2021 Rookie Synopsis - The Wide Receivers
Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2021 3:27 pm
Back by popular demand (actually, come to think of it, no one requested this), here is my annual rookie report for the wide receivers of 2021. As always, please keep in mind that I'm just a random person who doesn't get paid to do this, and enjoy reading someone else's flawed opinions. If you care to read past editions of this, the links are as follows:
2018: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=155015&hilit=rookie+synopsis
2020: 2020 Rookie Synopsis - The Wide Receivers - Dynasty League Football Forum
These rankings are fluid and should change after tomorrow night. As an aside, please remember that the player comps are just for fun. Don't take them too seriously. If you don't see a WR listed, I just didn't have time to get to them. Enjoy and good luck with your drafts!
Tier 1
Kyle Pitts | Texas A&M, Mizzu, Ole Miss, Alabama
Notes: Big strider with fluid hips. Monster hands who makes effortless catches. High points the football well. Elite RZ weapon. Mainly used on posts and drags, needs to show more route diversity. Uses body well to shield. Faced lots of different coverage schemes for a TE – double, triple, bracket, zone. Doesn’t appear to get taken out of game when handled with physical play. Shows good coverage reading fundamentals. Not overly elusive but has game-breaking speed for the position. Can get lazy working underneath and needs to stay more engaged play-to-play. Good footwork off of the line and when setting up defenders at the stem of his routes. 1 and 1a with Chase, with the nod slightly leaning toward Pitts due to positional advantage.
Comp: Jimmy Graham
Ja’marr Chase | Texas, Texas A&M, Clemson, Alabama
Notes: Physical receiver with game-changing speed. Fights thru press techniques well and can play against any type of corner. Great athleticism but still has a long way to go as a route-runner. Dominated Terrell, Surtain and Diggs in games that were studied. Tracks the deep ball well. Works back to the QB on broken plays and shows a good understanding of coverage assignments. Elite profile as a field slashing X receiver who could be a top NFL WR if his route-running further develops.
Comp: Modern Michael Irvin
Tier 2
Devonta Smith | Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Georgia
Notes: Diminutive WR who wins with speed, agility and route nuance. Attacks all 3 levels of the field and creates easy releases off of the line due to that ability. Tracks the ball well and is extremely effective at working back to the QB. Rarely gets bullied due to his football IQ and ability to uncover against different coverage concepts. Isn’t as dynamic at the stem as figured to be; can round off too many routes and will need to improve in this area to generate enough targets to be an impact fantasy player. Has a role in the modern NFL and would fit perfect as a team's 2nd weapon.
Comp: Terry Glenn
Tier 3
Rondale Moore | Minnesota, Ohio St. (‘18), Auburn (‘18), Vandy (‘19)
Notes: Electric, slot-based WR who absolutely cuts defenders up underneath. Runs routes with purpose and uses his above-average footwork to set defenders up, creating separation in his routes. Game-breaker who plays with good strength. Can track the ball in the 3rd level but does not excel in this area. Could be a target hog in the right system (Landry, Edelman, Welker) but his inability to work past the first level as-is limits his upside. Questionable hands that will need to improve. Poor catch radius reduces his ability to win in the redzone, which is somewhat mitigated by his strength when lined up in the backfield.
Comp: Wes Welker meets Darren Sproles
Jaylen Waddle | Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Mizzu
Notes: Elite speed combined with a thick frame that defeats press makes Waddle very hard to defend. Launches off the line and gets to top speed in a blink. Good ball tracker who will step in as an elite deep threat. Play strength gives him a chance to be a better fantasy impact player than “Tyreek-comped” predecessors. High ceiling. At this point is a poor route-runner with a limited tree. Stem work is poor. Alabama used him in a lot of gimmick concepts and as such, he did not display a full route tree. Can play stiff at times. Bust potential is real but will be a monster if he hits.
