5 Late Wide Receivers To Draft in 2021

September 22, 2021 c_admin Fantasy Sports Comments Off on 5 Late Wide Receivers To Draft in 2021

Drafting in the late rounds is difficult, as players are always unlikely to hit when they’re being drafted outside the top 120 picks. However, there are notable exceptions, and here are some cheap wide receivers that could be extremely valuable if things break right in 2021. I’ve listed their current Apex average draft position (ADP).

Terrace Marshall, ADP 164.2

A second-round pick by the Panthers, we were enamored with Terrace Marshall in our draft guide. His draft capital and production, combined with elite athletic traits, make him a very impressive prospect. His production even before the departures of Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase was impressive.

Marshall joins a Panthers team that previously ran their offense through three wide receivers. DJ Moore and Robby Anderson remain but Curtis Samuel and his 97 targets have departed. Even before their first preseason game, Marshall was making noise in camp.

Then he looked impressive against the Colts.

If he can produce with the likes of Jefferson and Chase, he can probably produce with Moore and Anderson.

Jakobi Meyers, ADP 167.9

Not the best athlete, Jakobi Meyers went undrafted entering the NFL. After converting from quarterback, he had to work to become an NFL wide receiver. Sound like any other Patriots receiver you know?

Over the second half of last season, he began to heat up – averaging 5.3 receptions for 67.1 yards over his final nine games. He didn’t generate the warranted buzz because he didn’t catch any touchdowns. Cam Newton was at his best when targeting Meyers.

Meyers has been the talk of Patriots camp. Andrew Callahan said “don’t be surprised if Jakobi Meyers looks like” the Patriots’ No. 1 receiver during the team’s minicamp. Tom Curran would “put (his) cash” on Meyers being “the most reliable and productive Patriots wideout in 2021.” Jeff Howe reported Meyers has been the Patriots’ most consistent receiver in training camp.

Meyers looks poised to take over the productive “Julian Edelman” role. If you don’t want to listen to me or the beat writers, listen to Ben Gretch.

Oh, and he scored a touchdown last night.

Bryan Edwards, ADP 169.3

Last offseason our own Dalton Kates wrote about why dynasty players shouldn’t be leaving their drafts without Bryan Edwards. His age-adjusted college production and size are characteristics that are worth chasing.

Edwards started last season, but an ankle injury sidelined him early on. Once he was finally healthy, Nelson Agholor had stolen his job. Albeit a small sample size, Edwards looked like a quality receiver when targeted.

In camp, he’s generating plenty of buzz. The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reported Edwards has “consistently” run with the first-team offense ahead of John Brown at Raiders camp. Although certainly premature, Jon Gruden said Edwards reminded him of Hall of Famer Terrell Owens and Carr said he reminded him of superstar receiver Davante Adams.

These are the type of plays that Edwards will need to make consistently.

It’s favorable that Derek Carr believes in him.

KJ Hamler, ADP 182.1

A speed demon with high draft capital, KJ Hamler has multiple compelling elements to his profile. I wrote about why he was an excellent second-round rookie pick last offseason.

This table illustrates how similar he is to DeSean Jackson and Marquise Brown.

  KJ Hamler Marquise Brown DeSean Jackson
Draft Position 46 25 49
Breakout Age 19.2 21.3 18.8
Dominator 31.7% 30.6% 32.1%
Target Share 25.5% 25.5% 22.5%
Weight 178 166 175
Hand Size 9 3/8 9 9 3/8

Hamler struggled with injuries as a rookie but showed his upside in Week 14 with an 86-yard two-touchdown performance. He again showed he was the fastest player on the field on Saturday.

There should be a lot of competition for targets in Denver. But if Hamler gets a significant opportunity, he could emerge in a big way a la young Desean Jackson.

Parris Campbell, ADP 183.5

Parris Campbell is a player that I really believed was going to break out with Philip Rivers last season. After six catches for 71 yards in the opener, things were looking excellent. Then, Campbell hurt his knee in Week 2 and was out for the season.

Like many of the other players on this list, Campbell combines multiple elite traits. He has 100th percentile speed, 97th percentile leaping ability, and was a second-round pick.

He caught 55 more passes than Terry McLaurin in their final season together.

Player G Tgts Rec Yds TD YPT
Parris Campbell 14 100 90 1063 12 10.6
Terry McLaurin 12 40 35 701 11 17.5

He’s still backed by the coaching staff and GM.

And he looked ready to ball on Sunday.

As a prospect, I like him more than Michael Pittman. Throw in cost, and Campbell is a slam dunk selection in the last round of your draft.