Looking at this year's draft class from a fantasy football perspective, it feels like a down year compared to recent drafts. Of course, you have a couple of big name quarterback's in Burrow and Tagovailoa, who are expected to go at the top of the draft, but other than those two names you don't have many fantasy-relevant position players projected in the top 10 on most expert's draft boards. The combine is a great place for players to get their name out there and increase their draft stock. Below I've listed a few guys at each position that I think stood out at the combine and might be people you keep an eye on during the NFL Draft to see where they wind up.
Like I mentioned earlier, this draft doesn't feel as deep as previous years, so I don't anticipate too many rookies making a big enough impact to warrant re-draft league owners to waste a pick on them. Last year everyone expected guys like Kyler Murray, Josh Jacobs, David Montgomery, Miles Sanders, AJ Brown and DK Metcalf to be fantasy-relevant and worthy of being drafted. This year assuming Joe Burrow goes first to the Bengals he will be worth a late-round pick, but unlike Burrow we have to wait until draft night to see where everyone else lands to see who might be a diamond in the rough this upcoming season. Over the past few seasons, players like Kareem Hunt, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson were drafted towards the end of fantasy drafts or maybe even went undrafted, but ended up carrying most owners to the fantasy playoffs. That's why it's crucial to be able to pinpoint a young guy or two to draft that you think is poised for a breakout season.
The following rookies are some that stood out to me at the combine who might eventually excel when given an opportunity in the NFL. A few of these guys might get that chance this year, but most of them will have to wait a year or two for their opportunity.
Quarterbacks:
Justin Herbert- Oregon
Herbert has been rising on mock draft boards and a lot of experts think he may even be a top 10 pick with so many quarterback-needy teams this year. He started the year as a Heisman hopeful, but he was too inconsistent throughout the year which is his biggest knock heading into the draft. He has the potential to be a sneaky pick, especially if he lands with a team like the Chargers who already have multiple offensive weapons.
Jordan Love- Utah State
Love might be the biggest unknown among the quarterbacks in this year's draft. He had an amazing sophomore season and if it wasn't for a disappointing Junior season I think he would be a lock in the top 10. He's got to land in the right system, but standing at 6'4" 225 with a huge arm he is exactly what teams are looking for in a QB.
Jalen Hurts- Oklahoma
The biggest struggle coming into the NFL for Jalen Hurts will be similar to Lamar Jackson... proving that he is a QB. This guy is a winner and has proven that at both Oklahoma and Alabama. He only participated in three events during the combine (40-yard dash, vertical jump, and broad jump) and he placed in the top 5 amongst QB's in each of those. He probably won't be drafted and projected as a starting QB, but if he is given an opportunity he will become fantasy relevant.
Running Back:
Jonathan Taylor- Wisconsin
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, J.K. Dobbins, D'Andre Swift, and Jonathan Taylor are the top tier RB's in this year's draft. You could convince me that any of these guys are worth drafting over the other and I would probably agree with you. At the combine, he showed off his breakaway speed, which has helped him reach 2K yards rushing the past two seasons, as he ran a 4.39 40 which was the fastest RB time.
Cam Akers- Florida State
After those top four running backs, there is a big drop off to the next tier. Akers showed with his speed and power that he could help in a RBBC (running back by committee). He loves contact so he doesn't mind stepping up to protect against the rush, he broke Dalvin Cook's rookie rushing record at FSU, and he was a high school quarterback so the skies the limit on what the right team could do with this guy.
AJ Dillon- Boston College
The last RB I want to mention is AJ Dillon, who was ACC rookie of the year in 2017 and ran for over 1K yards in each of his three seasons at BC. He's nearly 250 pounds, so he is a force to reckon with on the field, but with his 4.53 40 time he also showed teams he can be more than just a power back.
Wide Reciever:
CeeDee Lamb- Oklahoma
One of the top receivers in this year's draft and after his performance at the combine he may be the first to go. Lamb played 3 seasons at Oklahoma playing a season each with Baker, Kyler, and Jalen under center. At the combine, his numbers didn't separate himself from the other receivers, but he made a couple of catches where he showed off his body control and ability to keep his feet in-bounds.
Henry Ruggs III- Alabama
Ruggs is another one of the top receivers in this year's draft who was trying to show teams why he deserves to be the first receiver off the board. Ruggs had an abbreviated combine, calling it a day after his 40-yard dash, but he still showed what makes him such a threat. His 4.37 40 time was the second-best posted time by a WR in the 15 years of the combine. The speed alone is impressive, but he also had a 42 inch vertical, which is top 10 among receivers in the last 15 years. He does have a little bit of problem tracking deep balls, but a receiver with that kind of speed and vertical is a dangerous weapon if paired with the right quarterback.
Chase Claypool- Notre Dame
The depth at wide receivers is the strongest part of this year's draft. Claypool finds himself outside the top 10 receivers in this year's draft among most draft boards and sometimes even lower, but his numbers at the combine might make a team roll the dice on him earlier than expected. He joined Calvin Johnson as the only two guys 6'4" or over and at least 235 pounds to run a sub 4.45 40 yard dash.
Tight End:
Adam Trautman- Dayton
There aren't any starter worthy tight ends in this year's draft, but there are a few that could work their way up a depth chart to become a starter. Trautman led the Flyers in receiving his junior and senior year, but playing in the FCS he saw a lot of mismatches. He will need to prove his blocking ability and that he is capable of holding his own against NFL defenders, but his combine performance might have solidified him as the first TE off the board this year.
Harrison Bryant- Florida Atlantic
Bryant was this year's John Mackey Award winner as the top collegiate tight end. His 65 receptions for 1,004 yards led all tight ends this year and he showed off his hands and impressive footwork at the combine. He needs to polish up a few areas of his game to become a full-time starter in the NFL, but he should get an opportunity to prove himself after a year or two. Although, his ability to block could impress a team enough to give him some time this season depending on what their TE situation looks like.
The draft is just over a month away when we'll get to see where all these guys end up. After the draft, I'll take a look at each players landing spot to let you know if I think it will be a good fit for them or not. It's only been a month since the Super Bowl, but I'm ready for fantasy football to start back up.