Comp: Bob Hayes
Rashod Bateman | Penn St. (2019), Maryland, Iowa, Michigan
Notes: Intermediate area weapon who would work best and an NFL number 2 in a Z, or more preferably, big slot role. Has enough hip fluidity to create separation at the stem with most route concepts. Not a game-breaker in the short area or screen game and doesn’t win consistently enough at the 3rd level to be a threat. High floor but low upside type of player.
Comp: Juju Smith-Schuster
Elijah Moore | Alabama, Florida, Miss St., Arkansas
Notes: Three level slot weapon with a compact build, Moore can hurt defenses in a variety of ways. Works underneath well and shows good ability at the mesh point. Can also work deep from the slot position and attacks the ball. Showed nice hands. Did not run a developed route tree and did not face press coverage (mostly hidden in the slot or was split behind another perimeter receiver). Not a redzone weapon and will have to command a large target share to make a fantasy impact. Small, but not overly-shifty; hips can get a little tight when trying to create space while avoiding defenders. Perfect complimentary piece.
Comp: Elijah Moore
Terrace Marshall | Alabama (‘19), Miss St., Mizzou, Texas A&M
Notes: Solid outside WR prospect who possesses a good size / fluidity combo. Works well in all 3 levels of the field but is probably best suited as an intermediate area threat in the NFL. Good release off of the line. Good hands but suffers from the occasional concentration drop. Could use his size better to shield defenders. Profiles as a WR1 on some teams but is probably better suited as a WR2. Unsure of Marshall’s upside but he is one of the safer mid-level prospects in this class.
Tier 4
Kadarius Toney | Alabama, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Ole Miss
Notes: Gadget / slot WR with Kamara-esqe contact-balance. Toney can be used out of the slot or in the backfield and is dynamic with the ball in his hands. Threat to score from any level of the field. Showed enough route diversity to make you believe he can further develop in this area. Toney does get sloppy with his technique, though, and displays too much unnecessary hip movement prior to the stem. Can also get too long in his stride prior to the mesh point which limits his separation ability. Inconsistent fundamentals; while he needs work, he also flashes brilliance at times (ex: whip route underneath against Ole Miss). System-dependent but has the tools to be valuable.
Comp: Percy Harvin
Dyami Brown | Miami, Virginia, VT, BC
Notes: Field-stretching deep threat who tracks the ball well. Shows good agility throughout the route and can threaten multiple levels. Sets up defenders with hesitation and pressure cuts, allowing him to cross over the face of the defender when attacking down field. Not physical and can get bullied in the short area. Not a natural pass catcher. While he possesses good athleticism, is not a polished route-runner. Starting caliber receiver who will primarily serve as a team's deep threat.
Comp: John Brown
Tier 5
Tylan Wallace | OU, West Virginia, Texas, Texas Tech
Notes: Outside receiver with a slight frame, Wallace displays enough skills to win in a variety of ways. A jack-of-all-trades type of intermediate weapon, Wallace thrives when given space to use a multitude of route concepts in the middle of the field. Sets up defenders well at the mesh point and drew plenty of different coverages. Doesn’t win deep often, but can threaten the 3rd level on occasion. Wallace does get bullied and re-routed far too often underneath and will struggle with press techniques and physical coverage. This limits Wallace both in the redzone as well as underneath.
Comp: Emmanuel Sanders (slower)
Amon-Ra St. Brown | Utah, UCLA, Wash St.
Notes: USC deployed him in a multitude of ways, but a lot of his route concepts came from the outside. I view St. Brown as an effective slot receiver who shows enough route acumen to be a nice complementary piece. Good hip sink and settles down well in the intermediate area of the field. Can track the ball well but isn’t the most natural pass catcher. Doesn’t uncover enough down the field to threaten the third level and doesn’t break enough tackles underneath. Does not possess great upside but should be an NFL starter in the slot.
Comp: Mohamed Sanu
Seth Williams | South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, LSU
Notes: Williams is a sideline bully who outmatches smaller defenders at the catch-point. Works the back-shoulder well and can also threaten the middle in certain, albeit limited, situations. Strong hands and plays well in the redzone. Williams displayed a very limited route tree and further development is questionable, given Williams’ lack of agility. Potential is there for Williams to be an NFL starter, but given how limited he is, the upside remains questionable, at best.
