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10 Late Round Prospects to Target in Dynasty Rookie Drafts

By Alex LacombeApril 4, 2024
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When the top-loaded talent in this draft is gone, you may find yourself staring down your draft board and blanking. The third and fourth rounds of rookie drafts are generally a game of darts, and to find yourself looking at a list of players you don’t know is to leave your fate to chance.

 

This may just be me, but I’d rather throw with my eyes open. Hell, I’d rather play with superpowered glasses that let me chuck that thing with perfect precision. Wouldn’t you?

 

Well, the glasses don’t exist, and neither does a crystal ball for evaluating prospects. The best way for you to increase your odds of hitting on your rookie picks is by learning as much as possible about them. So, I’ll shut up about darts and get to ten deep prospects to keep in mind after the top 30 are gone.

 

 

PLAYERS ASSUMED TO BE SELECTED IN THE FIRST ROUND

 

Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Marvin Harrsion Jr, Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers, JJ McCarthy, Brock Bowers, Jayden Daniels, Brian Thomas Jr, Adonai Mitchell, Jonathon Brooks, Troy Franklin

 

PLAYERS ASSUMED TO BE SELECTED IN THE SECOND ROUND

 

Keon Coleman, Ladd McConkey, Trey Benson, Xavier Worthy, Bo Nix, Michael Penix, Ricky Pearsall, Xavier Legette, Blake Corum, Roman Wilson, Ja’Lynn Polk, Malik Washington

 

PLAYERS TAKEN THROUGH 6 PICKS IN THE THIRD ROUND

 

Jalen McMillan, Malachi Corley, Spencer Rattler, Javon Baker, Audric Estime, Bucky Irving

 

 

MarShawn Lloyd

 

MarShawn Lloyd should be one of the first considerations after everyone above is off the board. Of course, this running back class is pretty tight and will be tiered more by their opportunity, but Lloyd is an exception. I have Lloyd as the RB3, so if he happens to be drafted a bit later on and is available here, it is well worth the risk of his talent.

 

Lloyd is 5'9" 220 pounds and bounces around like a pinball if tacklers don’t get leverage on him. Lloyd has lightning-quick acceleration, and if he gets a runway, he can take a huge chunk. Lloyd's game is quick, not long speed.

 

Lloyd has trouble with his vision on different levels and seems to rediagnose whenever he breaks through to the linebackers. It is common to see Lloyd surprised by contact instead of being the deliverer. I think Lloyd can be a two-down power scheme runner in the NFL, and he has the electricity to warrant a higher ceiling than that.

 

Ray Davis

 

Ray Davis is one of the few zone runners in this draft, and he is pretty dang good at it. Though Davis is already 24 and probably maxed out in frame and skills, I think he will be at least a good backup. Davis is compact, quick, possesses good vision, and has ability in the pass game. 

 

Davis stays coiled, approaches the line, picks up his gap, and explodes. Davis doesn’t deliver the power to push through tackles, but he can definitely pull away from them.

 

Davis could definitely seek to improve his pad level (which will help with everything from functional strength to pass pro), but the combo of short-area quickness, balance, and vision should translate.

 

Johnny Wilson

 

Johnny Wilson will have one of the most interesting profiles in the NFL come draft day. Body type-wise, Wilson is the closest thing to a basketball player there is at receiver. 6'6", 237 pounds with ~35.5-inch arms is CRAZY. Wilson has the longest wingspan of any skill position player tested at the combine since 1999.

 

Wilson isn’t a slouch on tape, either, as he moves with much more agility than he should be able to. Wilson keeps his balance well by using his absurdly long legs like stakes to stick into the ground when a tackler tries to bring him down. 

 

Wilson uses his hands to wipe contact, so he’s a bit difficult to bump. I can’t understate how huge Wilson's catch radius is and how much upside he has because of it. I don’t think the drops will be a continuous and plaguing issue because Wilson is just barely missing the framing window when he catches them.

 

What I worry about is chronic body catchers (like Quentin Johnston), not Wilson. Wilson is too good at receiver to move to tight end, and his upside by no means goes up if he does. Wilson can play and definitely should not stay on the board for long after the top 30.

 

 

Jermaine Burton

 

Jermaine Burton is a speed demon with enough muscle built on. Above everything, Burton is a fierce competitor who will jaw with dudes and then play better because of it. That means Burton is fighting on his routes; he’s going to fight with the ball in his hands, and he won’t be losing that anytime soon. Burton is fast enough to get over the top and strong enough to fend off contact to keep a good position. 

