RADIO
One place where fantasy value can be found is in the large crop of players who sign as undrafted free agents.
Often, very talented players don't hear their names called during the draft, but they'll latch on somewhere and carve out a role. Adam Thielen was an UDFA. So were Robby Anderson, Preston Williams, Tyrell Williams, and Cole Beasley. There have also been some relevant tight ends who went undrafted, like Cameron Brate, Trey Burton, and Jack Doyle.
Today, let's look at some undrafted pass catchers who could be future NFL mainstays.
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Kalija Lipscomb (WR, KC)
The Chiefs are about to be in a bit of a pickle. Sometime soon, they'll have to hand Patrick Mahomes the largest contract in NFL history, at which point they're going to need to get really good at managing the cap and finding cheap contributors to put around Mahomes.
2020 could very well be the final year with Kansas City for two notable receivers. Sammy Watkins is a free agent in 2021 and likely out of the team's price range, and Demarcus Robinson is in the same situation. With Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce to build around, the defending Super Bowl champions might be comfortable using a rotating cast of solid players around Mahomes instead of spending big money on a wideout.
Enter Lipscomb. While his senior year wasn't a hugely productive campaign for him, he showed back in 2018 that he can be a factor, catching 87 passes for 916 yards and nine touchdowns for Vanderbilt.
Lipscomb's a smart receiver and route runner who should benefit from having a sharp thrower like Mahomes getting him the ball, and as a third receiver who'd also share the field with Kelce, Lipscomb's lack of elite athleticism shouldn't be a huge hindrance for his game. He could be a very solid slot receiver for this team, a reliable target for Mahomes who'll usually have ample space from which to work.
Quartney Davis (WR, MIN)
The Vikings moved on from Stefon Diggs this offseason, leaving a current depth chart at wide receiver that looks like this:
| Vikings Wide Receivers | Career Receptions | Career Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Thielen | 323 | 25 |
| Justin Jefferson | N/A | N/A |
| Tajae Sharpe | 92 | 8 |
| Bisi Johnson | 31 | 3 |
| K.J. Osborn | N/A | N/A |
That is a LOT of young and/or unheralded guys. Sharpe might enter the year as the third receiver after playing just 43.54 percent of snaps last year for the Titans.
Over the past few years, Minnesota has been in a constant struggle with themselves when it comes to finding a viable third receiver. Laquon Treadwell washed out. Olabisi Johnson was fine last year but didn't seem like he was a sure bet to progress beyond the "yeah, he's fine" realm.
Enter Quartney Davis, a skilled route runner from Texas A&M who could become a solid slot option at the next level. While he's not overly athletic, playing with an accurate passer like Kirk Cousins could allow Davis to flourish in the short-to-medium passing game, becoming a useful PPR player.
Davis has good hands, and he's a creative runner once the ball is in his hands. He isn't going to be a versatile option who can play inside and outside, but plenty of receivers have made a long career out of being plus-options from the slot. Davis has a chance to be that guy down the line in Minnesota.
Marquez Callaway (WR, NO)
It's a new year, which means there's another new Saints receiver for me to obsess over. Last year, it was Emmanuel Butler, who ended up not appearing in a single game for New Orleans. This year, it's Marquez Callaway, who also might not appear in a single game for New Orleans, but who I like as a long term option for them.
Callaway's game is all about the speed, and New Orleans is entering 2020 without Ted Ginn Jr., who spent the past three seasons with the Saints.
In the short term, the addition of Emmanuel Sanders suggests that this team will lean on the shorter passing game. That makes a lot of sense, as this could be Drew Brees's final season and I'd be willing to bet this team doesn't want him firing bombs down the field at this point in his career.
But New Orleans signed Jameis Winston to a one-year deal, and if Brees leaves after 2020 and Winston impresses enough behind the scenes to earn a shot at the starting role, New Orleans will need speed guys, because Winston likes to throw it deep. So while Callaway's 2020 outlook is likely "bench role" or "practice squad," he could be useful for this team down the line in the post-Brees era.
Thaddeus Moss (TE, WAS)
On one hand, Thaddeus Moss being Randy Moss's son probably contributes a little too much to the hype he had at LSU this past season. On the other, he did catch 47 passes for 570 yards and four touchdowns.
Washington is also a team that's searching for answers at tight end now that they've finally moved on from Jordan Reed. As of right now, the tight end position appears to be a battle between Jeremy Sprinkle and Richard Rodgers, which really means the tight end battle is a wide-open competition that anyone -- including Moss -- could win.
Moss is not the athlete his father was. He's not going to be a vertical threat at the tight end position. But what Moss can provide is a strong run and pass blocker for Washington who's able to make contested catches and keep things moving. And while he won't blow anyone away with his speed, he should be a solid underneath option.
