10 undervalued pass-catchers with intriguing upside or safer floors

Identifying the Tier 1 walk catchers successful phantasy shot isn't excessively difficult. The mean draught presumption (ADP) astatine the apical of the committee speaks volumes. We cognize what to expect from stars specified arsenic Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Brock Bowers. They are crippled changers.

But uncovering worth astatine wide receiver and choky extremity successful drafts is much challenging. At assorted points of the draught you mightiness beryllium seeking idiosyncratic who tin supply week-winning imaginable oregon you mightiness simply privation a dependable walk catcher you tin number connected for production.

Below are 10 walk catchers who are being undervalued astatine this constituent of the summertime based connected their existent ADP. They are separated into 2 groups: Those with intriguing upside and others who supply a safer phantasy floor.

Five players with higher upside

Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
Current ADP: 83.8 (WR30)

Williams has been a precedence people of excavation this summertime successful mock drafts. Sure, the Lions volition person a caller playcaller successful John Morton, who was promoted aft the departure of Ben Johnson. But I don't expect a large overhaul of the system, which includes the way histrion for Williams.

Last season, Williams had a vertical way complaint of 41.1%, portion moving crossers (or overs) astatine a complaint of 13.3%. And that's however helium tin make large plays for this offense. Williams had 16 receptions of 20 oregon much yards past season, and helium averaged 14.4 PPG, buoyed by 4 games of 22 oregon much points. Despite not getting accordant extremity portion targets (only 4 past season), Williams' play velocity and way deployment tin nutrient breakout weeks successful 1 of the league's apical scoring offenses. And with a bump successful volume, Williams could leap into the WR2 premix this season.

Calvin Ridley, WR, Tennessee Titans
Current ADP: 84.0 (WR31)

Ridley's upside is tied to the play of rookie backmost Cameron Ward, an accurate, high-RPM thrower with second-reaction ability. And I'm looking astatine Ward to boost the phantasy illustration of Ridley, who had much than 1,000 yards receiving past play and 19 receptions of 20 yards oregon much contempt a subpar Titans backmost room.

Ridley volition request to get much extremity portion targets (four past season), arsenic his constricted touchdown accumulation contributed to lone 11.7 phantasy PPG successful 2024. But with the abrupt question skills to triumph astatine the apical of the way and the foodstuff to endanger down the field, Ridley is simply a three-level way runner who has the quality to nutrient WR2 numbers successful Brian Callahan's offense. Bet connected the rookie backmost present and instrumentality the draught worth with Ridley.

Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Current ADP: 117.7 (WR46)

With Deebo Samuel Sr. present successful Washington and Brandon Aiyuk recovering from a torn ACL, the doorway is unfastened for Pearsall to supply breakout-level numbers successful 1 of the NFL's astir heavy schemed offenses.

Pearsall scored 17 points oregon much successful 3 of his 7 games played arsenic a rookie. Plus, successful Weeks 17 and 18, helium had 14 receptions and averaged 23.8 phantasy points. A elaborate way runner who tin supply a vertical propulsion successful one-on-one matchups, Pearsall volition besides get opportunities connected in-breaking concepts successful Kyle Shanahan's discourtesy disconnected play-action, which leads to large plays. I spot Pearsall arsenic a middle-round prime with upside.

Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears
Current ADP: 120.8 (TE11)

If you hold astatine the choky extremity presumption (which I ever bash successful my drafts), past enactment Loveland connected your people database this summer. The rookie had 117 receptions implicit his 3 seasons astatine Michigan with 57 grabs from in-line alignments and 50 much retired of the slot. Loveland brings enactment flexibility to Chicago, positive helium has the lower-body power to gaffe property sum and make separation. More than conscionable a seam stretcher, Loveland tin tally the full tree.

This is an upside play, and I recognize the hazard erstwhile drafting rookie choky ends. But with an upgraded violative strategy nether caller caput manager Ben Johnson, I'm consenting to instrumentality a changeable present connected Loveland, who tin besides beryllium schemed successful the reddish portion arsenic a people for backmost Caleb Williams.

Marvin Mims Jr., WR, Denver Broncos
Current ADP: 162.1 (WR59)

If you play successful a 12-team league and are looking for a late-round flier with upside potential, Mims is worthy a look. Last season, helium averaged lone 7.6 PPG, but helium had double-digit phantasy accumulation successful 4 of his last 7 games, including 52.2 points successful Weeks 17 and 18, highlighted by 4 touchdowns.

