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Every year on Twitter, a bunch of so-called experts will stump for big-bodied rookie wide receivers who are only good at one thing–contested catches. They will throw out physical stats and show you spectacular highlights of these pass catchers in an attempt to get others to draft them. Don’t take this bait.
Big-bodied rookie wide receivers historically struggle at the NFL level. That is because the contested catch trait is actually a huge red flag. It is a sign that the receiver struggles to create separation from defensive backs and may not run deceptive routes. Simply put, if they can’t get open in college, how will they fare as a pro?
The answer is almost always not good. There is no better example of this than JJ Arcega-Whiteside, a player who possesses what could be the best contested-catch highlight package in college football history. Countless fantasy football “experts” were screaming at dynasty managers to take him wherever possible.
Three seasons, three teams and 16 catches later; Whiteside has been irrelevant. Here’s the thing, the Stanford product was a joy to watch in college. His tape is amazing. However, he’s almost never open and his route tree was dependent upon beating up on undrafted cornerbacks. That didn’t happen.
Of course, it’s not just Whiteside that falls into the big-bodied rookie wide receivers with elite contested catch ability. Here are some others drafted since 2017:
- Amara Darboh
- Jehu Chesson
- Josh Malone
- N’Keal Harry
- Hakeem Butler
- Gary Jennings Jr.
- Chase Claypool
- Bryan Edwards
- Josh Palmer
- Alec Pierce
Brutal. The one common trait all these players shared was the ability to bully college football secondaries. However, that almost never translates to the NFL. This is what you need to remember when fantasy football experts make their case for players such as Jayden Reed or Michael Wilson in upcoming dynasty drafts.
Sure, the contested catch highlights are spectacular but what else do the big-bodied rookie wide receivers bring to the table? If you can’t find the answer and experts don’t provide one, avoid them entirely unless you want to waste a pick.
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