Draft Wrap: Rookie Winners
Draft weekend was quite eventful for Detroit. While sad-sack former Lions GM Matt Millen was apologizing for calling Ron Jaworski a "Polack," current GM Martin Mayhew was putting the finishing touches on the best offseason in the league. After over a decade as the league's laughingstock, the Leos are slowly but surely putting together a legit NFL roster behind Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz.
Mayhew's pre-draft haul included a veteran pass rusher familiar with Schwartz's system (Kyle Vanden Bosch), a three technique tackle franchise-tagged by the Packers two years ago (Corey Williams), a true second receiver that can play inside and out (Nate Burleson), one of the top dozen pass-catching tight ends in the NFL (Tony Scheffler), and a major upgrade at left guard (Rob Sims) in addition to several key role players (Shaun Hill, Chris Houston, Dante Wesley).
To that mix the Lions have now added the best player in the draft (Ndamukong Suh), arguably the most explosive runner available (Jahvid Best), and a physical corner that could step right into the starting lineup (Ameri Spievey). It's not only likely but probable that Schwartz's squad will boast a combined 12 new starters in Week 1 – almost every one an upgrade on last year's starter.
Throw in the return to health of key players such as Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Stephen Peterman, and Mayhew is my early prediction for 2010 Executive of the Year. With that said, let's lead off the list of this draft's fantasy winners with one of those Lions.
Jahvid Best, Lions – You may have heard Best's draft story by now. When team president Tom Lewand took his sweet time finalizing the trade to move up to No. 30 overall, Schwartz contemplated taking the phone out of his hand and beating him over the head with it. But you probably have not heard this one yet: Schwartz also explained that he tunes into Youtube videos of Best as a substitute for online porn.
Best does not come without warts. He underwent hip, elbow, and shoulder injuries at Cal. After picking up Heisman steam late last season, he missed the final four games with a concussion and a back injury. What's important for the 2010 fantasy season, though, is that Best is healthy after nearly six months of rest.
So why does Best top this list? Well, this isn't your older brother's Lions. With the changes on offense, Best actually enters a situation tailor made for fantasy success. A homerun hitter in the vain of Chris Johnson, Best is also a excellent receiver out of the backfield. If teams insist on double- and triple-teaming Calvin Johnson, Best will make them pick their poison. Like Percy Harvin in Minnesota, his 4.35 speed will play perfectly on Ford Field's turf.
What about playing time? Kevin Smith is unlikely to be ready for Week 1 after a late-season ACL injury, and he won't be the same back until months after his return. Maurice Morris is on the periphery as well, but Lions coaches will have a hard time pulling Best off the field once they see what he brings to the offense. The Lions starting running back won't be drafted early in fantasy leagues, so Best presents the chance for a mid-round steal this year.
Ryan Mathews, Chargers – Mathews will top most rookie lists, and it's easy to see why. GM A.J. Smith aggressively moved up to No. 12 to fix his league-worst running game by drafting the NFL-ready tackle breaker. Mathews will step right into LaDainian Tomlinson's 2009 role, garnering all of the early-down work including the majority of goal-line carries. While his upside is limited by Darren Sproles' presence on passing downs, the Bolts' ultra-effective aerial attack will help open holes and create scoring opportunities.
Tomlinson made headlines when he threw his offensive linemen and head coach under bus upon departing San Diego, blaming them for his poor numbers last season. More likely, the opposite is true. Mathews simply has "a gear that Tomlinson lost" two years ago. The rookie could go off the fantasy boards as early as round three this summer.
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Dez Bryant, Cowboys – The draft's best offensive player fell to the perfect landing spot because he was tardy a couple of times at Oklahoma State and had dinner with Deion Sanders. Haunted by the ghost of Randy Moss past, Jerry Jones traded up for a playmaking receiver sure to make Dallas fans forget the Roy Williams fiasco.
The immediate post-draft party line is that Williams' roster spot is safe, and Bryant will have to severely outplay him for the starting job. The explosive rookie is already a better player, so that shouldn't be a tremendous hurdle. It's also possible that Williams won't even make it to training camp in a Cowboys uniform. In which case, Bryant will see his fantasy draft stock rise considerably in perhaps the league's most dynamic offense.
Demaryius Thomas, Broncos – The NFL's new lightning rod for criticism, Josh McDaniels bypassed Bryant to select Georgia Tech game-breaker Thomas at No. 22 overall. McDaniels was poised to enter the season with talent-challenged Jabar Gaffney and 2009 fantasy back-breaker Eddie Royal as his starting receiver after trading problem child Brandon Marshall. Thomas, now 90 percent recovered from February foot surgery, has the size (6'3", 230), 4.4 speed, and downfield playmaking ability to emerge as the Broncos' most dangerous receiver by October.
