RADIO
Every player is ranked based off traits of their college tape and while ceiling plays a big role, so does that players chance of just succeeding at any start-able level. Talent trumps things like team situations and supporting casts, since owning a player for their career will more than likely involve the situation around them changing frequently. Injuries and off-field concerns play no part in the rankings, since the fact of the matter is no one outside of the doctors, players and teams that own the rights to these players have the kind of information necessary to make informed decisions based off that
More rankings: Quarterbacks, Running Backs (Tier 1), Running Backs (Tiers 3, 4), Running Backs (Tier 5, 6), Wide Receivers (Tier 1), Wide Receivers (Tier 2), Wide Receivers (Tiers 3, 4), Wide Receivers (Tiers 5, 6), Wide Receivers (Tiers 7, 8), Tight Ends (Tiers 1, 2), Tight Ends (Tiers 3, 4), Top 200 (Standard), Top 200 (PPR), Rookie Rankings 1-12, Rookie Rankings 13-18
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19. WAS RB Matt Jones, 22
Described by the man who drafted him as a mini-Lynch, Matt Jones is a power-based runner who has an aggressive mindset set to hitting defenders. Jones lacks the top end speed or burst to be an elite back in athleticism- but he offers the full 3-down package that should prop him to a consistent low end RB1 as long as he's able to maximize his power. He's willing to pass block and is even good at it at times, and that's going to help the Redskins utilize his pass catching abilities since they know he'll be able to stay in and block as well. There isn't a lot else to really bring up about Jones, in a sense he's sort of one-dimensional as a runner- but that one dimension is something he can be very good at and his versatility gives him staying power on a NFL team.
It took one preseason game for Matt Jones name to come on the radar, but even before that he was already at this spot on my list. Jones was draft choice of newly acquired Redskins GM Scot McCloughan, a highly touted scout who came up with the Green Bay Packers of the late 90's, joined the Seahawks in the early 2000's, helped build the future ultra-talented 49ers in the mid-2000's, and then rejoined the Seahawks from 2010-2013 to help them build the Superbowl caliber team they have now. Basically, McCloughan, a time-tested talent surveyor personally chose this running back in a year where Alfred Morris contract is about to expire. Jones might be making an impact sooner than most think and he'll definitely be making an impact in his career.
Matt Jones putting on his best Marshawn Lynch impression with power running, a violent stiff arm, and some fancy footwork.
20. TEN RB David Cobb, 22
David Cobb is a very limited player, it's important to note that before getting into what kind of player he actually is. Cobb doesn't have the athletic talents of many other players that might come later on this list but what Cobb has is a significant understanding of how to play NFL football. Playing within his limitations, Cobb's able to consistently gain yardage through smart decision making skills, patience to allow blockers to set him up, and is able to get second level yards by consistently taking good angles in the open field. However, Cobb is a limited talent, and that bares repeating. He's a very downhill runner, he can't bounce runs outside, he doesn't have the burst to turn a 20 yard gain into a 40 or 50 yard gain nor does he have the top speed to do it. He's stuck in that spot between plodding and being an underrated power-back.
Recently pre-season and offseason mumblings have given Cobb a lot of positive attention, especially when considering Bishop Sankey's struggles in his rookie year. However, Ken Whisenhunt isn't known for giving rookies playing time- and it's unlikely that Cobb sees significant time unless any of the players ahead of him struggle. Especially given his issues in the passing game, since Cobb is neither a special pass catcher nor a good blocker. With a rookie QB starting, both of those features are going to be very important for playing time.
David Cobb's power and decision making skills in the open-field set him up for a long run, but you can see that a LB is nearly able to catch him before giving up.
21. IND WR Phillip Dorsett, 22
Philip Dorsett is a player i'm ready to be wrong about, but his ranking is based off what I've seen. Dorsett is a deep specialist who wins primarily based off his speed and aggressive route running tendencies. Unlike many other speed receivers, Dorsett's actually willing to come up and attack the CB before making his break which forces them to bite early. However, being a deep threat only gets you so far in the NFL. Dorsett's agility in the open field is lacking and he's a straight line runner for the most part. While he's willing to adjust to balls, he's not very successful at making catches on them. He looks and plays a lot like a low volume player and, like Tyler Lockett, is a player who could put up elite production despite not being an elite player himself.
It's going to help Phillip Dorsett a lot that he's going to be on the Colts. In some ways, T.Y. Hilton is similar to Dorsett especially in the way they'd both be used- and seeing as Andrew Luck has had no problem getting the ball into Hilton's hands and turning him into a WR1, you could assume the same for Dorsett. Be that as it may, Hilton came to the Colts first and already has the connection with Luck that makes that possible. So in order for Dorsett to get the same treatment, he'll have to give Luck a reason to throw to him in order to create that connection. Unfortunately, with Hilton and Andre Johnson in his way he's going to be waiting at least a year to for that opportunity to arrive.
