by John Tuvey
Senior NFL Analyst: The Huddle
#42) Sammie Stroughter WR Ht: 5-9 Wt: 189 Drafted 7.24 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dynasty Value: Stroughter’s strong minicamp showing, tempered somewhat by some missed OTA time with a strained hamstring, has escalated his time-table. Not that the Bucs were all that stocked at wide receiver, but head coach Raheem Morris said after minicamp that Stroughter had already played his way into Tampa Bay’s top four receivers. His size suggests that he’ll most effective working out of the slot, and the Bucs currently have a pair of bigger receivers on the outside. Stroughter will also have the advantage of developing right alongside Morris’ hand-picked quarterback of the future, Josh Freeman.
2009 Considerations: While Stroughter could see immediate playing time as the Bucs’ third receiver—beating out the likes of Dexter Jackson and Maurice Stovall hardly seems like much of a chore—there are enough other questions in Tampa Bay to suggest keeping him on the fantasy backburner. With a new coach and offensive coordinator, not to mention either an inexperienced or rookie quarterback, there are bound to be growing pains. As it stands the Bucs’ strength projects to be their running game, so the fantasy value of a rookie third receiver in such a scheme is minimal at best.
#43) Jeremiah Johnson RB Ht: 5-9 Wt: 220 Undrafted; signed by the Houston Texans
Dynasty Value: You have to like a guy who averaged better than six yards a carry in each of his four college seasons and played well enough as a junior to take carries from current Panther Jonathan Stewart. But if Johnson is so good, why did he go undrafted? One word: injuries. Johnson tore up his knee as a junior, then played his entire senior season with a dislocated shoulder that he’d pop back into place by himself to stay in games. If he can find a way to stay healthy—and the reduced workload of a complementary role might be just the ticket—Johnson offers more upside than the Texans’ current collection of backs (Chris Brown, Ryan Moats, fellow undrafted rookie Arian Foster) they hope can alleviate some of Steve Slaton’s burden.
2009 Considerations: The Texans asked Johnson to drop 10 pounds by the start of training camp, and he’s planning to wear a brace to hold his shoulder in place until he can have surgery. It would take some doing for Johnson to wind up with enough carries in year one to be fantasy relevant, but he could wind up earning handcuff duties and a spot on fantasy rosters as insurance. His skill set and experience in a zone-blocking system translate well to the Texans’ scheme, so the adjustment from college to the pros doesn’t present a major hurdle. If you’re drafting Slaton this year, keep an eye on the backup battle knowing that Johnson is fully capable of stepping in and surprising—just like Slaton did a year ago.
#44) Derrick Williams WR Ht: 6-0 Wt: 194 Drafted 3.18 by the Detroit Lions
Dynasty Value: Williams was one of the nation’s top recruits coming out of high school, and while his Penn State career wasn’t exactly a disappointment it was hardly the memory-maker many anticipated. So he comes to the pros with unrealized potential—and what better team to wind up with than the Lions? Detroit is actually pretty set at wide receiver, especially after adding Dennis Northcutt to work in the slot—where Williams would likely have played, at least at first. Williams brings return skills to the table as well as some quarterback experience, so expect the Lions to use him on special teams and in Wildcat formations. Down the road, if he realizes some of that considerable potential he may wind up as a decent No. 2 to Calvin Johnson.
2009 Considerations: You already have the difficult college-to-pro transition for a wide receiver. Mix in the fact that a hamstring injury knocked Williams out of Detroit’s final round of OTAs and the rookie definitely has an uphill climb to make an impact in his first NFL season. Treat him as an indigent man’s Percy Harvin: some return work, some Wildcat and backfield work, but in Williams’ case the presence of Northcutt will have a far more dramatic impact on his playing time than Bobby Wade’s will on Harvin in Minnesota.
GET THE REST OF TUVEY'S TOP 50 ROOKIE RANKINGS AT INSIDER CENTRAL
