NFC NORTH

MINNESOTA

Not one, not two, not three, but four bullets found the body of rookie DL JAYLEN TWYMAN in DC, but he is expected to recover.

Minnesota Vikings rookie defensive lineman Jaylen Twyman is expected to make a full recovery after being shot four times on Monday while visiting a family member in Washington D.C.  NFL.com:

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported the news after speaking with Twyman’s agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Rosenhaus detailed the extent of his client’s injuries, telling Rapoport that “they are all flesh wounds, superficial wounds. I spoke to him, I spoke to his family, they’re all at the hospital. He’s expected to make a full recovery.”

Added Rosenhaus, “He walked himself into the hospital. He was an innocent bystander in a car — wrong place, wrong time. They did X rays, there are no broken bones, no ligament damage. I spoke to his father, he’s going to be OK. And I informed the Vikings of everything that is going on and how he is.”

Selected by the Vikings in the sixth round of April’s draft, Twyman, 21, signed his four-year rookie contract in May. The former Pittsburgh standout accumulated 57 tackles, 11 sacks and one first team All-ACC nod (2019) in two years under coach Pat Narduzzi. Twyman, who redshirted his freshman year in 2017, opted to sit out of the 2020 campaign.

NFC EAST

NEW YORK GIANTS

Eli is coming back.  Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:

Eli Manning is officially back in the fold.

It was reported in January that the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback had met with Giants co-owner John Mara about a potential ambassador role in the organization. Then in April, Manning said the two parties were still figuring out what that role will be.

Now we all know.

Manning has rejoined the Giants in a in business operations and fan engagement role, the team announced on Monday. Per the club’s press release, Manning will “also collaborate with the Giants on original content development and fan engagement activations, including a new lifestyle series premiering this fall.”

“After not being able to come back in the facility for a full year, to finally see my former teammates and the individuals I’ve spent the past 16 years with — like the trainers and equipment guys, video, scouting, management, owners — it’s incredibly exciting to be back,” Manning said in a statement. “Staying involved with this organization is very important to me. I love the organization, love the Giants and the fans, and so I want to do anything possible to help them out and be a part of it.

“I’m willing to do anything. … But I’m focused on the business side with corporate partners and on community relations, which was always so important to me while I was playing here and is something, I’ve placed a high priority on throughout my life. I’m looking forward to seeing where I can make the most impact in helping the Giants achieve their business and community goals.”

Additionally, the Giants announced Manning will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor and will have his jersey retired at the Sept. 26 game against the Falcons. He will be New York’s 43rd member inducted into the Ring of Honor.

“It’s a great honor and just an unbelievable feeling,” Manning said. “I don’t know what the emotions will be that day. I know they’ll be high, though. To have that feeling and that final goodbye, a true goodbye to the fans, and to thank them for supporting me during my 16 seasons here, it’s going to be special. I think it’s an opportunity for me to thank everybody here — teammates, coaches and the organization — for believing in me, for bringing me to New York and for giving me a chance to have success. It’ll be an awesome day to be here and a great celebration.”

Manning set a Giants record with 236 games played, including 210 consecutive starts from Nov. 2004 to Nov. 2017. He set over 20 franchise records while helping engineer championship victories over the Patriots in Super Bowl XXLI and Super Bowl XLVI.

“For 16 seasons, Eli represented and defined what it meant to be a Giant and we are excited for him to join the business side of our front office,” co-owner John Mara said. “Eli is one of the most beloved players in Giants history. We had a mutual interest in him returning to the organization and we’re thrilled to welcome him back.”

“We are proud Eli was our quarterback for so many years and now look forward to his next chapter as a Giant,” co-owner Steve Tisch said. “Eli is the ultimate team player and will be a huge addition to the organization as we continue to elevate and strengthen our business operation.”

NFC SOUTH

TAMPA BAY

QB TOM BRADY is likely to play a bunch of quarterbacks who are nearly half his age in the 2021 season.  If he starts against ZACH WILSON of the Jets on January 2, it will be a QB less than half his age.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Tom Brady‘s visit to New England on October 3 is the most anticipated game of this NFL season, with Brady and the defending champion Buccaneers returning to the place where he won his first six Super Bowls. But it could be a historic occasion for another reason that is as much about the Patriots’ starting quarterback as about Brady.

