I haven't been able to look closely enough to do a top 12 list, and anything we do now is obviously highly changeable, but I have given some thought to the top 6 as I have 1.1, 1.3, and 1.6 in a rebuild. This is all prohibitive; I'll probably change my mind by dinner. This is for ppr specifically.
1. CeeDee Lamb - I have him just a hair above Jeudy, mainly because of what he does at the catch point and his RAC skills. It's kind of an intangible/personal preference thing since he is, imo, so close to Jeudy. His game just looks nastier, more dominant to me. Everything I've read is that his route running is behind Jeudy's and I do think that matters. But he's a good route runner, and seems to have a very solid foundation to build from.
2. D'Andre Swift - I am having a hard time getting fully on board with Swift as an elite prospect. I'm not sure why, as he has the skills and college production to justify a top ranking. I have him here because true 3-down backs are so valuable in ppr and he comes into the league with proven pass catching chops. So, I am ranking him here based on the idea that he is drafted to a team that will use him as a runner/receiver. If not, I might drop him down my list.
3. Jerry Jeudy - In the end I may bump Jeudy over Swift at #2, and have him as essentially tied with Lamb in a 1a/1b ranking. He is a top technician and has elite movement skills. His 40 time probably won't be eye-popping but he plays
really fast. He's had some big drops this year but that doesn't concern me too much as I think he has good hands. I also don't worry about the variations in his productivity this year, as Bama has so many elite WRs (at least one, and maybe two of his teammates, may go in rd 1).
4. Jonathan Taylor - I'm not going to overthink this one. I am generally lower on RBs who don't project as pass catchers in ppr. I know he has improved his receiving this season, but unlike Swift he doesn't come into the NFL with a reputation as a 3-down back so I'm less confident that he'll be drafted with 3-down work in mind. But, he has several years of proven, top production, and he has elite physical traits (it's behind a pay way at the Athletic, but Bruce Feldman profiles him in his
2019 Freaks List). If he goes to a team that decides to throw the ball to him (as happened with Melvin Gordon, for example) then he would justify a higher ranking, maybe jumping Swift.
5. Laviska Shenault - He's had a down year production-wise but he's not exactly in an ideal situation. He's also had some durability issues. But he has elite physical skills and will likely represent good draft capital in round 1, especially post-combine.
6. JK Dobbins - Like Swift, I am drawn to the 3-down potential and I like his game. The tricky thing with this spot is that there are going to be several WRs who may go in round 1 and represent better draft capital, which is something I usually factor in (though I don't treat it as determinative). So, guys like Henry Ruggs III, Tee Higgins, Jalen Reagor, could jump up here for me based on landing spot and draft capital.
