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FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast
NFL Draft Special: Top 10 Wide Receivers with Ray Garvin (Ep. 1987)
01:14:29
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- [00:00]
Ray GQ
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Derrick Brown
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Ray GQ
O D to get started.
- [00:56]
Seth Wilcock
All right, and welcome into the Fantasy Pros NFL Draft show. And with pass catcher being the most important position across nearly every dynasty format, we're diving headfirst in the top 10 wide receivers of the 2026 NFL Draft class. I'm your host, Seth Wilcock, joined by my brother from another mother, Derrick Brown. And joining us today also is a special guest. He's the founder of Destination Debbie and a content creator for Bleacher Report. And maybe the only analyst in the game who can pull off the cowboy hat. He's Ray gq. Ray, thanks so much for joining us today. How are you to prepare to spend nearly the next hour or so to dive into these rookie wide receivers?
- [01:33]
Ray GQ
Well, I thought I was good, Seth. I thought I was prepared. And then you gave me that intro and I don't have on the hat, so. Hold on, hold on. Yes, because I keep one handy, baby.
- [01:44]
Derrick Brown
There we go. Let's go, baby. Let's go.
- [01:48]
Ray GQ
Season is in full effect, so we're going to rocket today down here in Texas. But I'm feeling good talking about these receivers. Dbro's got some new. Some new white down here. Yeah.
- [02:00]
Derrick Brown
Hey.
- [02:00]
Ray GQ
Hey.
- [02:00]
Derrick Brown
I didn't know we're throwing shade, man. We're throwing haymakers already.
- [02:03]
Ray GQ
Listen, when you're studying this draft class, it will do both things for you. Take all the hair away from here and turn that bad boy white and gray. So I get it. You look good, though, D, bro.
- [02:14]
Derrick Brown
Hey, man, it's salt and pepper. More salt these days. I don't know, man. Look, people tell me I need to sit here. I'm like, they're like, diet, diet. I'm like, you think there's ginger red dye out there? You think that, like, that's a thing that exists. And second of all, earn this gray, baby. Part of this is, you know, watching 20, 26 prospects, so you earn this the hard way. But I got to give Ray his flowers before we jump into these wide receivers, man. Ray's a real one, man. We've been talking ball for years and years. He's one of the best ones in the game. What he does over there at dd Fantasy Destination, Debbie, all things dd, like, it's. It's fantastic, man. The glow up has been real. You're one of the best in the game. You're a freaking rock star. Everything y' all are doing between Scott, Shane, your show with Jay, what are y' all rocking two times a week now, man? Like, I'm. I'm a big fan and a supporter of all of it, brother. Much love.
- [03:03]
Ray GQ
Appreciate you. Just trying to burn me up for that Haynes King take, but I guess we'll talk about quarterbacks another day.
- [03:12]
Derrick Brown
Yeah.
- [03:14]
Seth Wilcock
D, bro, you are a Texas guy. So have you ever thought about sending the cowboy hat for one of these shows?
- [03:19]
Derrick Brown
I'm originally from Louisiana. I. I can't pull off the cowboy hat. I'm not even going to try. Come on. I'm not even gonna try, man. Like, you're asking me to get on a show right now and comparatively try to out swag Ray. This is not gonna happen. And I'm not even gonna attempt it, man. No, no, I'm not crazy.
- [03:38]
Seth Wilcock
All right, we'll save it for another program then. And today's show does look like this. As we mentioned, we're gonna break down those top 10 wide rece this 2026 NFL Draft class. And if you enjoy this type of content, please do us a quick favor and give this video a thumbs up. And make sure you subscribe both to the Fantasy Pros Dynasty YouTube channel. We're, of course talking about the top 10 consensus wide receivers in the NFL draft according to the Fantasy Pros Dynasty rankings. But if you want true real world discussions on the NFL, well, it's time to subscribe to the Tailgate on YouTube or follow the Tailgate podcast wherever you listen to your audio. The Tailgate isn't a fantasy channel. No, it goes beyond the box score to cover the NFL draf draft, the roster moves that actually move the needle on offense and defense, and the big picture NFL stories that will define the league year. So come on out of the fantasy war room and park it here on the tailgate. For the news takes and real world football talk that you won't hear on a fantasy show, just search Tailgate NFL channel on YouTube and hit subscribe or find the tailgate on your favorite podcasting app. And if you want a chance to win a signed Colston Loveland Chicago Bears mini helmet for for absolutely free courtesy of our good friends over@pristineauction.com all you have to do is subscribe to the Fancy Pros Dynasty YouTube channel right now. Drop a comment below on any of our videos and that's it. We will announce a winner right here on the channel. So make sure you ring the bell so you can be alerted. We have new shows up and acclaim your prize if you are that lucky winner. And gentlemen, let's jump right into the top 10 wide receivers. Starting at the top with the presumptive wide receiver one in this class, Ohio State's Carnell Tay. At 62192, he's a deep ball and a red zone threat. Thrives in traffic, contested head situations. No big deal for this guy. And he may have never been the top pass catcher on his Ohio State Buckeyes team, but he is a former five star recruit. Was a top prospect in that 2023 recruiting class. Totaled 100 plus receptions, 1600 plus receiving yards and 13 touchdowns over the past two seasons. So Ray, where are you on this all Big Ten wide receiver? Is he your wide receiver one in this class?
- [05:40]
Ray GQ
Yeah, absolutely. And he's been there from day one. Okay. I think I was pretty early on this train back in January and I didn't expect him to be the one. When I got into it I was fully entrenched with the Jordan Tyson with Mai Lemon. I actually have a video that I recorded last summer that's still in the draft folder on YouTube about Carnell Tate. It never got released because the editing wasn't right. Some there's a reason why I didn't get released. But in that video I talked about needing to see some improvement from him, to really have him as one of the top guys here in 2026 and he absolutely nailed that. He absolutely unequivocally nailed that. I think he is a do it all wide receiver. I know he's hailed and sort of talked about force, downplay, downfield ability, but he can win at all levels. He's got the best sideline awareness in this class and it's not even close. I mean the toe drag swag, just the spatial awareness about a position, his body on the sideline, in the back of the end zone, in the corner of the end zone. Outstanding. There is no perfect prospect, so there are absolutely some concerns and some things that he can do better. But for him to be at the top now, I didn't think that would be the consensus view of him going into this process, going into the draft cycle. So to see everybody come full circle and really kind of jump aboard the Carnell Tate train. Okay, y' all gotta get in the back of the bus because I'm driving this thing all the way to the NFL Draft.
- [07:10]
Seth Wilcock
DBro, where are you at on Cardinal? Tate here. Are you also firmly on that bus with Ray?
- [07:15]
Derrick Brown
I, I just want a spot, man. I just want a spot to sit. I just want a spot to sit on the bus because I'm with Ray, with everything he said, man. He's my wide receiver, one of this class. He's in a tier by himself and looking at Cornell Tate, he is the most well rounded prospect of this, this entire wide receiver group. He is the best route runner of the class. Ray talked about spatial awareness, body control. All those things are absolutely true. He's a catch point winner. Like 68.8% contested catch rate in college. And the hands show up all the freaking time, man. Like a 4% drop rate. Zero drops in his final season. And when we talk about drops, the thing that, like, and especially when people talk about Tate being a vertical receiver and winning downfield and the A dot, then the drop rate becomes even more impressive because it's not like he got like all these, like screen passes and just got peppered underneath. These are high leverage, difficult targets that he snagged and came away with zero drops. Like, I, I love the kid. I think he's absolutely fantastic. And I'm not buying into. I know Ray doesn't either. The fact that, like, people trying to shove him down a peg and being like, look like he was never the number one passage. Can we stop doing that crap? Can we, can we just stop? We've done this over numerous years and just like enjoy a player's game, the tape and the talent and not do all this. He wasn't the number one. We did this crap with Justin Jefferson years before. We'd done it with other players. Like, let's just stop doing that as a collective. It's wrong.
- [08:45]
Seth Wilcock
Absolutely. And we saw so many times that Carnell Tate was the man that Julian Sane was looking for in some of these spot starts where, you know that Texas game, right. Things were a little dicey. There wasn't a lot of scoring. Who shows up late on a big play. It's Carnell Tate. So certainly the wide receiver one from a consensus standpoint at this point, and another potential alpha wide receiver in this class, someone that I actually had as my wide receiver one before the, you know, just slew of injuries came again for him this season. That's Jordan Tyson. Com comes in here. Six one, 203 pounds at Arizona State. Really excelled in creating separation, coming down with the football in those contested catch situations. He had north of 1200 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns as a junior on that 2024 Arizona State team that went all the way to the College Football Playoff. But he did break his collarbone that season. And then despite playing half the season with the Jeff Sims experience after the Sam Levitt injury this season, Tyson was on pace for a career high in receptions and touchdowns. But then he had that lingering hamstring injury that shut him down as well. These injuries are in addition to him tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL in 2022. Derek, I've gone on record by saying this guy, I think if it weren't for the injury, should be in this wide receiver one discussion. How are you viewing the entries and what have you uncovered in your film study of Jordan Tyson?
