phased by your 4.26 mark.
Brandin Cooks lands with New Orleans where his speed seems to make him a great fit for their offense (Photo: Jamie Valdez/USA TODAY Sports).
He winds up in New Orleans with a prolific QB and without a great deal of competition for reps at WR. The presumption is that last year’s rookie Kenny Stills and the veteran Marques Colston will hold the starting WR spots coming out of camp, and it should be noted that the Saints didn’t pass the ball to their wideouts a whole lot last year – 315 of Brees’ 650 attempts went to Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas. Of course, with Sproles out of town and a first round pick invested in a wideout (along with the departure of Lance Moore and the continued aging of Marques Colston) there should be more focus on the traditional pass catching position and on Cooks’ involvement specifically. Cooks won last year’s Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in college ball and has a history of production with 24 touchdowns and 3200 yards across three seasons. He may not have ideal size (5’9″, 190) and at just 20 years old he’ll be a young man in the league (21 year old rookie) in his first year, suggesting the likelihood of some growing pains. Nevertheless, there is an opportunity for him to pick up WR3 targets at worst in a high scoring offense, that plays on the fast track indoors.
Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
By now you probably know Lee’s story – he was outstanding in 2012 and would have been a top round selection had he come out after that campaign, but returned to school and his production dropped significantly. That inconsistency cost him a great deal, but he has the chance to prove doubters wrong right out of the gate in Jacksonville. Playing two fewer games in 2013, he halved his reception totals from 118 to 57, and lost 10 touchdowns (14-4). Lee, for his part, blames a knee injury suffered last September for hindering his production throughout the year. Provided that was the case, and that his knee is fully healed, Lee is a steal for a receiver-needy Jaguars team in the second round. With the assumption that Justin Blackmon will not be reinstated, Lee is presumed by many to start right out of the gate alongside Cecil Shorts.
He’ll have to outperform Ace Sanders, who had a nice rookie season and was a waiver-wire favorite of mine late last season, to claim that spot but he does appear to have the inside track. With Shorts doing work underneath, Lee will be free to fulfill Blackmon’s role on the outside. Much of his 2014 value hinges upon the performance of the Quarterback position of course, and it remains to be seen who will be throwing him the ball in Week 1 (or any subsequent week). The Jaguars have talked a lot this offseason about an intention to let Chad Henne be the bridge to a drafted QB, but after they took Blake Bortles off the board at #3 overall, he should have the chance to at least compete for the Week 1 job. The fantasy community will be monitoring both the QB competition and Lee’s acclimation to the offense through the summer. If he appears healthy, and earns a spot as a starter in two receiver sets we should expect to see some useful fantasy lines from Lee this season, though he is unlikely to deliver WR3 numbers overall.
Eric Ebron, TE, Detroit Lions
I think, from an offensive perspective, the selection of Eric Ebron by the Detroit Lions was one of the best picks of the first round. A fact that I covered that in my analysis in the immediate aftermath:
Exactly. There was a lot of talk coming into the draft about how Detroit would look for another WR, but for my part I actually thought the signing of Golden Tate was a great addition opposite of Calvin Johnson and the team evidently agreed (see linked WR duo article above) standing pat at WR in the 1st round. Instead of a receiver (the selection of Evans made that much academic) they went with the widely regarded top TE in the draft.
The move gives the Lions a depth on offense across all positions rarely seen around the league. Of course, that isn’t necessarily good news for Ebron’s own fantasy prospects and my line of thinking tends to be that it is great news for Matthew Stafford and inconsequential fantasy news (perhaps a slight improvement of context, in terms of coverage faced) for Calvin Johnson. As far as Ebron goes, there are only so many balls to go around and Brandon Pettigrew will still play a bit as well. Following the draft, Ebron disagreed with my sentiments projecting a Jimmy-Graham-like use under new Lions OC Joe Lombari (who coached Graham in New Orleans). Graham-like is a strong statement of course, but he does have the size-speed-hands combination to be a star at the position. Per Nolan Nowrocki’s assessment, he has room to grow as a blocker at the pro level which may keep him off the field from time to time, but when he is in the field and receiving pass targets he has the athleticism to be an impact player. Depending on how he progresses to camp, Ebron is a candidate for top-12 production at his position.
