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Hey all, continuing with part six (WR31-34) of my 2024 receiver evaluations and rankings. If you want to check out my previous rankings you can find them with the links below:
Part 6: 2024 Dynasty Rookie Wide Receiver Rankings (31-34) with Detailed Evaluations & Player Comps
Hayden Hatten, Idaho (WR31)
Height: 6’1”; Weight: 209 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 23 years and ??? months
Class: RS Senior
Overall Grade: 2.54/4 (May Have a Future Role)
Comp: Keelan Cole
- Hands: A-
- Route Running: D+
- Release: B-
- Yards After Catch Potential: C+
- Jump Ball/Contested Catch: B+
- Body Control/Ball Tracking: B+
- Future role: C-
- RAS: C
Strengths
It’s been a few years since Idaho has had a player drafted, but Hayden Hatten has a chance to break their 4-year drought. Teams will be drawn to his hands with a 1.1% drop rate this year and five drops on 349 targets in 3 years of significant play and five years total of experience per PFF. It shouldn’t come as a surprise but Hatten has likely the most reliable hands in the draft and consistently uses good hand technique. Hatten also showed great concentration, reeling in catches from the quarterback.
Hatten’s hands also show in contested catch situations where he shows grit and great hand strength to absorb hits through contact. Hatten also has great body control around the sidelines to make some sensational catches and attempts. Hatten can contort his body to misplaced balls outside his frame to make him a very quarterback-friendly target.
Hayden Hatten can go up and down for balls and has a great eye to follow balls lofted toward him. Hatten does a good job attacking the ball in the air, finishing full extension catches. Hatten’s good timing for his jumps also made it hard for defenders to stop at the FCS level.
It will be important to see if Hatten’s release skills translate to the NFL, but they were very solid in the FCS. Hatten has a nice stutter step move and uses good hip sink and timing to make defenders whiff. With the ball in his hands, Hatten has a very quick transition from receiver to runner and plays with a solid center of gravity. I was also impressed with Hatten’s peripheral vision to have a calculated first move after catching the ball and didn’t experience drops from this like other receivers.
Areas of Improvement
Where I would really like to see Hatten prove himself in the NFL is as a route runner. Hatten seemed to have a limited route tree and his route speed seemed to be severely lacking even at the FCS level. My biggest concern with Hatten is that this problem only grows in the NFL, and he isn’t able to separate from NFL corners at all.
Hatten’s cuts in his routes also seemed sloppy with rounded cuts that lacked explosion and he needed a good number of extra steps to gather himself before making his cuts. I’d also like to see Hatten have more drive into his vertical route to sell them better and generally play with better deception. Though Hatten had good balance to keep his route path against physical corners, he can have a hard time navigating around linebackers and safeties that cut off his route path. Also, while Hatten seemed to have a good eye for finding openings against zone, he will likely be in for an adjustment period with more complicated zone schemes in the NFL.
I also have a hard time seeing Hatten providing much of anything after the catch in the NFL. Hatten seems like a slow accelerator and lacks long speed to break away from defenders even in the FCS. I also have some concerns if he will be as successful against press in the NFL. Hatten’s foot speed is somewhat lacking against FCS players, and I think NFL players will be too quick for him. Also, Hatten doesn’t use his arms effectively and will need to improve at this.
I’m also concerned if Hatten will be able to finish some of the catches he made in the FCS against better competition in the NFL that plays with better timing and ball awareness. Also, there were a few times when Hatten had suboptimal body positioning in jump ball opportunities, which will need to be improved against NFL competition. There were also a few times where Hatten lost sight of the sidelines with his feet and could catch away from his body more consistently around the sidelines to further expand his catch radius.
Conclusion
If Hatten tested better or had more separation, I would feel more comfortable having him higher. However, the serious lack of separation and reliance on tough and jump ball catches is scary. Especially when we factor in the fact this was against FCS competition, Hatten very well could become an ineffective player in the NFL. That being said, Hatten could make it work with a very accurate QB that can fit some tight throws that Hatten will finish thanks to his great hands.