- [10:01]
Derrick Brown
So I will say this. Jordan Tyson is not my wide receiver 2 of the class. I have him at wide receiver 4, and people hate that and they think I hate the kid and that that is not the case. I think he has the talent ceiling to be the wide receiver one of this class. We flip over the cards in the next two or three years, but where he's at currently in his game, I still want to see some growth from him. And it's not because, like, the injuries are not, like, scaring me. I understand everybody's, you know, really talking about the hamstring stuff and his inability to run and test and do all those things right now. But you look at the injury track record like you got the ACL, MCL, PCL. That was in 2022. Like, so, like the fact of the. The knee injury, he's already had proof of concept coming back and playing in the knee not bot like being an issue. So the knee isn't a worry for me. We could talk about the hamstrings and the totality of it, but the collarbone injury, those are fluky more than like signal and substance. So the injuries are not what bump him down for me, it's the fact of Tyson. And I'm gonna play both sides of the coin Here, dude, his movement skills are fantastic. Like his hip fluidity and how he glides across the field is fantastic. Like, and that, that special, those special movement skills, that's what gives him the ceiling to be the number one wide receiver this class. But some of the areas, and it's been talked about, like his growth as a route runner, I still think he has growth that still needs to happen. You see at the top of his stem, there's some, not like tick tock type of footwork, but some inefficiencies with his footwork that I think when you raise the competition another bar in the NFL and he does face a little more man coverage and they do try to press him at the line and stuff where some of these things are going to come into play more. I mean, just if you go watch his film, one of the perfect examples of this is he is a player that has been able to get by on otherworldly athletic ability. And as you continue to climb the ladder, that gets pressed more and more and more. When you get into a world and you live in a reality where everybody runs a four, three, everybody runs a four, four and you're playing with the best out of the best, those tiny areas of growth that need to happen show up more consistently and transitioning from the college to the NFL game. So the other part of his prospect profile, like he can produce yak. Is he elite yak producer? No. Like four 5.1 yards of the catch per reception over the last four years, 13 missed tackles since 2024. Those are okay. They're not amazing. Then we talk about a 43.8% contested catch rate. He's got to get better at the catch point as well. If we want to see him be a, a consistent ball winner at the catch point in the NFL, this is all to say dude has raw talent for freaking days. And if he's able to hone that further, yeah, he could be the wide receiver one of this class when we look at back at it right now. But because of some of those inefficiencies, the areas that he still needs to grow, I think there are more refined wide receivers in this class that I like a little bit more than Tyson. But I mean he's firmly in tier two. So I mean, we're splitting hairs here, man. Like wide receiver one through five, however you want to order them. Have at it. It's all good.
- [13:13]
Seth Wilcock
Ray, where are you at here on Jordan Tyson and do you discount him at all playing against some softer defenses down there in the Big 12
- [13:22]
Derrick Brown
I,
- [13:23]
Ray GQ
I have Jordan Tyson. So I, I love the receiver position. Seth. I played cornerback in college, so just really diving into that position. What works, what are the things that translate? And I know a lot of times we look at isolated metrics in a box. I've never been that guy. I look at usage in totality because there are a lot of different things that have to come together, that have to blend together in order for a player to achieve, to achieve the type of upside and the result that we want. Usage is the name of the game. So I created a college football Trinity score. I have Trinity that combines a bunch of different metrics for the NFL. And I'm just going to say it is the best visualization of what usage looks like on a team, bar none. And I'll put that up against anybody. The college side. Jordan Tyson graded out 6.45 in collegiate trinity. Ahead of him, Carnell Tate and Makai Lemon, the top two guys. So he's kind of in this different cluster with, with Boston, with Concepcion and with Branch and what we know based on testing, you can go back. Draft capital plays a big part in some of these outcomes for receivers. Where they're drafted, their early breakout age, their collegiate profile. Sure. Right now, based on this year one, if Jordan Tyson is selected mid first round, he's got about a 24% chance of hitting 525 yards as a rookie. By year three, about a 19% chance to be a thousand yard receiver. And in that same season, 11% chance to be a 15 point per game wide receiver in the NFL for fantasy PPR, 11% chance. Given that mid first round draft capital and his collegiate profile, he's a very good receiver. He's got a diverse route tree. You look at the menu of routes, the go route, the hitch route, the out route, digs, corners, posts, they're all inside of his arsenal. The thing that is really concerning for me, for Tyson is how he fared against physical cornerbacks in college. All right, press coverage and consistency, 58.8% of his pass reps, that's when he was pressed. He was pressed heavily, almost 60% of his reps, 85th percentile in exposure. So that means teams were lining up saying that I'm going to try to disrupt you. And here's what the issue is. His success rate, 45% was 15th percentile. So that shows that he struggles against press volume. And I don't, I, I, even with his size, which he's a little bigger than I thought he would be, like the 6 foot 200 like. It's very reminiscent of Jamar Chase's build, but he never plays that strong. I don't know the player's name, but if you watch the tape against Utah, there's a cornerback, his number is two. He had Jordan Tyson in hell from the snap, first snap of that game to the end of that game. I think he's a good player, Seth. I think he's got the chance to be a really good complimentary guy at the next level. But as far as like a dominant number one wide receiver, I don't think Jordan Tyson is that okay.
- [16:26]
Seth Wilcock
Next up is maybe the most new school type of wide receiver that really relies on being technical rather than physical. That's USC's Makai Lemon, as Ray mentioned, who comes in at 5 11, 192 pounds. He was that 20, 25 Balintikov Award winner after leading the Big Ten and receiving yards at over 1150 yards and also had 11 touchdowns on 79 receptions this past season. Working with quarterback Jade Maiva in that Lincoln Riley led offense. And the biggest question here is whether his size and lack of top end speed will allow him to get off press at the next level and whether he can play on the outside in those two wide receiver sets. What is your assessment on him, Ray?
- [17:04]
Ray GQ
Yeah, I don't think. No, I don't think he's going to play on the outside of the next.
- [17:09]
Seth Wilcock
Okay, well.
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Ray GQ
And we do this every year, right? We did this with lad McConkey a couple of years ago. Oh, my God. Why do we keep pigeonholing people into the slot? He can do so much more. And you look in the NFL and what is he? He's a slot wide receiver. That's what Makai Lemon is. Mai Lemon at the next level, where he's going to make his bread is inside. And there's nothing wrong with that. Go back to the 2024 tape. There was some more reps of success on the outside playing wide. But let me just give people the real here because what folks do, Seth, is they don't really watch the tape. Man, it's so easy now to just pull up the stats and the data and be like, oh, well, he did play on the outside in two wide receiver sets in in 12 personnel. He was the outside receiver. No, he wasn't. He was still running inside at the slot because, you know, there is a formation where they line two receivers up on the same side that's called twins or doubles. You know where Mai Lemon lived inside of 12 personnel, the slot. It didn't matter. It did. It doesn't matter if it's 11 or 12 or 13. He's a slot receiver and that's fine. Number one, highest Trinity score in my model. 66% chance to get 525 yards in year one. 33% chance to be both a thousand yard receiver and a 15 point per game guy by year three. He's a limited player though. He, there's no doubt about it. He has some limitations to his game. He's going to have to win on the inside. He's a damn good wide receiver. My wide receiver too, in this class. But I just think we need to dig a little bit deeper than just tossing Jackson Smith and Jigba and Amon Rock comps around for Makai Lemon. I just don't, I don't see that at all.
- [18:49]
Seth Wilcock
Derek, what do you see when it comes to Lemon's tape?