Arrelious Benn / Mike Williams, Bucs – Welcome to the land of opportunity, boys. The Bucs entered the draft with Reggie Brown, Maurice Stovall, and Sammie Stroughter atop the receiver depth chart, three receivers that wouldn't see the field for most teams. Second-rounder Benn (Illinois) is already penciled into the starting lineup, and fourth-rounder Williams (Syracuse) may join him by the end of training camp . Though Benn may have the best chance of any rookie wideout to lead his team in receptions, he'll have to hold off Williams to do so. The latter was considered a first-round talent before a string of off-the-field woes.
Rob Gronkowski, Patriots – Bill Belichick's offense doesn't utilize the tight end in the passing game, right? I wouldn't be so sure about that. Ben Watson finished as the No. 10 fantasy receiver as recently as 2006, when he posted a career-high 643 yards. Tom Brady simply stopped looking to Watson after too many dropped passes.
Enter the Gronk. A souped up Todd Heap clone at 6'6", 260 with 4.65 speed, the second-rounder out of Arizona steps into the Pats' vacuum at pass-catching tight end. Brady's late-season swoon highlighted his lack of weapons downfield and in the red zone. If the athletic Gronkowski earns Brady's confidence in training camp, he could finish third in receptions behind Randy Moss and Julian Edelman.
Ben Tate, Texans – Steve Slaton is an offensive asset if used correctly. He's a fantastic receiver and dangerous in the open field, but he's not built to carry a ground game. @GreggRosenthal believes Slaton will still lead the Texans in touches, but that's a dangerous proposition after a serious neck fusion surgery. Though Arian Foster closed out the season in strong fashion, Tate is the more talented early-down runner and the back to own in Houston. In fact, NFL Network's Michael Lombardi predicts the second-rounder will pick up 1,500 yards in Gary Kubiak's offense as the Rookie of the Year.
Montario Hardesty, Browns – We http://blogs.rotoworld.com/Fantasy_Football/2010/02/will_harrison_carry_the_load.php warned Jerome Harrison owners to sell high after his furious finish last winter. The Browns traded up in the second round to grab power back Hardesty, which means he'll be given every opportunity to at least form a committee attack with Harrison. GM Tom Heckert considers Hardesty a "potential feature back," so Harrison could be relegated to the third-down role by the end of the season.
Brandon LaFell, Panthers – LaFell succumbed to Matt Leinart syndrome, staying in college one year too long. Considered by many the No. 1 returning senior receiver in the nation entering last year, LaFell dropped throughout the season due to mediocre speed and inconsistent hands. In addition to ideal size (6'3", 201), he does come from a pro-style scheme, is a willing blocker, and shows up big in the red zone. Most importantly, the starting job opposite Steve Smith is wide open, with only slow-footed draft bust Dwayne Jarrett standing in the way.
USA Today
Draft weekend was quite eventful for Detroit. While sad-sack former Lions GM Matt Millen was apologizing for calling Ron Jaworski a "Polack," current GM Martin Mayhew was putting the finishing touches on the best offseason in the league. After over a decade as the league's laughingstock, the Leos are slowly but surely putting together a legit NFL roster behind Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz.
Mayhew's pre-draft haul included a veteran pass rusher familiar with Schwartz's system (Kyle Vanden Bosch), a three technique tackle franchise-tagged by the Packers two years ago (Corey Williams), a true second receiver that can play inside and out (Nate Burleson), one of the top dozen pass-catching tight ends in the NFL (Tony Scheffler), and a major upgrade at left guard (Rob Sims) in addition to several key role players (Shaun Hill, Chris Houston, Dante Wesley).
To that mix the Lions have now added the best player in the draft (Ndamukong Suh), arguably the most explosive runner available (Jahvid Best), and a physical corner that could step right into the starting lineup (Ameri Spievey). It's not only likely but probable that Schwartz's squad will boast a combined 12 new starters in Week 1 – almost every one an upgrade on last year's starter.
Throw in the return to health of key players such as Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Stephen Peterman, and Mayhew is my early prediction for 2010 Executive of the Year. With that said, let's lead off the list of this draft's fantasy winners with one of those Lions.
Jahvid Best, Lions – You may have heard Best's draft story by now. When team president Tom Lewand took his sweet time finalizing the trade to move up to No. 30 overall, Schwartz contemplated taking the phone out of his hand and beating him over the head with it. But you probably have not heard this one yet: Schwartz also explained that he tunes into Youtube videos of Best as a substitute for online porn.
Best does not come without warts. He underwent hip, elbow, and shoulder injuries at Cal. After picking up Heisman steam late last season, he missed the final four games with a concussion and a back injury. What's important for the 2010 fantasy season, though, is that Best is healthy after nearly six months of rest.
So why does Best top this list? Well, this isn't your older brother's Lions. With the changes on offense, Best actually enters a situation tailor made for fantasy success. A homerun hitter in the vain of Chris Johnson, Best is also a excellent receiver out of the backfield. If teams insist on double- and triple-teaming Calvin Johnson, Best will make them pick their poison. Like Percy Harvin in Minnesota, his 4.35 speed will play perfectly on Ford Field's turf.