If rookie Mac Jones is the Patriots’ starter, his matchup with Brady would set a new NFL record for the largest age difference between starting quarterbacks in NFL history. Brady will turn 44 on August 3, while Jones will turn 23 on September 5. Never before has there been an age difference of more than 21 years between two starting quarterbacks.

The current record for the largest age difference between starting quarterbacks is 20 years, set last year when Brady and the Buccaneers took on Justin Herbert and the Chargers last year.

If Jones doesn’t win the Patriots’ starting job, a new quarterback age gap record can be set on October 14, when Brady and the Buccaneers take on Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. Hurts will turn 23 on August 7, so he’s less than a month older than Jones.

But an age gap record set by Brady vs. Jones or Brady vs. Hurts may not last long. The Buccaneers play the Bears on October 24, and Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields is younger than either Jones or Hurts. Fields won’t turn 23 until March 5.

And the age gap record can be broken once again on January 2, when the Buccaneers face the Jets and rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, who is only 21 years old. Wilson was born on Brady’s 22nd birthday.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

LB ZAVON COLLINS welcomes himself to Arizona by driving recklessly.  TMZ.com:

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Zaven Collins — a 1st-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft — was arrested Sunday night after cops say he was driving recklessly, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The 22-year-old — who was taken by the Cards with the #16 overall pick — was stopped by officers in AZ after cops say he was speeding and driving dangerously.

We’re working on further details regarding the incident … but a jail official tells us Collins was booked Sunday night and released a short time later.

We’ve reached out to Collins’ reps, the Cardinals and the NFL for comment … but so far, no word back yet.

Collins was such a superstar at Tulsa — logging 4 sacks and 4 interceptions in his junior season in 2020 — he’s already been penciled in as a Cardinals’ starting linebacker this year.

The rookie just signed his first contract with the Cards earlier this month — a 4-year deal that’s expected to pay him $14.7 million.

AFC WEST

DENVER

KANSAS CITY

A felony charge for DL FRANK CLARK as he is caught cruising the streets of LA with an Uzi.  NFL.com:

Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark was arrested in Los Angeles Sunday night and charged with felony possession of a concealed firearm, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed toNFL.com Monday.

Clark, 28, was taken into custody around 9:20 p.m. PT after being pulled over near Grand Ave. and Adams Blvd. for a vehicle code violation. The routine traffic stop took a turn after LAPD officers noticed an Uzi sticking out of a bag inside Clark’s vehicle, leading to his arrest.

Clark was held in police custody until 2:30 p.m. PT on Monday when he was released after posting the $35,000 bond.

Clark, a two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion with Kansas City in 2020, is scheduled to appear in court on October 18.

LAS VEGAS

DL CARL NASSIB makes news.  Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY:

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib made history Monday by coming out as the first active openly gay NFL player.

Nassib made the announcement in an Instagram post.

“I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” Nassib said in a video recording. “I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now but finally feel comfortable getting it off my chest. I really have the best life, the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for.

“I’m a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know that I’m not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important. I actually hope that one day, videos like this and the whole coming out process are not necessary, but until then I will do my best and my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting and compassionate.”

Nassib added that he is donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project, which he called “the No. 1 suicide prevention service for LGBTQ youth in America.”

Said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement: “The NFL family is proud of Carl for courageously sharing his truth today. Representation matters. We share his hope that someday soon statements like his will no longer newsworthy as we march toward full equality for the LGBTQ+ community. We wish Carl the best of luck this coming season.”

Nassib, 28, is a five-year NFL veteran who was selected in the third round of the 2016 draft by the Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Penn State. Nassib is entering his second season as a backup defensive end for the Raiders and spent 2018-19 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He appeared in 14 games last season, including five as a starter. He has 20 1/2 career sacks.

“It’s 2021. All the more power to Carl,” Raiders owner Mark Davis told ESPN. “It doesn’t change my opinion of him as a person or as a Raider.”

Nassib could become the first openly gay player to play in an NFL regular-season game. Former Missouri defensive end Michael Sam came out in 2014 before being selected in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams, but he did not make the cut for the final 53-man roster. Several NFL players have come out after they retired.

Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com chronicles some of the favorable reaction:

Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib has received support from around the NFL after coming out on Monday as the league’s only openly gay player.

Statements of support came from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Raiders owner Mark Davis and Raiders coach Jon Gruden.

Two other members of the Raiders’ defensive line, Darius Stills and Solomon Thomas, posted on social media that they were proud of Nassib.