- [18:52]
Derrick Brown
People hate this. I've mentioned it before, Ray. We've talked about this in text, man, since fricking January and December, dude. I, I see Jarvis Landry. I do not see our Amon Ross saying Brown. I, I don't, man. And, and people think that is shading. Like every time I bring this up, regardless, they're like, oh, the lemon shade is heavy. And I'm like, dude, it's not. Can we all be kind and rewind to what Jarvis Landry did in his career before Cleveland turned him into a 5050 wide receiver. He was incredibly productive at the NFL level. Makai Lemon is not Amon Rossane Brown. Y' all are insane. Like, he's not. And asking that to be that type of player is. I mean, that's high praise, man. And I just don't see it. He's a slot confined player like Ray talked about. And that's okay, man. Like, but again, going through this wide receiver class, people dismiss. They're like, oh, it's clickbait. Like, because I have met wide receiver 5, but the only reason I have met wide receiver 5 is because this new iteration of the NFL and there is more 12, there is more 13 personnel. And if he is a player that is running routes at like a 70 route per drop back clip because he's slot confined depending on what the team does. Like, do we all realize that like Even the top five to seven teams last year in the NFL where 11 personnel, 63 to 69%, we're not living in a version of the NFL where this is the Rams of like five or six years ago, that iteration of the NFL when they were running 85 to 90. 90 plus 11 personnel.
- [20:24]
Seth Wilcock
Right.
- [20:25]
Derrick Brown
Fine. If we're living in that world, Mai Lemon goes up my board on in tier two, that's fine. But what if. What if, and I'm not saying, like, this is the floor. Like, what if he gets a little bit more of the Josh Downs treatment and he comes off the field in some of those 12 personnel looks of those two wide receiver sets? Is everybody going to be so freaking happy about that? And then everybody's gonna be like, oh, man, NFL team's doing it wrong. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm equating in how I'm looking at this wide receiver class. It's. It's all pick your flavors, pick your skill types, and everybody has a right to their own takes about players. And me, like, the way that I'm. I'm weighing all of this is entering this version of the NFL, what players are going to be asked to do and how they succeed. Makai Lemon is freaking fantastic versus own coverage. When you put him on the outside, it's not just the ability to play the outside, it's to run the vertical tree. Makai Lemon is not a tall wide receiver. He's not like a physical alien. You look at his movement skills, they're good. They're not amazing. And Ray and I have talked about this off and I'm going to bring this in the show. Like 2024 to 2025, tape from Makai Lemon is different in his movement skills. He's not as twitchy, he's not as crisp. Now, whether he put on weight, injury, whatever, however we want to dice that up, the tape is different. So which version of Makai Lemon are we going to get in the NFL? 2024, 2025. And you look at the tape when he was asked to run routes on the outside, especially vertical routes, he's not a triple level threat. He plays like. But KY Lemon gets out on the perimeter and you'd swear he thinks he's T. Higgins. Like, he runs these vertical routes and he tries to post dudes up at the catch point and he's strong enough to win a lot of those battles. But when you go into the NFL and at his size and he's going to be what, a back shoulder guy at freaking511, you think he's going to win all of those battles consistently? No, and I'm not going to ask him to do that. But if the NFL teams are not going to ask him to do that. So if he can't win down the field like Amon Ra does, then what is he going to be? He's going to be a slot confined player. Can he be really good at that role? Can he be really good for us in fantasy?
- [22:39]
Seth Wilcock
Sure.
- [22:40]
Derrick Brown
But if he's coming off the field sometimes in two wide receiver sets and he's not giving you explosive plays down the field and it's all based off of volume and underneath volume, people could be disappointed. And this has nothing to do with me disliking the player thinking he sucks? That is. No, not part of this conversation at all. There are just other flavors of wide receivers that we're going to discuss here that I like a little bit more.
- [23:05]
Seth Wilcock
Ray, does 104 in a dynasty super flex rookie draft sound about right for Lemon? For you? And what about NFL draft capital? Where do you think he ends up landing when we get to April 23rd?
- [23:15]
Ray GQ
Yeah, 104 seems appropriate this year because after about the 108, it doesn't even matter. So you're going to take the guys that are drafted higher that profile to get some opportunity NFL wise. I think he's more of, I think after pick 10, you know, if Miami at 11, if they want to start out playing that game there because they don't have guys there, I think he's like a mid first round pick. He feels the same range where Addison and Smith and Jigba Buka, you look around those guys btj, you know, anywhere from the teams really. Seth, the starting round of the teens to like the early to mid-20s seems like an appropriate range. And here's the thing, I just want to say I have had to learn this. I've been doing this for a long time talking about fantasy football, transition of players to the NFL. Our pie in the sky. Expectations are so high that when players have solid yet not spectacular seasons, it just, it really taints the game that we play. If I told you Makai Lemon was going to walk away from his rookie year with 785 yards, five touchdowns and you see some growth, like common, normal, rational people would be like, that's a pretty good rookie season. In fantasy, we know that 700 yards and four touchdowns ain't nothing. You know, you're, you're, you're probably not even cracking 10 points per game. And then when that happens, you just bury a guy. Oh, they're no good. They're this Puka Nukua Jamar Chase, Justin Jefferson, Day 1 Expectations for these guys. We've got to really start to wind that back and, and, and, and ground some of These takes and expectations. In reality, I think he's a mid first rounder and I think the 104, to answer your question, is more. I'd be ecstatic to get him at the 104.
- [25:02]
Derrick Brown
But. But Ray, Ray. I was told JSN was a total bus after his rookie season. He was never going to be good, and he was. He was terrible. Is that the right take, Ray?
- [25:12]
Ray GQ
Yeah, that. That's what people said. I mean, we go look at adp. Best ball adp. The conversation was Marv. Over. Over jsn. Coming into the year, they were p. They were right back to back and people were like, give me Marv. I don't. JSN hadn't done it and he's got a downgraded quarterback. Give me Marv. Yeah, this dude. Is that. That I remember, right? Like, I remember the conversations that were had around some of these guys. These are good players, man. But I would. I would be adjusting my expectation for some of these guys coming in this year.
- [25:45]
Seth Wilcock
Okay. We're of course talking about the top 10 consensus wide receivers in the NFL draft according to the fantasy Pros Dynasty rankings. But if you want true real world discussions on the NFL, well, it's time to subscribe to the Tailgate on YouTube or follow the Tailgate podcast wherever you listen to your audio. The Tailgate isn't a fantasy channel. No, it goes beyond the box score to cover the NFL draft, the roster moves that actually move the needle on offense and defense, and the big picture NFL stories that will define the league year. So come on out of the fantasy war room and park it here on the Tailgate for the news takes and real world football talk that you won't hear on a fantasy show. Just search tailgate NFL channel on YouTube and hit subscribe or find the tailgate on your favorite podcasting app.
- [26:37]
Derrick Brown
And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on
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Ray GQ
car insurance with Liberty Mutual.
- [26:43]
Derrick Brown
Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show. Hey, everyone, check out this.
- [26:47]
Seth Wilcock
This guy and his bird.
- [26:48]
Ray GQ
What is this your first date?
- [26:50]
Derrick Brown
Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married.
- [26:55]
Seth Wilcock
Me to a human, him to a bird.
- [26:57]
Derrick Brown
Yeah, the bird looks out of your
- [26:58]
Seth Wilcock
league anyways, only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty.
- [27:02]
Ray GQ
Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author
- [27:07]
Derrick Brown
of the Fault in Our Stars. And now I guess also as the
- [27:10]
Ray GQ
co host of the Away End, a
- [27:12]
Derrick Brown
brand new world series Soccer Podcast I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World cup was Mexico 86.
- [27:21]
Ray GQ
I was nine years old.
- [27:22]
Derrick Brown
I watched every game and I fell in love. On our new podcast, the Away End,
- [27:26]
Ray GQ
we'll share with you the magic of
- [27:27]
Derrick Brown
international football, all leading up to the
- [27:29]
Ray GQ
2026 World cup for us. Soccer football is a story we've shared
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Derrick Brown
for over 30 years, since Daniel was the star player on our high school school soccer team. Very debatable. And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, its beauty.
- [27:51]
Ray GQ
Together we'll find out why of all the unimportant things football, soccer is the most important.
- [27:57]
Derrick Brown
Listen to the Away End with Daniel Alarcon and John green on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [28:06]
Seth Wilcock
Up Next, at wide receiver four we have Washington's Den Denzel Boston, who stands at six 3, 212 pounds. The former three star recruit was Jed Fish's X receiver the past two seasons. He totaled north of 1700 receiving yards, 20 touchdowns in that span, which was impressive when considering he was working with an overrated veteran quarterback in Will Rogers and kind of still work in progress quarterback in Demond Williams. Derek, what caught your eye when it comes to Denzel Boston?