Due to both having limited athleticism and coming from lesser competition, I have Keelan Cole as Hayden Hatten’s comp. Cole also struggled with separation in the NFL but had some nice years in the NFL. Cole had strong hands in college but suffered from drops with tighter coverage which could also occur to Hatten. However, if Hatten continues to show strong hands and gets enough separation, he could become a very nice value pick for a team.
Joshua Cephus, UTSA (WR32)
Height: 6’2”; Weight: 185 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 23 years and 1 month
Class: Fifth-Year Senior
Overall Grade: 2.5/4 (May Have a Future Role)
Comp: Cedrick Wilson Jr.
- Hands: B+
- Route Running: C-
- Release: C+
- Yards After Catch Potential: B
- Jump Ball/Contested Catch: B-
- Body Control/Ball Tracking: B+
- Future role: C+
- RAS: D+
Strengths
I had Joshua Cephus pretty low on my 2024 watchlist and have him low here but I do really like him. What caught my eye in the summer that I still saw this season is Cephus’ fluidness as an athlete. This is on display in the open field where Cephus has fluid hips and a fast transition from receiver to runner to have good promise as a YAC player. Cephus has good wiggle with good timing in his cuts to make defenders miss in the open field.
Joshua Cephus’ fluidness also showed when catching the ball with solid ability to adjust to misplaced balls. Cephus showed the ability to go up and dive down to make some tough catches. Cephus also showed good foot awareness around the sidelines and does a good job working back to the ball in jump ball situations.
In those jump ball situations, Cephus isn’t afraid to highpoint the ball and attack it in the air. In general, Cephus catches the ball with quick, reliable hands. Also, Cephus typically uses good hand technique to make himself a safe target.
As a route runner, Cephus uses his fluidness to his advantage. Cephus uses his great change of direction ability with good hip sinks, head fakes, and jab steps to trick defenders. Cephus also is a willing and effective blocker to get on a coaching staff’s good side.
Areas of Improvement
I wanted to see Cephus take a step forward this year after liking him from my summer watch. While he played more outside receiver, his route running didn’t seem to expand much. Cephus’ route tree still seemed limited and he mostly thrived due to the simplicity of his routes and his fluidness.
Cephus’ routes still have frequent sloppy cuts and he didn’t use effective tempo in his routes. Cephus’ routes looked slow developing at times and he doesn’t do a great job selling his vertical route to create easier wins underneath. Cephus also struggled to stack corners with trouble getting defenders’ arms off of him and generally struggled to get leverage. Finally, Cephus seemed to struggle to find openings against zone coverage despite his extensive playing time.
Cephus’ release was solid for being somewhat new to outside duties, but it still isn’t there yet. He again uses his smooth movement skills to his advantage against press but he doesn’t look confident attacking press yet. Cephus’ arm counters aren’t all there yet and his upper and lower body timing seems to need some tuning up.
While Cephus can go up for balls, his timing with his hands and jumps can sometimes be off and he can even lose track of jump balls at times. Cephus sometimes attacks contested catch balls with suboptimal hand technique and at times doesn’t seem to have the hand strength to consistently finish catches through contact. Though Cephus has good movement skills and his athleticism is decent, it isn’t very impressive, even against lower competition. Finally, more of an off the field thing, but Cephus was charged for a pretty major DWI from December 2022 that involved him in a rollover accident.
Conclusion
I feel Cephus’ best option as a contributor could be as a YAC guy until he refines and expands his route running. Cephus’ movement skills and dependable hands could give a team a nice third to fourth option on the option that has higher-quality players winning downfield opening opportunities for him underneath. Due to both being capable gadget players, I have Cedrick Wilson Jr. as Cephus’ comp.
Neither Cedrick Wilson Jr. nor Cephus are capable of being the top option or even the second-best option on an offense but can be great complementary pieces. Both Wilson and Cephus also have some experience inside and outside and are at their best with the ball in the open field. Wilson has had an unremarkable career so far but has continued to earn contracts due to his complementary roles he can play and I could see Cephus following a similar path.
