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[Dynasty] 2020 NFL Draft Class (2 Viewers)

2020 Post-NFL Draft RB Depth Chart (Fantasy Football)
Mike Clay@MikeClayNFL

19 RBs were drafted (assuming we include Perry/Bowden/Gibson).

That's compared to 25 in 2019 and and average of 23 over the past decade. 19 is the fewest since 15 were picked back in 2010.

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Wasn't a deep class and really no-one stood out like a Saquon or a Zeke so it was thin on-top.  

Have to wait and see how this class shakes out but the NFL spoke with drafting dollars.  

 
Mike Clay@MikeClayNFL

19 RBs were drafted (assuming we include Perry/Bowden/Gibson).

That's compared to 25 in 2019 and and average of 23 over the past decade. 19 is the fewest since 15 were picked back in 2010.

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Wasn't a deep class and really no-one stood out like a Saquon or a Zeke so it was thin on-top.  

Have to wait and see how this class shakes out but the NFL spoke with drafting dollars.  
I’d be curious to see this stat as it relates to WRs since the assumption is this is a DEEP WR class.  Keep in mind the number of draft picks are finite, so if one or more positions is deep, they’ll get picked at a detriment to the other positions.  So it could be that this is a “normal” year for RBs but because of how deep WRs are (and maybe other positions), the RBs were ignored for those positions. 

 
I’d be curious to see this stat as it relates to WRs since the assumption is this is a DEEP WR class.  Keep in mind the number of draft picks are finite, so if one or more positions is deep, they’ll get picked at a detriment to the other positions.  So it could be that this is a “normal” year for RBs but because of how deep WRs are (and maybe other positions), the RBs were ignored for those positions. 
RB don't get paid. If you play S on Defense and RB on offense in HS which one are you going to want to play in college?

 
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RB don't get paid. If you play Safety on D and RB on offense in HS which one are you going to want to play in college?
I think you missed my point.  I was saying that we may have seen less RBs drafted this year not because the RB class was weaker but because the other positions are deeper than usual.  What I was pointing out is that there is a finite number of draft picks so one position loses when another wins.   
 

My comments had nothing to do with pay scale or position choices in high school. 

 
I think you missed my point.  I was saying that we may have seen less RBs drafted this year not because the RB class was weaker but because the other positions are deeper than usual.  What I was pointing out is that there is a finite number of draft picks so one position loses when another wins.   
 

My comments had nothing to do with pay scale or position choices in high school. 
I didn't miss your point. You may be right. Just pointing one of the other reasons there may be less RB drafted. 

 
I’d be curious to see this stat as it relates to WRs since the assumption is this is a DEEP WR class.  Keep in mind the number of draft picks are finite, so if one or more positions is deep, they’ll get picked at a detriment to the other positions.  So it could be that this is a “normal” year for RBs but because of how deep WRs are (and maybe other positions), the RBs were ignored for those positions. 
NFL Draft History broken out by position WRs

 
Bracie Smathers said:
Thanks.  i just did a quick count across the last ten years.  From 2011- 2020 there have been a total of 318 WRs draft for an average of 32 WRs per draft.  In 2020 there were 37 WRs drafted...5 above the 10 year average.  The range was a low of 26 in 2013 and a high of 37 in 2020.  See the data below

2020 = 37

2019 = 28

2018 = 33

2017 = 32

2016 = 33

2015 = 35

2014 = 33

2013 = 26

2012 = 33

2011 = 28

 
Thanks.  i just did a quick count across the last ten years.  From 2011- 2020 there have been a total of 318 WRs draft for an average of 32 WRs per draft.  In 2020 there were 37 WRs drafted...5 above the 10 year average.  The range was a low of 26 in 2013 and a high of 37 in 2020.  See the data below

2020 = 37

2019 = 28

2018 = 33

2017 = 32

2016 = 33

2015 = 35

2014 = 33

2013 = 26

2012 = 33

2011 = 28
It's the best WR class I've ever seen. It doesn't have a Julio Jones level prospect (well it does but the NFL disagrees with me or he would have been drafted higher) but it has 6-7 really good WR that weren't all drafted in the first round. 