Mims is simply a burner down the field, with the lower-body power to acceptable up coverage. He tin scoot past deep-half safeties and is besides a accelerated accelerator aft the drawback connected screens and unders. If Mims tin spot an uptick successful volume, portion expanding his way tree, helium tin nutrient immoderate WR2 weeks successful a Denver discourtesy that has the endowment to station top-10 numbers this season.

Five players with safer floors

Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Current ADP: 69.6 (WR26)

There are immoderate limitations with Flowers erstwhile we look astatine the Ravens' violative operation and his deficiency of touchdown accumulation (four successful 2024). But helium tin supply a beauteous unchangeable level successful your lineup if you request a WR3 who tin triumph arsenic a way runner oregon supply numbers connected schemed touches.

Flowers scored successful treble figures 11 times and got 7 oregon much targets successful 10 games, en way to averaging 12.2 phantasy PPG. Ravens violative coordinator Todd Monken besides volition make abstraction for Flowers some horizontally and vertically arsenic a motion/movement player. That includes the screens and alert sweeps, positive the multileveled throws for backmost Lamar Jackson. With Flowers expected to get different 100-plus targets this season, helium provides coagulated worth astatine his existent ADP.

Evan Engram, TE, Denver Broncos
Current ADP: 97.2 (TE9)

Engram's accomplishment successful Denver requires much of a projection, but we cognize what his traits are arsenic a walk catcher, and I judge helium volition beryllium utilized arsenic a matchup enactment successful Sean Payton's offense. The Broncos' strategy is an upgrade for Engram, and truthful is the backmost play with Bo Nix entering his 2nd twelvemonth arsenic a pro.

Engram averaged 9.9 PPG with the Jaguars past play (in 9 games played), a twelvemonth removed from his 111 receptions successful 2023. Catch-and-run targets volition beryllium successful play present for Engram, and truthful volition the seam-stretching concepts that let the choky extremity to onslaught schemed voids successful the coverage. Over his past 2 seasons, 51.4% of his receiving yardage came aft the catch, truthful expect Payton to acceptable the array for him this play with speedy throws and middle-of-the-field routes, which volition supply a accordant floor. Best yet, you tin hold a small longer to draught your choky extremity and inactive onshore Engram.

Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills
Current ADP: 107.0 (WR43)

There is simply a batch of hype surrounding second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman this summer, but let's not hide astir Shakir fixed his deployment and accordant level of play successful Joe Brady's offense.

Shakir caught 73 passes past play and averaged 12.7 PPG. Sure, he's not a high-volume people successful the debased reddish portion (only 3 extremity portion targets successful 2024), but the way histrion maximizes his accomplishment acceptable aft the catch. Savvy and pugnacious successful space, Shakir uses his imaginativeness arsenic a shot bearer to slither astir antiaircraft pursuit angles. That's wherefore we spot a clump of crossers, screens and underneath routes here. Shakir averaged 7.9 YAC past season, and helium posted 11 games with double-digit production. You tin triumph with that, and you're getting worth astatine his ADP.

Jakobi Meyers, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Current ADP: 108.1 (WR44)

Meyers averaged 14.4 PPG past play with 10 games of double-digit phantasy accumulation and six games with astatine slightest 10 targets. A carnal way runner with the framework to uncover and enactment the interior of the field, Meyers has the receiving traits to make accordant opportunities. And he'll stay a superior people other of choky extremity Brock Bowers successful an upgraded Raiders walk crippled with backmost Geno Smith and playcaller Chip Kelly.

Yes, the Raiders drafted rookie wide receiver Jack Bech, and the accomplishment of Ashton Jeanty puts a premium connected the tally crippled nether caller caput manager Pete Carroll. That could pb to a dip successful full measurement for Meyers. But if we are looking for dependability successful the lineup, past drafting Meyers aboriginal arsenic a imaginable WR3 (at a WR4 price) adds up. He gets open.

Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants
Current ADP: 168.7 (WR66)

With a wide clasp connected the slot presumption successful Brian Daboll's offense, Robinson should beryllium a late-round people successful 12-team leagues. He's an casual separator underneath with the catch-and-run traits to tack connected numbers (52.1% of his receiving totals came aft the catch). Plus, Robinson averaged 10.7 PPG connected a subpar Giants squad past season, with 9 games of double-digit accumulation and 12 games with astatine slightest 5 targets.

Robinson did decorativeness with 93 receptions past season. That's a fig I expect to driblet successful 2025, and he's not a touchdown scorer. But with a way histrion that leans connected shallow in-breakers, pivots and more, Robinson creates a higher level arsenic that elusive outlet successful the walk game. Think of high-percentage throws for Russell Wilson, oregon rookie Jaxson Dart when/if helium gets the telephone this season.