Jon Machota of The Athletic believes rookie WR Jalen Tolbert “should be able to immediately compete for a starting spot.” That, of course, would be the WR3 job behind CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, who’s recovering from a January ACL tear. Consider him questionable for Week 1 right now. As for Tolbert, the words of VP of Player Personnel Will McClay speak volumes about the team’s interest. "Tolbert can play multiple spots,” McClay said. “He’s got size, he’s extremely intelligent and the type of player you want to grow in that room. The upside is there because he’s an NFL style receiver, body style, size, ability to find space to be able to play inside and outside, so that versatility made him very attractive to us.” Tolbert’s main competition will come from former Steeler James Washington, who signed just a 1-year deal worth ~$1.2 million.
Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic writes that Bills RB James Cook “will likely jolt a dormant screen game that has struggled for years since Sean McDermott became the head coach.” Last year, Buffalo couldn’t trust any RB not named Devin Singletary. With Singletary set for unrestricted free agency next year, the front office made a proactive move by adding arguably the most dynamic back in this class. A dangerous receiver, Cook could push for 30+ catches in year 1.
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic considers 4th-round WR Calvin Austin the “biggest question mark” in Pittsburgh’s draft class. Kaboly writes that Austin could be used as a “toy” in OC Matt Canada’s offense, seeing touches on end-arounds and jet sweeps. Austin’s only 5’8 but brings exciting speed to the Steelers’ new-look offense. “He is smaller but he is extremely fast,” GM Kevin Colbert said. “I think he timed on our watches in the 4.4s at the Combine, but coach reminded me that he is a 200-meter guy and he’s probably hitting his peak speed at 40 yards.” Unlikely to ever project for high volume, Austin profiles more as a real-life asset than a fantasy one.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin confirmed that 1st-round QB Kenny Pickett will be given a chance to start Week 1. “Yeah, he certainly has a chance,” Tomlin said. “We felt he came ready made and hopefully that’s an asset to him being ready — if performance dictates.” We’d call Mitch Trubisky the favorite to start come September, but he’ll likely be on thin ice.
The Seahawks added Rutgers WR Bo Melton in the 7th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Melton boosted his draft stock at the Combine, blazing a 4.34-second 40 time with a 38-inch vertical at 5’11 and 189 pounds. He earned a 92nd percentile Relative Athletic Score. That speed and explosion shows up on tape, but Melton’s play strength is a concern. He also failed to reach 640 receiving yards in any of his 5 college seasons. Melton looks like a long shot to emerge as a fantasy asset.
The Vikings selected RB Ty Chandler in Round 5 of the NFL Draft. A 5th-year senior, Chandler transferred from Tennessee to North Carolina last year. “Ty Chandler came to Carolina with loads of potential and we thought he'd have a tremendous year," HC Mack Brown said. "That's exactly what he did. He grew into the offense with his combination of speed and quickness, and was extremely productive for us. Ty was also great in the locker room as an experienced presence and went on to be voted captain by his teammates.” Chandler does bring top-end, 4.38 speed — but he’s on the smallish side at 204 pounds. He also turns 24 prior to Week 1. He’ll likely start out as a practice squad guy with the Vikings likely to stick with Alexander Mattison and Kene Nwangwu behind Dalvin Cook.
The Titans selected UCLA WR Kyle Philips in Round 5 of the 2022 NFL Draft. Philips led the Bruins in catches in each of the past 3 seasons, finishing 4th in school history with 163 career grabs. The 5’11, 189-pounder played almost exclusively in the slot. He’s shifty and explosive in tight quarters, but he has a small catch radius and isn’t going to offer much downfield. Phillips looks like a low-upside fantasy prospect – and this is a low-upside landing spot.
The Browns selected RB Jerome Ford in Round 5 of the 2022 NFL Draft. A 4-star high school recruit, Ford started out at Alabama before transferring to Cincinnati. He broke out as a senior with 215-1,1319-19 rushing (plus 21 catches) alongside QB Desmond Ridder. Ford’s tape shows some boom or bust tendencies, but there’s enough here in raw speed alone to pique our interest. At 5’11, 210 pounds, he ran a 4.46 forty with a strong 1.55 ten-yard split. Ford will sit behind Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in Cleveland this year, but Hunt is set to hit free agency next offseason. Chubb is signed through 2024.
BYU RB Tyler Allgeier went to the Falcons in Round 5 of the NFL Draft. Allgeier arrived at BYU as a non-scholarship player who spent time at both RB and LB. He eventually earned a scholarship, though, and topped 1,100 rushing yards each of his final 2 seasons. Allgeier reached workhorse status as a senior, delivering a 276-1,601-23 rushing line along with 28-199-0 receiving. He’s not especially speedy or athletic but brings a decent all-around package at 5’11 and 224 pounds. Although he dropped to Round 5, this is as strong a landing spot as Allgeier could have hoped for. He joins a Falcons RB room alongside Cordarrelle Patterson, Mike Davis, Damien Williams and Qadree Ollison. There’s a chance that Allgeier carves out a real role in 2022.
The Bills added Boise State WR Khalil Shakir in the 5th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Shakir was a 4-year player and 3-year starter for the Broncos, capping his career with a 77-1,117-7 line last season. He ranked 10th among 251 WRs with 50+ targets in Pro Football Focus’ receiving grades. Shakir also added 414 yards and 4 TDs on 71 carries across his 4 college seasons. He played both outside the numbers and in the slot for Boise State but projects best inside in the pros. Shakir goes 6’0, 196 pounds with a 2nd percentile wingspan and 1st percentile arm length. He earned an 83rd percentile Relative Athletic Score at the Combine but doesn’t look like a high-end athlete on tape. Shakir figures to compete for #4 WR duties in Buffalo this season but could take over as QB Josh Allen’s slot receiver as early as 2023. WR Jamison Crowder is on a 1-year deal.