 
It's the best WR class I've ever seen. It doesn't have a Julio Jones level prospect (well it does but the NFL disagrees with me or he would have been drafted higher) but it has 6-7 really good WR that weren't all drafted in the first round. 
Sorry if you’ve posted this already in this or another thread, but I’m curious who you’re referring to...

 
Sorry if you’ve posted this already in this or another thread, but I’m curious who you’re referring to...
I haven't talked about him. I'll talk about him after my draft but that will be a while. There's plenty of good ones this year though. Only problem is path to playing time/targets. 

 
20 Fantasy Football Takeaways from the 2020 NFL Draft

Rookie excerpts:

Darrynton Evans has league-winning upside

As you can see, I’m not going for the run-of-the-mill analysis right off the bat. We will touch on those pieces that you’ve already heard five times each. This is one player so few are discussing though. Besides Evans, Dalyn Dawkins and Khari Blassingame are the only running backs on Tennesse if Derrick Henry were to get injured. In that scenario, this run-heavy offense with an incredible offensive line would make a young athletic running back like Evans an RB1 right away. I’ll be drafting him late just in case this scenario plays out.


Michael Pittman, Justin Jefferson and Denzel Mims have perfect landing spots

If you had told me before the draft that I’d have Jefferson as my rookie WR1 and Denzel Mims ahead of CeeDee Lamb and just behind Jerry Jeudy, I’d have laughed so hard. But landing spots are huge, as you know, and the three listed above landed in the best possible situations. Pittman will start right away with Philip Rivers behind the best offensive line in football. Jefferson takes over for Stefon Diggs as the only other competent wideout on the Vikings opposite of injury-prone Adam Thielen. Then Mims might just be the top wideout right away for a Jets team who has only Jamison Crowder, an injury-prone Qunicy Enunwa and newly signed Breshard Perriman.


Clyde Edwards-Helaire is the easy dynasty 1.01

I know most everyone had one of D’Andre Swift or Jonathan Taylor as their 1.01 before the draft. Heck, even Jeudy and Lamb appeared to be locks over CEH, but then Andy Reid went out and drafted him in the first round before saying he is a better version of Brian Westbrook. Whoa! You can say first round running backs don’t always get a huge workload so CEH isn’t guaranteed to start over Damien Williams, but that doesn’t make it true. The only example we have of that happening is with Pete Carroll a few years ago before Rashaad Penny showed up overweight then broke his hand. Edwards is starting for the best offense in football so don’t get cute and pass him up.


Bryan Edwards might lead the Raiders in targets

Huh? You mean them team that drafted the first wideout in the first round? Yeah. That’s the team. Ruggs is great at what he does but he is not a possession receiver. He’s a gadget player who can break a big run after the catch like Tyler Lockett. That’s a very useful player, especially when your QB doesn’t throw downfield often, but that doesn’t mean he’ll see over 100 targets. Edwards might. Yes, they drafted Lynn Bowden too, but they called him a running back when they drafted him. Edwards is starting as the X-receiver and this a polished NFL-ready wideout who will make for a solid WR5 in your fantasy leagues this season.


Ke’Shawn Vaughn is going to start Week One

Look, I like Ronald Jones II too. I’d love to see him get his crack as a week in, week out starter in this offense but it just isn’t going to happen. Bruce Arians didn’t draft him and clearly isn’t thrilled with him, otherwise, Dare Ogunbowale and Peyton Barber wouldn’t have been stealing so many touches and snaps from him. Arians has a specific type of running back he has always liked and Jones doesn’t fit the bill. Vaughn does entirely. He will protect Tom Brady and is good enough to post RB2 numbers in this offense even with a 60/40 or 65/35 touch split. He will be a steal in the 8th or 9th round of redraft leagues this season.


Jerry Jeudy’s landing spot drops him to rookie WR #5

Jonathan Taylor has one of the best offensive lines in football (1.02 in dynasty)

D’Andre Swift has the least competition for touches of any rookie RB (1.03 in dynasty)

Cam Akers might have the worst offensive line (again)

Joe Burrow has some major weapons in CIN (top 15 QB right away)

Brandon Aiyuk and Jalen Reagor are solid late-1st dynasty rookie picks (targets available + draft capital)

Anthony McFarland has major upside if James Conner gets injured (#2 behind great O-Line)

 
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Just finished my one and only dev draft of the year. 2020-eligible players only. This is a TE-premium league, but none were taken.