- [28:34]
Derrick Brown
I think it has him wrong, man. Like people will talk about like oh, is he fast enough? Is he good enough? What's the ceiling like? I dude, his body control in the air is just sick. He. He's a ballpoint winner. He's an underrated route runner. Anybody that like and I just think one of the biggest misleading tropes is raw speed for wide receivers. Like dude, it's ridiculous. Like people like drool and awe and falling over guys run four threes and I'm not telling you that it's not cool and sexy and stuff like that. Give me the four or five guy that it's a detailed route runner. He understands leverage, he understands how to manipulate cornerbacks and running in the blind spot. Like he's just prototypical X man. Like that that's Tenzel Boston dude. Like his hips are a little bit tight so maybe like not the true ceiling of like somebody like a Jordan Tyson if he figures all of it out. But I freaking love Boston man. He's my wide receiver three of this class. His footwork compensates for some of the hip issues and stuff, but like he could snap off routes Again, I talked about the play strength like this is a guy like if a wide receiver, I mean at least if a team is looking for a wide receiver that can go out there, beat press coverage, be your ex, be your answer against man coverage. Boston can do that. And I think I talked about his abilities at the catch point, like a 62.8% contested catch rate over the last two seasons. You're not worried about drops like he's, I think profile him to the NFL. He's either going to be a like one of the best wide receiver twos out there or you can operate as your de facto wide receiver one in a pinch. But I look at him as probably in most NFL offenses slotting it as a high end wide receiver too. And that's where it leads to my comp man. He's Cortland Sutton to me.
- [30:16]
Seth Wilcock
Okay, Ray, where are you at on Denzel Boston who really showed up for Washington as they navigated this transition from the pack 12 into the Big Ten the last few seasons?
- [30:25]
Ray GQ
Yeah, you put it very mildly and kindly. Talking about Damon Williams, a work in progress, not good. He is a fun college quarterback, but not good as far as playing the quarterback position. Boston, very good usage score 6.34 which is fourth highest in my model if he gets the draft capital, his historical hit rate to hit some of those thresholds we talked about pretty damn good right up there with Jordan Tyson as well. Deepo nailed the comp. He's a big bodied X wide receiver. I comped him to Cortland Sutton back in January. Looking at my write up I think you could throw some other big prototypical X profiles in there. Nico Collins, DK Metcalf, of course he doesn't have that type of speed, but I think he fluid enough and that punt return touchdown that he had at the start of this season, you got a 6 foot 4, 200 pound wide receiver taking punt returns to the house. I think that shows some of the fluidity. A little underrated receiver and the Cortland Sutton archetype. I feel like it's very appropriate because coming out of smu, nobody was clamoring that Cortland Sutton could lead a team and be the top dog, can be the top target earner. And we just saw him come off of his season where he got 120 targets from from Bo Nix in an offense that also had 100 yard, 100 target guy in Troy Franklin. So I like Boston as well. I've got him graded as a late first, early second round pick. I think an Ideal spot for him, which would be chef's kiss for us for fantasy football. Top of the second round of the to the Las Vegas Raiders. And the Raiders after taking him, you know, there's a good chance that none of the big three are on the board. Potentially another receiver that we might talk about, Casey Concepcion may be off of the board, but right there at the start of day two, where we've historically seen T. Higgins go at the top of round to Michael Pittman Jr. At the start of round two, I can see another big bodied ex out of Washington going there. He's coming from a room he played with Roma. Dunze was a part of the same receiving class as Jalen in that same group with Jalen McMillan. This guy is good. So I like Denzel Boston as well. The comp is very appropriate. Used by a lot today, but I'll allow it. It's very appropriate. Cortland Sutton fits well.
- [32:35]
Derrick Brown
You know, I'm, I'm in the writing cave. I don't know what, what's consensus and popular and apparently I, you know, I'm all clickbait. So I mean, you know, I don't care about popularity there. Right.
- [32:44]
Ray GQ
But it's more than appropriate. More than appropriate.
- [32:47]
Derrick Brown
Two other spots that I would love at the end of the first round. Ray for Denzel Boston. Let him Billy, Malik Willis's wide receiver one in Miami. Sign me up for that. Or Kansas City, man, he'd be a perfect pairing with who they already have.
- [32:59]
Ray GQ
Yeah, I like that.
- [33:00]
Derrick Brown
Yep.
- [33:02]
Seth Wilcock
Another wide receiver that maybe the Raiders go after at the top of round two is a guy who's a three year starter for IU, Omar Cooper Jr. And he was really a deep ball threat for Curtis Rourke in 2024. He pulled in 28 receptions, nearly 600 yards and seven touchdowns and then became much more of a complete player. Working alongside Fernando Mendoza this past season. Grabbed 61 balls for 849 yards, 12 touchdowns, third best in the country. And he was an absolute weapon down the stretch in the CFP right. Reeled in five receptions, 71 yards in that national championship game against some pretty good Miami corners. He is a bit undersized at 6ft, 196 pounds. And like Lemon, there are maybe some question marks about whether or not he'll be able to get off press at that next level. What's your evaluation of Omar Cooper Jr. Ray?
- [33:48]
Ray GQ
I think he's a good receiver. I think he's a good receiver. I don't believe he's a first round receiver. Okay, maybe A team that takes him in round one out of necessity, out of fear that they can't get another guy. I think you can argue he was the third best receiver on his team this year. I think you can.
- [34:03]
Seth Wilcock
Charlie Backard.
- [34:04]
Ray GQ
Charlie Becker's a bad boy and he's going to be up there as one of the top wide receivers next year. And then you've got Elijah Surratt as well. I just want people to be consistent if you're going to dog out Carnell Tate for being the number two.
- [34:18]
Seth Wilcock
Yep.
- [34:18]
Ray GQ
Alongside what people say is the best wide receiver prospect that we have ever seen. Ever, ever. You could throw Calvin Johnson's name in there all you want.
- [34:28]
Derrick Brown
Yeah.
- [34:28]
Ray GQ
But people are dogging him out for playing next to a quote unquote generational receiver. But then you want me to pump Omar Cooper up and I don't know if he was better than Charlie Becker or Elijah Surat last year. You just have what's good for the goose has got to be good for the gander. You can't have it both ways. You can't pick and choose when you want to use that straw man to knock one player and then propel another. I like Omar Cooper Jr. I would not take him in round one. I could see a team doing it. I think he's more of a round two, mid to late round two type player. For fantasy. You're really going to need him to land on a spot where the team does utilize the three wide receiver sets that we talk about, because I think that's where he's going to make his hay, is on the inside and that's okay. Late first, early second. It's a weak draft class this year. If he gets the capital, I'll be a lot more in on him. If he's a first round pick, I'm a lot more in on him being like a mid to later second round kind of guy. You just need him to land in an environment that's going to utilize those slot players.
- [35:32]
Seth Wilcock
Derek, I'm kind of right in line with Ray, really. Like, I have Surat above Omar Cooper Jr. In my rankings, pushing Cooper really outside my top six. But still in that discussion, where are you at when it comes to the overall film analysis and your projections for the NFL?
- [35:47]
Derrick Brown
I have them back to back in my ranks. However people want to, you know, order them. That's totally fine with me. I like Omar Cooper Jr. I'm absolutely in line with Ray. I don't think he's a first round wide receiver. If he goes round one, that's fine. My problem is is when we get to like first and second round grades and splitting hairs on guys, if I can't project you, I don't want to say it's hard to earn a first round grade for me, but like a first round grade to me is if you're a first round wide receiver. In my mind's eye, I need to be able to project a way where like an NFL team is running a passing attack through you. You were the onus, you are the dude. And if I can't see that or I don't see an outlet to be that, like even in the worst case of circumstances, then you're probably not a first round wide receiver and that's totally fine. Like, I think he's a very strong second round wide receiver and I, I like Omar Cooper Jr. Like right now he's my wide receiver. Six of the class again. Him and Surat are right next to each other. Order them however you want to. Totally fine with me. But like Omar Cooper Jr. I mean, going back to a previous conversation versus Makai Lemon, I think is a very interesting conversation of two players that like in the last year played in the slot and stuff. If anything, with Omar Cooper Jr. We actually have proof of concept of him being a full time wide receiver on the outside and what that looks like so winning in that vertical route stem in that tree. Like, I think he's a really good route runner. I think like the physical traits put a hard cap ceiling on Omar Cooper Jr. Where you can't. He can produce yak. Yes. He like the speed is not amazing, but it's not terrible. But like, does he have the upside to be just like this elite wide receiver one in the NFL? No, I don't see that. So I'm with Ray and how he's evaluating and viewing him and you know, going back to like the Lemon conversation where Cooper I think can be a player that plays 50, 50 slot and outside. Now as an outside player, can he win downfield? Sure. Is that something you're going to ask him to do religiously? Probably not. But if you're playing like a team that plays a lot of zone and off coverage, can he play on the outside and is he a better route runner from the perimeter than somebody like a Makai Lemon? Yes. I think we have more proof of concept in that role and that type of versatility than a player like Lemon. So Cooper, I like him. I don't love him, but I like him a lot.