 

Burton will go up to get the ball and generally tracks it well enough to time his jumps correctly. Burton is not a snappy cutter, and thus, speed routes and non-sharp stems are best for his skillset. Overall, Burton may just be a dawg, but he can be a quality, low-volume deep threat in the NFL. That is more than worth a late pick.

 

Michael Pratt

 

Michael Pratt will be an interesting choice if he goes later in the NFL draft. I don’t hear any buzz for Pratt on day 2, but at this point, in the rookie draft, all those players are gone, and he deserves some attention. Pratt has some skills that pop on film but didn’t play the best competition. Pratt throws with fantastic timing and anticipation versus both man or zone and will place the ball accurately by reading leverage and choosing the correct window. 

 

Pratt's trigger to pull it and run is in the Goldilocks zone for quarterbacks. Pratt extends important plays and takes the running lane on earlier downs. Pratt's feet are very active, and it helps him move in the pocket and avoid sacks. Pratt's arm strength is average, so all his throws will only be tougher in the NFL. At the very least, I think Pratt will stick around as a smart and athletic backup for a while.

 

Jaheim Bell

 

You may have already heard of Jaheim Bell because of his unique usage. People love tight ends that move around the formation. Bell has been used in the slot, backfield, F, and inline. Bell projects as a flex-tight end and will probably be used best as a big blocking receiver in a Shanahan tree offense. 

 

Bell doesn’t do any one thing miraculously; he is adequate in every facet. Bell can block pretty well, is athletic enough to run routes vs NFL linebackers, and can make people miss or pull through tackles. Why not give it a shot?

 

 

Braelon Allen

 

The running backs this year have been so up and down, but if you go back early enough in the process, Braelon Allen was RB1. Now, Allen doesn’t seem to be drawing any day two interest at all. Regardless, Allen deserves to be selected for his profile alone in rookie drafts. Allen just turned 20 and is 6'1", 235 pounds. 

 

Allen doesn’t have explosive speed, but he is a very smooth mover for his size and can capably run with power. Allen can be an early down player or a gritty chain mover in the NFL. I don’t think Allen has a high ceiling because he isn’t great in the passing game or short areas, but he shouldn’t be on waivers.

 

Luke McCaffrey

 

Though it’s got to be tough to measure up to his brother, Luke McCaffrey is at least close in athleticism. McCaffrey even eked him out by a hair on the 40-yard dash. McCaffrey has easy speed and efficient movement with a ton of muscle memory that lets him quickly react to whatever he sees. This makes McCaffrey great on choice routes and other options from the slot. 

 

McCaffrey does tend to go a bit too slow into other timing routes, but I think being on the same page with his quarterback (and having a good one) would fix that. McCaffrey is a smart player and should stick on a roster and provide a good depth option with the opportunity to earn targets with consistent play.

 

Bub Means

 

Bub Means has a fun name and some fun tape. Means is 6'1" and 212 pounds but moves very smoothly. Means didn’t really get much work at Pitt, but he showed enough prowess through his routes to have something to be excited to work on. Means is explosive off the line and great and firing his feet to throttle down his speed. Means is skilled at getting on top of the defensive back on go routes and stacks well.

 

You would hope Means can develop his play strength and confidence because the foundation is there for someone who can make consistent plays. Until then, Means will probably just be a guy who makes a few splashes every so often.

 

 

Jamari Thrash

 

Another fun name and more fun tape, would you look at that! Jamari Thrash has a good feel for the game and some tricks up his sleeve on his routes. Thrash will get into the chest of the DB and bump them at the top of his stem on curls, giving himself extra space. Thrash also has a massive release radius, as he can move his hips and go a full 45 degrees in either direction past the defensive back, leaving them in a tough position if they can’t get their hands on him early. 

 

Thrash's limitations are size and lack of athleticism. Thrash has a very middling 6.69 RAS and measures just over 5'11", 185 pounds. Thrash doesn’t have much play strength and can get a bit stuffed downfield, as he also can’t rely on long speed. Thrash isn’t fast enough to get to the edge consistently, so you’ll find him trying to dip and dodge through tacklers like a returner.

 

Thrash is a separator at the LOS and at the top of his route, and he can provide a good outside receiving backup presence. I think Thrash can play effectively when given snaps but may struggle to find the same separation he got in college.

 

That’s it for this crop of late-round prospects. There are probably ten or so more prospects after this I’d give credit to, but after that, it gets pretty brutal. Keep these guys in account, and don’t panic with your late-round pick!