Bryan Edwards was out of the pool due to being taken last year.

1.01 - RB D'ANDRE SWIFT, GEORGIA
1.02 - WR JERRY JEUDY, ALABAMA
1.03 - RB TRAVIS ETIENNE, CLEMSON
1.04 - WR CEEDEE LAMB, OKLAHOMA
1.05 - WR LAVISKA SHENAULT, COLORADO
1.06 - RB JONATHAN TAYLOR, WISCONSIN
1.07 - RB CAM AKERS, FLORIDA STATE
1.08 - WR TEE HIGGINS, CLEMSON
1.09 - RB ENO BENJAMIN, ARIZONA STATE
1.10 - WR JALEN REAGOR, TCU
1.11 - RB JK DOBBINS, OHIO STATE
1.12 - WR TYLER JOHNSON, MINNESOTA
1.13 - RB KE'SHAWN VAUGHN, VANDERBILT
1.14 - WR HENRY RUGGS, ALABAMA (MY PICK)

Last year I had a middling pick and whittled down my options to a four man short list of Jalin Moore, Darrell Henderson, Damarea Crockett, and Noah Fant. I ended up taking Crockett. Woops. That's the nature of these dev drafts. Even if you do your homework, they are very much a coin flip. In this particular league I've drafted Doug Martin, Andrew Luck, Saquon Barkley, Justin Blackmon, and Mark Andrews in previous years, along with Mardy Gilyard, Stafon Johnson, Cameron Marshall, Bucky Hodges, and Jarret Dillard. Yeah...dev drafts are a crapshoot.

I don't follow CFB much at all anymore, so I had to do a lot of catching up in a short amount of time for this year's draft. I went through and sorted draft-eligible RBs and WRs by production, and took a look at the notables. Then I looked at early 2020 rankings and added anyone to the evaluation list that I missed on first pass. The rankings that I put together from watching clips largely mirrored the early consensus. I have two loose RB buckets as follows.

RB Cam Akers, Florida State
RB Travis Etienne, Clemson
RB D'Andre Swift, Georgia
RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
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RB JK Dobbins, Ohio State
RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt
RB Zack Moss, Utah
RB Benny LeMay, Charlotte
RB Trey Sermon, Oklahoma
RB Najee Harris, Alabama
RB Larry Roundtree, Missouri
RB AJ Dillon, Boston College
RB Anthony McFarland, Maryland

I don't see a Saquon this year, and while I like the top 4, I wouldn't trade an elite asset for any of them. Akers reminds me a bit of Devonta Freeman, another Florida State RB. Good all-around game that lacks a monster frame or elite wheels. Etienne reminds me a bit of Darren McFadden, but bigger. A FAST one-cut sprinter/slasher type. Not the shiftiest or the most powerful, but he can really hit the crease at 100 mph. Swift looks pretty good all-around. Not a jaw-dropper in any particular way. Taylor was a little hard to assess from highlights because a lot of what he did was just sprinting around the edge without having to actually shed tackles or make any cuts.

Of the next tier, Vaughn has some interesting production and looked like he might have a chance. LeMay has the classic stocky RB frame and good feet/hips, but lacks a second gear. A Rudi Johnson type perhaps. McFarland reminds me a lot of Alex Collins. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I got a TJ Yeldon vibe from Sermon. Biggish frame and decent explosiveness, but a bit awkward in his movement. Dillon is a big, strong, deliberate runner. Those aren't the rage in today's NFL. I see parallels with Greg Jones and Andre Williams, who didn't exactly set the league on fire. If you want to think optimistically, you can maybe make a James Conner comparison. Dobbins has some McCaffrey-like traits, but his production showed a shocking lack of big plays last season and I wasn't awed by his highlights.