- [38:10]
Seth Wilcock
Yeah, you know, I know there's a Lot of debate on the Internet of certain prospects getting pushed up because of analyst ties with agents. This might be one of them. This, I'm just, you know, just floating it out there. This might be one. I mean, I've seen him in the first round of a lot of mock drafters I really respect. And it just feels like, you know, I've seen borderline, like lock status on that. I just don't agree with it. So I'm much more in line with you two gentlemen. Up next though, we have an art. Oh, good.
- [38:35]
Derrick Brown
Are you just, just, Is this just you projecting hate because he had like the catch of all catches versus Penn State? Is that what we're getting? Hey, it is. It is what it is.
- [38:44]
Seth Wilcock
I had a, I had an Indiana title future going, so I was, I was, it was a loss, but still a win for me.
- [38:49]
Derrick Brown
Speaking of pushing narratives, Penn State, man, fandom get you.
- [38:54]
Seth Wilcock
We're back, man. 2026 is going to be our year at least. You know, nine, three, championship. I'm ready. After that, it might get dicey, but we got Iowa State eastbound, baby.
- [39:06]
Derrick Brown
Okay. Anyway, copium notwithstanding, moving on.
- [39:09]
Seth Wilcock
Yes, let's move on here. Up next we have the artist formerly known as Kevin ak Casey Concepcion. Yes, it's the former three star wide receiver who burst on in the scenes as the ACC freshman of the year, putting up 71 receptions, 839 yards, 10 touchdowns in 2023, a part of the NC State Wolfback team. And then after a down 2024, the Charlotte Nave took his talents to College Station where he and quarterback Marcel Reed linked up for 61 receptions, over 900 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, the most in the SEC. That along with the most punt return touchdowns too in the conference, led him to all American honors this past season. And even at just 5 11, 196 pounds, Concepcion has flash ability to play both on the outside and in the slot. But will that be enough to get him in day one of the NFL draft?
- [39:57]
Derrick Brown
D, bro, he's a first round wide receiver. He is a first round wide receiver. I will say with my chest and I, it's funny how we're flip flopping back and forth. I mean, Ray and I were gonna like, you know, fight tooth and nail to be the first person to talk about Casey on this show because I know we both love him, man. Like he is my wide receiver too with this class. I, I, he, he's fantastic. And I have no questions or qualms about Casey Concepcion's ability to play on the outside. His route Running is stellar from a route running perspective. He's a top three wide receiver of this class. He can give you basically. I mean, let's talk about the skill set. What do you need? You need Yak. Casey could do it. For a player that had a 12.2 a dot. He was still 26 in Yak per reception beat man coverage. He could do that. Play the outside. Oh, he played on the perimeter and 65 of his snaps on his final season. I can make you a really, really easy case here, boys, that if Marcel Reed wasn't the quarterback, if he had a better quarterback at A M, his, his stat line would be emphatically better. And this is not just tossing like strays at Reed, but just the film don't lie, dude. The film don't lie. Casey. And. And the biggest thing that people lead the conversation with Casey Concepcion with is the drop rate. His hands, his hands, his hands, his hands. I'm not worried about his hands. I'm not. I see too many spots where. If you want to talk about drops, let's also talk about target quality and ball placement and the difficulty of, of securing said targets and times when players drop a ball. If it is an incredible highlight reel play. If you were to come down with said catch, what do we do in here? Why are we sliding guys for that? And the other part about this is there are concentration drops on it. So are there times where he's already thinking in his head, what am I going to do after the catch before he even secures the ball? Absolutely. But there are too many freaking times on Concep's film where I see him come down with a catch in traffic or I see him come down and immediately, as soon as he secures the ball, gets smacked by one or two defenders and holds on to the ball to where I'm not worried about his freaking hands. So people can miss me with the drop rate concerns. Just don't. I don't care. I think he's. I mean, what do you want out of player as a guy that could enter the NFL and he could be that wide receiver. One slash, two for you. That's Casey gets at home.
- [42:20]
Seth Wilcock
Ray, I see you got that Texas Southern sweatshirt on. So are you also an Aggies fan? And does that mean you're standing here with your guy, Casey Concepcion?
- [42:28]
Ray GQ
I am not an Aggie fan.
- [42:30]
Seth Wilcock
Okay.
- [42:30]
Ray GQ
But I did go to and dbro and I text about this way early in the process. I like Casey Conception a lot. His collegiate usage score 6.26, puts him in the Same bucket as Jordan Tyson, as Denzel Boston. So historically if he gets the capital, his chance of success in those thresholds, very high. Like some of those other players of wide receivers projected to go inside the top 100. There are two guys who had production early in their collegiate career. Casey Concepcion and Jordan Tyson. Both broke out in their age 18 season. Tyson Lemon, Boston. None of those guys did that. When I saw him in person, I guess I expected to see a smaller slot receiver. And I was right there, sideline of the game, Miami versus A and M. And my first thing that I text some people in my discord is, oh, he's a lot bigger than I thought. He's a lot bigger than I thought he, than he that I thought he would be. Seeing him live and in person, he's explosive, he's fast as hell. He offers you he wherever whatever team drafts him. He's their team's punt returner from day one. From day one he should be. Unless it's Gavante Turpin in Dallas. Right. You're going to be the part returner from day one. Probably an impact kick returner. He can play inside, outside. I think both can be true. Catch the damn ball, kc Right. Like but those are things that don't concern me. Those are. Marcel Reed is not going to be one of the quarterbacks that we're talking about as one of the high level NFL draft guys next year. Very good college quarterback. Not so much of the transferable and translatable skills to the NFL and he had to deal with that this year. He's a really good player, Seth and I do think that he is a first round talent. Back of the first. You drop him in San Francisco. My goodness, like what a spot down there with Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan. Would love to fit down there. I think there's some other teams that he could fit with as well. But I'm a fan of Concepcion. Firmly, firmly my wide receiver. Four in this class.
- [44:40]
Seth Wilcock
Wow.
- [44:41]
Ray GQ
Big, big time fan of his game
- [44:43]
Derrick Brown
to raise point to. He also plays bigger than his size. Like I've seen this guy win too many times at the catch point. I've seen him like play with physicality through his routes. Where the size, we could talk about size and where it shows up on film for certain players. Casey plays bigger than his size. Ain't worried about it.
- [45:02]
Seth Wilcock
Marcel Reed is such a mystery because you look at like the Notre Dame game and he was sensational. But then you watch like the first half of that South Carolina game, maybe the worst Quarterback play I've ever seen in the sec and even that playoff game that you were at, Ray, super underwhelming as well. So I definitely think it means good things for KC that he was able to, you know, perform despite some of the, the lack of efficiency from his quarterback, Marcel Reed. Gentlemen, let's move on to one prospect that we really haven't touched on the program so far this season. That's Louisville, Chris Bell. That is likely because this is a guy who tore his ACL during that penultimate game this season for the Cardinals. But he's still 6 foot 2, 198 pounds. So the size to play on the outside at the next level is certainly there. Something he excelled at during his four years in Northern Kentucky. And as a junior he finished fourth in the conference in yards per reception, taking just 43 receptions from Tyler Schuck for 737 yards and four touchdowns. And then became a borderline alpha wide receiver for Miller Moss. As a senior in this Jeff Braum offense, right, brought in the fourth most receptions in the ACC. 72 of them. 917 yards, six touchdowns. He's very strong after the catch, but the route tree was somewhat limited I believe. So mostly seeing targets on goes crossers. So Ray, where do you come down on someone like Chris Bell who. It's going to take a little bit of time, specifically recovering from this torn acl.
- [46:26]
Ray GQ
This one pains me, Seth, because I was a big Chris Bell fan throughout the college football season.
- [46:32]
Seth Wilcock
Okay.
- [46:33]
Ray GQ
Size, I think the athleticism is undoubtedly there. The route tree is a little concerning. And the reason why I'm a little nervous is because old GQ has been burned by these guys in the past. The short area yak bigger receivers, whether that be Rager, Traylon, Burks, God rest his soul, Rondell Moore, right? These, these players who are schemed up these touches and can thrive in college. Because Seth, he's playing in the ACC man, right? Like I could catch a five yard slant here in the ACC and out athlete everybody on the field because I'm 6162-220 and Rob probably run a mid to high four four forty yard dash. That works in the ACC, it works in the Big sky, it works in the Big 12. You know where it doesn't work in the NFC north, right. It doesn't work there. It doesn't work in the AFC West. You can't do that in the NFL. I'll say this 5.02 collegiate uses scores 12th. The historical buckets that he falls in 22% chance if he is a early second round pick to get 525 yards this year, 8% chance if he's an early second round pick to be a thousand yard receiver by year three and a 3% outcome chance to be a 15 point per game wide receiver by year three if he's an early second round pick if he's drafted any later than that. Given his collegiate profile, given all of that stuff, the chances of him truly being a difference maker for fantasy, even though I like him, the range of outcome is low.
