4.01- Lynn Bowden, WR, Kentucky
Bowden is one of the most dynamic players in this class and I’m thrilled to take him at 4.01. After starting at WR in 2018, Bowden looked to showcase his athleticism and build on his 67 receptions in 2019. Instead, by October Kentucky found themselves in a pinch and need to move their star WR to QB. Bowden responded by (*clears throat) leading the SEC in rushing.
Yep.
That SEC.
The one with D’Andre Swift and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Shades of Julian Edelman and Randall Cobb come to mind when projecting Bowden. He is going to be some NFL Offensive Coordinator’s favorite multi-tasker in the near future.
4.02 – Jacob Eason, QB, Washington
Tyler Justin Karp- @DFF_Justin
There isn’t too much I need to say about Eason as a prospect to justify this selection. He is currently projected as the fifth quarterback in this class in terms of NFL Draft capital, with DraftKings Sportsbook setting the line on his draft position at 47.5 overall. Since that is almost exactly in the middle of the second round, it seems virtually inevitable that Eason will be a second-round selection come draft day.
With that said, Eason was a decent college prospect. After two years as Georgia in 2016 and 2017, he transferred to Washington and played well in 2019. He completed 64.2% of his passes and threw 23 touchdowns compared to eight interceptions. I don’t even like Eason as a prospect, and I don’t think he’s going to be a good NFL quarterback, but he at least demonstrated some competence in his final college season.
Any quarterback taken in the second round of the NFL Draft should not make it past the late second round of dynasty superflex rookie drafts. He comes in at 22nd in my superflex rookie rankings. Therefore, Eason is a screaming value at 4.02 in this draft.
4.03 – Quintez Cephus, WR, Wisconsin
Brad Hartnett – @DynastyDiagnos1
As previously stated this is potentially the strongest wide receiver class ever, Cephus’ athletic profile will leave teams wanting more, and I do believe this could land him in the UDFA market. At 6’1” and 202 lbs. Cephus has the size to be a starting wide receiver in the NFL, but his 4.73-second 40-yard dash leaves me wondering if he’ll ever do enough on the practice field to see game snaps.
With that less than glowing review, I will say that I would have selected Mason Fine, the quarterback out of North Texas who is a dark horse selection at quarterback to back up a big name such as Drew Brees or Ben Roethlisberger.
I went with Cephus here as a guy who can sit on the taxi squad and develop for a couple of years before making an NFL impact. The reason why I believe this is possible is because I just did a deep dive on the Jonathan Taylor, and after seemingly every second-down and long that Wisconsin fed Taylor and he was stuffed for no gain, Cephus would bail the Badgers out with clutch catches for first downs.
Is he ever going to be Dez Bryant in the NFL? No. He may be able to develop into a similar player to a mini Devin Funchess, and in the right situation be a usable fantasy asset. I will say the one statistic that has the highest correlation to success for wide receivers is the bench press, for which Cephus leads all 2020 wide receivers with 23 reps.
P.S. I was salty that Bowden didn’t make it back to me, the 2019 Hornung Award winner. To name a few of past years winners: Rondale Moore, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, and Odell Beckham.
4.04 – Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas
Stealing!
If you’ve got to take a flier on a guy in the fourth round of your rookie drafts, it may as well be Duvernay. Built like a running back at 5’10”, 200 lbs., and with track speed, defenders will not like to see this guy facing them out of the slot.
His Mockdraftable.com comparison is Golden Tate and that could well be his role, being that safe guy who you can target 100+ times a season and get you WR2/3 type production.
4.05 – DeeJay Dallas, RB, Miami
Mr. Dallas is an interesting prospect. He never produced great numbers during his time at Miami, but he often showed glimpses of greatness.
He can do a little bit of everything on film and is a fun player to watch. Draft capital will be crucial for Dallas, so we will have to wait and see where he lands before truly knowing the value of this selection.
4.06 – Van Jefferson, WR, Florida
For my last pick of the draft, I was able to pick up the last of my top 15 receivers. Now I’m leaving this draft without a quarterback or a tight end and given this is a superflex draft, that may sound like a questionable decision. However, when I draft rookies, I want to pick up the best player left on my board. And when it comes to positional value and return on investment, running backs and wide receivers in this range will have a much better chance at returning value sooner. It also makes the decision easy when it’s a top 15 receiver on your board!
