Dynasty Impact: After showing no confidence in Rueben Randle, the Giants pick what many scouts thought was the second best receiver in the draft. Not as tall as Watkins or Evans, ODB has great leaping ability and superior hands. Eli Manning dynasty owners should rejoice that they finally have a compliment to Victor Cruz. Cruz should benefit with less attention with Beckham being in the discussion for second receiver taken off the board in dynasty rookie drafts.
Tag Archives: 2014 nfl draft
Dynasty Impact – Tennessee Titans select Taylor Lewan
Dynasty Impact: This should be considered an incomplete as the Titans are almost certainly not going to go with Shonn Greene at running back. The same could be said at quarterback as Jake Locker doesn’t appear to be the long-term answer. Whoever they draft at both positions will benefit from Lewan who can pass protect and run block well. Won’t be an elite tackle a la Greg Robinson or Jake Matthews but should be a good tool.
Dynasty Impact – Detroit Lions select Eric Ebron, TE
Dynasty Impact: Ebron, the best tight end in the draft, finally fills the black hole that is the Detroit Lions tight end position. Ebron will immediately garner targets and should elevate Matthew Stafford’s game. The pick should not have an impact on Calvin Johnson or even Golden Tate but Joseph Fauria dynasty owners have to be disappointed. Ebron will immediately be the top pick in dynasty mock drafts, especially in PPR leagues.
Dynasty Impact – Minnesota Vikings select Anthony Barr, LB
Dynasty Impact: Barr will, most likely, play end for Mike Zimmer in the Carlos Dunlap / Michael Johnson role. If he plays end, he has the capability to get to double-digit sacks but is still raw. Has incredible speed and height at 6′ 5″ but checks-in at only 255-pounds. Even as a lightweight, Barr can knock quarterbacks out and should be an explosive player with the right coaching. For IDP leagues, Barr will be in the mix for best end after Jadeveon Clowney and could rise to a DL1/2.
Dynasty Impact – Cleveland Browns select Justin Gilbert
Dynasty Impact: After trading down then back up, Cleveland gets their man in cornerback Justin Gilbert. The best cornerback in the draft, Gilbert will start from day one on a very talented Cleveland defense. He has the skills to defend passes but isn’t much of a tackler, affecting his IDP value. If he develops, the bigger impact will be on the pass rushers for Cleveland. If opposing quarterbacks can’t throw to Gilbert, holding on to the ball will create more sack opportunities.
Dynasty Impact – Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Mike Evans, WR
Dynasty Impact: Mike Evans will play second fiddle to Vincent Jackson but should quickly surpass him on the depth chart. He fills out a very talented offense with running back Doug Martin and elevates quarterback Josh McCown in dynasty leagues for the foreseeable future. Don’t be surprised if they draft a quarterback for the future in later rounds but, for now, McCown is a great stopgap in dynasty leagues. Martin should also benefit with even more attention taken away. Jackson, along with tight end Tim Wright, lose some value after definitely losing targets to Evans.
Dynasty Impact – Atlanta Falcons select Jake Matthews, OT
Dynasty Impact: Unlike the raw Greg Robinson, drafted second overall, Matthews can start right away. His most value would be at left tackle but could be plugged in any position and upgrade the Falcons line. For Atlanta’s specialists, the pick will only help as Matt Ryan should stay upright more with Julio Jones the primary beneficiary. Both of their dynasty stocks are pointing up and Matthews should be a key contributer for a long time.
Dynasty Impact – Oakland Raiders select Khalil Mack, LB
Dynasty Impact: The Raiders get one of the top players in the draft at five and, in the process, get a pass rusher they haven’t seen in a while. He played weak competition but has an undeniable nose for the ball and should be a force in the AFC West for years. For dynasty purposes, Mack could rack up a ton of sacks using his speed and explosion. Mack should be one of the first linebackers taken off of dynasty boards.
Dynasty Impact – Buffalo Bills select Sammy Watkins, WR
Dynasty Impact: After trading up, the Bills got their man in the best wide receiver in the draft with Sammy Watkins. Not only showing a commitment to help E.J. Manual, Sammy Watkins is the best receiving prospect since Julio Jones, and provides the Bills with another playmaker alongside C.J. Spiller. He’ll start right away and, provided Manual can keep progressing, should be grabbed early in rookie dynasty drafts. Manual’s stock should also soar heading into 2014 dynasty leagues. Worst case scenario is the Bills dump Manual after not cutting it and getting another one for Watkins to catch passes from. Either way, Watkins will be a valuable commodity in 2014 dynasty drafts.
Dynasty Impact – Jacksonville Jaguars select Blake Bortles, QB
Dynasty Impact: Bortles is the most raw of the top quarterback prospects this year but could, potentially, be the best. At 6′ 5″ and 232-pounds, Bortles is a huge player but still needs some refinement in his foot work and will need to learn how to play to NFL competition after playing at small school Central Florida. He’ll most likely sit for a year behind starter Chad Henne but should be handed the reins in 2015. Now, as to whether he’ll have the weapons to succeed is another story. Nonetheless, he’s a lottery ticket that could pay off. For dynasty purposes, he’s an ideal quarterback to draft for your taxi squad.
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