Not trying to bash anyone's pick, but one player who looked a little overrated to me was Eno Benjamin. My notes on him are that he has a good jump cut, but is small without elite game speed. Jahvid Best without the wheels.

As for the WRs, I knew I wasn't going to be in position to get Jeudy and I wasn't interested in trading up this year. When I was going through the lists and watching highlights, I did find a couple lower-rated players who caught my eye. The first one was Houston WR Marquez Stevenson. Decent height, explosive, and athletic in the open field. Over 1k receiving yards last season and a sub 22s 200m guy in high school, so he has stats and a likely 4.4x 40 time. Not the strongest guy, tends to cradle catch, and his highlights don't show him running any complex routes, but from a raw athletic standpoint he's an NFL prospect. Emmanuel Sanders is a possible comp. I see that he's nowhere to be found on most 2020 WR lists, but I think that's a mistake. I think he's better than quite a few guys ranked above him. File him away as one to watch over the next 8-9 months.

While I liked Stevenson's clips, I decided that Alabama WR Henry Ruggs was going to be my pick if he was available. His highlights caught my eye and when I dug into his background more I was encouraged to see that he's a 10.5x guy in the 100m. The speed shows on the field. He's very fast, but also shows fluid lateral movement and some natural plucking ability with his hands. TY Hilton is probably the most realistic best-case scenario for his ceiling. Interestingly, when I looked at some other devy resources like the DLF lists and these rankings, he was not among the top 10-15 prospects in this class. I was happy to see that because I thought I'd be able to easily snag him at 1.14, but then I saw him go #11 in two of our sister leagues and started getting nervous. Luckily he still fell to me. He lacks ideal size and there will be questions about his ability to be more than a complementary target in the NFL, but everyone is looking for the next Tyreek Hill or TY Hilton these days and if prospects like Marquise Brown, Mecole Hardman, Will Fuller, Calvin Ridley, Parris Campbell, John Ross, and DJ Chark can be top 65 picks in today's NFL then I think Ruggs will be a high choice when all is said and done, likely somewhere between 20-60. If I don't like him come April, I can probably cash out and recoup what I gave up to get him.
This aged pretty well overall.

I didn't have any notes on Clyde last year, but must've studied him at some point, as he was listed in the third tier in my .txt file.

Didn't follow the CFB season at all, but I'm surprised Etienne didn't come out. Won everything. Nothing left to prove. He must love it at Clemson.

My takeaway from the 2020 draft is that it's deep, but doesn't have a headliner.

I didn't see a "must-have" type of prospect back then and still don't. Bad news if you have a top 3-4 rookie pick, but it looks like there will be interesting talent available into the 2nd-3rd round of rookie drafts.

 
My takeaway from the 2020 draft is that it's deep, but doesn't have a headliner.

I didn't see a "must-have" type of prospect back then and still don't. Bad news if you have a top 3-4 rookie pick, but it looks like there will be interesting talent available into the 2nd-3rd round of rookie drafts.
Agree with this for the most part except for Taylor. Def an elite prospect and he landed in a perfect position. Clyde landed in the best spot a RB could so he's worthy of a top 2 pick as well. 

After that it's super deep but I would add the WR class this year is amazing......the problem is the league is oversaturated with WR so they just aren't as valuable as a 3 down back or and elite TE. 

 
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This aged pretty well overall.

I didn't have any notes on Clyde last year, but must've studied him at some point, as he was listed in the third tier in my .txt file.

Didn't follow the CFB season at all, but I'm surprised Etienne didn't come out. Won everything. Nothing left to prove. He must love it at Clemson.

My takeaway from the 2020 draft is that it's deep, but doesn't have a headliner.

I didn't see a "must-have" type of prospect back then and still don't. Bad news if you have a top 3-4 rookie pick, but it looks like there will be interesting talent available into the 2nd-3rd round of rookie drafts.
Will you be posting your rookie rankings this year? Always a great read....

