2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: WR Roman Wilson, Michigan

This productive vertical threat from a major program will have suitors.

University of Michigan receiver Roman Wilson heads to the NFL after a four-year run that ramped up to culminate in a 12-touchdown senior season.

A natural athlete with long speed for days, Wilson wasn’t heavily targeted due to the Wolverines’ ground-based approach, but he managed to make the most of his opportunities throughout the course of his FBS run.

Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 185 pounds
40 time: 4.39 seconds

Table: WR Roman Wilson, Michigan (2020-23)

Year School Class Gm Receiving Rushing
Rec Yds Avg TD Att Yds TD
2020 Mich Fr 6 9 122 13.6 1 1 9 0
*2021 Mich So 13 25 420 16.8 3 3 59 0
*2022 Mich Jr 12 25 376 15.0 4 2 39 2
*2023 Mich Sr 15 48 789 16.4 12 1 10 0
Total 46 107 1,707 16.0 20 7 117 2

*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)

Pros

  • Has shown improvement in the hands department as his collegiate career went along and doesn’t often lose focus in contested situations — regularly plucks the ball away from his frame
  • Excellent vertical speed to challenge down the field and rack up yardage after the catch, especially when thrown open
  • Versatility as a possible rusher on jet sweeps and end-arounds that allow him to have already built up his speed
  • Demonstrates ability to freelance when his QB buys time
  • Feels the soft spots in zone coverage and has improved over time in this regard
  • Dangerous crosser over the middle, unafraid in traffic — at his best when he can run to a spot and catch in stride
  • Spacial awareness in tight quarters and along boundary lines
  • Has a knack for clutch plays in big moments
  • Offers return potential on special teams despite having limited experience
  • Production drastically increased as a senior, especially in the TD column

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Cons

  • Not all twitched up in short-area situations
  • Inconsistently demonstrates how to use leverage against a defender in man — didn’t see a lot of man-on-man coverage, in fairness
  • Could struggle off the line vs. jams and longer corners
  • Size and style of play could relegate him to the slot even though he has lined up all over
  • Doesn’t have extensive experience throughout the route tree
  • Not a bad route runner but rounds off sharp corners enough to notice — more angular in nature and may be pigeonholed into specific routes that maximize his natural movement traits to gain separation
  • Extremely limited offerings as a blocker

Fantasy football outlook

Given his pedigree, improvement, physical traits, and upside for growth, Wilson should be a Day 2 pick, likely in the third round.

Reuniting with Jim Harbaugh’s receiver-starved Los Angeles Chargers is kind of appealing as the Greg Roman-run offense will resemble the same type of system from Michigan. It would position Wilson for early contributions, albeit in a low-volume situation.

Regardless of where he lands, Wilson has limitations that should prevent a full-time role. There figures to be a ramp-up period of a year or two before fantasy owners consider Wilson to be a draftable option — and only a matchup-based play at that.

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas

Sanders will not be drafted for his blocking skills – he’s a pass catcher and one of the best in this draft.

Ja’Tavion Sanders was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and joined the Texas Longhorns where he only saw action in three games as a freshman and caught no passes. The Longhorns were run-heavy that year with Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson and only wideout Xavier Worthy (62) managed to catch more than 24 passes that year.

As a sophomore, Sanders became a starter and was second only to Worthy (60) in receptions with 54 catches. His five scores were second only to Worthy. As a junior, he caught 45 passes while Worthy (75) and Adonai Mitchell (55) were also instrumental in the Longhorn’s passing scheme. All three players are in the 2024 NFL draft and the two wideouts are expected to be early calls.

Sanders declared for the NFL draft and posted a respectable 4.69 40-time at the NFL combine, along with prototypical size and weight for a receiving tight end.

Height: 6-3
Weight: 245 pounds
40 time: 4.69 seconds

Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Table: Ja’Tavion Sanders NCAA stats (2021-23)

Year School Games Catch Yards Avg. TD Rush Yards TD
2021 Texas 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022 Texas 13 54 613 11.4 5 0 0 0
2023 Texas 14 45 682 682 2 1 12 0

Pros

  • Works well in traffic using size
  • Run after catch posts big gains in a vertical passing attack
  • Too fast to be covered by a linebacker
  • Strong hands that almost never drops passes or fumbles
  • Plus-level downfield blocker
  • Smooth route runner
  • Already familiar with multiple alignments
  • Reliable target that highpoints the ball well

Cons

  • More of a receiver than a blocker could limit to just role work
  • Needs work as a run blocker
  • Still needs development after only two playing years in college

Fantasy outlook

Ja’Tavion Sanders projects as a Day 2 pick and potentially the second tight end selected after Brock Bowers is tabbed early in the first round. Sanders is a receiving threat and should end up with a team looking to expand their passing scheme to include the tight end. He’s been likened to the Bills’ Dalton Kincaid and the Cardinals’ Trey McBride.