Nassib’s former Penn State teammate and current Giants running back Saquon Barkley tweeted, “Much respect, brudda.” Nassib’s coach at Penn State, James Franklin, wrote, “I was proud of Carl when he led the nation in sacks, but I’m even more proud of him now.”

“Good for you Carl,” wrote Cardinals defensive tackle J.J. Watt. “Glad you feel comfortable enough to share and hopefully someday these types of announcements will no longer be considered breaking news.”

This from Warren Moon:

@WMoon1

Really proud of Carl Nassib. The first active football player to ever do so. I played with several guys who never were comfortable enough to go public. They were great teammates, & obviously very talented.

Warren Moon

@WMoon1

As long as they helped us win and were great teammates- their sexual preference was never a issue..

We live in a different time now where diversity is much more accepted. Cheers Carl, and I hope this lets other athletes know, its OK to say who you are…👏🏽

AFC NORTH

CLEVELAND

The Browns bandwagon is huge this year, but John Breech of CBSSports.com finds a bettor who is going it alone:

For most of the past two decades, the Cleveland Browns were the laughingstock of the NFL, but that all changed in 2020. Under first-year coach Kevin Stefanski, the Browns finished with an 11-5 record, which helped them earn their first playoff berth in 18 years.

Based on their current roster, the Browns seem like a team that should be a playoff contender in 2021, but not everyone’s convinced that Cleveland is actually going to be good. As a matter of fact, there’s at least one person out there who thinks the Browns are on the verge of a historic collapse. A gambler at Fan Duel is betting on the Browns to finish the 2021 season with the WORST RECORD IN THE NFL.

The bettor dropped $700 on this prop at 250-to-1 odds, which means if the Browns do finish the season with the NFL’s worst record, then our betting friend will take home $175,000 in profit.

On the surface, this bet definitely seems kind of crazy: A team following up a playoff season by finishing the following year with the worst record in the NFL is almost unheard of. However, it has happened before.

Since the NFL playoffs expanded to 12 teams in 1990 (It’s now at 14 teams), there have been a total of five teams that have gone to the playoffs and then finished the following season with the worst record in the NFL.

THIS AND THAT

KEY PLAYERS

Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports.com identifies someone on each team who is particularly key to that club’s fate in 2021:

It’s officially Subjective List SZN in the NFL.

A season that, basically, spans from the start of training camp through the end of OTAs the following year, is now truly in its offseason. Nothing is happening in the NFL. In a few weeks it will all ramp back up again.

Seems as good a time as any to take a look at each team in the NFL, as presently constructed, and try to find a player whom the season might hinge upon. And, more to the point, not to default to the quarterback or the kid they just selected in the first round as the player to keep the closest eye on … Except in certain cases, well, it really is undoubtedly the quarterback and there is no counterargument (Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Houston). And in some cases that player is actually a coach (or, in the case of one team that seems to be perpetually too cute with its staffing, it’s actually two coaches performing the same job).

Make sense? Yeah, probably not entirely. Perhaps it will when you get to the bottom.

NFC East

WFT: Montez Sweat

This could be a top five defense. This should be a top five defense. If healthy, Chase Young is gonna be a Defensive MVP candidate. And if Sweat can be the Robert Mathis to Young’s Dwight Freeney, then this team will be playing into January again.

Cowboys: Tyron Smith

They go as the offensive line goes, and the old and beat up offensive line goes as the stud left tackle goes. And Smith’s neck has been a problem. Dak Prescott’s return and any rebirth from Zeke stems from the OL being elite again. That is pretty iffy at this point.

Giants: Kenny Golladay

Was anyone else giving him close to $36M guaranteed as he lingered on the free agent market? Can he do enough, with others in the supporting cast, to prop up Daniel Jones? We’ll find out with jobs on the line.

Eagles: Jalen Hurts

I was largely impressed by what he did under very adverse conditions a year ago as Carson Wentz went into brat mode after being benched. A modicum of health along the offensive line and from the RB position would give the young QB more of a boost. I’m bullish on his prospects.

AFC East

Bills: Cole Beasley

Are the Bills gonna become the team at the vortex of this vax/anti-vax stuff? The roster is loaded and expectations are Super Bowl-high for good reason, but the healthiest teams tend to thrive in this league and a locker room divided of science and quackery sounds suboptimal.

Patriots: Trent Brown/Kyle Van Noy

Bill Belichick loves to bring back former stalwarts on the cheap after things went sideways elsewhere. If these two perform the way they did when last in New England, then the playoff odds will soar.

