A player Minnesota football fans are familiar with has a good chance to go early in Thursday’s NFL Draft.
Gophers wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who finished with more than 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2019, is listed as Bucky Brooks’ fifth-ranked receiver heading into the draft.
Here’s what Brooks wrote about Bateman over at NFL.com:
Bateman is an enticing mix of A.J. Brown and Michael Thomas on the perimeter; he’s a physical pass catcher with the capacity to play out wide or in the slot. He is a true No. 1 receiver, and his underrated game could pop at the next level.
The folks over at Pro Football Focus are a little more bullish on Bateman, ranking him as the 17th-ranked prospect overall and fourth-best receiver.
For those wanting Bateman to land with the hometown team, well, that seems incredibly unlikely unless the Vikings are somehow able to end up with two first-round picks.
The team’s first pick almost certainly has to address the offensive or defensive line.