Comp: Walmart Courtland Sutton
2018: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=155015&hilit=rookie+synopsis
2020: 2020 Rookie Synopsis - The Wide Receivers - Dynasty League Football Forum
These rankings are fluid and should change after tomorrow night. As an aside, please remember that the player comps are just for fun. Don't take them too seriously. If you don't see a WR listed, I just didn't have time to get to them. Enjoy and good luck with your drafts!
Tier 1
Kyle Pitts | Texas A&M, Mizzu, Ole Miss, Alabama
Notes: Big strider with fluid hips. Monster hands who makes effortless catches. High points the football well. Elite RZ weapon. Mainly used on posts and drags, needs to show more route diversity. Uses body well to shield. Faced lots of different coverage schemes for a TE – double, triple, bracket, zone. Doesn’t appear to get taken out of game when handled with physical play. Shows good coverage reading fundamentals. Not overly elusive but has game-breaking speed for the position. Can get lazy working underneath and needs to stay more engaged play-to-play. Good footwork off of the line and when setting up defenders at the stem of his routes. 1 and 1a with Chase, with the nod slightly leaning toward Pitts due to positional advantage.
Comp: Jimmy Graham
Ja’marr Chase | Texas, Texas A&M, Clemson, Alabama
Notes: Physical receiver with game-changing speed. Fights thru press techniques well and can play against any type of corner. Great athleticism but still has a long way to go as a route-runner. Dominated Terrell, Surtain and Diggs in games that were studied. Tracks the deep ball well. Works back to the QB on broken plays and shows a good understanding of coverage assignments. Elite profile as a field slashing X receiver who could be a top NFL WR if his route-running further develops.
Comp: Modern Michael Irvin
Tier 2
Devonta Smith | Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Georgia
Notes: Diminutive WR who wins with speed, agility and route nuance. Attacks all 3 levels of the field and creates easy releases off of the line due to that ability. Tracks the ball well and is extremely effective at working back to the QB. Rarely gets bullied due to his football IQ and ability to uncover against different coverage concepts. Isn’t as dynamic at the stem as figured to be; can round off too many routes and will need to improve in this area to generate enough targets to be an impact fantasy player. Has a role in the modern NFL and would fit perfect as a team's 2nd weapon.
Comp: Terry Glenn
Tier 3
Rondale Moore | Minnesota, Ohio St. (‘18), Auburn (‘18), Vandy (‘19)
Notes: Electric, slot-based WR who absolutely cuts defenders up underneath. Runs routes with purpose and uses his above-average footwork to set defenders up, creating separation in his routes. Game-breaker who plays with good strength. Can track the ball in the 3rd level but does not excel in this area. Could be a target hog in the right system (Landry, Edelman, Welker) but his inability to work past the first level as-is limits his upside. Questionable hands that will need to improve. Poor catch radius reduces his ability to win in the redzone, which is somewhat mitigated by his strength when lined up in the backfield.
Comp: Wes Welker meets Darren Sproles
Jaylen Waddle | Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Mizzu
Notes: Elite speed combined with a thick frame that defeats press makes Waddle very hard to defend. Launches off the line and gets to top speed in a blink. Good ball tracker who will step in as an elite deep threat. Play strength gives him a chance to be a better fantasy impact player than “Tyreek-comped” predecessors. High ceiling. At this point is a poor route-runner with a limited tree. Stem work is poor. Alabama used him in a lot of gimmick concepts and as such, he did not display a full route tree. Can play stiff at times. Bust potential is real but will be a monster if he hits.
Comp: Bob Hayes
Rashod Bateman | Penn St. (2019), Maryland, Iowa, Michigan
Notes: Intermediate area weapon who would work best and an NFL number 2 in a Z, or more preferably, big slot role. Has enough hip fluidity to create separation at the stem with most route concepts. Not a game-breaker in the short area or screen game and doesn’t win consistently enough at the 3rd level to be a threat. High floor but low upside type of player.