What about playing time? Kevin Smith is unlikely to be ready for Week 1 after a late-season ACL injury, and he won't be the same back until months after his return. Maurice Morris is on the periphery as well, but Lions coaches will have a hard time pulling Best off the field once they see what he brings to the offense. The Lions starting running back won't be drafted early in fantasy leagues, so Best presents the chance for a mid-round steal this year.
Ryan Mathews, Chargers – Mathews will top most rookie lists, and it's easy to see why. GM A.J. Smith aggressively moved up to No. 12 to fix his league-worst running game by drafting the NFL-ready tackle breaker. Mathews will step right into LaDainian Tomlinson's 2009 role, garnering all of the early-down work including the majority of goal-line carries. While his upside is limited by Darren Sproles' presence on passing downs, the Bolts' ultra-effective aerial attack will help open holes and create scoring opportunities.
Tomlinson made headlines when he threw his offensive linemen and head coach under bus upon departing San Diego, blaming them for his poor numbers last season. More likely, the opposite is true. Mathews simply has "a gear that Tomlinson lost" two years ago. The rookie could go off the fantasy boards as early as round three this summer.
<!--RW-->
Dez Bryant, Cowboys – The draft's best offensive player fell to the perfect landing spot because he was tardy a couple of times at Oklahoma State and had dinner with Deion Sanders. Haunted by the ghost of Randy Moss past, Jerry Jones traded up for a playmaking receiver sure to make Dallas fans forget the Roy Williams fiasco.
The immediate post-draft party line is that Williams' roster spot is safe, and Bryant will have to severely outplay him for the starting job. The explosive rookie is already a better player, so that shouldn't be a tremendous hurdle. It's also possible that Williams won't even make it to training camp in a Cowboys uniform. In which case, Bryant will see his fantasy draft stock rise considerably in perhaps the league's most dynamic offense.
Demaryius Thomas, Broncos – The NFL's new lightning rod for criticism, Josh McDaniels bypassed Bryant to select Georgia Tech game-breaker Thomas at No. 22 overall. McDaniels was poised to enter the season with talent-challenged Jabar Gaffney and 2009 fantasy back-breaker Eddie Royal as his starting receiver after trading problem child Brandon Marshall. Thomas, now 90 percent recovered from February foot surgery, has the size (6'3", 230), 4.4 speed, and downfield playmaking ability to emerge as the Broncos' most dangerous receiver by October.
Arrelious Benn / Mike Williams, Bucs – Welcome to the land of opportunity, boys. The Bucs entered the draft with Reggie Brown, Maurice Stovall, and Sammie Stroughter atop the receiver depth chart, three receivers that wouldn't see the field for most teams. Second-rounder Benn (Illinois) is already penciled into the starting lineup, and fourth-rounder Williams (Syracuse) may join him by the end of training camp . Though Benn may have the best chance of any rookie wideout to lead his team in receptions, he'll have to hold off Williams to do so. The latter was considered a first-round talent before a string of off-the-field woes.
Rob Gronkowski, Patriots – Bill Belichick's offense doesn't utilize the tight end in the passing game, right? I wouldn't be so sure about that. Ben Watson finished as the No. 10 fantasy receiver as recently as 2006, when he posted a career-high 643 yards. Tom Brady simply stopped looking to Watson after too many dropped passes.
Enter the Gronk. A souped up Todd Heap clone at 6'6", 260 with 4.65 speed, the second-rounder out of Arizona steps into the Pats' vacuum at pass-catching tight end. Brady's late-season swoon highlighted his lack of weapons downfield and in the red zone. If the athletic Gronkowski earns Brady's confidence in training camp, he could finish third in receptions behind Randy Moss and Julian Edelman.
Ben Tate, Texans – Steve Slaton is an offensive asset if used correctly. He's a fantastic receiver and dangerous in the open field, but he's not built to carry a ground game. @GreggRosenthal believes Slaton will still lead the Texans in touches, but that's a dangerous proposition after a serious neck fusion surgery. Though Arian Foster closed out the season in strong fashion, Tate is the more talented early-down runner and the back to own in Houston. In fact, NFL Network's Michael Lombardi predicts the second-rounder will pick up 1,500 yards in Gary Kubiak's offense as the Rookie of the Year.
Montario Hardesty, Browns – We http://blogs.rotoworld.com/Fantasy_Football/2010/02/will_harrison_carry_the_load.php warned Jerome Harrison owners to sell high after his furious finish last winter. The Browns traded up in the second round to grab power back Hardesty, which means he'll be given every opportunity to at least form a committee attack with Harrison. GM Tom Heckert considers Hardesty a "potential feature back," so Harrison could be relegated to the third-down role by the end of the season.
Brandon LaFell, Panthers – LaFell succumbed to Matt Leinart syndrome, staying in college one year too long. Considered by many the No. 1 returning senior receiver in the nation entering last year, LaFell dropped throughout the season due to mediocre speed and inconsistent hands. In addition to ideal size (6'3", 201), he does come from a pro-style scheme, is a willing blocker, and shows up big in the red zone. Most importantly, the starting job opposite Steve Smith is wide open, with only slow-footed draft bust Dwayne Jarrett standing in the way.
USA Today