 
Matthew Berry's Fantasy Football Love/Hate, 2020 NFL draft edition

Rookie excerpts:

Joe Burrow, Bengals: Much more appealing as a dynasty pick than a re-draft one, don't be surprised if Burrow has immediate 2QB/Superflex league appeal and is in the weekly streaming discussion come the second half of the season. Burrow comes into an offense that was top 7 in the NFL in pass attempts per game, pass percentage and red zone pass percentage last season. Four of the past five QBs to be drafted No. 1 overall finished their rookie year as a top-16 QB in fantasy points, and with a receiving corps of A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, newly drafted Tee Higgins (more on him later), John Ross III, Auden Tate and good pass-catching running backs Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard, Burrow has way better weapons than most top-picked quarterbacks usually get.


Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs: Wait. So the only player in SEC history with 1,000-plus rushing yards and 50-plus receptions in a single season just got drafted by ... Andy Reid and the Chiefs? BE STILL MY BEATING HEART! Apologies in advance for how much I'm going to hype this guy this summer. There is a very real chance CEH has to get a restraining order on me at some point in 2020.

Make no mistake, Damien Williams (who will be a free agent after this season) will still see some time, but this is going to be the Edwards-Helaire show in Kansas City, and it's gonna be awesome. As was widely reported after CEH was drafted, Reid was told to watch his tape because it would remind him of Brian Westbrook. After he saw it, Reid said, "He's better than Westbrook." From 2004 to 2008, Westbrook never finished worse than RB7, and he was RB1 in 2007 and 2008. Since Reid came to K.C., the Chiefs are sixth in RB fantasy points. All in. ALL. IN. I might have just carved CEH + TMR 4 EVA on my desk. Be still my beating heart, indeed.


Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Buccaneers: Ultimately, this all comes down to Tom. If Tom doesn't trust him, he ain't playing. But man, is Vaughn going to get an opportunity. Vaughn enjoyed multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons at Vanderbilt, and he was third on the team in receptions last year as well. Bruce Arians was asked in his post-draft news conference, "Back at the combine, you said you were looking for a David Johnson-type of pass-catching running back. Did you find that guy?" Arians answered: "Ke'Shawn Vaughn is a guy who can play every down." Later in the response, Arians mentioned seventh-round RB Raymond Calais and said he could see Calais having a "Tarik Cohen-type role" in which the rookie runs but also catches passes. Arians described Calais more than once as a "joystick"-type player and mentioned a potential kick-return role as well. Remember, Arians inherited Ronald Jones II, and now it sounds as if he just drafted the players he wants to play the primary and secondary roles in his defense. There's a chance it's all coachspeak, and again, it really just comes down to whom TB12 wants to hand the ball off, but Vaughn is gonna have a chance at a significant role in a Brady/Arians offense, and I am very willing to spend a midround draft pick to see if that materializes.


Jonathan Taylor, Colts: Darren McFadden. Ricky Williams. And Jonathan Taylor. The only running backs in history to win the Doak Walker Award twice. Taylor is 5-foot-10 and 226 pounds, and his 4.39 40 was the third-fastest 40 by a RB listed as at least 225 pounds in the past 15 years. He is powerful, and now he gets to run behind one of the best offensive lines in football -- a line that was fifth in yards per rush before first contact on RB carries and sixth in red zone rush percentage. And it should be a better offense that is in scoring position more often with Philip Rivers under center. Now Rivers is a veteran, and pass protection is an area Taylor needs to work on, so you'll still see some Nyheim Hines on passing downs, and I do think Marlon Mack has a role. But Taylor should have a big role initially, and he will eventually take over the job entirely. (And Mack will be a free agent next year.) And when Taylor does take hold, watch out. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is my No. 1 dynasty running back, but Taylor is right there behind him.


Others receiving votes: The only reason Cam Akers is in this section and not a full-on "love" is because I don't know yet how much work Darrell Henderson Jr. and Malcolm Brown are going to get. But there's a real chance Akers, who had 11 rushing TDs in between tackles in 2019 (tied for ninth most in FBS), is the lead back on a Rams team that, despite having a brutal offensive line, generated the third-most red zone carries last year. Worth noting for dynasty purposes, Brown will be a free agent after this season. ... At his post-draft news conference, Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn commented: "Not to say that Joshua Kelley can be Melvin Gordon, but he is that downhill, physical runner that I like watching tape." Austin Ekeler is safe as the lead back, but whether it's with Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert, remember that Lynn, former NFL running back, is likely to continue to run a lot and will need more than just Ekeler to do it. Kelley over Justin Jackson for me.


