It is much better to have an idea of where you stand on an incoming
talent before he is drafted, if only the public tends to cater to
popular opinion and "fit" after he is selected. Evaluating
the incoming rookie class before the draft gives us a more stable
ground with which to base our opinions and helps us avoid some of
those "popular" pitfalls.
The goal with this piece (and the position-by-position ones to
follow) is to provide a slightly quicker but still very thorough
overview of some of the top prospects that were not covered in
my draft profiles. The hope is that this
exercise will give readers all the information that could ask
for as they began preparing for upcoming rookie drafts.
Skyy Moore Draft Profile
Vitals
College: Western Michigan
Height/Weight: 5'10"/195
Hands: 10 1/4"
Age: 21 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)
High-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Golden Tate Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Sterling Shepard
Position-Specific
Attributes and Grades
Attribute
Att Grade
Scale
Ball
Tracking
8.5
10.0
Contested
Catch/Body Control
8.0
10.0
Hands
9.0
10.0
Release
9.0
10.0
Route-Running
8.5
10.0
Run
After Catch
9.0
10.0
Physicality/Competitiveness
7.5
8.0
Separation
4.5
6.0
Speed
3.0
4.0
Blocking
1.5
2.0
Film
Grade
69.0
80.0
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect
Grade* (out of 50): 41.5
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For receivers, a player needs to be a realistic
threat for 70 catches and 1,000 receiving yards at some point
early in their career to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional
scarcity at the pro level is also a part of the equation.
Positives
Moore may be on the short end when it comes to his height, but he
is not small - nor does he play that way. (Perhaps one of the most
telling statistics on his resume is an FBS-best 26 missed tackles
forced in 2021, according to Pro Football Focus.) The concept of
a player having more upside because he is new to his position is
often an overplayed one, but it bears mentioning that Moore did
not start playing receiver until after he arrived in Kalamazoo.
(He played quarterback and cornerback in high school and was recruited
at the latter position.) Despite his late start at receiver, he
is exceptional at leveraging his routes and efficient with his footwork.
Moore is not exactly a field-stretcher (and probably will not be
in the NFL), but he shows a second gear when he needs it and almost
always comes down with any ball in his general area. Perhaps part
of that sure-handedness can be attributed to the fact he has some
of the biggest hands in the draft class (10 1/4"), which is
almost unheard of for a receiver of his size. Moore is also very
adept at getting off the line of scrimmage clean; he achieved this
largely because he is so quick but also because he varies his releases
and possesses very good strength for a player of his size.
Negatives
While Moore does a fine job overcoming his less-than-ideal height
by being incredibly elusive, the fact he also is not a true burner
could end up hurting his cause to be anything more than a complementary
receiver at the next level. Receivers typically need some combination
of unusual height, incredible athleticism (vertical jump, in this
case) or elite speed to win downfield consistently in the NFL. Moore
has none of those attributes working in his favor. He also does
not consistently stack his defender downfield, making it harder
on himself. While Moore proved to be a hard guy to tackle in the
MAC last season and has the strength to carry that over to the NFL,
he will need to continue to get better at creating separation to
take more advantage of his ability to maximize his run-after-catch
opportunities. Prospects with his size also usually have significant
special teams experience; Moore has almost none. He also has some
durability issues, including missing a large chunk of the season
opener against Michigan and the next game versus Illinois State
in 2021. (He also suffered two significant ankle injuries in high
school.
Bottom Line
It is hard not to be impressed by what Moore has accomplished (and
what he can already do at a high level) three years into his receiver
journey. (He stepped onto the field as a freshman with less than
a year of training and posted 802 yards.) Moore is also not afraid
to work the middle, which bodes well for his future in the slot.
His ability to separate from NFL corners figures to be the deciding
factor in whether he will be a long-term option or not. The fact
he has picked up so much in such a short time suggests he will figure
it out sooner than later. While it is easy to see shades of Steve
Smith in his game on occasion, Golden
Tate makes a ton of sense as a player he could look to emulate.
