Draft grades? Those matter little in the fantasy realm. We break down the fantasy impact of each team’s draft in this series.
IDP analysis written by Co-IDP Director Ross Miles
Houston Texans
The Texans focused on defense in the draft, and only a few of those draft picks should have fantasy relevance. Their sole offensive pick was a backup quarterback, but we included him just for the sake of including an offensive player.
Taylor Yates, QB
The quarterback from North Carolina will not have much of a fantasy impact unless injuries press him into action, but he could be a deep dynasty sleeper as he could wind up being one of the better quarterbacks in this class.
J.J. Watt, DE
Defensive ends in 3-4 systems struggle to be fantasy starters, and Watt is not regarded as being an explosive pass-rusher. I don’t see him be fantasy relevant in 2011.
Brooks Reed, DE/OLB
He will almost certainly be a starter at OLB in Wade Phillips’ 3-4 scheme and be asked to blitz. He has drawn comparisons to Clay Matthews because of his high motor and is a fantasy sleeper worth noting.
Brandon Harris, CB
The secondary was a huge area of need for Houston, and Kareem Jackson (-12.8 overall) could very well find himself out of a starter’s role now that Harris is in town. Harris will be a nickel corner at worst, but probably a starter, and if that’s the case he will be picked on at 5’9”. If you believe he is a talent, you should be prepared to have him on your fantasy roster.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts came into this draft with some major needs on the offensive line, their middle-of-the-pack -15.3 pass block rating being buoyed by Jeff Saturday (10.5) and Kyle DeVan (4.4). They drafted Drake Nevis at nose tackle, but he should not have much of an IDP impact.
Anthony Castonzo, OT
Ben Ijalana, OT/OG
Indianapolis drafted two big bodies in the hopes of upgrading those positions on the offensive line. Jeff Linkenbach (-9.9 overall), Dave Richard (-10.1), and/or Ryan Diem (-25.1) could be targets for replacement, which will hopefully give Peyton Manning more than two Mississippi to get the ball out on passing plays.
Delone Carter, RB
Although Joseph Addai will be the starter and Donald Brown and Javarris James could still sit in front of Carter on the depth chart, one never knows what will happen in the Colts' backfield. With Addai's injury concerns and Brown's athleticism concerns, Carter could find himself in Manning's good favor if he runs well. He should be a sleeper target in dynasty rookie drafts.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars made a bold move in trading up in the first round to grab their man, Blaine Gabbert, and then made some curious draft picks in taking small school guys the rest of the way.
Blaine Gabbert, QB
Many had Gabbert rated as one of the top two quarterbacks in the 2011 draft. When he fell to the 10th spot, the Jaguars felt they needed to pull the trigger for the talented quarterback. With David Garrard (+34.0 overall) still manning the offense, expect the Jaguars to bring Gabbert along slowly, attempting to develop him over the next season or two. He is worthy of a dynasty pickup if you can stash him for that long.
Cecil Shorts, WR
The small-school receiver follows in the footsteps of division rival Pierre Garcon, and could follow in his fantasy footsteps if he gets an honest shot on the roster. With the departure of Mike Sims-Walker (+3.5), Shorts could be in line to be Gabbert's downfield threat for years to come.
Christopher Prosinski, S
Prosinski is a deep, deep sleeper as a round 4 pick, but the Jaguars have a woeful starting pair of safeties in Dom Carey (-13.9 overall), Courtney Greene (-3.8), so he could find himself in receipt of decent playing time if they do not sign a veteran like Michael Huff (+13.9).
Tennessee Titans
The Titans made waves when the name Jake Locker was announced as the 8th pick in the NFL draft. They also made some savvy draft picks to help their defense. Unfortunately for them, they did not seriously address their woeful offensive line (-89.4 overall), which does not bode well for a team so reliant on their running game and with a rookie under center.
Jake Locker, QB
With the impending departure of Vince Young (+7.8) and possibly Kerry Collins (+9.4), Locker has a great chance of being the starter in Week 1. Accuracy issues hounded this once-heralded draft pick, and they could prove to be fatal in the NFL. With the Titans expected to be a run-heavy team, do not expect a Sam Bradford-like season from Locker.
Akeem Ayers, OLB
In need of a pass-rushing OLB, the Titans grabbed Ayers who should start immediately in a linebacking corps that includes Will Witherspoon (-7.9) and Gerald McRath (+5.0). He won’t post the elite sack numbers needed to be a starting fantasy LB, but does hold spot starter potential.
Colin McCarthy, ILB
If Stephen Tulloch (+13.6) leaves in free-agency then McCarthy will have a legit shot at winning the starting role. He graduates from ‘The U”, which has produced Ray Lewis, Jonathan Vilma, Dan Morgan, and Jon Beason, just to name a few. Although his persistent injury issues are a problem, as a starter, he’d be a great late-round pick-up.
Questions and comments are always welcome via Twitter – @PFF_Alex
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