Dynasty Rookie Draft Profile: Josh Downs (2023 Fantasy Football)

To help you prepare for your dynasty rookie and startup drafts, Derek Brown is putting together a dynasty rookie outlook for each and every fantasy-relevant 2023 NFL Draft prospect. We are combining DBro’s fantasy outlook with the NFL Draft profile of Matthew Jones. Here’s our dynasty rookie draft profile for Josh Downs.

Expert Consensus 2023 Dynasty Superflex Rookie Draft Rankings: Top-50

Dynasty Rookie Draft Profile: Josh Downs

Josh Downs Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook

Downs has been a productive slot option at North Carolina (89% collegiate slot rate). He has a nose for the soft spots in zone coverage, and he was utilized on screens and easy crossers to capitalize on his RAC ability. Downs weaves through traffic and sets up blocks after the catch like a running back. His first step and burst pop on film. Because of it, he can succeed on slants, drive routes, and screens.

Downs has some of the most dependable hands in this class. Among 53 wide receivers last year with at least 100 targets, he ranked second in contested catch rate (72.2%) and logged the eighth-lowest drop rate. He varies his tempo in his routes and releases constantly and will utilize speed releases and then slow-play a corner on the next rep before exploding into this stem. His size shows up on boundary routes where he can get pressed into the boundary and off his route. While he’s elusive after the catch, this is because of his quick feet and vision. He’s not a tackle breaker and can be dropped by a decent wrap or corner catching him at the ankles.

Downs can get open deep with subtle, smooth changes of direction on posts and corners, but if you’re asking him to win on out and ups or nines, you could have a problem. His lack of a third-gear deep shows up on verticals. He routinely leaves corners unstacked, and without a homerun gear, it creates problems for him at the catch point. Downs should be an underneath zone beating option and YAC pillar in the NFL.

– Derek Brown

Josh Downs 2023 NFL Draft Outlook

Downs is a pretty savvy route-runner who shows the quickness and attention to detail to create separation and who isn’t purely an underneath target, showing the ability to stack or freeze defenders on deeper patterns from the slot. He has the look of a player who should be able to contribute from the slot sooner rather than later, although he may struggle to deal with the physicality of the pro game, at least initially.

– Matthew Jones

Check out the full 2023 NFL Draft profile for Josh Downs here