With the depth chart lacking talent behind Bishop Sankey, Tennessee
lands one of the few remaining backs that have a chance to make
a Year 1 impact. Cobb goes 5-11 and 230 and runs with some power,
making Shonn Greene's roster spot even more dicey than it already
was. With that said, the Minnesota product is a bit too much east-west
for his size, so it will be imperative for the Titans to get him
to run inside more often. If that happens, he could be in line
for 10-12 touches as a rookie with a good shot to claim goal-line
duties if he beats out Antonio Andrews and/or Greene. Cobb has
appeal as a mid-round redraft pick and can be considered in the
early-to-mid second round of rookie drafts.
5.03 JAX - WR Rashad Greene
All of the sudden, Jacksonville potentially has a glut of capable
receivers for Blake Bortles. Greene was often the go-to guy for
Jameis Winston and will carve out a decent NFL career for himself
because he is dependable, runs good routes and has solid hands.
Greene is no immediate threat to Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee
(and possibly Justin Blackmon), but his arrival spells doom for
Ace Sanders. However, it should not be ruled out that if Robinson
and Lee both struggle with injuries again this year, Greene could
force his way into a starting job and not let it go. The Jags'
offense makes him a late-round redraft pick at best, but he should
be considered in the later part of the second round of rookie
drafts.
5.07 MIN - TE MyCole Pruitt
A record-setting tight end at Southern Illinois, Pruitt profiles
as an H-back type (6-2, 250) with 4.6 speed that should be a versatile
weapon that is too fast for linebackers and too big for safeties.
The Vikings are well-stocked at tight end, but Pruitt is unique
enough to carve himself out a unique role in Norv Turner's offense.
There is no redraft value here, but there is a shot at Charles
Clay-like production down the road, meaning he is worth a
later-round pick in rookie drafts.
5.10 MIN - WR Stefon Diggs
Diggs had a star-crossed career at Maryland, constantly fighting
through injuries and even getting suspended for a time. The 6-0,
195-pounder is dynamite with the ball in his hands, but has a
ton of talent in front of him in Minnesota. As a result, he'll
probably be nothing more than a WR5 for the Vikings and will need
to return kicks in order to solidify his roster spot. Diggs has
significant upside, but will be hard-pressed to contribute as
a receiver anytime soon. Still, his talent is such that he should
be a third- or fourth-round choice in rookie drafts.
5.11 GB - QB Brett Hundley
Hundley obviously isn't going to unseat Aaron Rodgers, but is
a very good athlete that will have plenty of time to develop under
the future Hall of Famer while he likely secures the long-term
backup job this summer. Rodgers hasn't quite been an iron man,
so the idea of backing him up with the UCLA product is appealing.
Hundley needs to prove he can scan the field among other things,
but has one of the best QB coaches in the league in OC Tom Clements
(not to mention noted QB developer HC Mike McCarthy) to help him
along. Hundley will be a redraft consideration only if Rodgers
is injured early, but Rodgers' owners in dynasty leagues may want
to snag him to protect their investment long-term.
5.13 MIA - RB Jay Ajayi
Ajayi likely slipped after reports surfaced that his knee was
bone-on-bone, which follows a college career at Boise State in
which he amassed 673 touches over his final two seasons. The nation's
fifth-leading rusher doesn't consistently run with the power that
one would expect out of a 221-pounder, but he is far more elusive
that most backs that size. Miami is a good fit for Ajayi, who
prefers to run outside (which will work better in the Dolphins'
Chip Kelly-inspired offense) and is a very good receiver. Provided
he is good to go, Ajayi will battle Damien Williams for the right
to be Lamar Miller's handcuff in 2015. If Ajayi begins to run
with more power and can beat out Williams, he has a shot to start
in 2016 if the Dolphins choose not to re-sign Miller. Ajayi should
be a mid-to-late round pick in redraft formats and an early second-round
pick in rookie drafts.
5.26 TB - WR Kenny Bell
Nebraska's all-time leading receiver isn't going to get many
snaps behind Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, but could be a sneaky
producer as a vertical threat down the road if he can beat out
Louis Murphy. Bell proved to be an incredible athlete at the combine,
wins more than his fair share of 50-50 balls and proved to be
a solid blocker, so a possible rise past Murphy could very well
happen this year. As a result, Bell could end up being a sneaky
end-of-the roster pick in redraft leagues and worthy of a third-round
pick in rookie drafts.
Doug Orth has written for FF Today since 2006 and appeared in
USA Today’s Fantasy Football Preview magazine in 2010 and
2011. He is also the host of USA Today’s hour-long, pre-kickoff
fantasy football internet chat every Sunday. Doug regularly appears
as a fantasy football analyst on Sirius XM’s “Fantasy
Drive” and for 106.7 The Fan (WJFK – Washington, D.C).
He is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.