Taken in Round 2 means that his new team has every intention of integrating him as quickly as possible into the passing equation. Potential landing spots include the Colts who’ll be re-introducing quarterback Anthony Richardson, the Chargers who lost virtually every notable receiver including Gerald Everett, and the Saints. He could also end up on a team that already has a strong tight end but are interested in developing Sanders to take over in the future like the 49ers, Texans, or even the Chiefs.

Sanders higher cost in the NFL draft will most likely send him to a team that wants payoff next year, if not 2024. This is considered a deeper draft for tight ends than most, and recent rookie tight ends have shown that the position is more valued and a better opportunity even in their first season.

Fantasy football rapid reaction: Justin Fields traded to Steelers

Fields heads to Pittsburgh, but will he be the starter?

In an unexpected if not outright bizarre trade, the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields on Saturday in exchange for next to nothing in draft compensation.

Despite signing free-agent quarterback Russell Wilson and jettisoning former first-round pick Kenny Pickett to Philadelphia, the Steelers weren’t done reshaping their quarterbacks room. The acquisition of Fields immediately prompts one to question not just why but which quarterback will be the starter.

It comes down to for how long, because from nearly everything we’ve seen out of Wilson in the last two-plus seasons suggests he will have a tenuous grasp on the starting gig. Fields, however, has flashed here and there but ultimately battled injuries and a slower development pace as a passer than Chicago’s brass was willing to accept.

Fantasy football outlook

Conservative-minded Arthur Smith is the new offensive coordinator in the Steel City, and the underwhelming cast of skill players don’t do enough to tip the scales in favor of Wilson being anything better than a shaky QB2 draft target. Adding the stress of Fields looking over his shoulder only further complicates this situation.

Presuming Wilson indeed remains the starter entering Week 1, it’s only fair to wonder how long it will last before Fields gets his shot. It’s entirely possible the Steelers will stick it out with Wilson this entire season and then turn the keys over to Fields. Pittsburgh has to make a decision about his fifth-year option before May 2, which seems like a lock to be picked up given they were willing to trade anything for him.

Should Fields wind up in the starting lineup at some point this season, he’ll be no worse than a matchup-based No. 2 quarterback thanks to his legs alone. As a real-life starter, he certainly would present QB1 upside in fantasy.

On the other side of this deal, the Bears now will retool under rookie quarterback Caleb Williams it would appear, and the upgraded talent acquired the past few days will put him in a good position to hit the ground running (and passing). We’ll dive deep into that one once the NFL draft comes to pass.

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: QB Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

What can we expect at the next level from the talented but limited QB?

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler may be somewhat of a polarizing prospect due to his smallish frame and ball-security concerns vs. plus passing traits and mobility.

Rattler redshirted his true freshman year before gaining a starting opportunity in 2020 when he looked every bit the part of the respected recruit.

After coming out of high school as a highly touted recruit who went to Oklahoma for three years before losing his job to presumed No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, Rattler transferred to play for the Gamecocks and never quite recaptured his a first-year starter magic.

Height: 6-foot
Weight: 211 pounds
40 time: 4.95 seconds

His expected placement ranges a good amount among pundits, though he’s likely to come off the board inside of the top 100 selections in the 2024 NFL Draft.

A third-round grade is fair given the balance of his positives in relation to deficiencies. The Oklahoma connection aside, Rattler draws a fair comparison to Baker Mayfield. Brock Purdy also comes to mind, but the prospect has a stronger arm than the San Francisco starter.