Tate did not have any of the elite traits mentioned for a downfield
receiver in the previous paragraph and was still consistently very
good after the catch and in the short and intermediate passing game.
David Bell Draft Profile
Vitals
College: Purdue
Height/Weight: 6'1"/212
Hands: 9 1/4"
Age: 21 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)
High-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Michael Thomas Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Corey Davis
Position-Specific
Attributes and Grades
Attribute
Att Grade
Scale
Ball
Tracking
9.0
10.0
Contested
Catch/Body Control
9.0
10.0
Hands
9.0
10.0
Release
8.5
10.0
Route-Running
9.0
10.0
Run
After Catch
8.5
10.0
Physicality/Competitiveness
9.0
8.0
Separation
3.0
6.0
Speed
1.5
4.0
Blocking
1.0
2.0
Film
Grade
67.5
80.0
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect
Grade* (out of 50): 41.0
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For receivers, a player needs to be a realistic
threat for 70 catches and 1,000 receiving yards at some point
early in their career to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional
scarcity at the pro level is also a part of the equation
Positives
There is something to be said about a player who produces every
week even though he is clearly the best player on the team and the
focal point of the defensive game plan. Bell is the rare big receiver
(212 pounds) that wins not only with excellent body control but
also with exceptional route-running ability. He plays physically
with the ball in his hands. Bell was very good at getting a clean
inside release with a double-hand swipe in the four or five games
I watched and he does a fine job of attacking the leverage of his
defender by using tempo and selling his fakes well. While he is
far from a speedster (more on that later), he possesses decent build-up
speed and is strong enough to pick up some yards after contact (25
missed tackles forced - third in college football in 2021, according
to Pro Football Focus).
Negatives
While athletic testing numbers are far from the end-all and be-all
of player evaluation, Bell's Combine marks are alarming. His triangle
numbers (40, vertical and broad jump) reflect the kind of player
he is: he is not particularly explosive, lacks suddenness and has
below-average speed. That combination could lead NFL corners to
sit on his short and intermediate routes if he fails to prove he
can get behind them once or twice per game. Bell did not create
a lot of separation in college, which makes it very likely he will
struggle to do so in the NFL.
Bottom Line
Bell figures to pay the price for a disappointing NFL Combine in
the draft and probably will not enter the league with much fanfare
as a result. A quick look at some historical Combine numbers reveals
that Gabriel Davis,
JuJu Smith-Schuster
and Jarvis Landry
also fared poorly in many of the same areas that Bell did. Only
JuJu was remotely close to Bell in terms of college production.
Ultimately, I choose to believe he is a better athlete than he tested.
There is too much nuance to Bell's game to believe he will fail
after enjoying such a dominant college career. Comparisons to Anquan
Boldin and Thomas may be a bit too pie-in-the-sky for Bell, but
I believe he will be a No. 1 receiver at some point in his career.
John Metchie III Draft Profile
Vitals
College: Alabama
Height/Weight: 5'11"/187
Hands: 9 1/4"
Age: 22 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)
High-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Hunter Renfrow Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
A more refined K.J. Osborn
Position-Specific
Attributes and Grades
Attribute
Att Grade
Scale
Ball
Tracking
7.5
10.0
Contested
Catch/Body Control
8.0
10.0
Hands
8.0
10.0
Release
9.5
10.0
Route-Running
9.5
10.0
Run
After Catch
8.0
10.0
Physicality/Competitiveness
6.0
8.0
Separation
5.5
6.0
Speed
2.5
4.0
Blocking
1.5
2.0
Film
Grade
66.0
80.0
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect
Grade* (out of 50): 39.5
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For receivers, a player needs to be a realistic
threat for 70 catches and 1,000 receiving yards at some point
early in their career to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional
scarcity at the pro level is also a part of the equation
Positives
Metchie is the kind of player that will keep changing the tests
on opposing cornerbacks the minute they believe they have the answer
guide. He is a route technician. His releases are almost always
clean. He understands how to set up his moves, the importance of
changing up the tempo of his routes and he is quick enough to take
advantage of the slightest misstep. He has plenty of experience
in running most of the routes he will be asked to run in the NFL
and he will not shy away from running any of them. Although his
overall physical strength will be questioned (and rightfully so),
he was among the best receivers in college football in terms of
missed tackles forced last year with 20. Metchie will give his team
an honest day's work and then some, working hard for his quarterback
on the scramble drill and blocking better than most might expect.