Dolphins: George Godsey/Eric Studesville

Too cute by half? Employing co-offensive coordinators is the best way to bring Tua along? Individually, both would carry big questions and together it could be double the trouble. Godsey was a problem in Houston.

Jets: Zach Wilson

When you draft a QB as high as they did, after blowing it with so many other top picks at that position, and taking him over more seasoned prospects, well, it tends to define your season and your franchise.

NFC South

Bucs: Tom Brady

The GOAT tries to slay Father Time yet again. Normally, we would say this Disney plot is too ridiculous to be true, but this group might be even better this year with the transition/feeling-out process now behind it and a normal training camp ahead.

Saints: Michael Thomas

Will he remain a key cog for them? Is he eventually going to be dealt? Will his impact change with Jameis Winston at the helm?

Panthers: Christian McCaffrey

Could he produce 2,500-plus yards from scrimmage in a 17-game season? How will he respond to injury? Sam Darnold is going to need him to be in peak form.

Falcons: Kyle Pitts

This team thinks it can still contend, and he should get a heavy target-share after the Julio Jones salary dump. It won’t be enough to offset a bad defense, but it could go a long way to determining how long Matt Ryan sticks around.

AFC South

Colts: Carson Wentz

Was last year the beginning of the end of his days as a possible MVP candidate, or a blip of sorts? Is he another Band-Aid option for Indy post-Andrew Luck, or will he be there for his prime?

Titans: Julio Jones

They are going to have to score a lot of points to win, and he and A.J. Brown might form the best receiver tandem in the NFL if he can stay healthy.

Jaguars: Urban Meyer

Plenty of ominous signs already for a college coach used to unmitigated power over his players (subordinates), who must change his ways to succeed in the NFL. This will be a delicious sociological experiment if nothing else.

Texans: Deshaun Watson

No one could have seen his legal issues coming, and no one knows how this will end. Whether suspended or not, or traded, it’s hard to see him back in Houston either way.

NFC North

Vikings: Irv Smith Jr.

Will the tight end have that true breakout season? Former second-rounder in position to be a vital contributor and security blanket for Kirk Cousins.

Packers: Aaron Rodgers

The premier soap opera in pro sports rages on. Will he report for camp? Can they get the band back together? Will Jordan Love be ready if Rodgers does stay away?

Bears: Justin Fields

How long will those in power wait to play their best quarterback? It’s clear this won’t be a fair fight at camp, and with jobs at stake at some point they turn it over to the rookie hoping he can keep them around. It’s telegraphed for weeks.

Lions: Jeff Okudah

Does he emerge as a top corner in Year 2 and face of a defense that is — yet again! — in transition? He was part of the divide between former GM Bob Quinn and former coach Matt Patricia and, on a roster with little talent, Detroit’s rebuild needs to have at least a few holdovers from the past.

AFC North

Browns: Jadeveon Clowney

They get 12 games from him in the regular season and him at least quasi-healthy for the playoffs, with Myles Garrett on the other side, and Cleveland will be a tough out in the postseason.

Ravens: Bradley Bozeman

All the talk about receivers and that need, and you forget the team didn’t have a center who could actually snap the ball regularly a year ago, leading to Lamar Jackson’s season-ending concussion in the playoffs. Bozeman was a strong center at Alabama and if he solidifies the interior of the line as expected, the offense could make big gains.

Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger

Father Time is undefeated and he has been whipping up on this future Hall of Famer for a few years now. Would be quite the comeback if the QB can hold him off.

Bengals: Joe Burrow

How quickly will he play after surgery cut his rookie season off too soon? Will there be a lengthy process to get back to where he was? Will they protect him better and put him in better position to succeed?

NFC West

Rams: Raheem Morris

This defense shocked the world under Brandon Staley a year ago. Can Morris pick up where he left off (despite losing some key parts of the secondary)? If so, this is a Super Bowl team because the offense looks loaded to me.

Seahawks: Duane Brown

Russell Wilson made it clear he is sick of running for his life in Seattle. They need to get the left tackle in the fold and protect their franchise QB, or else another tumultuous offseason may be looming.

49ers: Trent Williams

Kyle Shanahan drafted him way back when and loves him and he may be the top left tackle in the game, but injuries have been a constant and this team has had bad injury luck and they need Williams to get where they want to go.

