Rashod Bateman #25 in latest CBS Draft Prospect Rankings

[hungan1]

Is the #5 Wide Receiver:

#3/#1 Ja'Mar Chase, LSU
#7/#2 Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
#10/#3 Devonta Smith, Alabama
#22/#4 Rondale Moore, Purdue
#25/#5 Rashod Bateman, Minnesota

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www.cbssports.com

 

[MNVCGUY]

Will be interesting to see how Rondale Moore fares at the next level. Guessing any team that drafts him will be looking to use him in their return game as well because he has never impressed me a ton as pure WR.

Amazing athlete, but those guys don't always translate to the NFL where they are going up against the best of the best. And health is a massive concern with him.

 

[Urbandale]

Will be interesting to see how Rondale Moore fares at the next level. Guessing any team that drafts him will be looking to use him in their return game as well because he has never impressed me a ton as pure WR.

I wonder if this is much of a consideration anymore. More than 60% of kickoffs are touchbacks. Very few punts are actually returned. The days of earning a roster spot because of your work on special teams are probably coming to an end.

 

[LesBolstad]

I like Moore a lot. Agree, injuries are a big concern. I see him as a Steve Smith type when he played for Carolina/Balt. About the same size and speed.

Bateman can be a solid 3 or 4 WR and hopefully he has a long career.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I wonder if this is much of a consideration anymore. More than 60% of kickoffs are touchbacks. Very few punts are actually returned. The days of earning a roster spot because of your work on special teams are probably coming to an end.

Valid point. Teams certainly have gotten better at containing dominant punt return guys and at the pro level fewer and fewer kickoffs are getting returned each year.

In the right offense a guy like Moore is valuable because he can be used all over the place and if you manage to get him the ball in space he has a chance of housing it. Comparing him to a guy like Bateman....Bateman can fit with pretty much any team in the NFL, whereas Moore needs to land in the right system to really maximize the way he plays.

For example, Moore would probably do well with the Cheifs but wouldn't be the same factor with the Vikings.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I like Moore a lot. Agree, injuries are a big concern. I see him as a Steve Smith type when he played for Carolina/Balt. About the same size and speed.

Bateman can be a solid 3 or 4 WR and hopefully he has a long career.

#3 or #4 wide receivers are not projected to go in the first round. Bateman's ceiling is much higher than that.

 

[GVLCGopherFan]

#3 or #4 wide receivers are not projected to go in the first round. Bateman's ceiling is much higher than that.

I'd be very disappointed if the Vikes spent a first round pick on a WR expected to be 3rd let alone 4th.

 

[UpAndUnder43]

I like Moore a lot. Agree, injuries are a big concern. I see him as a Steve Smith type when he played for Carolina/Balt. About the same size and speed.

Bateman can be a solid 3 or 4 WR and hopefully he has a long career.

Bateman is projected as #1 or #2 receiver. Are you high?

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Bateman is projected as #1 or #2 receiver. Are you high?

 

[hungan1]

I wonder if this is much of a consideration anymore. More than 60% of kickoffs are touchbacks. Very few punts are actually returned. The days of earning a roster spot because of your work on special teams are probably coming to an end.

At what point is risking serious injury a factor? I don't think certain teams would want to risk a season ending injury to their first rounders after they plunk down a ton of money. You never know though with the younger generation of coaches. Rondale Moore is like Shannon Brooks. They both had serious injuries in college. Durability has to come into play. Is RM going to be a durable player in the Pros? It depends on how he is utilized.

The Pro level game is an order of magnitude better, faster, and stronger. I think there is a point about "right fit" for Moore vs Bateman. RM is a superb athlete is he stays healthy.

 

[SanDiegoGopherFan]

Bateman will be a #2 at worst.

 

[FullBanana]

I hope Tampa drafts him.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I hope Tampa drafts him.

Wouldn't mind seeing him reunited with TJ and obviously catching passes from the GOAT wouldn't be a bad thing either. But would kind of rather see him go somewhere with a little less crowed WR situation where he can maybe separate himself right away.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Wouldn't mind seeing him reunited with TJ and obviously catching passes from the GOAT wouldn't be a bad thing either. But would kind of rather see him go somewhere with a little less crowed WR situation where he can maybe separate himself right away.

