2.01 – Tee Higgins (Clemson – WR7)
6-3 5/8″ – 216 | Maybe this is a bit of recency bias, but watching guys like Jefferson and Mims excel at the combine while Tee Higgins set out in favor of his pro day moved him down a peg for me. This is a reflection of how well they did rather than seeing problems with Higgins. The results from his pro day were not indicative of the player he is. Higgins 4.54 40-yard dash and 31″ vert are in the middle of the pack but he has shown time after time on film that numbers don’t always paint the story. At the end of the day, I don’t think it matters too much as his resume speaks for itself. His speed is good enough to give himself separation from defensive backs, and his near 6’4″ frame will give whoever is throwing to him a larger target window to fit the ball in. He will be an instant fantasy factor to any team that takes him. In the anticipated release of his Top 300 Big Board, PFN NFL Draft Expert Tony Pauline ranked Higgins #6 in this year’s class.
2.02 – Joe Burrow (LSU – QB1)
6-2 1/2″- 221 | Joe Burrow was my number one QB going into the NFL Combine, and even though he didn’t work out, he didn’t need to. Burrow threw for almost 5,700 yards this past year and became the first QB to throw for over 5,000 yards and 60 touchdowns in a single season. He did this all while completing 76.3% of his attempts and only throwing six interceptions on the year.
A few weeks ago, the gap between Burrow and Alabama Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was more significant than what it is now. If he looks good when he is on the field, and you can look past the injury worries, this is a more difficult choice than before.
2.03 – Bryan Edwards (South Carolina – WR8)
6-2 3/4″ – 212 | Edwards is quite possibly the quietest, yet most productive, prospect you will come across in the 2020 NFL Draft. He ranks third in SEC history with 234 career receptions and fourth in the league all-time with 3,045 yards. While Edwards doesn’t burn off the line, he is phenomenal at using his hands and frame to get the defensive back into position to set up his route. The concern is what teams will think of his injury status. A knee injury ended his career at South Carolina but was not deemed “long term.” Then in preparation for the NFL Combine, he broke his foot that will now take several months to heal. His projected return to the field is sometime in the summer. If he can get Round 3 draft capital, that’s an excellent sign for his future. If it slips past that, we have an issue. There are safer picks to make, but his talent is undeniable. Between his health and top-end wide receiver talent, Edwards is one of the best values in this class given his ADP.
I’ve been really liking Bryan Edwards’ tape. Don’t think he’s as polished as the other top guys, but his potential is sky high. pic.twitter.com/OcEdIPH0Am
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) May 15, 2019
2.04 – Zack Moss (Utah – RB7)
5-9 3/8″ – 223 | We have talked about winners, but there were also some guys whose draft stock took a hit in Indianapolis, and Zack Moss is one of those guys. His 4.65 40-yard sprint came in lower than was expected, but shortly after, reports of a tight hamstring circulated and gave a bit of context to his time. Moss could end up being this year’s David Montgomery. The player who we are divided on as an industry and his ADP will be all over the place. At the end of the day, he’s a sound player with overall good fundamentals when you look at his tape. I don’t see a team drafting him and handing him the keys to the backfield, but he could serve as a solid RB2 and a great handcuff to own until he gets a shot at a more significant role in the offense.
Of the players who needed a good pro day, Moss is close to the top of the list. Unfortunately, we will not see if his times out have gone down due to the necessary precautions being taken by colleges. Even without the chance to re-run, Moss’s tape is still fantastic. There are things he does on the field that make you see why he is one of the fantasy industry’s favorite targets outside of the upper-tier.
2.05 – Ke’Shawn Vaughn (Vanderbilt – RB8)
5-9 5/8″ – 214 | Ke’Shawn Vaughn is a dual-threat out of the backfield, as he is also a good pass-catcher. Although he is slightly undersized for a running back, his good speed should help him translate his game to the NFL. Vaughn ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He averaged 3.7 and 5.3 yards after contact per carry in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Vaughn possesses elite contact balance and can cut on a dime without giving up any speed. He attacks holes quickly and shows off great vision. If I can land him in the mid-second round of a draft, I am smashing the draft button as soon as I can. If he lands in a spot to contribute early, I could easily see him going ahead of players like Dillon and Moss.
