2019's Top Shelf Rookies (Pre-NFL Draft)
2019’s Top Shelf Rookies (Pre-NFL Draft)
It could be that I’m just rebellious and don’t like being told who to think is best.
It could be that I value or see things in a different way based on my unique path through life.
It could be a combination of these and many more subtleties, hand tossed in a cocktail mixer and poured out for your enjoyment.
I know in advance that hits and misses come with the territory, so if I wanted to write an article before the NFL Draft took place, I’d be better off sticking with the players I believe to be “the hits.”
Even this conservative angle cannot cover for the eventual land mines that lie ahead.
I’m a big fan of this short list of rookies, but should they wind up being drafted to teams like Buffalo, Tennessee, or Baltimore, a virtual pencil line will be slicing through their names.
Bad weather is one thing.
Be it gusts of wind or toe-and-finger freezing snow, your optimal stats vs. a pleasant climate (or better yet a domed stadium) will be a yearly uphill climb.
Add to this an inaccurate quarterback or a less than inspiring coaching staff, and you can lop off large percentages of a rookie’s upside before he even laces up his cleats.
I’ve got a fairly long history of bucking the consensus when it comes to valuing rookies for dynasty drafts. I could make a long list of examples, but have no timestamped public proof, and that is part of what motivated me to create this site.
Proof.
Via the archived articles here, I can now prove PRE-DRAFT that I had Baker Mayfield, Saquon Barkley and D.J. Moore as my top ranked QB, RB and WR last year.
I will be wrong plenty, but that’s not the point. I’m hoping to simply be correct more often than my competition, and avoiding the pitfalls I see on the road ahead is paramount to this effort.
The rookies I chose as “Top Shelf” for this class may not seem to be extended-reach types, but the names I chose to omit from this list is the telling part.
Cheers!
THE TOP SHELF ROOKIES OF 2019
Hakeem Butler: 2019 WR1
This draft class has been Hell to create tiers from.
The talent is there, but nobody slaps me in the face proclaiming top dog status.
This sets things up nicely for value-fest type rookie drafting as just like me, others are struggling with this same dilemma.
WR Hakeem Butler meets my personal requirements for production, athletic traits, and the all important eyeball test. He isn’t a one trick pony, doesn’t have durability issues, and I’ve found nothing I’d consider to be a red flag in his history or character. His confidence is authentic and he is marketable.
Many rookies in this class who failed to make the cut for this article have both the measurables and the statistics, but when watching them play football, they do nothing to stand out and give me hope that they can be special at the next level.
Drafting those few who turn out to be special is how you slowly create that surplus in trade capital over your dynasty leaguemates.
N’Keal Harry: 2019 WR2
I could rattle off virtually the same chatter when describing Harry as I did for Butler. They were very close for me.
His tape stood out from most of the other big name wide receivers, and his combine performance solidified his ranking.
I’m saving the in-depth breakdown of these rookies for after the NFL Draft when we all get to add landing spot fits and round-drafted capital to their resumes. Very important pieces to the puzzle.
Many college players put on masks of confidence. I tend to call it fake swag when I see it, and often it hides underlying confidence issues.
N’Keal Harry drips real swag.
Draft real swag.
T.J. Hockenson: 2019 TE1
I’ll be the first to admit that watching tape of tight ends tends to put me to sleep.
Very rarely do they pop on film.
Kelce and Kittle have sweet NFL highlight videos, but their college tape wasn’t so dreamy.
Guys like Evan Engram and Dallas Goedert are rare exceptions as recent TE’s who impressed me as collegiates.
“Hawk” may indeed be the most landing-spot-proof player on this list, thanks to a refined blocking that vaulted fellow Hawkeye TE George Kittle to early playing time.
I have seven dynasty teams, and 100% use TE Premium scoring (1.5 PPR for TE), so Hockenson is squarely in my top four rookies pre-draft, and I can see a specific landing spot that could potentially elevate him to the #1 rookie in this class should he go there.
Darrell Henderson: 2019 RB1
I spend too many hours reading articles and digesting stats. I’ve done so for too many years. I like to think that after processing so much for so long, my subconscious has it all under control now.
I no longer fret over this stat or that, and free myself from having to rely on the never ending stream of new next-gen stats that try to paint a better picture of who a player really is.
They end up with broken-pencil stick figures on binder paper, while my subconscious rolls out oil on canvas masterpieces.
Darrell Henderson is one of the few in this class with a long and exciting highlight video that doesn’t need to repeat the same highlights in slow mo or from multiple angles to fill the time.
His back-to-back seasons rushing for almost 9 yards per carry cannot be undersold. This is rare territory.
Darrell has a grown man’s mindset and a chip on his shoulder.
I’ll invest in that every single time.
Miles Sanders: 2019 RB2
This running back class is littered with players lacking in one or more crucial areas.
Be it the garbage production totals they have amassed on their resume, character and health red flags, or being punked by their combine or pro day testing.
Miles Sanders may not blow you away in one specific area, but he passes every test with ease.
Like most every player in this draft class, a poor landing spot can derail your career, so adding players to your dynasty team with broad skill sets should increase the odds they can quickly carve out some meaningful on-field time.
So many land mines. Give me the professionals.
Andy Isabella: 2019 WR3
Sticking with the theme of trying to spot the special players hidden among the hype, Andy Isabella fits right in.
The toughness it takes to grind out over 100 receptions in a 12 game season combined with the humble swag that elite speed endows makes for a fine dynasty target.
In the early part of any draft, high floors reign supreme, and dynasty rookie drafts are no different.
You can scrounge for upside deep into any draft, but the pro-ready guys who already have their mindset and habits honed to pro levels are the ones who quietly rise up the ranks.
Isabella’s film is exciting to watch, as he has a style that is very difficult to cover, often piling moves on top of one another.
This skill set alone makes him interesting, but adding his sprinter’s speed to the equation makes “special” a real possibility.
We’ll get way more in depth on breaking down this rookie class after the incredibly value-altering NFL Draft takes place in a few short weeks.
Win or lose, I wanted to mark my territory with a timestamp before all Hell breaks loose!
Looking forward to all of the mayhem and rank-shuffling that will take place as we all fine tune our claims to this 2019 Rookie Class.
Thank you for reading and for those with dynasty and bestball draft dates creeping up your calendars…Happy Drafting!