The 2023 NFL Draft is here! After months of waiting, we finally know where the 2023 NFL Draft class will land. This information shapes the outlook for rookies in 2023 and beyond. We’re going to have you covered throughout and following the 2023 NFL Draft to help you prepare for your fantasy football leagues. Next up for many will be dynasty rookie drafts. To help you prepare to make your dynasty rookie draft picks, let’s dive into Thor Nystrom’s 2023 NFL Draft profile as well as Pat Fitzmaurice’s dynasty rookie draft outlook for Josh Downs.
Dynasty Rookie Picks & Predictions: Colts Draft Josh Downs
Let’s first see what NFL Draft expert Thor Nystrom says about Josh Downs.
Thor Nystrom’s 2023 NFL Draft Outlook & Player Comp
Player comparison: Sterling Shepard
Uber-productive slot with 195 receptions over the past two seasons. Competitive, feisty presence. Wins with movement. Super quick off the blocks with 4.4 wheels on the back end.
Downs wins your trust as a route runner. Consistent and reliable. Has a real knack for timing his break up with the quarterback’s drop. Downs has choppy feet, and the acceleration/deceleration of a SeaDoo. This gets him in and out of breaks lickity-split.
Downs was extremely reliable last year, dropping only three catchable balls on 116 targets. He’s also assuaged any concern about winning at his size in congested quarters, converting 13-of-18 contested-catch opportunities last year.
Downs is a specific kind of prospect, but he’s not a perfect one. He’s tiny, he’s confined to the slot (89% out of the slot), you can jam him off the line, and, for a slot, playing on the cardboard edges of the box, he’s a matador blocker. High-floor, moderate-ceiling prospect.
2023 Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook: Josh Downs
A slippery slot receiver who racked up 195 catches, 2,364 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns over his final two college seasons at North Carolina, Downs figures to make a smooth transition to NFL slot duty. The ultra-athletic Downs combines 4.48 speed with crisp route-running. He also has reliable hands, with only three drops of catchable targets last year.
Downs is only 5-9, 171 pounds, and he’s strictly a slot receiver. The easy NFL comparison here is Jamison Crowder, who’s been a productive NFL slot receiver for years but hasn’t been particularly impactful as a fantasy performer.
The Colts took Downs in the third round, and he’ll compete with Isaiah McKenzie for slot snaps. Expect Downs to come off the board in the back half of the second round in 1QB dynasty rookie drafts and in the third round of superflex drafts.
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