Rizzla presents his rookie rankings, and discusses the players that had the most movement based on their combine performance.
With the NFL combine now complete for skill position players, it is time to reevaluate our rookie rankings for the 2019 season. While D.K. Metcalf and Parris Campbell lit up the 40, they both tested in the range that was expected so did not see any movement based on their own combine performances. There were more than a few names that did make significant moves however, which we will discuss below.
Miles Boykin was one of the big winners of the combine. Watching his tape it was apparent he was a hulking receiver that seemed to have deceptive speed. No one expected him to run as fast as the 4.42 he posted. When you couple that with his 4.07 20 yard shuttle (third) and 6.77 three cone (first), Boykin was arguably the biggest winner out of the wide receivers. Boykin proved to NFL teams that he is a tremendous and elite athlete and is now on the early day three radar even in a crowded draft class. Boykin was up and down at Notre Dame and may be more raw than most of the names in his range but the upside here is undeniable. Boykin went viral both for his combine performance, and after video surfaced of his former teammates gathered and celebrating their brethren.
Teams reaction after @MBoykin814 second 40yd dash… 4.47—>4.42 !!! That boy getting paid !! This what family all about man.. #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/IX1uei9UFe
— Chase Claypool (@ChaseClaypool) March 2, 2019
Miles Sanders posted a solid 4.49 40 time which greatly increased the chances that he is drafted to compete for immediate touches, as opposed to being drafted purely for depth. Landing spot will ultimately dictate his dynasty upside but he has gained a ton of value for those in leagues that draft before the NFL Draft. Sanders is a Marlon Mack type who profiles as more of a committee back, but could see RB2 value if he lands with a receiving back and is the best runner on the roster. His dynasty value is still lower than his combine may suggest as he is one of the backs that could easily lose his job if his team makes a draft addition in 2020. He is name to monitor for redraft.
Alex Barnes is the combines biggest winner as far as running backs are concerned. Lost in the shuffle for many in an extremely deep running back class, Barnes solidified himself as a late day two, early day three consideration. He ran an uninspiring 4.59 40 time, but at 220 lbs that translated into the second best speed score in the class at 112.0. Barnes destroyed the 3 cone and 20 yard shuttle, placing second and first respectively. His short area quickness coupled with his power and explosiveness could make Barnes someone who is drafted to play a significant role with his team.
Caleb Wilson showed better straight line speed than expected. His unofficial 4.50 had me really excited as it would have been the best time for a tight end, but his 4.56 official time is just as impressive. Wilson sometimes looked awkward running his routes on tape, but looked solid enough in Indy to assure he gets drafted on early day three at the latest. Wilson may not be an every down player to start his career as his blocking needs refinement, but possesses significant upside in the passing game.
Irv Smith Jr. is the biggest winner from the tight end position. He did not dominate drills like Noah Fant or T.J. Hockenson, but showed the NFL that he is a smooth route running move tight end with enough big play ability to keep on the field despite his lack of size. His 4.63 40 is solid for a tight end (Eric Ebron ran a 4.6), and while he was not very impressive in the three cone drill, he posted a top eight twenty yard shuttle at 4.33 seconds (a score better than D.K. Metcalf and DeMarkus Lodge).
Ashton Dulin has long been a favorite of some of my colleagues like Peter Howard and Michael Zingone, and was able to show that he belonged with the combine invites with a tremendous day. The small school, division two standout posted a 4.43 forty, a top ten 7.00 three cone, and a top-13 20 yard shuttle. Dulin proved that his athleticism is indeed NFL caliber and should have cemented himself as a day three pick. Dulin can contribute on special teams, increasing the likelihood he gets drafted by a forward thinking team that may be willing to scheme for him on offense. Dulin has yet to be added to the ranker but is now a legit top-60 dynasty rookie draft consideration.
With that said here is our look at the top dynasty league rookies following the combine.