Jeremy Hill, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
I don’t need to throw a whole lot of stats at you to justify the statement that BenJarvus Green-Ellis hasn’t been incredibly productive in his Bengals’ career (here you go anyway: 3.43 YPC and a -6.5 overall grade from ProFootballFocus in 2013). The Bengals didn’t need a lot of convincing either, and they’ve added Hill to take on BJGE’s role in the offense. Giovani Bernard remains one of the more dynamic RBs around, but I’ve opined more than once that he isn’t a back cut out for a 280-300 touch workload. Knowing that, I’m willing to go ahead and assign many of Green-Ellis’ 232 opportunities from 2013 to the rookie, Hill. With just under that amount last season at LSU he totaled 1582 yards and scored 16 times in 12 games. At 6’1″, 233 lbs he is the perfect size compliment to Gio Bernard. Of course, that size comes with a price as his 4.66 time in the 40 won’t compare well to the sophomore back on tape, but Cincinnati drafted him to be a downhill runner and that is a role he can fill just fine. Knowing that, an 800 total yard season with 6-8 TDs seems easy enough to achieve. Those numbers alone should border on top-24 at the position and are probably closer to his 200 touch floor than ceiling.
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
At worst, Beckham projects as the third wide receiver out of the gate for a Giants team that should continue to throw the ball plenty with Eli Manning under center and Ben McAdoo running the offense. That’s the good news. The bad news starts with Manning’s ugly 2013 season, a failure to significantly improve the offensive line and resulting questions on whether 2014 will be any better than ’13 for the man throwing the ball in Beckham’s direction. Beckham’s biggest virtue is his ability with the ball in his hands, showing good burst and elusiveness after the catch.
He is a strong route runner as well. However, at just 5’11” he has trouble making contested catches and doesn’t necessarily possess the speed to ensure he’ll be in the open field all the time at the pro-level. Generally though, my positioning of Beckham behind some of the other receivers on this list has to do with those lingering concerns about Manning and an offensive line that allowed him to be sacked 39 times. Victor Cruz should dominate the targets at the position and depending on how their respective camps play out Beckham could find himself behind Randle for 2014 targets as well. If he is the WR2 coming out of camp, there should be some yardage value in Beckham Jr., but his size presents limitations in his scoring ability. Its tough to be a redzone threat at 5’11”, confirmed by his 12 TDs across three college seasons.
Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta’s third round running back comes into a situation with a poor 2013 line as well, though the Falcons spent time and resources working to improve the unit. With Steven Jackson still on the roster and looking spry enough down the stretch as he got himself healthy again, Devonta Freeman won’t be a 300 carry back for the Falcons this season – in fact, he may never be. He hasn’t been a big workload guy to this point in his career, with last year’s 195 touches easily a college-career high.
He ran well enough with those limited opportunities, though, averaging 5.9 YPC in each of the past two seasons and posting 14 scores last season for Florida State. He’ll either find himself as a back in a timeshare with goal line opportunities for a dynamic offense (Atlanta, realistically, should earn that label back this season) or if the soon-to-be 31-year-old Jackson misses time, possibly the full time ball carrier. Jacquizz Rodgers is presently #2 on the depth chart, but he won’t be a threat to the goal line work and should slip behind Freeman either in camp, or in the instance that a full time ball carrier is needed. He has yet to average over 3.9 YPC in a single NFL season and put up just 3.5 a piece on his 95 chances last season. You won’t be starting Freeman barring an injury to Jackson, but he is worth a look in TD heavy leagues or as a lottery ticket/handcuff type. At 5’8″ and 206 he projects as a bruiser on the inside.
Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
I can be brief on Bortles, as while I think he has a realistic shot to start Week 1 his season long value is contingent upon that. At some point in 2014, you’re going to see him behind center for Jacksonville but lack fellow draftee Teddy Bridgewater, it is possible that he is given some time to simmer at #2 before taking starter’s reps. When he does take the reigns, his fantasy floor is lower than Manziel’s for the reasons outlined in Johnny’s paragraph – Bortles is certainly athletic, but he hasn’t shown a tendency to run the ball. Good news for his pro game? Perhaps. But it is bad news for a rookie QB in terms of his fantasy impact.
With just 195 rushing attempts in college for 2.9 apiece, he shouldn’t be expected to break many long runs this season. With that being the case, and acknowledging that a 200 yard passing average with a couple of scores per game and maybe a pick would rank as a solid rookie season, its hard to be excited about Bortles in redraft leagues even if he earns the right to start straight out of camp. Update: the team is adamant that Bortles will be given a ‘red shirt’ year, but I still think there is a chance he forces their hand at one point or another in 2014.
