With the NFL combine wrapping up this past weekend, let's look at the fantasy football upside from the 2022 draft class. We have two quarterbacks in here. Dynamic skill sets and 4.3 speed at the wide receiver position. And there are some volume runners and backs with three-down skills who fit in both re-draft and dynasty leagues.
So, let's get into it. From the multidimensional traits of Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks to the dual-threat ability of Liberty quarterback Malik Willis, here are 16 rookies on my fantasy radar as we head toward the draft.
Quarterbacks
Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
Willis will need to show more refinement in a defined pro passing game, but the dual-threat skills alone have the Liberty quarterback on my radar. We can look at the natural arm talent, as Willis can target all three levels of the route tree, with the ability to stretch defenses over the top. He can drive the ball down the field. Plus, Willis brings another element to an NFL offense on designed rushes and scramble attempts with his 6-foot, 220-pound frame. There's a physical element to his game as a runner, with vision and elusiveness in the open field. He's a prime dynasty target if he lands in the right system -- and with the right developmental track.
Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt
Pickett has the most pro-ready traits of the quarterback class. He can read it out on full-field passing concepts. There's enough arm talent here to make third-level throws on schemed verticals and he delivers the ball with rhythm on layered concepts. Good movement ability, too. Pickett can extend from the pocket and create on his own when things go south. While he doesn't have the high traits or high ceiling that Willis does, Pickett carries a pretty high floor as a ball distributor who can eventually produce QB1 numbers.
Running backs
Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
A smooth runner with three-down ability, Hall might have the most upside of any back in the rookie class. He can handle heavy volume and goal-line touches at 5-foot-11, 217 pounds. It's about pad level and finishing power on contact there. He just checked in with a 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine, too, and we can see the explosive-play juice on the tape. Swings, screens and unders in the pass game at Iowa State. I would anticipate a more multiple route tree in the pros. A target in dynasty and re-draft leagues, Hall could quickly emerge as a No. 1 in his rookie season with scoring upside in PPR and non-PPR formats.
James Cook, RB, Georgia
At 5-foot-11, 199 pounds, Cook doesn't have the frame to hammer the ball inside as a volume runner in the league, but let's look at his receiving traits, plus the ability to attack the perimeter on edge schemes. Cook dropped a 4.42 40-yard dash time at the combine. He can scoot. And with the dual-threat ability he brings in the passing game, the Georgia product can create matchup advantages out of the backfield or flex outside to set up linebackers in coverage. Dynamic prospect here. Sudden, quick. Big-play ability. As part of an anticipated committee approach, Cook can produce viable PPR numbers as a rookie.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
An anticipated top running back target in dynasty and re-draft leagues, Walker has the frame and traits of an early-down, volume runner in an NFL offense. At 5-foot-9, 211 pounds, Walker can press the ball downhill, and we know he has the contact balance/body control to handle 15-20 carries a game. Plus, the combination of short-area and long speed can create explosive-play opportunities. With only 13 receptions in his final season at Michigan State, Walker doesn't project as a pass game threat. However, let's focus on rushing attempts here and scoring opportunities in the low red zone that he will get in an NFL offense.
Jerome Ford, RB, Cincinnati
Ford has the physical tools and traits to develop into a three-down player at the NFL level. At Cincinnati, Ford ripped off some explosive plays with his 4.46 speed. There's lateral juice to his game at the point of attack. He has the receiving upside to be deployed out of the backfield on wheel routes, angles and flats. Ford is a dynasty target given the athletic profile, and I see the arrow pointing up on him as he develops with pro coaching.
Wide receivers
Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
Burks is a prime fit for both dynasty and re-draft formats given his powerful frame and multi-dimensional traits. At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, with ball carrier vision and open-field juice, Burks can produce at all three levels of the route tree or on manufactured touches. Get him loose on fly sweeps, backfield carries and screens. I really like the tape here for a prospect who could be deployed like Cordarrelle Patterson in today's NFL offenses.
Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
I want game-changers at wide receiver, and that's exactly what I see on tape with Williams. He can go, now. Vertical concepts, the deep overs, the electric ability after the catch. A sudden mover who can accelerate instantly. And there's some route detail from Williams here, too. He's coming off an ACL injury in January, but given his explosive-play upside and the pro route tree he ran at Bama, I'm looking to land Williams in all of my dynasty leagues, because the comp for me is Odell Beckham Jr.
Drake London, WR, USC
I see former Saints wide receiver Marques Colston when studying London on tape. At 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, with the ability to play as the boundary receiver, or align inside as a big slot target, London has the buildup speed and high-end ball skills to fit in a multiple pro offense. While the lack of vertical separation on tape has to be mentioned here, London has the route traits to produce and I really like the idea of him stretching the seams from slot and trips alignments. Plus, with his frame, body control and catch radius, London can be deployed as an isolation target inside the red zone.
Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
When I watch Wilson on tape, I see flashes of Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs. At 6-foot, 183 pounds, Wilson will bring a playmaking element to an NFL offense. He can stretch you over the top with 4.38 speed, shake defenders after the catch or separate on deep corners and outs. And if you are looking for a wide receiver who can elevate and finish in the end zone, keep Wilson high on your list of dynasty targets. A prospect with inside/outside flex in a pro system, Wilson should also see the ball on schemed touches to get him free in space.
Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
On the tape, Olave simply floats past the top of the defense on vertical concepts with his 4.39 speed. He's an easy mover, a glider with the ball skills to track and finish. An advanced route runner, too. He is extremely fluid at the break to create separation. While Olave lacks a physical element after the catch and struggles to play through contact, his fit as a perimeter target in the pros can lead to explosive plays down the field and second-level targets.
John Metchie III, WR, Alabama
Metchie lacks high-end, explosive traits on the tape, but he's a technician in the route tree who produced volume numbers in Alabama's pro system. Metchie has a plan to set up and beat press coverage, there's enough short-area speed here to separate and I believe he can produce after the catch. A slot target with the ability to play at the Z/X spots, Metchie gets open. He's a dynasty target for me who will have a much higher ceiling in PPR formats.
Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State
A prospect who reminds me of Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Watson is a linear route runner with a long, 6-foot-4 frame and the 4.3 speed to run past defensive backs in coverage. Now, we should expect a developmental time frame for Watson here as he makes the jump from the FCS level. However, with more detail in the route tree and a hopeful fit in a vertical NFL offense, he should be isolated in one-on-ones or schemed open down the field.
Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati
Keep an eye on Pierce and his NFL landing spot because of the frame, play strength and fit as boundary/slot target. The Glenbard West alum (my alma mater) is 6-foot-3 with leaping ability (40½-inch vertical) and low-4.4 speed. Turn on the tape against Notre Dame to watch Pierce uncover versus press coverage and beat the Irish over the top (twice). Or focus on his red zone upside. He can win on 50-50 throws and adjust to the back-shoulder ball. He's on my dynasty list because of his projected route tree in a pro offense and the scoring ability.
Tight ends
Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State
McBride lacks high-end juice after the catch, but when you watch his tape, he plays with nuance at the position as an inline/flex target. McBride most likely starts out as a TE2 in a pro offense, which makes him more of a dynasty target. However, in Colorado State's offense, McBride (6-foot-4, 246 pounds) showed the ability to run the deep overs, crossers and flex to the backside of 3x1 sets to create matchup issues for opposing defenses. With pro coaching and reps, McBride can develop into a starting tight end who works the middle of the field with schemed catch-and-run opportunities.
Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina
Projected as a movement tight end, in the old-school H-back alignments, Likely is slippery after the catch and he will stretch defenses on second- and third-level throws. At 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, I see Likely as a play-action target in an NFL offense, who can win underneath to get loose versus linebackers and safeties. He produced big plays at Coastal Carolina on schemed concepts and can be deployed in pro systems to stretch the middle of the field or attack zone voids in leveled reads. A dynasty target, Likely has the pass-catching traits to develop into a future NFL starter.