- [48:17]
Seth Wilcock
And Derek, we've definitely seen these wide receivers that go into the NFL draft process with a torn ACL go at various spots like like we still had Jamo a couple years ago first round pick. We also had someone like John Mechi as well who was also entering the process banged up and he fell a little bit in the draft. Where do you think it ultimately shakes out for Chris Bell NFL draf Capital wise?
- [48:39]
Derrick Brown
Oh man, I could see him going late second. I could see him dropping to the fourth round. I just. There's yeah, there's a lot of guys and that we're going to talk about on next week's show that I like a lot more than Chris Bell. And Ray hit the nail on the head here. Like right now Chris Bell is my wide receiver 12 but he's not, he's in my tier four, the top of my tier four. So he's not even a top three wide receiver for me. And Ray, I mean talked about this exquisitely. Like the problem with Chris Bell is and everybody talks about like I've heard the name of A.J. brown and that type of usage brought up in the same sentence as Chris Bell and I and I understand that and when we contextualize that early career usage of AJ Brown as a catch and run receiver in Tennessee, dude, that's exactly what I mean. Chris Bell last year had a 9.4 a dot. He was fed a sturdy diet of horizontal routes like drags, slants, like basically every in breaking route you can run as an underneath route. That's Chris Bell's entire route tree. Like 63.2% of his targets last year were within nine yards of the line of scrimmage or behind it. And so if you're asking a guy to fill this specialized role and we talk about wide receivers and their skill sets and being a triple level threat to me like that's the one of the things like I, I just don't have a lot of substance like to really glom on to of like can he win Vertically. And I feel like what the way that they used him in College in 2025 was an indictment of his physical traits and the upside. And so it's like if you can't win vertically or. And that's not part of your game, whether from a skill set standpoint or because of athletic, an athletic ceiling, then what are you going to be in the NFL? Like, are we hoping that Chris Bell turns into like a power slot? Like, okay, but then we just talked about this version of the NFL is running more condensed formations and the slot wide receiver is.
- [50:38]
Ray GQ
Can I give you. Can he not be, can he not run the power slot? Allah Rashid Rice. I'm just throwing that out there.
- [50:49]
Derrick Brown
Yeah, but, but again, what we're talking about though, right? Like, isn't that like, that is the fever dream landing spot. If he doesn't get the Rasheed Rice type of role, then what are we talking about? If a team drafts him and says, we're gonna play you on the outside and then this is the limitations of his game, then he's what, an underneath possession guy, possession role type of player, then we're not getting like explosive plays down the field. And if the ACL does like, a player that we're talking about is he's got a muscular build and that serves well, like considering the routery that he ran. But again, a player that we're not talking about, he's not like a player that were. He's got alien type of athleticism. So if you hack off the top of the athleticism chart and say maybe for the rest of his career, he's 80%, 85% of who he used to be, maybe he gets all the way back, but we shall see with players like that too. If you're going to take away some of the athleticism post ACL that he had even before it and even before it, I'm saying him and AJ Brown are not the same dude. They're not cut from the same cloth. That's, that's just, just a fact. He's not the same type of player in raw physical attributes that A.J. brown is.
- [52:02]
Ray GQ
Sure.
- [52:03]
Derrick Brown
And you're going to play him in this type of role. Okay. Then the team's going to have to carve out a role for him. Is he going to play on the outside? And if he does, what's the ceiling look like? That's where I'm just not in on Chris Bell as much as a lot of other people are like, I get it, but I had a hard time coming up with a comp for him the closest I got and I'm curious, try this on for size. Ray, Quincy and Nunois.
- [52:26]
Ray GQ
Okay.
- [52:28]
Derrick Brown
Solid player, got everything robbed by injuries and stuff like that.
- [52:32]
Ray GQ
I think that's fair. I. I've not heard that but I love that a bigger player, it's a lot better than. It's better than AJ Brown who again I referenced Traylon Burks but I'm looking at Burks's draft profile according to Lanzer Line. AJ Brown with more wiggle. I've just, I've been burned by these slot crosser kind of merchants that don't find skill set. If he's drafted higher I'll feel a hell of a lot better of him than if he slept. Seth, if he's fallen in the draft. Yeah given the acl, given the profile this will be a guy that the I gave you the percentages like the range of outcome is really low or for a player like this.
- [53:15]
Seth Wilcock
Yeah it's someone that I'm seeing actually go at the end of first round rookie mock drafts, even super flex formats at times and it's just too much of a price tag for me. I'd rather take a shot on Ty Simpson. I'd rather take a shot on Eli Stowers, one of these running back prospects. The Mike Washington juniors of the world. So it's just kind of a no for me dog in that, you know, world that Chris Bell is living in. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor Hard Rock Bat Florida Sports Book. And we talk a lot of football on this show, certainly all year round. But the biggest weekend in college basketball is almost here. The round of forest set. And a national champion is just days away from cutting down the nets. That means now is the time to step up your game with the daily dancing boost on Hard Rock Bet. That's right. You're going to get a live profit boost and a parlay profit boost for the games. More ways to shoot your shot and more ways to cash in on boosted odds when the stakes are at their highest. And those heart stopping zero on the clock moments we've seen all tournament long, well they continue and they continue to pay out on Hard Rock Bet. They're handing out a 25 bonus bet. If a team you bet to win or cover, it's a buzzer beater. Because when the lights are the brightest, every shot matters even more. And if you haven't joined Hard Rock Bet yet, no worries. There's still time to get in on the game. New science can double their winnings on their first 10 bets, max of $50. That means if you'd won a hundred bucks on your bet, let's go ahead and make that 200. So don't sit on the bench. Download the Hard Rock Bet app today and let's get the party started.
- [54:48]
Derrick Brown
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- [55:16]
Seth Wilcock
Virginia let's keep it moving here gentlemen, because we have another wide receiver that some really might label as a one year wonder in Chris Brazel. But he did actually lead a two lane team that was undefeated in conference play in receiving as a red shirt freshman in 2023. He then transferred to Knoxville where he broke out in 2025 to the tune of 62 receptions, over 1,000 receiving yards, second best in the SEC and nine touchdowns, first in the SEC as well. He is a former three star and he had a great combine, posted a 4.37 second 40 time and also checked in at 64198 so you'll love that. And he comes from the NFL lineage. His father actually a six round pick by the NFL jets in 1998, spent some time in in the NFL and in the cfl. So pretty fluid route runner here in Brazil. Good contested catch ability as well. But was another prospect that did he see a ton of press coverage at Tennessee? That's the question mark for him. Overall, I think Brazil is someone I've continued to move up my dynasty rookie rankings over the past few weeks since Indianapolis. What about you Derek? Have you also been moving him up your rankings?
- [56:22]
Derrick Brown
No. Since I evaluate him he's been, I mean right where I placed him. I've got him at wide receiver 10. I like Brazil a lot. So the way that I look at Brazil's game and well, you don't like
- [56:32]
Ray GQ
him that much if you got.
- [56:34]
Derrick Brown
I mean that's fair, that's fair. And so I see the range of outcomes for Brazel and I want to lead this conversation off with he is not the prototypical Tennessee wide receiver of yesteryear where it's all stacked, bunch formations, free releases at the line. It's all fluky, nonsensical, Jalen Hyatt type of stuff where he's getting free release. That's. That's not Brazil like Brazil. When I watch him, he's got better route running chops. And for a player of his size, he can sink and explode. He could run the entire route tree. My, my question with Brazil is can he evolve his game in. In two specific ways? And it all comes back to play strength for me because he does. Like we talked about previous wide receivers, Casey Concepcion plays bigger than his size. You could say that about my Kyle Lemon. In certain aspects, Brazil plays like a smaller wide receiver. And when you look at playing through physical contact and routes, he can get pushed off of routes. When you look at his size and the idea of a wide receiver, his size versus how he plays, he wins with speed and route running. And that's what I think gives him the ceiling. Like if we were to flip over the cards in the next three years and say Chris Brazil was a wide receiver one for a team in the NFL, I would not be shocked. Am I projecting him that way? No, because he still has areas in his game. I don't know if he ever gets to that point. But you look at the play strength aspect, is it play strength versus technique? He does not play to his size at the catch point. You look, I mean, just continually and he can. There are highlight reel stuff where you'll see him make catches over guys, but it is not with consistency. It's highlight real stuff. That's all you'll see from him. Like in that aspect. For a player that like he's finishing college with a subpar, like a 40.8% contested catch rate, it's not good, man. Especially when you marry that with his size. And it shows up all throughout his film. I think what looking at Brazil, I look at him as being a wide receiver three and a field stretcher, probably entering the NFL and how he's going to make his money to begin it. And he can do those things. He has the speed, he can take the top off a defense. The ceiling. And drafting a player like Chris Brazil is if the technique can get better, if the play strength can get better, and maybe it can. Maybe this is a guy that's already been hit in the weight room religiously. And what we get out of play strength is what we get. But if he can continue to grow in those two areas, could he be a wide receiver one for an NFL team? I think he has that type of upside. But if you were to Ask him and say his career doesn't like his skill set doesn't ever grow and flourish beyond what it is. Right now he's Tyrell Williams to me.