Cardinals: Chandler Jones

Best pass rusher in franchise history being asked to play out a way under-market deal despite having plenty of money to throw at oft-injured J.J. Watt. Hmm. Wasn’t around for minicamp. Could be a trade target. Big Year 3 for Kliff and Co. on that staff. Stay tuned.

AFC West

Chiefs: Orlando Brown

Was excellent at left tackle for Baltimore for half a season replacing Ronnie Stanley, but that is a very different offense that throws far fewer times than Andy Reid does. I believe Brown will be excellent, but it’s a small NFL sample size and upgrading the offensive line was priority 1, 2 and 3 for K.C. this offseason.

Broncos: Von Miller

Does he have another dominant season in him after the recent lost years? Can he bounce back from injury and set himself up for another payday in 2022? If so, Denver will be in the wild card hunt.

Raiders: Gus Bradley

He had a heck of a time getting a loaded Chargers defense to be what many thought it should become. Now he takes over a team that has one of the worst defensive rosters in the NFL. Yikes.

Chargers: Joey Bosa

Can he be a game-changer week in and week out in 2022? If so, I think this team can actually hang with the Chiefs and not let them just run away with the AFC West in November.

TOP ROOKIE RBs

Last week, analytics ace Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com told us that the top five drafted RBs will be the top five rookie RBs in 2021.  How about the wide receivers?

Continuing an ongoing series that uses contextualized data and my computer-vision models to project which rookies will be the most productive in 2021, I’m taking a look at the wide receivers. And given how much recent draft classes have been defined by immediate returns at this particular position, I’m expanding the format to take a look at the top seven:

1 – Ja’Marr Chase

Cincinnati Bengals

Draft pick: Round 1, No. 5 overall

Next Gen Stats shows that the Bengals used 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) on the greatest percentage of snaps in the NFL last season (75.4), setting up nicely for Chase to immediately be on the field with both Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. As for Chase’s impact potential from a reunion with his LSU quarterback, Joe Burrow, one area that flags for success is deep passes (20-plus air yards). Last season, Cincinnati receivers averaged just 6.9 yards per target, the second-lowest mark in the NFL (NGS). According to Pro Football Focus, Chase leads FBS receivers with 14 deep TD receptions since 2019 — pretty remarkable, considering the LSU product opted out of last season. His 860 yards on deep passes in 2019 led the country. And in that national title campaign, Chase was computer vision’s most open receiver (judged by percentage of targets where he had at least 3 yards to work with) on passes intended to travel more than 10 air yards. Furthermore, his speed on yards after the catch in that Biletnikoff Award-winning season featured the least erosion (which is a measurement of fatigue) between game start and game end in the SEC — and that conference boasted spectacular receiving talent in 2019.

2 – DeVonta Smith

Philadelphia Eagles

Draft pick: Round 1, No. 10 overall

Passes intended to travel 10-plus air yards were not a source of success for the 2020 Eagles. Per Next Gen Stats, Philadelphia carried a 9:12 touchdown-to-interception ratio on such targets to wide receivers last year, along with a 40.3 reception percentage on those passes (30th in the NFL). Smith’s consistent route running and ability to earn separation forecast to help change that this season. His 4.0 receiving yards per route run over the past two seasons topped the FBS charts. Computer vision shows that, last year, the Heisman Trophy winner had the highest percentage of receptions in which he had more than 3 feet of separation at the time of the catch despite a defender being within 3 feet of him on the path of the route. This carries over into yards after the catch; Smith increased his speed once he had the ball in his hands at the third-highest rate in the FBS in 2020.

3 – Jaylen Waddle

Miami Dolphins

Draft pick: Round 1, No. 6 overall

Not only will Waddle help Tua Tagovailoa when the second-year signal-caller targets his former college teammate, but the speedy playmaker will also generally command a lot of attention, which will help the whole offense have more space to work with and inherently drive up the unit’s potential to be extremely efficient. Last season, 29.4 percent of Miami’s targets to wide receivers were thrown into tight windows — the highest rate in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats. Over the past two college campaigns, Pro Football Focus ranks Waddle in the top five in yards per route run (3.6, including a robust 4.4 in 2020 alone) and yards after the catch per reception (11.5). My model says his speed when open — i.e., when no defenders are closer than 3 yards — is the fastest in this draft class. And according to PFF, Waddle also had just one drop on 29 catchable passes during his injury-abbreviated 2020 campaign.

4 – Terrace Marshall Jr.

