Brandin Cooks (WR43, 7-8 Turn)
Yes, Ceedee Lamb is going to be vacuuming targets in all year long, but does anyone realistically think that Brandin Cooks is going to finish anywhere near the WR43 spot in 2023? The guy missed four games last year and played on a truly horrific Texans offense, and STILL managed to average over 7 targets a game and scored in the double digits more times than he didn’t.
And remember that this wasn’t necessarily just an injury keeping him off the field last year - Cooks straight up didn’t want to play in Houston anymore. He now enters a Cowboys offense that’s been missing a true WR2 since Amari Cooper’s departure and that has vacated three of its top 6 target earners from last year. That volume alone should be enough to propel Cooks into the top-36, but he’s got enough left in the tank and the talent to boot to give him true WR2 upside in Dallas.
George Pickens (WR40) and Gabe Davis (WR41) have no business going ahead of him, and I’d be absolutely ecstatic if I could land Brandin Cooks as my WR3 – which is not only possible, but likely as his price.
Rashaad Penny (RB38, 10th Round)
The hype has been around D’Andre Swift since they traded for him during the draft, but let’s not forget about the presumptive early down back in Philadelphia.
Rashaad Penny has struggled with staying healthy in his career, yes. But he’ll be playing behind one of the best, if not the best, offensive lines in the NFL this year. And bearing his curability concerns in mind, maybe a comfortable split in workload with Swift would be a good thing to help keep Penny fresh and free of injury.
The early down role on the Eagles offense should yield plenty of points via touchdowns, and that’s an ok prospect for a running back like Penny who’s being drafted in the 10th round. Remember back in the last five weeks of 2021 when Penny averaged 134 rush yards per game (that’s 7 yards per carry) to go along with 6 rushing touchdowns? That ceiling might not be there if he splits work, but the efficiency can be.
Couple a high yards per carry with a high touchdown upside, and you have yourself a potential quality RB2 in the 10th round. Let me ask you a question: who would you rather have, Penny in the 10th round or Zach Charbonnet in the 9th? Or how about Penny in the 10th, or Isiah Pacheco in the 7th?
Penny is a value based off his upside alone, and he’s going three rounds later than his teammate D’Andre Swift.