Phillip Dorsett runs along the CBs outside shoulder at full speed before taking a hard outside step as he reaches the body of the defender and breaking inside, putting him out of position to defend this throw.
22. ARI RB David Johnson, 23
There is no doubt that David Johnson is the best pass catching running back in this class. As a former WR, he's by far the greatest at getting separation from defenders, running routes, and catching downfield. It's obvious that Johnson will find a role in the NFL on those traits alone. Where Johnson begins to suffer is from his actual running back skills. Johnson, like the players that will come after him, is a project. He's capable of giving immediate returns because of his receiving skills but due to his lack of running capability he might never have more than FLEX value in a regular league. What exactly is wrong with Johnson's running? Well, despite being smart behind the line of scrimmage- his movements are erratic and don't show a fully coordinated player. On top of that, when meeting contact- Johnson likes to bring himself down by bending himself too low. These are not traits you want to see in a guy carrying the ball.
There is no doubt though that Johnson will find a role in the NFL. He's a RB who can catch passes 40 yards down the field, there's no team in the NFL who wouldn't like to have that kind of versatility and he will be given many chances to succeed. With Arizona, it's likely that he sees a small amount of carries in addition to a low volume workload as a receiver every week once he's comfortable within the offense. It'll take a lot of development for him to ever become a back who takes more than 13+ carries a game from another talented player, but it's safe to look at him similar to the way people look at Shane Vareen. He's a floor play who might surprise.
Running an angle route out of the backfield, Johnson bursts pasts the linebacker while using his hands to swipe away contact, catches the ball comfortably and races down the field.
23. PIT WR Sammie Coates, 22
Sammie Coates is where we start getting into players who have high NFL ceilings but have some very easy potential to bust. The problems with Coates are two-fold, for one he's an incredibly raw route runner which is a trait you can learn, so it's not that bad. The other though, his hands are problematic. He's inconsistent with making catches and whether that's an issue with technique or concentration, it's an issue you never want to see on a player.
Let's talk about some of the good though, Sammie Coates is huge. It's going to be nearly impossible for a player like Coates to be pressed in the NFL because on top of being huge and powerful, he's a quick-twitch athlete with a lot of agility. With refinement in route running and a hopeful decrease in his drop tendencies, Coates has incredible potential as a YAC threat because of his agility and size, but he also is a very smart deep threat who understands how to use his body to get between the ball and the defender.
At his ceiling, Coates could be amongst the WR1s of the NFL but at his floor he becomes a player who rarely sees the field. I wouldn't put Coates on the level of Stephen Hill as far as projects go, but he's a project nonetheless. Don't expect to see any contribution from him this year or even next year. He'll take time and the Steelers are in no rush to get him on the field.
Sammie Coates is physical right off the line, forcing the CB to be positioned exactly where he wants him to be. Although a little passive on taking the ball in the air, he hauls in a tough catch.
24. BAL WR Breshad Perriman, 21
Breshad Perriman is even more of a raw product than Sammie Coates and I'm still surprised he was drafted in the first round. Perriman, despite posting a ridiculous 40 time during a private pro-day after failing to appear at the combine due to injury, never showed that kind of speed on game day. Yes, Perriman is fast on the field but he's not 100th percentile of all WRs to come into the league in the last 20 years fast. In fact, there's many times where Perriman struggles to separate from defenders and he isn't the most aggressive in going after the ball either. What's important to mention is that just like Coates, he has issues with catching with his hands- and it's a result of them being "learned" hands instead of natural. Clapping and palming the ball is a regular occurrence and it's almost a necessity for him to pull the ball into his chest in order to gain control.
There aren't a lot of positives to Perriman's game to be honest. What he has is some basic building blocks that might result in him being a good possession receiver that can use his quick burst and flashes of open field vision to be a major YAC threat. Breshad Perriman may have been drafted to replace Torrey Smith, but it's a lot more likely that his game evolves into the old role that Anquan Boldin use to have- although he'll likely never be as dependable. I believe that Perriman can eventually develop into an NFL caliber WR but that belief is rooted in him being able to fix his egregious hands issue. Don't expect much impact in his first year, at the time of writing he's already a near lock to start the season backing up Steve Smith and Kamar Aiken. Once Smith retires next year, Perriman will likely receive a full time role and hopefully (for him and for those that draft him) he can put the drops behind him by then.
Breshad Perriman's left open in zone coverage and instead of trying to just run down the field, he sets up the defender by bringing him to the edge before cutting back inside. He gets a little low to meet contact and gets an extra 5 yards after being tackled. This is where Perriman should be the most effective in the NFL.
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