I'm a big Devin Singletary fan, but Zack Moss can play. He runs hard (his average for missed tackles forced per touch was seventh best among running backs, and his 4.1 yards per carry after first contact was ninth best. With Frank Gore's 179 touches (including 16 goal-to-go attempts) up for grabs, there's potential that Moss has legit flex value this year and, at worst, makes life more complicated for those who invest in Singletary.

Some players who don't have a ton of stand-alone value this year but landed in great spots for dynasty include J.K. Dobbins in Baltimore, where he is a great fit for the Ravens' offense (30-year-old Mark Ingram IIwill be a free agent in 2022); Anthony McFarland Jr. in Pittsburgh (he averaged 3.1 yards per carry after first contact for his college career); and La'Mical Perine for the Jets. Given how much the Jets invested in offensive linemen this offseason, plus their first-round selection of 6-foot-7, 364-pound Mekhi Becton and the fact that the Jets can get out of Le'Veon Bell's contract after this season, Perine is an interesting dynasty stash. Speaking of that rebuilt Jets offensive line, I actually think Bell is undervalued this year and will provide strong RB2 numbers at a bargain ADP.


Kerryon Johnson and D'Andre Swift, Lions: Oh, good. A running back by committee situation. On a team that doesn't run. That's just great. Sigh. Last year, Detroit was 19th in rush percentage, 20th in red zone rush percentage and 22nd in running back target share. Now, in fairness, the Lions' offense was a mess. Matthew Stafford missed a ton of games and Johnson got hurt, among other things that went wrong in Detroit. So maybe the Lions just didn't feel like they could run effectively given the state of their offense. And certainly, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has been in charge of heavy run offenses before. But even if they decide to run more, remember that general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia come from the Patriots school of football -- that is, multiple running backs to be deployed in whatever way the matchups dictate on any given week. Johnson and Swift are talented and both will have fantasy value this year, but where I had them tentatively ranked prior to the draft has dropped considerably now that they have to share the ball.


Antonio Gibson and Antonio Gandy-Golden, Redskins: I'm listing Gibson here as a wide receiver, because that's where I think he gets the most run this year, but he will see time as a running back as well. Gibson played both positions at Memphis, and I know the Redskins were thrilled to get the versatile 6-foot, 228-pounder with 4.39 speed. Head coach Ron Rivera said his skill set reminded him of Christian McCaffrey. Consider there was only one Skins wideout from last season with more than 365 receiving yards or 35-plus receptions, there's opportunity here opposite Terry McLaurin. Remember, the Panthers were second in pass attempts last year under Rivera and new Skins offensive coordinator Scott Turner. Now, hopefully the Skins' defense is better than Carolina's and is not in as many blowouts; but still, Gibson and Gandy-Golden (in that order) arrive in what will be a better offense than people think, with massive opportunity to grab a significant share of snaps.


Others receiving votes: I really like Cincy as a landing spot for Tee Higgins (6-foot-4, 216 pounds, 4.4 40-yard), and I thought about just putting him up above as a "love." The Bengals will be pass-first again after putting up the sixth-most pass attempts last year, and with A.J. Green and John Ross III both having trouble staying on the field, it's not hard to see Higgins have significant value and soon. Love him in dynasty. Candidly, this was such a wildly deep WR class, you can pick a lot of people for this list for dynasty, but Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jeffersonand Michael Pittman Jr. should be gone early. ... Laviska Shenault Jr. is a guy I like who landed in a really good spot in Jacksonville. ... With the Dolphins not taking a pass-catcher until the seventh round, DeVante Parker, Preston Williams and Mike Gesicki look poised to continue last year's fantasy success. ... Brycen Hopkins was second among FBS tight ends last year in receptions and receiving yards. With Gerald Everettdue to be a free agent in 2021, Hopkins is an interesting dynasty tight end, with the expectation that the Rams will be using more two-tight end sets moving forward.

 

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