The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books, and now it’s time for dynasty rookie drafts. Landing spots and draft capital have been determined, and we’re here with your dynasty rookie draft outlooks. Let’s take a look at what Derek Brown expects of Tyjae Spears.
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Dynasty Rookie Draft Picks & Predictions: Tyjae Spears
Stats:
- 2022 (minimum 100 carries, 20 targets)
- Yards after contact per attempt: 5th
- Breakaway rate: 15th
- PFF elusive rating: 11th
- PFF receiving grade: 21st
- Yards per route run: 33rd
- Career
- 4.54 career Yards after contact per attempt at Tulane.
- His lowest breakaway run rate in college was 48.9%.
Scouting report:
- Tajae Spears concluded his final season at Tulane with stellar numbers ranking fifth in Yards after contact per attempt, 15th in breakaway rate, and he’s 11th in PFF’s elusive rating.
- He’s electric in space with plus lateral agility and an effective jump cut. Spears flashes good change of direction ability with the juice to flip the field and get to the edge on zone runs. He’s adept at utilizing his vision and angles, making it difficult for tacklers to wrap him up head-on.
- Weighing in at 204 lbs at the Senior Bowl helps his projection at the next level. He added essential “work weight” with a stacked lower half without sacrificing his explosiveness.
- Spears possesses fluidity in his routes from the backfield with the ability to separate from linebackers. He is a work in progress in pass protection, but he has the tenacity and lower half strength to at least grow into a serviceable back in this area.
Player Comp: Michael Carter with a jetpack
Dynasty Outlook: I love Spears’ talent and what he showed both at Tulane and in the pre-draft process. If you feel like a but is incoming, there is, but his medicals are concerning. The conversation around his knee is frightening. His problematic knee could easily derail his short-term and long-term projection in the NFL. Derrick Henry is an unrestricted free agent after this year, so it’s equally possible that Spears is the favorite to take over as the team’s starter next year. I’ll only let him slip so far in rookie drafts before pulling the trigger based on that upside alone. Spears shouldn’t be available past the second round of Superflex rookie drafts.
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