Sunday, April 4: Bateman rising up draft boards after pro day
There aren’t really NFL Draft risers and fallers in the way water-cooler discussions suggest. Sure, there can be horrid interviews with front-office executives, and a shocking pro day workout can alter trajectories. For the most part, prospect evaluations rise and fall as folks pore over more game tape and explore existing information of the hundreds of players in the draft pool.
Take, for example, Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman. Scouts were aware of his route-running panache entering last season, one in which Bateman initially opted out of playing before appearing in five games for the Golden Gophers. Solid work is applauded, but not always coveted, by the highlight-reel scouts on social media, so the 6-foot-3 target isn’t mentioned in the same breath as a member of the elite tier of wide receivers that includes LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase.
That’s fine, but that has probably also led to the undervaluing of Bateman’s potential. After he ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at his pro day, the buzz is back — even though, as NFL.com draft analyst Bucky Brooks noted, many of the reasons to like Bateman
have been front and center from the jump.
“The Minnesota standout checks off all of the boxes as a No. 1 receiver with his capacity to play out wide or in the slot while displaying outstanding speed, burst and explosiveness as a crafty route runner and playmaker,” Brooks wrote. “The sure-handed Bateman catches everything within the strike zone while also making the spectacular catch look like a routine play. He displays A-plus hand-eye coordination and snatches balls in traffic prior to absorbing (or avoiding) big shots as he works between the hashes.”
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler slotted Bateman at No. 42 in the most recent update of
his top-100 prospects list.
“Bateman is a natural hands-catcher with length and excellent route savvy who relies on tempo and pacing to create separation,” Brugler wrote. “While he is deliberate with his footwork, he lacks explosive burst off the line or out of his breaks and his acceleration falls below NFL standards at the position.”
Consider the teams picking in the late section of the first round. The Ravens, Saints, Packers and Chiefs, all with selections in the Nos. 27-31 range, could take a wide receiver. Bateman’s skill set translates perfectly with all schemes. There’s some sincere momentum with his draft stock — not because teams weren’t aware of Bateman’s game, but side-by-side comparisons with other receivers, and that 40 time, made any re-examinations an enjoyable endeavor.
Tracking NFL mock drafts and draft buzz all the way to the actual draft on April 29-May 1.
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