Carolina Panthers

Draft pick: Round 2, No. 59 overall

On targets of 10-plus air yards last season, Carolina receivers logged just four touchdown catches against 10 interceptions (tied for third-most picks), according to Next Gen Stats. Now, Marshall isn’t the only player who figures to improve this aspect of the offense in 2021, as the Panthers have a new quarterback (Sam Darnold) and a presumably healthy RB1 (Christian McCaffrey). As a Jet last season, Darnold had just five touchdowns of 10-plus air yards, per NGS, but he logged eleven in both 2018 and ’19. As a big-bodied pass catcher at LSU, Marshall had seven touchdowns on deep targets over the past two seasons (tied for third-most in the SEC) and 20 catches in traffic over that same time period (PFF). Matt Rhule and Joe Brady — the latter of whom knows Marshall well from their time together at LSU — can create space and scheme up some deep opportunities for their second-round pick. Marshall will at least fill a volume void left by the departure of Curtis Samuel. With D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson and McCaffrey as established NFL playmakers, Carolina figures to stretch opposing defenses horizontally and vertically, providing Darnold with a highly favorable environment in which to operate. This spells upside for Marshall’s fantasy value.

5 – Elijah Moore

New York Jets

Draft pick: Round 2, No. 34 overall

NGS shows that the Jets had just two receivers with 10-plus receptions of 10-plus air yards last season: Breshad Perriman with 14 and Jamison Crowder with 13 — and Perriman is in Detroit now. Pro Football Focus credited Moore with 490 receiving yards on deep targets last season, ranking seventh in the FBS. He also recorded just two drops on 88 catchable passes. There is some uncertainty in the Ole Miss product’s fantasy forecast, as Crowder took a pay cut to remain on the team, whileZach Wilson faces a challenging learning curve as a rookie starter at the game’s most important position. But Moore’s upside is quite high, especially considering this Jets secondary has a lot of question marks, meaning Gang Green could be relying heavily on their own passing game to keep pace in shootout game flows.

6 – Rashod Bateman

Baltimore Ravens

Draft pick: Round 1, No. 27 overall

Ravens wideouts only logged 41 receptions of 10-plus air yards last season, as well as just 78 catches for 952 receiving yards when aligned out wide — all NFL lows, per Next Gen Stats. (Baltimore was the only team to earn fewer than 1,200 yards from wide alignments.) Route-running precision is a metric my model values more than most, and Bateman thrives in this area, especially when aligned on the outside. I’ve found that route-running precision leading to separation in college typically plays well in the NFL. Over the past two seasons in the FBS, Bateman ranked No. 3 among wide receivers in terms of route-running efficiency (as measured by reliable timing and the ability to create separation) on routes run from outside alignment. Pro Football Focus adds additional context here: Over the past two seasons when it came to intermediate targets (10-19 air yards), Bateman ranked second in the FBS with 44 catches and third with 697 yards. The only reason he ranks sixth on this list is the volume of rushing plays the Ravens are still likely to run.

7 – Rondale Moore

Arizona Cardinals

Draft pick: Round 2, No. 49 overall

Next Gen Stats credited the Cardinals with utilizing 10 personnel (1 RB, 0 TE, 4 WR) on 20.3 percent of snaps last season, the highest figure in the NFL by a wide margin. In fact, only one other team eclipsed six percent usage (Buffalo at 14.4). While Larry Fitzgerald’s status for 2021 remains unknown, the Cardinals seem to have turned the page. Consequently, Moore’s opportunity in the slot appears exceptional and immediate. My computer vision shows that over the past three seasons, Moore maintained his speed after contact on inside routes at the highest rate of any receiver in the FBS. The only thing limiting his fantasy value is the fact that DeAndre Hopkins is elite, and the addition of A.J. Green introduces some volume uncertainty.

Are these the top seven receivers shuffled?

1-5       Ja’Marr Chase                     CIN         LSU  

1-6       Jaylen Waddle          MIA        Alabama      

1-10     DeVonta Smith          PHI          Alabama

1-20     Kadarius Toney         NYG         Florida

1-27     Rashod Bateman      BAL        Minnesota 

2-34     Elijah Moore            NYJ           Mississippi

2-49     Rondale Moore         ARI          Purdue      

2-56     D’Wayne Eskridge    SEA          Western Michigan

2-57     Tutu Atwell                 LAR          Louisville

2-59     Terrace Marshall Jr. CAR        LSU

So Kadarius Toney gets bypassed.