Here are 10 Late-Round Sleepers for your Fantasy Football team!
QB
Jordan Ta’amu, Ole Miss
6’2” 212 lbs
It’s an age-old debate, and a decent question to ask, really. Did the chicken come from the egg? Or the egg from the chicken? Throughout the draft process, heaps of adoration have been showered upon Ole Miss wideouts D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown, with some late love even growing for DaMarkus Lodge in some circles. Ta’amu, however, seems to be the forgotten Rebel. Let’s not forget who was the guy dropping bombs into those receivers’ cradled arms in 2018. The 6-foot-2 quarterback took over for Shea Patterson in 2017, and piled up 5,600 yards in just 18 games (13 of those vs. SEC defenses), throwing for 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Sure, at 212 pounds, he’s not the ideal size for a prototypical NFL QB – if there is such a thing anymore – but he throws an accurate deep ball, is precise on his short and intermediate timing routes, has shown the ability to extend plays in a muddy pocket, and can get creative with his delivery when necessary. The fear with Ta’amu is that he played in a very basic offense, and often got into trouble when his first read broke down. Let’s be honest, finding a diamond-in-the-rough at the QB position is an exercise in futility these days. If I’m a team with a backup position available in the next year or two, though, I would be keeping an eye on Ta’amu Saturday afternoon – I truly believe he has the skill to eventually lead an offense at the NFL level.
Brett Rypien, Boise State
6’2” 210 lbs
Another signal caller on the small side, the biggest knock on Brett Rypien has been his arm strength. The former Boise State quarterback really has to give it all he’s got to make some of these “NFL throws.” You can especially see issues arise when he’s throwing out to the sidelines; where in college, it seemed like we saw at least a couple close calls every game with corners jumping these throws. What he lacks in arm strength though, he makes up for with accuracy and “football IQ.” We’ve seen Rypien throw some incredible balls over his 50+ games at Boise State. He shows great anticipation and can put beautiful touch on a deep ball. Unlike Ta’amu, Rypien has already demonstrated the ability to properly read the entire field and has always performed well under pressure. He’s not a guy that will take unnecessary sacks, usually preferring to move out of the pocket and throw a ball away instead. He was a four-year starter for the Broncos, has experience under center, and an NFL bloodline (Mark Rypien’s nephew). I haven’t seen anything suggesting Rypien will be drafted before day three, so again, I don’t think he should be expected to get a shot to start anywhere. I do think he’s plenty capable of serving as a QB2, however, and if given the chance, he has all the tools to be successful running an NFL offense.
RB
L.J. Scott, Michigan State
6’1” 226 lbs
Scott had a long and strenuous career in East Lansing, piling up 600+ carries in his four years in green and white. Playing within the Spartans’ run-centric offense, Scott spent much of his time trying to navigate through stacked boxes – making his career 4.7 yards per carry average look a little brighter. This is a big back, and there’s no doubt he’ll be used primarily as a downhill runner, but is there more to Scott’s game? He sure seems to be a willing blocker. From what I’ve seen, though, he has lots of room to improve there. He’s also shown the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, but, at 6-foot-1 and 226 pounds, I find it hard to believe he’d be utilized very much in that part of the game. Overall, this is a player that thrived in a tough system for much of his career. If he can avoid off-field issues (he’s been caught driving with a suspended license SEVEN times!), stays healthy, and improves his blocking and overall consistency, I could see Scott getting regular work on Sundays in the near future.
Kerrith Whyte, Florida Atlantic
5’10” 197 lbs
Devin Singletary was the one everyone was focused on at FAU this past season, but Whyte quietly had himself a nice season and is getting some well-deserved respect as the draft nears. The other day I was asked for an “NFL Draft Hot Take”. My response: I think Kerrith Whyte has a longer and more productive NFL career than his former teammate Singletary. I know this sounds wild, but consider this: Whyte is taller, leaner, bigger hands, bigger arms, he’s faster, stronger, jumps higher and farther, and has significantly less wear and tear on his body coming out of college ball. We could very well be looking at a kid that would’ve produced similar, or even better numbers than Singletary if he had been given the same opportunity. I believe Whyte gets drafted higher than most think – and I believe he becomes a regular contributor at some point in his career.
Jordan Scarlett, Florida
5’11” 208 lbs
Scarlett is another kid with a lot of talent, but some serious character red-flags – he was suspended twice for separate incidents relating to marijuana possession and credit card fraud. He started 12 games for the Gators last season, averaging a respectable 5.9 yards on 131 carries, in a pretty poor offense. Scarlett has the size and strength to be very effective as a downhill runner at the next level, and he ran an impressive 4.47 40-yard dash at the combine – this for a 5-foot-11, 208-pound back with 30 3/8” arms. I’m not sure he has day three ability (more like day two), but his inconsistency, lack of motivation at times, and character concerns are all likely to cause him to drop into day three – if he’s drafted at all. He’s never going to be a three-down back – as he can’t even seem to catch a cold if he wanted to – but get this kid’s head right, and into a system that fits, and he could definitely function as an RB2 with the ability to spot start down the line.