In short, he gets as much out of his talent as any receiver in this
draft class does.
Negatives
While he has most of the mental game mostly mastered, it is hard
to pinpoint one elite physical trait or attribute Metchie has. His
quickness is very good, but that may be about it. His hands are
good but not great, as evidenced by the fact he has more career
drops than touchdowns (15-14). (Things did get better in that regard
in his final year, however, as he registered a drop rate of 7.7
percent.) While he is willing to get physical after the catch and
better than expected in contested catch situations, the only two
plays of his career that covered more than 46 yards happened in
his first career start against Texas A&M in October of 2020.
His December of 2021 ACL tear is only the most recent of his durability
issues; he had ankle and shin surgeries in 2020 and was diagnosed
with an enlarged heart in high school.
Bottom Line
Metchie is one of the best bets of all the receivers in this draft
class to produce immediately, especially relative to where he will
be selected. Of course, this all assumes things go well with his
ACL recovery. The question is not whether or not he will enjoy a
long career in the NFL, but rather how much upside he has. At worst,
Metchie should be a high-end slot receiver. A more likely scenario
is that his ability to create separation almost at will carries
over and he ends up serving as a quality second receiver.
Jalen
Tolbert Draft Profile
Vitals
College: South Alabama
Height/Weight: 6'1"/194
Hands: 10"
Age: 23 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)
High-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Marvin Jones Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Quez Watkins
Position-Specific
Attributes and Grades
Attribute
Att Grade
Scale
Ball
Tracking
9.0
10.0
Contested
Catch/Body Control
9.0
10.0
Hands
8.5
10.0
Release
9.0
10.0
Route-Running
8.5
10.0
Run
After Catch
7.5
10.0
Physicality/Competitiveness
5.5
8.0
Separation
3.5
6.0
Speed
2.5
4.0
Blocking
1.0
2.0
Film
Grade
64.0
80.0
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect
Grade* (out of 50): 39.0
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For receivers, a player needs to be a realistic
threat for 70 catches and 1,000 receiving yards at some point
early in their career to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional
scarcity at the pro level is also a part of the equation
Positives
Although no one will confuse the Sun Belt for the SEC, Tolbert
was extremely and consistently proficient at creating big plays
- especially in his final college season. The Mobile (AL) native
managed to beat defenses for at least one 40-yard play in each of
the Jaguars' first seven games of the season. (He ranked sixth per
Pro Football Focus with 16 deep catches AND 646 deep catch yards.)
What he lacks in elite speed, he makes up for with his ability to
win at the catch point. Tolbert's background as a baseball player
shows up repeatedly as someone who is very adept at tracking the
ball in flight, which allows him to get into position to win as
many contested catches as he did in 2021 (12, per PFF). His long
arms (32 5/8 inches) and big hands (10 inches) help him in that
regard and make him an inviting target for quarterbacks. Tolbert
consistently gets off the line of scrimmage easily, possesses good
initial burst and understands the importance of changing tempo on
his routes to get a bit of extra separation late.
Negatives
Tolbert is more of a glider than a speed demon, which means he
typically is not going to pull away from his defender after the
catch unless he has a runway. That alone could make a difference
in his big-play ability at the next level. The Jaguars' all-time
leader in catches, receiving yards and touchdown catches is more
than capable of sinking his hips and making quick turns but does
not always do so. Between that and not always selling his routes
well, he allows the defender time to make breaks on short and intermediate
throws. Tolbert is yet another receiver in this draft class who
needs to add about 10-15 pounds of muscle. While Tolbert burned
Tennessee (7/143/1) late last season, it was the only time in his
final 34 college games that he faced a Power 5 opponent. (Tolbert
fared well at Senior Bowl practice, somewhat silencing the level
of competition concerns.)