Not a bad place to hang out and build your skills / adapt.


Weather is nice... he knows where the stadium is.

 

[50PoundHead]

I've been following the draft a little more closely this year and Bateman is kind of all over the board when it comes to evaluations. The highest I've seen him is #5 as cited here. He's top ten everywhere, which should land him in the second round. It comes from not playing all four years, but I don't see him anywhere near as polished as a receiver as Tyler Johnson was at the college level. Bateman is the better athlete and he's got an extra gear that people tend to forget about, but I think Tyler was more fundamentally sound as a collegian.

 

[Some guy]

#3 or #4 wide receivers are not projected to go in the first round. Bateman's ceiling is much higher than that.

Moore ceiling is a faster smaller Alvin Kamara

not jake reed

He will be played in a ton of different spots and get touches handed to him and thrown to him.
If Moore is available for KC, I think they 100% take him

 

[touchdownvikings]

Don't know if this has already been linked to elsewhere, but in case it hasn't, check this out:

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www.baltimorebeatdown.com

High praise for Bateman.

 

[MGGopher]

Don't know if this has already been linked to elsewhere, but in case it hasn't, check this out:

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www.baltimorebeatdown.com

High praise for Bateman.

Dang, yeah. The last sentence is funny when giving his best scheme fit: "Any scheme that has passing plays" lol...

Bateman projects as an extremely high floor X receiver who should find success at all three levels while dominating the intermediate area of the field. The nuance in his routes and understanding of how to get corners where he wants them should pay dividends as soon as he steps foot on an NFL field. He checks every box and should be an 80+ reception receiver by his second season, if not his rookie year. It’s hard to imagine an offense where he wouldn’t work. One of the most NFL ready prospects I’ve seen so far.

Grade: Round 1

One sentence: “Rare size/separation combination and route IQ at 21 years-old.”

Scheme fit: Any scheme that has passing plays.

 

[50PoundHead]

Don't know if this has already been linked to elsewhere, but in case it hasn't, check this out:

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www.baltimorebeatdown.com

High praise for Bateman.

The report does comment on the perceived weakness in his game and that is getting clear off the ine of scrimmage, which will be harder in the pros than it was in college (Thanks Captain Obvious!). That can be cleared up with instruction. I'm no scout (for which all NFL teams can be happy), but Bateman looks more fast than quick and in today's NFL passing game, it appears quickness is more highly valued. As the report said, he's a high floor guy as an X. I see him as a 2nd rounder largely because the SEC played a full season and there is more book on those players and a couple of receivers that were behind Bateman going into the season may (let me stress "may") have leapfrogged him.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I've been following the draft a little more closely this year and Bateman is kind of all over the board when it comes to evaluations. The highest I've seen him is #5 as cited here. He's top ten everywhere, which should land him in the second round. It comes from not playing all four years, but I don't see him anywhere near as polished as a receiver as Tyler Johnson was at the college level. Bateman is the better athlete and he's got an extra gear that people tend to forget about, but I think Tyler was more fundamentally sound as a collegian.

Interesting that we have complete opposite opinions on TJ vs. Bateman.

I view TJ as the unpolished, great athlete, playing receiver type which is why he wasn't drafted till the 5th round in spite of the numbers he put up at the U. On the flip side you have Bateman projected as a 1st or 2nd round guy in large part because he is the prototypical high end WR.

Thing about TJ is that he is still pretty new to the WR position. He didn't start playing WR till he got to college whereas WR is the position Bateman played in high school.

 

[50PoundHead]

Interesting that we have complete opposite opinions on TJ vs. Bateman.

I view TJ as the unpolished, great athlete, playing receiver type which is why he wasn't drafted till the 5th round in spite of the numbers he put up at the U. On the flip side you have Bateman projected as a 1st or 2nd round guy in large part because he is the prototypical high end WR.