That’s it for the top impact fantasy players of this year’s draft class… but, I don’t want to leave you with just the stars. Lets take a look at the brief notes on the remaining draftees below, all of whom are players of interest both short and long term but will need a closer look in camp before calling them 2014 ready, with regard to their professional development and placement on the depth chart (follows the poll below).
[yop_poll id="13"]
2014 NFL Draft Review: Honorable Mention/Wait and See
Cody Latimer, WR, Denver Broncos – There are many who have jumped to the conclusion that Latimer is the ‘next Eric Decker‘ in Denver and while he has the size to fill that role, he’s not yet a polished route runner. He’ll need to be so to gain the trust of Peyton Manning and to hop Emmanuel Sanders (and Andre Caldwell) on the depth chart. Lets watch camp, though, because if he does earn those targets you’ll want any piece you can get of the Denver offense.
Terrence West, RB, Cleveland Browns – Free agent acquisition Ben Tate should get every opportunity to be the starter, which puts West in a lesser situation than the backs mentioned above. With that said, you’d expect the Browns to go run heavy this season and Tate has missed games in each of his three pro seasons. If he earns the starting job, or even is in the time share conversation coming out of camp West has immediate value.
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Minnesota Vikings – Like Bortles, we’re waiting to see how the QB competition shakes out before we can project Teddy B for year one. Coach Mike Zimmer, for his part, has suggested that he ‘hopes’ that Bridgewater will claim the starting job out of camp. If that’s the case, he has a degree of interest playing alongside one the league’s best running backs along with a proven veteran WR in Greg Jennings and a home run hitter in Cordarelle Patterson.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – While Tim Wright came on a bit last season, this team went through multiple pass catching TEs last season and didn’t have a game breaker at the position. His size, along with that of the above-mentioned Evans/Jackson duo should make him a matchup nightmare but he is coming off a stress fracture in his foot, and will need to prove good health before getting a chance to compete for reps. [Insert obligatory this TE played high school basketball so he is clearly going to be star comment here].
Donte Moncrief is an interesting prospect, but is there room for him to be productive in Indy in 2014? (Photo: Ole Miss Athletics).
Donte Moncrief, WR, Indianapolis Colts – I like Moncrief as more of a dynasty prospect than I do an impact 2014 contributor, but it should be noted that the Mississippi product measured off the charts at his pro day in terms of athleticism, starting with a 4.40 40 and impressive results in the vertical and broad jumps. He isn’t overly consistent as a route runner, though and follows the trend of Colts WRs with suspect hands (looking at you, DHB). A depth chart that includes Reggie Wayne, Hakeem Nicks and T.Y. Hilton his road to targets is littered with competition assuming good health for those mentioned.
Richard Rogers, TE, Green Bay Packers – Initially, I’m higher than most on Rodgers who joins another Cal Rodgers in Green Bay. He blocks well enough, runs routes well enough, and finds himself as part of a strong pass offense with a need at TE. You’re not drafting him to start anywhere… in fact, you probably aren’t drafting him at all… but keep an eye on training camp reports. It should be noted that Colt Lyerla managed to stick with the team after a tryout and aside from a few off field issues may be a better fit for the pass catching TE role.
Allen Robinson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars – We mentioned Jacksonville’s needs at WR when discussing Marqise Lee and though he’ll have to jump a few others on the depth chart to earn reps, he actually represents a strong compliment to Lee and could fit in well across from him at 6’2″, 220.
Martavius Bryant, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers – According to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com the Steelers are considering starting Bryant right out of the gate. That makes sense, with the departure of Emmanuel Sanders, and with limited contributions from Markus Wheaton in his own rookie season last year. From that Wesseling piece: “We feel like we got a guy to put opposite of Antonio Brown,” wide receivers coach Richard Mann said Saturday. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. He lasted. We were delighted we were able to get him. Felt like a second-, third-round guy.” If that proves to be the case, Bryant certainly offers fantasy value in year one.
Tre Mason, RB, St. Louis Rams – Zac Stacy was excellent in his first year with St. Louis but we shouldn’t expect his per game workload to stay as high as it did last year. The team has moved on from Darryl Richardson, and is not enamored with Isaiah Pead, so any leftover carries are likely to belong to Mason. A change of pace role seems to be the worst case scenario for Mason who boasts strong vision and agility. With respect to Stacy, he actually has a shot to own a solid portion of the team’s carries this season, though his size probably keeps him from ever being a true #1 back. Bonus points because his old-man is a part of De La Soul.