Devaughn Vele, Utah (WR33)
Height: 6’4”; Weight: 203 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 25 years and 4 months
Class: RS Senior
Overall Grade: 2.42 (Needs Improvement to Contribute)
Comp: Equanimeous St. Brown
- Hands: B+
- Route Running: B
- Release: D+
- Yards After Catch Potential: C-
- Jump Ball/Contested Catch: C+
- Body Control/Ball Tracking: B-
- Future role: C
- RAS: B
Strengths
When you see a receiver is 6’4”, you likely expect a pure jump ball type of receiver. However, Devaughn Vele offers a lot more to his game. Vele has really good route running at his size and is a fluid athlete that gives defenses fits. Vele wasn’t a limited route runner like a lot of receivers his size and showed that he can run every route asked of him.
In his routes, Vele uses good jab steps and deception to create openings in the defense. Vele does a good job selling his vertical routes thanks to his long strides that can eat a cushion in a hurry. Also, Vele consistently gets leverage against his defender making him a friendly target for the quarterback with his positioning and size.
Vele also possessed good ball skills with nice hands that were capable of bringing in balls at his fingertips. Vele can also catch balls over his shoulders and showed that he can adjust to balls behind him. Vele also plays with really good foot awareness around the sidelines to keep both feet in bounds.
Areas of Improvement
Just as Vele showed more route running ability than other receivers his size, he unfortunately also showed less press skills than receivers his size. Vele has limited ways to win against press and really struggles when defenders get physical with him. When Vele did need to face press, he often moved pretty far around it rather than being able to play through it. Utah tried to protect Vele from press by having him in motion a lot of plays, and NFL teams could do the same, but I’m sure teams would like to not have to worry about protecting their 6’4” from press.
It was also disappointing how poor Vele did in contested catch and jump ball situations, given his size. Vele doesn’t go up and attack the ball as consistently as you’d want from a receiver his size. When Vele does go up for the ball, he can sometimes use underhand hand technique and decrease his chances of success. Vele also doesn’t position himself well in 50/50 balls and allows more physical defenders to box him out.
Vele’s ball tracking also seemed shaky downfield. Vele also seems a bit too reliant on body catches and will tend to use improper hand technique due to the ball occasionally sneaking up on him. Vele didn’t have as big of a catch radius as you’d expect from someone his size with some struggles finishing catches below his waist.
Vele’s route running could also be a bit crisper as his cuts can be slow developing and he typically needs a good number of steps to execute his cuts. Also, a lot of the cuts he does make are often rushed and very rounded. Vele also allows defenders to push him off his route path when he tries to avoid contact. Vele also offers very little with the ball in his hands lacking long speed and explosion.
Conclusion
There’s a lot to Vele’s game that made me want to get excited, but I can’t get myself there and fall for another tall, skinny receiver. Vele likely won’t be a top one or two option for a team, but there are a lot of traits that make me feel good that he could become a role player with the right team. There is a lot to Vele’s game that reminds me of Justin Watson, but I used him as a comp last year, so I can’t use him per my rules. So, I’ll instead go with Equanimeous St. Brown as Vele’s comp.
Equanimeous St. Brown and Vele both had leaner frames and struggled to be physical and had to be hidden from press but brought some nice route running at their size. Neither St. Brown nor Vele had a great catch radius either but had reliable hands to finish catches. Both St. Brown and Vele also could use their long strides in their route running and to get downfield, but neither were great YAC players. St Brown’s career got derailed in part due to injuries but Vele could have a chance to show what St. Brown would have been like had he stayed healthy.