Table: QB Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (2019-23)

Year Tm Class Gm Passing Rushing
Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Att Yds Avg TD
*2019 Okla. Fr 3 7 11 63.6 81 7.4 1 0 3 23 7.7 0
*2020 Okla. rFr 11 214 317 67.5 3,031 9.6 28 7 81 160 2.0 6
*2021 Okla. rSo 9 140 187 74.9 1,483 7.9 11 5 43 77 1.8 3
*2022 S Car. rJr 13 264 399 66.2 30,26 7.6 18 12 73 46 0.6 3
2023 S Car. rSr 12 275 399 68.9 3,186 8.0 19 8 97 104 1.1 4
Total 48 900 1,313 68.5 10,807 8.2 77 32 297 410 1.4 16

*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)

Pros

  • Legit arm talent — put on the 2023 Florida game if you have doubts. Also reference the first-quarter boundary throw to Xavier Legette against North Carolina last year and/or their TD connection vs. Notre Dame in 2022, or the rollout pass vs. Furman in the late second quarter last year
  • Nimble and fluid movement skills both in the pocket and open field. Functional escapability with his legs — not going to blow anyone away with Michael Vick-like run but is plenty capable of creating yardage, rolling out, and buying time
  • Pretty good touch and ball placement on the ball at all levels — this is occasionally evident when he’s under pressure (see the touch pass to Trey Knox vs. Texas A&M in the third quarter)
  • Experience in multiple offensive schemes — has taken snaps from shotgun, under center, and in pistol for RPO plays
  • Displayed on-field mechanical improvement throughout his collegiate career, despite his passing stats falling off after 2020
  • Took a lot of snaps (1,313) and played in 48 games
  • Unafraid to take a bit hit if hanging in there means he can deliver a pass to an uncovering target
  • Went from being one of the top prospects to losing his job and transferred, handling the adversity well enough

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Cons

  • Footwork needs to be addressed — while he’s comfortable throwing off platform, falling away, etc., he’ll find it much tougher to get away with this in the NFL
  • Lacks prototypical size, which will turn off some scouts and may pigeonhole him into certain offensive designs
  • Rhythm-based passer when he’s at his best
  • Needs to better balance his gunslinging nature with protecting the ball — decision-making issues plagued him at times and ultimately have depressed Rattler’s draft stock
  • Too often locks his eyes on the first read — at a minimum, he’s too slow when surveying the field

Fantasy football outlook

It’s unlikely Rattler will be drafted into a situation that permits him to compete as a rookie for a starting job, but he has the aerial talent and mobility to develop into a fantasy starter in time. There’s midrange QB1 potential if he finds a suitable home, and that’s about as specific as anyone can get when predicting his eventual worth without knowing the landing spot.

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: TE Jaheim Bell, Florida State

An athletic move TE, what does Bell bring to the NFL and fantasy teams?

After three years at the University of South Carolina, tight end Jaheim Bell moved south with a transfer to Florida State for his senior season. He posted a personal-best in receptions (30) and receiving yards (503), showcasing his athletic traits by creating plays down the field.

Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 241 pounds
40 time: 4.61 seconds

A three-star recruit, Bell’s FBS highlight was a 2023 Second-Team All-ACC honor. He enters the NFL draft conversation as a hybrid tight end who brings positional versatility that historically hasn’t translated so well into the pro ranks.

Table: TE Jaheim Bell, Florida State (2020-23)

Year School Class Gm Receiving Rushing
Rec Yds Avg TD Att Yds TD
2020 S. Car Fr 5 1 29 29.0 0 0 0 0
*2021 S. Car So 13 30 497 16.6 5 7 40 0
*2022 S. Car Jr 12 25 231 9.2 2 73 261 3
*2023 Fla State Sr 13 39 503 12.9 2 4 2 1
Total 43 95 1,260 13.3 9 84 303 4

*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)

Pros

  • Fast enough to challenge many safeties and linebackers down the seam — his 4.61-second 40-yard time ranked in the top 87% of TEs to attend the combine
  • Tough to bring down in the open field thanks to contact balance, leg drive, stiff-arms, above-average lateral movement traits, and leaping ability
  • Weaves through traffic extremely well — dangerous over the middle and on designed screens
  • Can play out of any receiver placement but is his best from the slot where he can exploit physical mismatches — also offers boundary traits when split out wide
  • Has enough functional strength to be groomed into being a better blocker
  • Showed rushing chops while at South Carolina

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Cons

  • Not a universal system fit as a tweener — unlikely to ever develop into a full-time, true “Y” as an inline tight end, due to his lack of size (91% of combine TEs were taller, 85% outweighed him)
  • Inconsistent hands and average catch radius — 79 3/8-inch wingspan ranks in the 56th percentile among combine TEs
  • Overpowered as an inline blocker and shows massive swings in effort
  • Could be limited to passing downs given his lack of size and point-of-attack strength

Fantasy football outlook

Bell, who compares to well to Tennessee tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, will be a late-round selection, probably in the fifth or sixth, given his limitations. He would best fit an RPO-based system that looks to create mismatches in personnel alignments, and there’s an argument for him to be drafted as a situational TE2 in a West Coast offense.