WR
Jalen Hurd, Baylor
6’4” 229 lbs
A former SEC running back, Hurd transitioned to receiver after transferring to Baylor in 2017. It’s pretty remarkable to watch Hurd’s natural feel for the position. At the same time, it’s exciting to think about how much this kid could progress after a couple more years playing the position. Naturally, the former RB’s best trait seems to be his YAC ability. Eventually, you could see Hurd developing into an effective red-zone target, but he has some work to do first in learning how to beat press coverage and in using his elite size to his advantage. The biggest decision to make with Hurd is going to be whether you keep him in the slot, or push him outside. Inside, his size and speed would be a nightmare for opposing linebackers, safeties, or even the pint-sized slot corners that many teams employ. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a team use a day two pick on Hurd, but I think it’s more likely that someone drafts him as a “project player” on day three – this kid has enormous potential.
Jakobi Meyers, North Carolina State
6’2” 203 lbs
Another positional convert, Meyers was recruited to the Wolfpack as a quarterback – transitioning to receiver after redshirting his first season on campus. He quickly becomes the team’s safety valve from the slot, showing a knack for getting himself into “dirty” areas, and making tough catches in the face of his opposition. This kid doesn’t drop the ball – he looks to have incredible hands for being a converted QB. He’s also a surprisingly physical player, willing and able to take on bigger linebackers in the blocking game, and never shying away from making tough grabs across the middle of the field. He isn’t going to “wow” you with his speed – a 4.63 40-yd dash time at the combine – but if Jarvis Landry (and his 4.7 40 time) can make a living playing a similar style, I’m not going to hold that against Meyers too much. I’ve seen flashes of the footwork needed to beat press coverage, and he certainly won’t be afraid to use his physicality to beat guys on the outside. Like Hurd, it’s exciting to think about how much better Meyers could become with more experience at the position.
Trinity Benson, East Central
6’0” 191 lbs
Tyreek Hill (5th round) and Adam Thielen (undrafted) are two of the more recent success stories to come out of “D-2” ball. These kids generally go overlooked in the draft process, with John Brown being the only active Division II receiver I can remember being picked in the first three rounds. Could Benson be the next Tyreek Hill? Interestingly enough, Benson was a track star in high school and clocked in at 4.35 at his pro day. This is a bit slower than Hill’s reported 4.25, but Benson also carries a bigger frame. He’s a four-year kick returner, and could immediately fill that role at the next level. Benson’s highlights are hard to come across, but you can access some video of his college games on YouTube, and…wow – this kid looks legit. He seems to have elite ball-tracking ability, and although I can’t speak to his hands outside of the 30-40 plays I could come across, I’ve watched him make a number of tough catches, flashing an extremely wide catch radius for someone of his size. You don’t see him run many short-to-intermediate routes, so it’s tough to paint the whole picture here. Overall, he seems to be a vertical threat, with great ball skills and the ability to contribute right away on special teams. I’ll be interested to see if he gets his name called this weekend, but will definitely be tracking where he winds up on Monday morning if he goes undrafted.
TE
Donald Parham, Stetson
6’8” 243 lbs
Parham looks more like a tall receiver with the picture set to 130% zoom. He plays more like a big slot receiver than an actual tight end, too, and his production in college even mirrored that of a WR’s numbers – averaging nearly 10 catches and 150 yards per game in his senior season. He did play in the FCS, but dominated that level, as would be expected of a player that will have success in the NFL. Parham is a former basketball player that has flashed the great hands and ball skills that are so often seen from players of that background. He seems to be a decent route runner, but where he struggles is in the physical aspects of the game. Here’s my fear with Parham: if he’s going to remain at tight end, he must get stronger, and not rely so much on his height and length. If he can’t do this, his only option will be as a slot/gadget guy who can create mismatches against the right defensive looks, which would likely be a role that few teams would even have an interest in. As with everyone else on this list, the potential is there for Parham to have a successful NFL career, but a lot will depend on who wants him and how they choose to utilize him.
Alize Mack, Notre Dame
6’4” 251 lbs
Mack looks the part of an NFL tight end. He was highly touted out of high school, but never really lived up to the hype at Notre Dame – losing his 2016 season to academic suspension, and much of the 2017 season to injury. When I’m looking for late-round sleepers, one of the traits I look at are guys that were never really given much of an opportunity to reach their ceiling, and I see a bit of that with Mack. Even last season, the Irish never really utilized Mack as a focal point of their offense, so it seems to be almost expected that he wasn’t able to produce the numbers he is probably capable of. He certainly improved in 2018, but still only managed 36 catches for 360 yards and 3 scores. Despite the production, he has above-average speed for his size, is a fine route-runner, and can make tough catches – although he’s struggled some with drops, too. His strength alone makes Mack a capable blocker, although I don’t consider it to be one of his better traits. If he can stay on the field, and keep his head in the game – I saw a guy who played lazy at times in 2018 – I do believe he has the ability to be a starting tight end in this league, and one with high-end receiving skill. I think he’ll hear his name called at some point on Saturday afternoon, and whoever takes a chance on this guy is getting a player with a big ceiling, I don’t think anyone will deny that.