Jacob Cowing, Arizona (WR34)
Height: 5’8”; Weight: 168 pounds
Age on Draft Day: 23 years and 2 months
Class: Fifth-Year Senior
Overall Grade: 2.37/4 (Needs Improvement to Contribute)
Comp: Isaiah McKenzie
- Hands: C+
- Route Running: B-
- Release: C+
- Yards After Catch Potential: B-
- Jump Ball/Contested Catch: C-
- Body Control/Ball Tracking: B+
- Future role: C+
- RAS: C-
Strengths
Jacob Cowing is someone I was bullish on going into the season. I was impressed with Cowing’s ability to follow balls away from his frame and through defenders’ arms. Also, I was very impressed with Cowing’s body awareness and impressive adjustment skills to make some tight adjustments to misplaced balls while staying in bounds around the sidelines.
Cowing also showed good route running technique using good tempo to his routes and had good recognition in finding holes against zone coverage. Cowing didn’t run a lot of deeper routes this season, but in the opportunities he did, he showed good foot technique at the top of his stems to have explosive, quick cuts. Cowing also did a good job selling deep routes when cutting inside/short despite the defender knowing the route is likely going short. Another way Cowing brings deception to his routes is with good use of head fakes and jab steps.
When Cowing has the ball in his hands, he has very smooth acceleration with a quick transition from receiver to runner and good agility and change of direction ability to make guys miss in space. Also, despite primarily being a slot guy, Cowing played about a third of his snaps on the outside. When Cowing was outside, he was decent against press, using his quick feet to help keep himself clean against contact.
Areas of Improvement
Unfortunately, I was really disappointed to see Cowing’s involvement downfield diminish instead of increase. Cowing had one of the lowest ADOTs this class this past season at 6.8 per PFF and the most concerning part is that his ADOT has steadily decreased every year for the past four years. Also, Cowing had about 73% of his targets less than 10 yards from the line of scrimmage and about 82% of his receptions this short as well. This is pretty alarming and not a great outlook for Cowing, translating to a consistent playmaker in the NFL.
Cowing’s hands also give me concerns with inconsistent hand technique including clap attacks and an overreliance on body catches. Cowing already has a limited catch radius, but this makes it even harder for him to come down with catches, especially in contested catch situations. Cowing needs to extend his arms out more consistently and needs to find a way to get better positioning against his defender to secure these catches. Unfortunately, he typically loses the physicality battle, and I don’t think that will change in the NFL.
Also, though Cowing is solid in YAC situations, he can sometimes get too fancy with the ball with his hands. Cowing needs to focus on getting downfield instead of leaving yards on the field. Cowing also needs to do a better job reading his blocks and have some tempo to his runs to let blocks establish. Also, Cowing isn’t able to shed arm tackles and has as little contact balance as you’d expect from a player his size.
Cowing’s diminished role also saw the diversity of his route tree take a hit with an alarming amount of outs, slants, drags, and bubbles. Also, Cowing’s cuts can be too rushed at times leading him to round his cuts a bit too often. Cowing also can struggle to get leverage against defenders at times and can also struggle to navigate around defenders when working in the middle of the field.
Though Cowing’s release was decent for his size, he could benefit from a more diverse release package. When defenders do get their hands on Cowing, they can often shut him down and he will likely need to be hidden from press in the NFL. Finally, it shouldn’t be shocking with Cowing’s size, but he is a pretty ineffective blocker.
Conclusion
I was a big fan of Cowing going into the season and had hopes that he would develop into a more complete player this year. However, Cowing’s role decreased rather than expanded, and combined with a lot of the same struggles I saw last season just left me really disappointed. Right now, Cowing feels like he might be a plus gadget player, but that might just be the optimist in me.
Due to both having small size and being solid gadget players that gave teams hope of expanding past this, I have Isaiah McKenzie as Cowing’s comp. Both McKenzie and Cowing struggle with contested catch situations and have a limited catch radius, but can provide a boost for an offense with the ball in their hands. Also, both McKenzie and Cowing showed the ability to provide some versatility in their route running but are often put into more short-passing situations to play to their strengths. Like McKenzie, I could see Cowing having some rare big games when he is a focal point for an offense in a game, but I think he will be too inconsistent to count on as a regular contributor.
