Rookie Spotlight: Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
Height: 6′ 0 3/8″
Weight: 190
Hands: 9 1/2″
Arm: 33″
40 yard dash: 4.46
NFL Comparison: Jeremy Maclin, Michael Thomas

Pros
– elite route runner
– adjusts well to poorly thrown balls
– makes circus catches regularly
– overpowers defenders
– quick out of the top of routes
– wins at the catch point
– effective and willing blocker
– projects to be a better player in the pros than in college
– ran a reported 4.39 40-time at the EXOS combine
– broke out at a young age, even with Tyler Johnson in the same offense

Cons
– if he has elite speed, it doesn’t always show on tape
– plays more smoothly than explosively

Scouting Notes: Bateman is not a player that stands out to an outrageous degree in any one area, but he tends to do everything well on the field. Bateman had a down 2020, as he opted out of some of the season, but he had a masterful sophomore campaign (60 rec, 1,129 yards, 11 TD) that followed a breakout freshman year (51 rec, 704 rec, 6 TD). He isn’t a burner on the field, but he’s got respectable long speed and finds the right angles to evade his defenders when he has the ball in his hands or hand – Bateman made one handed catches on more than a few occasions at Minnesota. An elite route runner, Bateman is fast at the top of his routes and creates further separation through technique. It might be the fact that he’s a Big 10 WR with prototypical size who wears No.13 (he switched his number to 0 in 2020) who’s a master of the slant route, but you can’t help thinking of Michael Thomas when watching Bateman on tape. He’s more smooth than quick, but it seems to serve him just as well, and though he lacks the crazy explosiveness of other WRs in the 2021 NFL draft, Bateman is a powerful and dominant player who usually wins at the catch-point. He uses all of his catch radius to his advantage, adjusting to poorly thrown balls with ease and adjusting his speed to compensate for slower throws – He’s a mediocre QB’s best friend. Bateman rarely goes down on first contact, and he brings that mindset to his blocking as well – He gives his all even on plays he’s not directly involved in.

Fantasy Outlook: Bateman projects to be a better NFL player than college player, as he should have better QB play to bolster his performance, and unlike many incoming players he already does the little things well, so he’s NFL ready. Teams are aware of this fact, so we don’t expect him to get out of the first round or early day two. Bateman looks like an “X” receiver, though he played more slot his final season. He can win outside, and he’ll make an excellent red-zone target. A solid combination of size, speed and technique, Bateman is one of the safer dynasty picks you can make right now, and he has loads of upside to boot. He’s safe to target in the second-half of the first round of 1QB dynasty league rookie drafts.