Bottom Line
Tolbert has a starter's kit to work with at receiver, although
his lean frame and lack of strength (for a 23-year-old receiver,
no less) are concerns. Still, his ball skills are legit and there
are flashes of the speed he needs to have to become a viable (and
consistent) deep threat one day in the league. A realistic goal
for Tolbert is to be able to add 10-15 pounds of muscle over the
next few months or years. If he can do that, he could be a decent
replica of Josh Palmer.
Khalil Shakir Draft Profile
Vitals
College: Boise State
Height/Weight: 6'0"/196
Hands: 9 1/2"
Age: 22 (at the time of the 2022 season opener)
High-end NFL Player Comp(s):
A lighter and more versatile version of T. J. Houshmandzadeh Low-end NFL Player Comp(s):
Antwaan Randle El
Position-Specific
Attributes and Grades
Attribute
Att Grade
Scale
Ball
Tracking
9.0
10.0
Contested
Catch/Body Control
9.5
10.0
Hands
8.0
10.0
Release
7.0
10.0
Route-Running
9.0
10.0
Run
After Catch
9.5
10.0
Physicality/Competitiveness
7.0
8.0
Separation
3.5
6.0
Speed
3.0
4.0
Blocking
1.0
2.0
Film
Grade
66.5
80.0
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect
Grade* (out of 50): 38.5
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For receivers, a player needs to be a realistic
threat for 70 catches and 1,000 receiving yards at some point
early in their career to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional
scarcity at the pro level is also a part of the equation
Positives
Shakir has a rare motor and can do a bit of everything on offense.
(He logged snaps out of Wildcat, at running back, on jet sweeps
and as a returner for the Broncos.) His concentration is particularly
impressive in contested-catch situations. Shakir repeatedly snares
balls only a few receivers could hope to snag by exhibiting exceptional
body control and contorting his body in unique ways while in the
air. He is not the least bit timid inside the hashes and embraces
contact, although he is aware and athletic enough to make his man
look silly in the open field if he senses there is more meat on
the bone. Shakir often wins with tempo on his routes and does not
tip them off very often.
Negatives
There are a few contradictions in Shakir's game, namely how a receiver
who makes so many difficult catches look easy can end up dropping
10 catchable targets in a season (or sport a drop rate of 11.5 percent)
or have 20 drops in his career. His focus drops are correctable,
but it is worth wondering if he feels as if he needs the extra split-second
to make up for his relatively average athleticism. His 38 1/2-inch
vertical jump shows up on film, but he rarely looks like he is moving
like a receiver capable of running 4.43. As such, he may be limited
to a possession receiver role in the NFL. Shakir also ran 74 percent
of his routes out of the slot in 2021. With short arms (29 1/8 inches)
and relatively average strength, he may be limited to slot work
in the league. Shakir was not asked to block much and did not show
much in that regard when he did.
Bottom Line
Shakir is the kind of receiver that physically looks like he might
stick around two years but will probably end up playing for 10.
He undoubtedly has traits that play in the NFL, including the kind
of toughness, grit and guile that should make him a fan favorite
and a coach's pet. Two of the primary deciding factors in how his
career will evolve include his ability to curb his focus drop issues
and add some muscle. It is one thing to challenge the manhood of
Mountain West defenders after the catch, but it is another thing
to do it against NFL safeties. Receivers cannot live on body control
and the ability to win the contested catch alone. Those attributes
may be the two areas where he can be confident he is pro-ready.
--- Predict
the top ten picks of the NFL Draft for a chance to win FFToday prizes.
Enter our NFL Draft Contest
now. Doug Orth has written for FF Today since 2006 and been featured
in USA TODAY's Fantasy Football Preview magazine since 2010. He
is also a high-stakes player who often appears as a guest analyst
on a number of national sports radio shows, such as Sirius XM’s
“Fantasy Drive." Doug is also a member of the Fantasy
Sports Writers Association.
Predict
the top ten picks of the NFL Draft for a chance to win FFToday prizes.