- [59:15]
Seth Wilcock
Okay, Ray, what do you think? Because I know you cover college football very closely. And after that Georgia game where he had three touchdowns, almost 200 yards, I mean that was a scoring fest. The buzz around this guy, wide receiver, one Balintikoff award, you know, winner. It was high and it is certainly, you know, kind of crept down towards the end of the season. So where are you with some of that steam now removed from the picture?
- [59:37]
Ray GQ
Let me give you the unbiased take on him. I mean, in my, in my usage model, he's pretty high. He's seventh, 5.99, which is 0.01 away from getting him into this green cluster of some of the players that we talked about beforehand. And that's with him being projected as a late second round pick. Broke out at 19 years old, so relatively young. He's not a one year wander from Tennessee. I think I'll just, I'll just tell you who I have him compared to. It's a better version of Marquez Valdez. Scantling. As far as his, his, his NFL play style comparison, his vertical heavy route Tree is extensive. 24% of his routes were go routes, 12% post routes. So over a third of his routes run were just downfield vertical shots. It's almost like it was vertical or nothing. Press coverage only 25.7% of his passing plays he faced press coverage. So that is very low. He did not face that a lot, so he didn't have to deal with that. And the big thing that people talk about, and again, I don't know how much of this is true or not, but a lot of people say when you watch the tape, there are so many reps where I gave him a zero grade on the rep for no effort walking off the line of scrimmage if the ball didn't come his direction. And everybody says, well, they coached him to do that at Tennessee. They just, they coach the players. If the ball is not coming to you, walk, take the play off, jog, act disinterested. And I hear that and I'm like, well, how does that light switch in the NFL if I'm used to the play not coming to me and I just walk. I don't, I don't sell the route. I don't. Is he going to just be able to flip that switch in the NFL? I don't think so. So I'm going to go against deeper on this one. I would be absolutely floored if he's a team's wide receiver one in a couple of years. Absolutely shocked if that's within his range of outcome. I see a good player. I see a role player at the next level. I do not see a wide receiver one for some of the reasons listed. The Georgia tape was awesome. Those 177 yards were also like he had another couple of games against some inferior opponents and that was pretty much it for Brazel this year. I think he's a fine complimentary vertical downfield player. I don't see a complete player to be a true wide receiver one at the next level. And I question can he be really be a number two at the next level?
- [62:01]
Derrick Brown
Do you see the play strength concerns from him too, Ray, like at the catch point and during his routes and stuff?
- [62:08]
Ray GQ
Yeah, I mean I think that's his frame. I don't think he's a strong player. I don't think that's going to be his game. He's. He wants to win quickly, get the ball in his hands, take those vertical shots. We've seen these guys in the NFL and if you're going, if that's going to be your calling card, you have to be exponentially better than everybody else to earn those. Like Will Fuller. Think about how fun yet frustrating that was when he was healthy on the field because you just don't know when those shots are coming. And I wouldn't even put him remotely in the same vein as a Jameson Williams who was a mega producer in the sec. I think he's a fine player. Seth.
- [62:45]
Derrick Brown
Yeah, I agree.
- [62:46]
Seth Wilcock
Okay, maybe someone for best ball. That would be more interesting just because the fact that you don't have to pick and choose when to start him each week. So love that analysis and the disagreement from you gentlemen there. Let's go to another wide receiver who transferred around throughout his collegiate career in Alabama's Jeremy Bernard. He saw the field as a true freshman in East Lansing, then joined a Washington team that made that national championship run in 2023 totaled 419 receiving yards, four toe touchdowns on 4034 receptions and then followed his head coach Kaylin DeBoer to Tuscaly Lusa where totaled over 1750 combined yards, 12 total touchdowns, 114 receptions in his past two seasons. Actually out producing phenom Ryan Williams this past year in 2025. A lot more discussions to come on him next season, I'm sure. And he was catching passes from the likes of Jaylen Milro, Ty Simpson and Bernard worked out wide. He worked in the slot and out of the backfield occasionally. He is above average as a route runner, specifically in those intermediate areas of the field, but doesn't really always have the softest hands, especially on deep shots or the ability to win those 50, 50 balls. He did run a 4.48 second 40 yard dash. Checked in at 6ft 206 pounds at the NFL combine, earned a 9.06 relative athletic score. Raz so Ray Bernard, certainly someone who checks a lot of boxes, but will that be enough to make him a day two pick come April 23rd, 24th, something like that?
- [64:09]
Ray GQ
Probably. I think day two, he will be drafted on day two. I don't even think there's a probably about it. I do think that somewhere and when we say day two, that doesn't mean round two, round two and that round three we got both of those rounds. I do think he will end up being a top, you know what's that puts him in the top 100. Top 100 pick. The collegiate profile is not good. Like the usage is very low. He's 14th, 4.69 the historical hit rates across the board. If he's a late second round pick, zeros across the board, 500 yards, 0,000 yards year three zero. 15 points per game by year three zero, 1.7 yards per route run. I there's he's like the, I'm trying to think of a running back that's just they're mediocre, they're fine. He's like the Rashad White of wide receivers. He's. If he's out there, he might earn some opportunity. But there's nothing special about the Jeremy Bernard profile. Nothing. And if you're going to tell me he's going to be a compiler, he's not Keenan Allen. He's not one of these guys that you're going to force feed the ball to. I never thought he played like a 9.08 relative athletic score player. I didn't see that on tape. He doesn't, he doesn't play like this uber athletic wide receiver to me. He's big, he's physical, he's got short hands. They do a lot of Mickey Mouse stuff with him. Jet sweeps just kind of soft tossing the ball to get him going in motion again. I think he's a very average complimentary wide receiver at the next level.
- [65:43]
Seth Wilcock
Derek, how do you feel about him and is it someone that you think maybe especially the beginning of the season saw some softer coverage because of the expectations from Ryan Williams true freshman season.
- [65:55]
Derrick Brown
I mean, we could talk about, did he see softer coverage and stuff? I think that, you know, there's a much larger conversation where a lot of that stuff can kind of get overblown. Like, you don't see collegiate teams aren't, you know, shading a safety all the way, you know, to the wide receiver one. They're not shadowing guys. A lot of this just off coverage and so on in college. So for me, I, I just don't think Jeremy Bernard is special. Like, dude, we got to the beginning of this process and people are putting him in first round of mocks and I'm like, are you drunk? What are we doing here? It's not a first round wide receiver. He's not even a second round wide receiver. And I'll. I'll push back on right here. I think he needs to go round four at the earliest. Like, I. I've got Jeremy Bernard as my wide receiver, 19 in my rankings. Like, I just. Wow. I do not see it. I'm not gonna helmet scout here though, man. You know what I mean? Like, it's like, oh, he went to Bama.
- [66:49]
Ray GQ
Cool.
- [66:50]
Derrick Brown
And what else you got? Because I don't see it like, for a player that I think will be a much better NFL player than anything in fantasy and what have you, like, can he be a serviceable wide receiver three or four for an NFL team on a depth chart? Sure. Cool. Okay. Where's the ceiling? Because you talked about the Rascore set. That ain't showing up on his film, bro. It's not. It doesn't like my. My write up. I was surprised when he ran that and stuff. I think he's got a strong understanding of how to attack zone coverage, good pacing in his routes. Like he, he finds a soft spot in zone and stuff. But you could find dime a dozen wide receivers in the NFL that can do that exact thing for you and that offer you. They're good, but not great. Like, I think we're talking about a Tim Patrick, a Josh Reynolds type of phylum where he's on an NFL depth chart. He probably bounces around and has a much longer NFL career because of. He went to the sec. He was from Bama. He probably got drafted because of the helmet scouting a lot higher than he probably should have and that buys him extra opportunities. So can he be a solid NFL player? Sure. There is nothing here. Like, I. I'm not targeting him in rookie drafts. He's going to go much higher because where I have him ranked and I don't see that changing post NFL draft. He's going to go much higher in rookie drafts and I'm willing to take him. Like I've done some mocks on other shows like where he's gone in the second round and I'm like, bro, what are y'?