Josh Huff/Jordan Matthews, WR, Philadelphia Eagles – Perhaps I’m reading too much into the Oregon connection between coach Chip Kelly and Huff, but noting that the team is looking for a player to fulfill DeSean Jackson‘s role on offense and with an 18.4 YPR average last season Huff may be the man to do it. Lets keep an eye on training camp, and take a flier on the receiver who seems most likely to see targets. This passing offense can support a relevant (WR4) fantasy contributor beyond Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin… on that note, the #3 is just an injury away from a #2 role on an offense that saw its top two receivers post 2,167 yards last year.
Andre Williams, RB, New York Giants – David Wilson seems like a long shot and while Rashad Jennings had a very nice 2013 for the Raiders, he shouldn’t be viewed as an established starter. He’ll take that role in Week 1, and I’m expecting him to do enough to hold onto it but I’d expect Williams to earn a role around the goal line. Williams had 355 carries and 0 catches last year, so he likely doesn’t have the hands to be an every down back but the 4th round pick has a reasonable shot at #2 on the depth chart, given that the injured Wilson, Da’Rel Scott, Peyton Hillis and Michael Cox are all that stand in his way.
James White, RB, New England Patriots – White is a player of significant interest for 2015, with both Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen scheduled for free agency. This year, though, with Brandon Bolden seemingly falling out of favor last year and Ridley having his own issues with production and fumbling, it is conceivable that there are carries to go around this season in New England’s backfield rotation. White made 39 catches last year and rushed for 1400 yards on 221 carries. There are some who project a Danny Woodhead like role for White, which is worth taking note of for those looking for a depth back or in PPR settings.
Jace Amaro, TE, New York Jets – The Texas Tech TE ranked as a combine star across all drills, including a 4.74 40 yard dash at 6’5″ and 265 pounds. The word on Amaro is that he’s a quick, physical route runner and a strong ball carrier when he gets it in his hands. Jeff Cumberland made some contributions at TE last season, but a 26-398-4 line isn’t nearly enough to entrench him as the starter – nor will a -5.4 pass block rating from PFF. While the Jets have a couple of receivers of interest who could also step into roles of significance, if Amaro emerges as start-ready through camp he may find himself in line for a significant number of targets this year.
2014 NFL Draft Review: Better Luck Next Year
Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers – The profile is there, and Frank Gore should start to dial down his touches this year, but I think he starts the season behind Lattimore in the pecking order as well, meaning last year’s red-shirt is the prime beneficiary in a loaded backfield. Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders – Carr was a QB of interest heading into the draft, and he landed on a team with a need at the position, long term, but expect Schaub to draw the starts this season. Keep an eye on Carr’s development all the same.
Kevin Norwood, WR, Seattle Seahawks – At 6’2″, 198 pounds Norwood is tall but slight, and with just eight reps at 225 there are questions about whether he’ll have a tough time getting off the line. The departure of Golden Tate opens up the possibility of some playing time, but he’ll need to work into the role with Jermaine Kearse coming on late last season he won’t see much of the field barring injury.
Jarvis Landry, WR, Miami Dolphins – Landry’s biggest asset is his hands, but does Miami really need a hands WR this year? He could get some work out of the slot, but with Wallace, Gibson and Hartline on the roster ahead of him there isn’t a ton of 2014 value.
Troy Niklas, TE, Arizona Cardinals – Carson Palmer has a history of production with tight ends, though he didn’t get a lot out of Jim Dray and Rob Housler last season. Niklas enters the season on a crowded depth chart (the team added John Carlson in free agency, and Jake Ballard/Housler also stand in the way) but his size as a blocker could work him into the lineup. He’s just two years into the position, and will likely need some time to develop but could be develop into a TE1 in time. Tom Savage, QB, Houston Texans – He’ll start in Houston at some point, but it shouldn’t be the case out of camp as most view Savage as a talent but a developmental project.
Aaron Murray, QB, Kansas City Chiefs – He won’t be starting ahead of Alex Smith. Andy Reid can turn him into a successful backup, but that’s all you’re getting out of a 5th round QB.
Davonte Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers – I liked what I saw from Jarrett Boykin last year, and even with James Jones departed I’m not sure there are enough year one reps here. The team invested an early round pick in him, and there are many with contrary viewpoints, mind you…
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