Van Jefferson is the son of former NFL receiver and current Jets WR Coach Shawn Jefferson. When I watched his tape, the first thing I said was that he looks like the son of a coach on the field. His footwork and route running is top tier. He never takes a play off and his playmaking ability in space is solid. Outside of his footwork and route running, nothing stood out to me as an elite trait, but he was the model for consistency on the field. If he can improve his ability to catch the ball, he can become a reliable weapon for any quarterback. Being able to take someone with an upside as high as Jefferson’s this late in the draft puts a smile on my face.
4.07 – Isaiah Hodgins, WR, Oregon State
There are simply no guarantees in the fourth round of rookie drafts but lucky for us this year is quite deep. Hodgins is a player that didn’t necessarily score off the charts at the NFL Combine but has a profile that could succeed in the NFL. He’s 6’4”, 210 pounds but lacks speed to play on the outside. He ran a 4.61-sec. 40-yard dash but did score in the 88th percentile in catch radius.
Hodgins was also a target hog at Oregon State, he completely owned his team’s target share and finished in the 83rd percentile (40.8%). This indicates he has the potential to be a team’s number one wide receiver. While that seems unlikely, a dart throw in the fourth round for this kind of potential is a no brainer.
4.08 – Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame
Arguably the best tight end of a weak tight end class, Kmet showed significant improvement each year in college. There are a ton of ideal landing spots for Kmet, and if he gets drafted by a team like Green Bay, for instance, he could be a fun target for Aaron Rodgers after a couple of years of development. I don’t see Kmet contributing to dynasty rosters in year one, or even year two, this is a taxi-squad guy that could develop into a nice pass-catching tight end down the road. I’ll take Kmet this late in a rookie draft with the hopes that he continues to improve.
4.09 – Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri
Carl Churchill – @RookieWhisper
Like in late round 3, once again I’m looking for upside, and I may have hit a Grand Slam here! Although this is not a TE premium mock draft, I still think Okwuegbunam is a great value here.
Albert “O” has incredible athleticism and great production metrics as well. Okwuegbunam does have his concerns though, number one being his hands. He has a less than desirable drop rate of 11.8%. Still with his 4.49-sec. forty speed at 6’6″, 258 pounds, you’re a certified freak.
I believe a team will see his immense upside and take a swing at him in round 3 later this month. If that is the case, Albert Okwuegbunam will join an elite group of TEs, as laid out by Addison Hayes.
I’ll take this big-time upside play in the fourth round, even if this is not TE premium.
4.10 – Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton
Lots of people smarter than I say this tight end class is lacking, which is why so many fell to these later rounds. However, I find myself drafting at least one TE in every rookie draft, TE premium or no. They’re guys that can turn into either a cut candidate or a stud that is a staple of your lineup.
When you look at Trautman’s NFL Combine results, his first number of a 4.8-sec. 40-yard dash is disheartening. But if you look further to his 6.78 second 3-cone, you’re very encouraged. He may not have top-end straight line speed, but his agility should give him plenty of promise as a route runner. Add in his collegiate production, albeit at a small school, and he’s definitely someone I’m happy to get towards the end of my draft.
Like @AardvarkTV says, he’s another seed planted in the tight end garden.
4.11 – Thaddeus Moss, TE, LSU
Billy Beaman – @WillieBeamanDFF
How could I pass up on the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss? He didn’t work out at the NFL Combine but was super productive in limited action at LSU. Not only did he finish with 570 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games, but he also caught 47 of 51 targets. That’s a 92.20% catch rate!
Moss does have a very concerning injury history, including multiple foot surgeries, which will likely hurt his draft stock. The good news is he’s one of the best run blocking tight ends in the class and that will get you on the field faster than any pass-catching skills. I can’t wait to see where Moss lands.
4.12 – Jacob Breeland, TE, Oregon
Going into the last round my mind was set on grabbing Eason, or addressing TE. I usually don’t even bother with rookie TEs. They take too long to become viable options, and by that time they are usually given up on by their owners.
However, seeing as Eason was gone, the only QB left on my board was Anthony Gordon, and it seems my fellow drafters felt the same. In three picks I lost my top 3 TEs left in Kmet, Okwuegbunam, and Moss. Like those random joggers in Forrest Gump, I joined the run and grabbed my next best TE in Breeland.
I am admittedly a big Oregon fan, so I watched this kid a lot during his college years which goes a long way for TEs, as they can get a bit forgotten about. He was never “elite” amassing a 74/1,225/13 line in 30 games played over an injury-riddled 5-year career. But when I saw him play he was always solid.
If Justin Herbert LOOKS like the prototypical QB, Breeland looks like the premier TE. Sizing up at 6’5″, 252 lbs., his frame is comparable to the likes of Kelce, Ertz, and Waller. Now let’s see if he can put up a fraction of that production.