2.06 – KJ Hamler (Penn State – WR9)
5-8 5/8″ – 178 | KJ Hamler played both outside and in the slot during his time at Penn State. Regardless of where he lined up, he is a constant threat to take any pass the distance as he possesses elite-level speed. If Hamler were to run his 40 at the Penn State pro day, he will be well into the sub-4.40 range. The downside when watching his tape is at times when making a contested-catch, he allows the ball to get to him rather than reaching out to attack it, bringing the defender back into play. I don’t know if he will ever be an NFL team’s true WR1, but he can be in fantasy, given his explosiveness after the catch.
2.07 – Tyler Johnson (Minnesota – WR10)
6-1 3/8″ – 206 | Tyler Johnson is one of the most dominant wide receivers in this draft. In his senior year, he put up a ridiculous stat line of 86 catches for 1,318 yards and 13 touchdowns. However, he also played against Big 10 defenses, which weren’t the best if I am being honest. His career 36.10% market-share is the highest in the entire class. Johnson’s tape is excellent. He’s got quick feet, toughness, a diverse set of releases at the line, clean breaks, and enough speed to get it done at the next level. At this point in the draft, he is a steal.
MINNESOTA UP 21-10!!!
TYLER JOHNSON ARE YOU SERIOUS!!?!?!? pic.twitter.com/O125S1e2u2
— Abdul Memon (@abdulamemon) November 9, 2019
2.08 – Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama – QB2)
6-1″ – 218 | While Tua Tagovailoa didn’t work out at the NFL Combine, he still put on an excellent performance by winning his medicals, which is what he said he wanted to do leading up to the event. Burrow had the best single-season, but Tua showed sustained excellence for multiple seasons, and if not for the injury concerns, would be a coin flip for the QB1 this year between them. If this were a Superflex draft, he could be the 1.01, but in the given format he falls due to the positional scarcity not being as high.
2.09 – Antonio Gandy-Golden (Liberty – WR11)
6-4″ – 223 | The Senior Bowl darling. He stood out against some of the best competition by being more physical and getting on his routes. He can sometimes struggle in press-coverage, but once released, he has the traits to make the play. One of his standout features you see on film is his catch radius, which is off the charts. His ball skills, length, and high point ability are big winners and do well in the red zone — he was a monster in tight spaces at the college level. We will see where he lands, but I will be keeping my eye on him later in drafts.
When looking at the draft, the middle to the back end of the second round is loaded with talent. Given the cost to acquire picks in this range vs. late firsts, I would love to trade into this part of the draft to get some fantastic players. The 2020 class is just that loaded.
2.10 – Eno Benjamin (Arizona State – RB09)
5-8 7/8″ – 207 | Eno Benjamin is a guy who came into the 2019 season with high expectations but at times seemed to disappear, and his tape shows it. He plays with a high motor and is surprisingly a good runner in-between the tackles for his size. Benjamin can catch the ball with the best in this draft, make people miss, and break tackles. The question with him will be his size, but he is the same size as Devin Singletary, which can work in the NFL in the right scheme. He can wow you on one play and then frustrate you the next. His value is all about how a team will choose to use him. While I don’t foresee him being selected to be an RB1 anywhere, he could be a nice change of pace back or passing game running back out of the gate.
2.11 – Laviska Shenault (Colorado – WR12)
6-0 5/8″ – 227 | Laviska Shenault comes with a buyer beware warning when selecting him in a rookie draft. If you just look at his game film, you walk away impressed. He can play any position, whether split outside, in close in the slot, or taking a direct snap and turning into a defacto running back. He possesses the size and strength to be a weapon on the field. The issue is health. After sustaining an aggravation of a previous injury, Shenault slides down. To make matters worse, he announced after the combine that he would be undergoing surgery to repair a core-muscle injury.
This is not the first time we have seen him hurt, and it has to be factored into the decision making process. I am sure teams in the NFL will have the same discussion that we are in fantasy. He could end up a steal if he falls late enough, but you need to know the full package you are buying, not just the upside. At this point in the draft, I don’t mind taking on some of the risks, but there is a good chance he will go earlier if someone believes in him more than I do.
2.12 – Justin Herbert (Oregon – QB3)
6-6 1/4″ – 236 | Justin Herbert will consistently be the third quarterback off the board in rookie drafts as this is the start of the tier break at the position. If you look at his stats and measurables, Herbert looks to have all the talent necessary to be an NFL quarterback. He threw for an eye-popping 10,541 yards for his career on 64% of his passes along with 95 touchdowns to 23 interceptions. While this and his size look great on paper, one of the knocks against him is his failure to show up and elevate his play in big games.