Comp: Juju Smith-Schuster
Elijah Moore | Alabama, Florida, Miss St., Arkansas
Notes: Three level slot weapon with a compact build, Moore can hurt defenses in a variety of ways. Works underneath well and shows good ability at the mesh point. Can also work deep from the slot position and attacks the ball. Showed nice hands. Did not run a developed route tree and did not face press coverage (mostly hidden in the slot or was split behind another perimeter receiver). Not a redzone weapon and will have to command a large target share to make a fantasy impact. Small, but not overly-shifty; hips can get a little tight when trying to create space while avoiding defenders. Perfect complimentary piece.
Comp: Elijah Moore
Terrace Marshall | Alabama (‘19), Miss St., Mizzou, Texas A&M
Notes: Solid outside WR prospect who possesses a good size / fluidity combo. Works well in all 3 levels of the field but is probably best suited as an intermediate area threat in the NFL. Good release off of the line. Good hands but suffers from the occasional concentration drop. Could use his size better to shield defenders. Profiles as a WR1 on some teams but is probably better suited as a WR2. Unsure of Marshall’s upside but he is one of the safer mid-level prospects in this class.
Tier 4
Kadarius Toney | Alabama, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Ole Miss
Notes: Gadget / slot WR with Kamara-esqe contact-balance. Toney can be used out of the slot or in the backfield and is dynamic with the ball in his hands. Threat to score from any level of the field. Showed enough route diversity to make you believe he can further develop in this area. Toney does get sloppy with his technique, though, and displays too much unnecessary hip movement prior to the stem. Can also get too long in his stride prior to the mesh point which limits his separation ability. Inconsistent fundamentals; while he needs work, he also flashes brilliance at times (ex: whip route underneath against Ole Miss). System-dependent but has the tools to be valuable.
Comp: Percy Harvin
Dyami Brown | Miami, Virginia, VT, BC
Notes: Field-stretching deep threat who tracks the ball well. Shows good agility throughout the route and can threaten multiple levels. Sets up defenders with hesitation and pressure cuts, allowing him to cross over the face of the defender when attacking down field. Not physical and can get bullied in the short area. Not a natural pass catcher. While he possesses good athleticism, is not a polished route-runner. Starting caliber receiver who will primarily serve as a team's deep threat.
Comp: John Brown
Tier 5
Tylan Wallace | OU, West Virginia, Texas, Texas Tech
Notes: Outside receiver with a slight frame, Wallace displays enough skills to win in a variety of ways. A jack-of-all-trades type of intermediate weapon, Wallace thrives when given space to use a multitude of route concepts in the middle of the field. Sets up defenders well at the mesh point and drew plenty of different coverages. Doesn’t win deep often, but can threaten the 3rd level on occasion. Wallace does get bullied and re-routed far too often underneath and will struggle with press techniques and physical coverage. This limits Wallace both in the redzone as well as underneath.
Comp: Emmanuel Sanders (slower)
Amon-Ra St. Brown | Utah, UCLA, Wash St.
Notes: USC deployed him in a multitude of ways, but a lot of his route concepts came from the outside. I view St. Brown as an effective slot receiver who shows enough route acumen to be a nice complementary piece. Good hip sink and settles down well in the intermediate area of the field. Can track the ball well but isn’t the most natural pass catcher. Doesn’t uncover enough down the field to threaten the third level and doesn’t break enough tackles underneath. Does not possess great upside but should be an NFL starter in the slot.
Comp: Mohamed Sanu
Seth Williams | South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, LSU
Notes: Williams is a sideline bully who outmatches smaller defenders at the catch-point. Works the back-shoulder well and can also threaten the middle in certain, albeit limited, situations. Strong hands and plays well in the redzone. Williams displayed a very limited route tree and further development is questionable, given Williams’ lack of agility. Potential is there for Williams to be an NFL starter, but given how limited he is, the upside remains questionable, at best.
Comp: Walmart Courtland Sutton