Rookie fantasy football rankings are constantly evolving at this time of year. Each new piece of information we receive can move a player up or down the board. With the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine in the rearview, we now have a ton of new information to process. Taking all of this material into account, here are the biggest fantasy risers and fallers from the Combine.
[Editor's note: Check out PFF's top 100 dynasty fantasy football rankings and overall fantasy football rankings.]
Risers
Jonathan Taylor
The Wisconsin product was off the charts with a 4.39 40-yard dash time. At 5-foot-10 and 226 pounds, Taylor has the look and speed of an NFL feature-back and is in the mix to be the first player selected in dynasty rookie drafts.
Cam Akers
Viewed by some as a third-down back, Akers measured in at a healthy 5-foot-10, 217 pounds. He flashed strength with 20 reps on the bench and ran the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash time at 4.47.
A.J. Dillon
We knew Dillon was big (6 feet tall, 247 pounds), but the jury was out on how he’d test on the field. Well, he certainly exceed expectations. Dillon ran well with a 4.53 in the 40 and led all running backs in the vert (41) and broad jump (131).
James Robinson
Right behind Dillon in the vert, Robinson was the only other back to top 40 inches and posted a solid 125 inches in the broad. He tested well in the change of direction events, tying for third in the 20-yard shuttle (4.19) and ranking fifth in the three-cone (7.03). That explosion and short-area quickness makes him a deeper name to know at running back.
Darrynton Evans
Like Robinson, we should also keep an eye on Evans. The Appalachian State product ran the second-fastest 40-yard time (4.41) and tested well in the vert (37), broad jump (125) and on the bench (20).
Henry Ruggs
He didn’t break the Combine record in the 40, but Ruggs did run the one of the fastest times we’ve ever seen at 4.27. Sure, he was lightly used at Alabama, but his game-breaking ability fits right in with today’s NFL.
Justin Jefferson
Even after posting 111 catches in 2019, Jefferson had his detractors. One of the biggest questions about him heading into the combine was his speed. Jefferson answered that question in a big way, tying for the eighth-fastest time among wideouts at 4.43.
Chase Claypool
Is he more Miles Boykin or Devin Funchess? That was the debate following Claypool's solid 2019 campaign. Well, he definitely isn’t Funchess. Despite the similar size profile, Claypool flashed a much better athletic profile, with a 4.42 40-yard dash to go with a 40.5-inch vert and 126 inches in the broad.
Denzel Mims
Not only is he big (6-foot-3, 207 pounds) and fast (4.38 40-yard dash), but Mims also showed impressive quickness with a 6.66 in three-cone drill. While he’s far from the most polished prospect in this year’s class, Mims' athletic profile makes him a name to know.
Donovan Peoples-Jones
There’s no way around it: Peoples-Jones had a disappointing college career. But the Michigan product did help his cause with one of the most impressive showings at the Combine, jumping out of the building with a 44.5-inch vert and 139-inch broad. He also ran a solid 4.48 40-yard dash at 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds.
Michael Pittman
The big-bodied wideout ran well in the 40-yard dash with a 4.52 and showed plus-level agility, going sub-7.0 in the three-cone (6.96) and posting the fifth-fastest 20-yard shuttle time among wideouts at 4.14.
Antonio Gibson
The position-versatile product out of Memphis blazed a 4.39 40-yard dash at 6 feet tall and 228 pounds. That puts him in the 99th percentile for weight-adjusted speed. At this point, he’s a bit tricky to project for fantasy purposes, but his explosive upside is appealing.
Jordan Love
We can’t necessarily point to testing numbers for Love, but he was one of the biggest talking points at quarterback outside of Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa. Love flashed a Patrick Mahomes-like skill set at the college level, but he’s also coming off an ugly 2019 campaign during which he threw 17 interceptions.
Adam Trautman
The small schooler didn’t wow us in the 40-yard dash, but he flashed major short-area quickness with a 6.78 in the three-cone and a 4.27 in the 20-yard short shuttle. There’s a case to be made for Trautman as the top dynasty tight end in this year’s class.
Albert Okwuegbunam
We only had one tight end go under 4.60 in the 40 at this year’s combine — and he also went under 4.50, as Okwuegbunam blazed a 4.49. The speed is impressive, but unfortunately that was the only event we saw from the former Missouri Tiger.
Fallers
Zach Moss
It’s tough to be overly bullish on Moss after he ran the fourth-slowest time among running backs in the 40-yard dash at 4.65. Speed isn’t everything at running back, but such a disappointing time doesn’t help Moss’ dynasty outlook.
Scottie Phillips
The Mississippi product ran a 4.56 in the 40-yard dash but struggled in the jumps and change of direction events. He finished last among running backs in the three-cone (7.40) and short-shuttle (4.53) and was bottom five in the vert (30) and broad (114).
Benny LeMay
Like Phillips, LeMay was at or near the bottom in several events. His 4.75 40-yard dash time was the slowest among running backs. He also brought up the rear in the broad (112) and vert (28.5).
Tyler Johnson
We didn’t see Johnson on the field for drills or events, but the Minnesota product measured in with just 9-inch hands. Not the biggest knock, but certainly not what you want to see.
Jauan Jennings
The former Tennessee wideout has impressive size at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, but he failed to impress at the Combine. Jennings ran the second-slowest 40-yard dash time among wideouts at 4.72 and also ranked second-worst in the vert (29).
KJ Hill
There was some optimism heading into the Combine for Ohio State’s all-time receptions leader, but Hill failed to impress with a lackluster 4.60 in the 40-yard dash.
Antonio Gandy-Golden
He’s big (6-foot-4, 223 pounds) but, as it turns out, not so fast. Gandy-Golden equaled Hill’s 40 time of 4.60. While that isn’t actually that bad for his size, Gandy-Golden was one of the least agile performers at wideout with a 7.33 in the three-cone and 4.55 in the short-shuttle.
Shea Patterson
The Michigan product looks to be picking up right where he left off when the season ended. Patterson struggled in on-field drills and doesn’t look like he has the makings of a future fantasy quarterback.
Harrison Bryant
The small-schooler had some buzz entering the Combine, but Bryant really didn’t stand out in any one area. He especially struggled in the agility events, ranking third-worst among tight ends in the three-cone (7.41) and seventh-worst in the 20-yard shuttle (4.37).
Hunter Bryant
It wasn’t the best week for anyone at tight end with the last name Bryant. Hunter compared himself to Evan Engram in the media interviews but wasn’t able to match Engram’s speed with an uninspiring 4.74. He also posted the second-slowest short shuttle time (4.46) among tight ends.
Jared Pinkney
It’s never good to be last at your position in any of the on-field events, but Pinkney did just that in the 40-yard dash with a slow time of 4.96. His disappointing performance and inconsistencies at the college level only further complicate his dynasty outlook
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.