- [68:11]
Ray GQ
All?
- [68:11]
Derrick Brown
What are we doing here? Like 20, 25, he's 175th in yards per route run. 20, 24, 73rd in yards per route run. Like yeah, he can give some missed tackles for us, but like I don't think that's a translatable skill for him in the NFL because he's not twitchy. You don't see that the type of physicality where I think that's going to translate to the NFL. So a better NFL type of player than I think he will ever be for fans.
- [68:35]
Seth Wilcock
Okay, so let's go ahead and let's round out the program here with Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch. And this was a guy who was just an absolute huge name in Debbie fans football circles. Consensus five star recruit. Ranked as the number one wide receiver recruit in that 2023 class by Rivals and a few other platforms as well. Began his career out at usc. Played with the mix of Caleb Williams, Miller, Moss and of course Jade Maiva. At quarterback totaled 78 receptions, over 800 receiving yards and six total touchdowns across his two seasons there in Southern California in Lincoln Riley's offense. Then as a true freshman he was named the Johnny the Jet Award Rogers Award. He was the best return specialist in the country, taking both a punt and kick return to the house that season. Transfers to Georgia this past season and nearly put up the exact same numbers that he had in his two seasons at usc. In just one season actually led the SEC in receptions while working with quarterback Gunner Stockton. He ran a blazing 4.35 second 40 at the combine. Did check in though at just 59 and 177 pounds giving him that 9.12 raz. So with that said, where are you at on this Las Vegas native, Ray?
- [69:44]
Ray GQ
You know that's my hometown. He, he played at my, my arch rival school Bishop Gorman. So okay, shout out to North Las Vegas. And I'm a USC Trojans nut, so I love the Trojan. I was very excited to get Zachariah Branch his first college game. I think he went nuts. He's like returning ponce and I'm like this superstar in the making. Let's go. And as I've grown and learned through this game, I talked about Chris Bell and Learning my lessons. Branch is another one that I've got to learn my lessons from. And ironically he's sixth in the college. In my Trinity usage thing, he's one of the. I was waiting until we got to him. 6.09 Very good. It, it takes into account projected draft capital which right now probably need to run an update. I don't think he's going to be an early second round pick, but the five star pedigree definitely helps him. Over two and a half yards per route run this year. Absolutely helps him. And I do think there's a world in which he probably could maybe Seth do some different things for an NFL team that he was asked to do in college. But then I go back to the question why didn't they ask him to do it? Like why if he could, why did they not ask him to do some of those different things, different routes, different different deployment situations. They never asked him to do it at two stops. Said two very good programs. They never asked him to do it. And I just think projecting him today is a here's the way I want to play Branch. If he goes to a dope situation, the capital is relatively good. I'll adjust there, right? If he gets the pie in the sky landing spot and the Rams don't take a receiver in round one and at the back of round two they take a Zachariah Branch, I will have a lot more interest if whatever the team is right, it's going to be very team situation dependent. And even then I'm very hesitant on this archetype of player. I have learned my you cannot out Yak the NFL in the 4, 3, 5 that I mean that's what he was supposed to run. Everyone knew Zach Ryan Branch was fast. Everybody knew he was explosive. That don't matter, right? It doesn't matter to that degree in the NFL. Pukinaku ain't running a 4, 3 and it doesn't matter. You don't have to be that kind of guy. So the the unbiased chart says pretty good bucket. I always say hashtag trust the trinity. This is one of the ones where I kind of don't trust. It was that Branch being so high. Kind of don't trust this one with Branch, but we'll see.
- [72:15]
Seth Wilcock
Derek, what do you think? As someone who, you know, I don't want to say always like dismisses some of the five star prospects and you know, some of the hype that comes from the recruiting, you know, realm, but where are you at on Branch overall?
- [72:30]
Derrick Brown
I'm Just gonna lay some, some numbers out here first and please, then I'm gonna ask Ray a question here. So. Branch finishes College with a 5.280 3.6 in 2025, 77.9 slot rate. 77.4% of his targets in 2025 were within 9 yards of line of scrimmager behind it. 49.8% of his target volume was via screens. He had the second most screen targets last year amongst all FBS wide receivers. Ray, are we just doing the same thing that we did before with Rondo Moore?
- [73:09]
Ray GQ
No. No. Okay. We can like the talent of the player, right? I, I can like that all I want. But the reality is if that's how you've been deployed, there's no switch that just flips. And you know what? All I did was run screens. Now I could just do everything. Just ask me to do it all. You know what I think he'll be asked to do in the NFL? The same thing he was asked to do in college.
- [73:34]
Derrick Brown
Screens.
- [73:35]
Ray GQ
Let's get him involved. And that profile in the game that we play is just not one that's conducive of high level NFL success and in turn fantasy success. I'm very. I mean he would have to go to the creme de la creme spot and then you just fully trust McVeigh or whomever to work magic with this player.
- [73:57]
Derrick Brown
And that's exactly where I'm at too. It were Rondo Moore was a wonderful learning moment for me of trying to project what a player could be versus who they are and people similar archetype, very, very different player. Malachi Corley of previous years, where a lot of people did this again in succession where it's like from the prospecting standpoint, we always try to say who can a player be? How are they going to evolve understanding that a player is. Is not a fully formed player when they enter the NFL, how can they grow? The other thing we have to wrap our heads around and raise talked about the usage and I laid it out here. Sometimes NFL teams and a lot of times with this archetype, they draft them for who they are, not who can they become, it is who they are. And we're just going to ask you to do those things in the NFL and for an NFL team, fine, cool. But for fantasy circles and if you're expecting this player to grow into something that where they're showing where you seeing the substance of can they become this other type of player and run the full route tree it. It's probably just not there, man. And again, like trying to learn lessons in prospecting for doing this for a number of years. This is one of the lessons of yesteryear that I'm going to apply in 2026.
- [75:15]
Seth Wilcock
Okay. All right, folks. Well, that'll do it for us on this episode of the Fantasy Pros NFL Draft Show. Ray, thanks so much for taking some time for us today. Can you please let everyone know how we can best support and find your work, man?
- [75:25]
Ray GQ
Yeah, just check out the content on YouTube. Ray Garvin at Ray GQ on YouTube. You type that in, I pop up. All the stuff that we do over there wake up Ray and Jay and I every Monday and Thursday at 9am and just check out the content on x@Ray GQ. That's Q U E. Seth, it's always a pleasure. Even though my USC Trojans are going to win the Big ten this year. And D, bro, you know I love you, man. Anytime you say come on the show, I will be here, brother.
- [75:53]
Derrick Brown
Same, man. Much love.
- [75:55]
Seth Wilcock
Well, we appreciate it, man. For us here at Fantasy Pros, please don't forget to smash that like button if you enjoyed this episode. And also please don't forget to subscribe both of the Fantasy Pros Dynasty and the NFL Tailgate YouTube channels. We'd really appreciate that support there. We'll be back next week. We got E.J. snyder coming on to break down the rest of this wide receiver class. Also, be sure to check out all the great written content and our full toll suite@fantasypros.com our recent NFL Mock Drafts, ECR Rookie Rankings, Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft Simulator, all there for you to take advantage of. Thank you so much for watching. For Ray GQ and Derrick Brown, I'm Seth Wilcock. Take care, y'.
- [76:29]
Derrick Brown
All.
- [76:30]
Seth Wilcock
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Derrick Brown
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Seth Wilcock
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Derrick Brown
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Ray GQ
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Derrick Brown
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Seth Wilcock
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Ray GQ
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Derrick Brown
Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married.
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Seth Wilcock
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Ray GQ
Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.
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Seth Wilcock
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Ray GQ
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Derrick Brown
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Ray GQ
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Derrick Brown
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Ray GQ
And I am Greg Rosenthal.
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Derrick Brown
I know that, Greg. We're teaming up on 40s and free agents, the podcast that owns the NFL off season.
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Seth Wilcock
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Ray GQ
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Derrick Brown
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Seth Wilcock
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Ray GQ
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Derrick Brown
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Ray GQ
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Derrick Brown
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