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 Matthew Jones’s 2023 NFL Draft profile as well as Pat Fitzmaurice’s dynasty rookie draft outlook for Xavier Hutchinson.
Dynasty Rookie Picks & Predictions: Texans Draft Xavier Hutchinson
Let’s first see what NFL Draft expert Matthew Jones says about Xavier Hutchinson.
Matthew Jones’s 2023 NFL Draft Outlook
Background:
Originally attended Blinn College, where he played two seasons before transferring to Iowa St. Stepped right into a starting role upon arriving, catching 64-771-4 (12.0) in his first season and 83-987-5 (11.9) in 2021. As a fifth-year senior, increased his output to 107-1,171-6 (10.9).
Positives:
Highly productive over the past three seasons, being one of the focal points of the Cyclones’ offense. Big, lanky receiver who lines up both on and off the line of scrimmage and sometimes from the slot. Overall flexibility is above average for a receiver with his frame. Tracks the ball well over his shoulder and shows impressive body control to adjust to throws away from his body; his most impressive plays are those in which the quarterback is able to drop in throws over his outside shoulder when running down the sidelines. He Times his pirouettes well on back-shoulder throws. Executes subtle push-offs well to create late separation. Can be a little bit of a threat after the catch, and the team often tries to get him the ball with a lane by running screens, etc. Frame could make him a dangerous red-zone target. Flashes physicality as a blocker in the run game.
Negatives:
Sort of a glider whose overall speed and explosiveness are just adequate; makes a lot of contested catches in college and probably won’t get a ton of separation at the next level, either. Doesn’t have the most hip sink or explosiveness at the stem. Relatively simple route tree consists in large part of patterns like curls, hitches, shallow crosses, back-shoulder throws, fades, and occasionally a deep out from the slot. Could do a better job of working back to the ball when targeted on curls, hitches, etc. Not the most physical receiver; would like to see better ability to shield defenders from the ball and more aggressiveness at the catch point. Doesn’t have the strongest pair of hands. Tends to throw his body around as a blocker rather than engaging with technique.
Summary:
The best receiver from the program since the likes of Allen Lazard (undrafted, 2018) and Hakeem Butler (fourth round, 2019), his game more closely resembles the former, who has also had by far the better pro career. Executes fades and back-shoulder throws well, routes which could make him a good situational receiver and red-zone target at the next level, although it remains to be seen whether he has the speed, explosiveness, and attention to detail as a route runner to create separation against pro cornerbacks in man coverage, and it would be nice to see him leverage his size a little bit more in contested-catch situations.
2023 Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook: Xavier Hutchinson
Hutchinson fell into the sixth round of the NFL Draft, which would seem to bode ill for his dynasty outlook. He landed in a pretty good spot, however, going to the Texans, who aren’t exactly flush with WR talent. The Texans’ depth chart at wide receiver includes Nico Collins, Robert Woods, John Metchie, Noah Brown and rookie Nathaniel “Tank” Dell.
Hutchinson was a productive three-year starter at Iowa State, wrapping up his college career with a 107-catch, 1,171-yard, 6-TD season in 2022. Hutchinson’s strengths are body control and ball-tracking. At 6-2 and 203 pounds, his size is a plus, and he has respectable speed for a bigger receiver, clocking a 4.53 at the NFL Scouting Combine. Hutchinson offers schematic flexibility: He mostly lined up as an X-receiver at Iowa State but could be used as a Z or as a big slot receiver. Perhaps the biggest knock on Hutchinson is that he didn’t have a lot of big plays at Iowa State. He averaged only 11.5 yards per catch during his three years with the Cyclones and scored only 15 touchdowns in 37 games.
There are worse final-round dart throws in your dynasty rookie draft than Hutchinson, who has a chance to work his way up the Texans’ flimsy WR depth chart.
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