Creative play callers, such as Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, would scheme him into a role that maximizes his contributions. In terms of fantasy football success, it seems like a long shot for Bell to eventually mature into a consistent fantasy contributor. History works against tweener tight ends making a huge impact.

Aaron Jones quickly agrees to join Minnesota Vikings

The former Packer sticks within the NFC North for a shot at revenge.

A day after the Green Bay Packers opted to get younger at running back by signing Josh Jacobs and releasing Aaron Jones, the latter chose to stay in the NFC North on a one-year, $7 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

Jones appears to have favored the revenge factor and healthy paycheck over a chance at winning a Super Bowl, since the quarterback-less Vikings face a potentially dire situation at the most important position in the game. Unless a rookie steps in and “C.J. Strouds” his way out of the gates, Minnesota appears to be playing for pride in 2024. Nevertheless, Jones will be heavily utilized as the primary back in a system that has proven to generate results from the position, on the turf and through the air.

Fantasy football outlook

Jones’ versatility will help offset a likely lack of touchdowns. While age (turns 30 in December) may be working against him, and the injury bug reared its ugly head last season (11 games played), he looked rather spry down the stretch. Expect a rookie to give him the occasional breather, though it’s likely to come from a midround selection than an early investment.

Unless there’s a significant injury issue or the quarterback play is even worse than anyone can imagine, the Vikings will lean on the veteran enough to present low-end No. 2 worth in fantasy leagues. Jones may get overvalued a tad based on name recognition, but most competitive formats probably will draft him on the border of being an RB2 and third back.

Fantasy Football splash – Derrick Henry to the Ravens

Derrick Henry moves to Baltimore

The Tennessee Titans move on from Derrick Henry after eight seasons as their workhorse running back. Tony Pollard was added yesterday as a partial replacement, but the Titans begin a new era under HC Brian Callahan and without Henry for the first time since 2016.

YEAR GMS RUNS YARDS TDS PASS COMP YARDS TDS PPR RANK PPR
2016 14 110 490 5 15 13 137 0 105.7 45
2017 16 176 744 5 17 11 136 1 135.0 36
2018 16 215 1059 12 18 15 99 0 202.8 16
2019 15 303 1540 16 24 18 206 2 300.6 5
2020 16 378 2027 17 31 19 114 0 335.1 3
2021 8 219 937 10 20 18 154 0 187.1 23
2022 16 349 1538 13 41 33 398 0 304.6 3
2023 17 280 1167 12 36 28 214 0 238.1 10

Henry has been a Top-10 fantasy running back for the last five years when not injured and he’s proven to be amazingly durable for a bruiser that turns 30 years old. Henry signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Ravens to move them beyond their traditional committee backfield.

The Ravens already let Gus Edwards leave and J.K. Dobbins will be an unsigned free agent that could never remain healthy. The Ravens offense changed with new OC Todd Monken last year, and Henry is a perfect fit for what the Ravens offense needs.

Fantasy football outlook

Henry may be turning 30 years old, but he’s been amazingly durable and outside the norm for staying healthy. The future Hall-of-Famer and past 2,000-yard rusher lands in an offense that has a Top-3 offensive line – a major upgrade from the Bottom-3 O-line in Tennessee. And the new offense under Monk produced 1,696 rushing yards (No. 8) and 20 rushing touchdowns (No. 3) last year with far less talent than Henry.

The Ravens offense also does not throw much to running backs which has never been a strength for Henry. He’s exactly what the rest of the league did not want to see lining up behind Lamar Jackson.

Syndication: Palm Beach Post

Cincy changes course and trades Joe Mixon to Texans

Course correction: Houston acquires Joe Mixon via trade.

The Houston Texans pulled off a trade less than a day after reports stating Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon would be released. Instead, he’ll now line up in a backfield with second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud.

As mentioned in the response to Zack Moss agreeing to join the Bengals, Mixon has struggled with efficiency the last few years, but his rate of scoring touchdowns has dramatically improved. Nearly 28 years old, with considerable mileage on his odometer, Mixon is clearly entering the twilight of his career. Houston, which feels it is poised to win not only now but well into the future, chose a stable veteran after a one-year stint with Devin Singletary, who left for the New York Giants in free agency.