The Commanders grabbed North Carolina QB Sam Howell with the 1st pick of Round 5. Howell started all 3 years at Chapel Hill, opening his career impressively with 3,641 passing yards and 38 TDs as a freshman and 3,586 yards and 30 TDs as a sophomore. He took a considerable step back this past season, though, finishing with 3,056 yards and 24 TDs. Losing Javonte Williams, Michael Carter, Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome to the NFL certainly played a part, but Howell also set a 3-year low in Pro Football Focus passing grade. Howell did set career highs with 828 rushing yards and 11 TDs in 2021, though. He has plenty of arm strength and might be the best deep-ball thrower in this year’s QB class. Howell is also entering the NFL at just 21 years old, so there’s upside here. He’ll compete with Taylor Heinicke for Washington’s backup job behind Carson Wentz at least to open this season. But Howell has the potential to develop into the Commanders’ starter down the road.
The Titans added Maryland TE Chigoziem Okonkwo with the final pick of Round 4. Okonkwo missed the 2020 season after being diagnosed with myocarditis but rebounded to post a career-best 52-447-5 line last year. The 6'3, 238-pounder led all TEs at the Combine with a 4.52-second 40 time. Okonkwo has drawn comparisons to former Titan Jonnu Smith and looks like an intriguing dynasty sleeper.
The Ravens selected TE Isaiah Likely out of Coastal Carolina with the 139th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft – 11 picks after adding TE Charlie Kolar. Likely jumped right in to tie for the team lead in TD catches as a true freshman. His biggest season came as a 2021 senior, when he claimed 24.3% target share and delivered a 59-912-12 receiving line. Likely ran a little slow (24th-percentile speed score for the position) but otherwise tested well. He’ll likely need further development before making an impact, but there’s long-term receiving upside.
The Steelers added Memphis WR Calvin Austin in Round 4 of the 2022 NFL Draft. Austin goes just 5’8 and 170 pounds, which figures to be a limiting factor. But he’s an electric playmaker, with a 4.32-second 40 time and elite agility. He earned a 90th percentile Relative Athletic Score. Austin led Memphis in receiving each of the past 2 seasons, with 63-1,053-11 and 74-1,149-8 lines. He played primarily outside the numbers in college but figures to be a slot and gadget player as a pro. He joins fellow rookie WR George Pickens in Pittsburgh, behind WRs Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool.
The Patriots spent a 4th-round pick on Western Kentucky QB Bailey Zappe – notably ahead of North Carolina’s Sam Howell and Nevada’s Carson Strong. Zappe started 4 seasons for FCS-level Houston Baptist before transferring to Western Kentucky last year. He stuffed the stat sheet for the Hilltoppers, racking up 5,967 passing yards and 62 scores. Zappe is considered a refined and smart QB, but he lacks arm strength. He looks like an NFL backup, which is what he’ll be in New England behind Mac Jones.
The Titans selected Michigan RB Hassan Haskins in the 4th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. At 6'2, 228 pounds, he certainly fits Tennessee's smash-mouth running game. Haskins started for the past 3 years at Michigan but didn't break out until this past season, when he took 270 carries for 1,327 yards and 20 TDs. Haskins packs plenty of power but has below average speed and elusiveness. He'll compete this year to be RB Derrick Henry's backup.
The Packers nabbed Nevada WR Romeo Doubs in Round 4. The 4-year college starter improved his production every season, culminating with an 80-1,109-11 line this past year. Doubs is a long, slender 6’2, 204-pounder with good speed. He averaged 14.8 yards per catch at Nevada and caught 12 balls 20+ yards downfield in 2021 – 25th most in the country. Doubs has reliable hands (4.8% drop rate last year) but has a tendency to play small, winning just 28 of 68 contested-catch opportunities over the past 4 seasons, per Pro Football Focus. Doubs joins fellow rookie WR Christian Watson in Green Bay, alongside Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers.
The Cowboys added Wisconsin TE Jake Ferguson in the 4th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He opened his college career with a 36-456-4 line as a freshman but never progressed from there. Ferguson was primarily an in-line TE for the Badgers. He has reliable hands and is comfortable working in traffic at 6’5, 250 pounds. But he has 4.8 speed with a below-average vertical, leaving him as a low-upside fantasy prospect. Ferguson will compete for scraps behind TE Dalton Schultz in Dallas this year.
The Dolphins selected WR Erik Ezukanma in Round 4 of the NFL Draft. The 22-year-old goes 6’2, 209 pounds and started for 3 seasons at Texas Tech. He never topped 48 catches, 748 yards or 6 TDs across 4 total seasons. With just average speed, Ezukanma profiles as a contested catch winner in the pros. NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein comped him to former Colt Donte Moncrief. Ezukanma will start out in a battle for Miami’s #4 job behind Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Cedrick Wilson. There’s simply not much fantasy upside here.
Iowa State TE Charlie Kolar went to the Ravens in the 4th round of the NFL Draft. Kolar enjoyed a highly productive college career that found him a finalist for the John Mackey Award each of the past 2 seasons. The 6’7, 252-pounder averaged 4.4 receptions, 42 yards and 0.6 TDs per game over the past 3 years. He then delivered an 87th-percentile speed score and tested out well athletically. Kolar looks more like a “move” TE than a blocker, which should be good for his fantasy upside. Don’t be surprised if his career starts slowly, though. He’ll, of course, open his career behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore.
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