Thing about TJ is that he is still pretty new to the WR position. He didn't start playing WR till he got to college whereas WR is the position Bateman played in high school.

I just think that Johnson has worked unbelievably hard to become the WR that he is (that's not to say that Bateman hasn't) and because of that has better technique. To me, Bateman is the better athlete, but he just runs by guys. The pros value athleticism over production (sometimes to their detriment) and that's the primary reason why Bateman is a 1st or 2nd round guy. Both Johnson and Bateman were very productive, but Bateman projects higher.

PS--I would add that Johnson played most of his snaps in the slot at the U and he's not a prototypical professional slot receiver. I think that hurt his draft stock as much as anything. Bateman projects as an X and that's where he played in college.

 

[Vandy]

Rashod reminds me a lot of former GB WR Jordy Nelson.

Long & lean, runs a great route, deceptive speed and moves, and GREAT hands.

 

[FredCoxRocks]

Wouldn't mind seeing him reunited with TJ and obviously catching passes from the GOAT wouldn't be a bad thing either. But would kind of rather see him go somewhere with a little less crowed WR situation where he can maybe separate himself right away.

There might be room. Antonio Brown will do something very Antonio Brown in 3, 2,...

 

[PMWinSTP]

There might be room. Antonio Brown will do something very Antonio Brown in 3, 2,...

Yeah, Godwin seems the most logical to move on since he's UFA.

 

[salzie]

Will be interesting to see how Rondale Moore fares at the next level. Guessing any team that drafts him will be looking to use him in their return game as well because he has never impressed me a ton as pure WR.

Amazing athlete, but those guys don't always translate to the NFL where they are going up against the best of the best. And health is a massive concern with him.

I got into it with a Purde fan about this subject

My stance on Bateman, pure homerism according to him

His stance on Moore, unbiased facts. Moore was going to be a top 10 pick, bateman, probably rd 3

 

[salzie]

Rashod reminds me a lot of former GB WR Jordy Nelson.

Long & lean, runs a great route, deceptive speed and moves, and GREAT hands.

not a valid comparison, Jordy is white


/s


(it always seems when people talk about white Wr's they always compare them to other white Wr's...he reminds me of Ed Mcaffery/wayne chrebet)

 

[MNVCGUY]

not a valid comparison, Jordy is white


/s


(it always seems when people talk about white Wr's they always compare them to other white Wr's...he reminds me of Ed Mcaffery/wayne chrebet)

This phenomenon applies to more than just the WR position. This is a football and basketball thing pretty much across the board when it comes to comparing players. Baseball doesn't seem as affected by it.

But the WR position is probably the most high profile place where this happens. As you will almost never hear a white receiver compared to anything other than another white receiver regardless of skill set.

Shouldn't be about race when comparing players but it happens all the time.

 

[50PoundHead]

Rashod reminds me a lot of former GB WR Jordy Nelson.

Long & lean, runs a great route, deceptive speed and moves, and GREAT hands.

I think that's a decent comparison. Bateman has that extra gear. It takes him awhile to hit overdrive, but he's a long strider and once he gets it going, he's moving.

 

[EG#9]

I listen to the PFF draft podcast occasionally and the guys that host it are big fans of Bateman. That said, they both agreed on a recent podcast that he's now unlikely to go in the first round based on the mocks they are seeing from established guys and what they are hearing around the league. They think the NFL is going to value the speed component so that some guys like Toney, Moore (OleMiss), Moore (PU), and maybe even Tutu Atwell Jr could go ahead of Bateman. They think this is a mistake and think Bateman is simply a better receiver than these guys but that he's expected to run in the 4.5's and the league values speed. If you're interested Tutu Atwell Jr supposedly can absolutely fly and is supposed to run in the 4.3' s and possibly even faster.

I really want to see Rashod go in the first round. We really need to break that drought of no first rounders since Maroney. Rashod's trajectory unfortunately seems to be mirroring that of Oturu's on the basketball side of things where he was initially in every mock first round and slowly fell out of more and more as the draft drew closer.