From a real-life perspective, Mixon’s veteran presence, penchant for scoring touchdowns in the red zone, pass-protection skills, and versatility will do wonders to help balance out the offense. He’s no spring chicken and lacks the burst for long-range chunk plays, which the Texans can offset during the draft or a still-deep pool of remaining free agents.

Fantasy football outlook

The fake football view puts Mixon in the range of being a high-end No. 3 and a midrange No. 2, provided he can stay healthy. The Texans, for all of last year’s impressive play, are still a young, developing offense, particularly at wide receiver. Look for ample checkdown plays to pad his receiving stats and a respectable ratio of rushing TDs to attempts, but the lack of yardage output most weeks will position Mixon to be dependent on finding the end zone to make a difference in a fantasy lineup.

Fantasy Football Fallout: Bengals to replace Joe Mixon with Zack Moss

There’s a changing of the guard in Cincinnati’s backfield.

Longtime Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon will be released and replaced by free-agent RB Zack Moss, helping the team get younger and the books get lighter.

3/12 update: Mixon was traded to the Houston Texans instead of being released.

Mixon has become mostly a plodder the past few seasons, though the seven-year pro has developed a nose for the end zone as his career has chugged along. In the first four years, he found paydirt 25 total times but has posted 37 scores in the past three campaigns. The ascension of Joe Burrow hasn’t hurt his cause, preventing defenses from fully selling out in the red zone. An adept receiver and quality blocker, Mixon should pick up in Houston where he left off, despite entering his age-28 season.

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As for Moss, he split time early in his career with Buffalo before being sent to the Indianapolis Colts a couple of years back. He filled in admirably for Jonathan Taylor last year, generating 466 rushing yards, 576 total yards, and five offensive TDs between Week 2 and Week 6. He remained involved upon Taylor’s return until seeing his workload significantly decrease before fracturing his forearm late in the year.

Moss has enough talent to be a three-down option, though it’s likely Cincinnati works in Chase Brown to enough of a degree that this might even devolve into a full-on committee.

Fantasy football outlook

It’s simply too early to make a definitive fantasy claim as to Moss’ value, but he has a prime opportunity to finish in the neighborhood of RB10 to RB15 with a similar workload to what Mixon has offered in recent years. He’s not the same quality pass catcher, but Moss isn’t the worst receiver out of the backfield, either.

We’ll do a deep dive on this situation following the NFL draft. In the meantime, Moss’ dynasty worth is trending upward, and all gamers should be optimistic about his upcoming season.

Fantasy football: Washington Commanders add Austin Ekeler

Ekeler moves on from the Chargers and joins the committee in Washington.

The Washington Commanders  wasted no time replacing the departed Antonio Gibson by grabbing Austin Ekeler as an upgrade for the new offense under OC Kliff Kingsbury. Ekeler spent seven seasons with the Chargers, and three of which produced Top-5 fantasy running back stats.

Ekeler signed a two-year deal worth up to $11 million. His production dropped last season with the change in offense and the eventual midseason firing of then-head coach Brandon Staley. His negotiating status dropped considerably from 2022 when he was the No. 1 fantasy running back.

YEAR GMS RUNS YARDS TDS TARG CATCH YARDS TDS PPR PTS RANK PPR
2017 13 47 260 2 35 27 279 3 110.9 43
2018 14 106 554 3 53 39 404 3 170.8 25
2019 16 132 557 3 108 92 993 8 313 4
2020 10 116 530 1 65 54 403 2 165.3 26
2021 16 206 911 12 94 70 647 8 345.8 2
2022 17 204 915 13 127 107 722 5 378.7 1
2023 14 179 628 5 74 51 436 1 193.4 24

The Commanders are entering the first season under HC Dan Quinn and the offense will be directed by Kingsbury. The new scheme is not expected to immediately be as pass-happy as his previous time with the Cardinals and last season helping the USC Trojans, but there’s still plenty of time left for the offense to be remade and acquire more players.

Ekeler joins a backfield that has the burly 6-1, 228-pound Brian Robinson Jr. as the primary rusher, and Ekeler’s expected to add mostly as a receiver in the committee approach. He turns 29 years old in May, and isn’t likely to see a heavy rushing load in Washington. Even with the Chargers, he had maxed out around 200 carries in the last two seasons and has durability concerns as he ages.

While the offense continues to evolve, the expectation is that Ekeler adds in a handful of carries to complement Robinson, and catches 60 to 70 passes as well. He’ll drop back from his typical first-round status of the last three seasons, but still offer consistent fantasy points in leagues rewarding receptions.