Dynasty Spotlight: Josh Harper, WR Fresno State  – 2015 NFL Draft

Height: 6’1″
Weight: 191  lbs

40 yard dash: 4.64 (Combine)
Hand size: 8.75’’
Vertical Jump: 32’’
Broad Jump: 9’’

NFL Comparison: Stevie Johnson

Scouting Notes:

Josh Harper’s story is a tale of two players. Just looking at his combine stats, you might almost wonder if his invitation to Indianapolis was some kind of mistake. He clocked some of the worst times – in the 40 and every other speed drill for that matter. His hands are disconcertingly small, and I’m pretty sure Woody Harrelson can out-jump him on a bad day.

But then you watch the tape of Harper during his last two seasons at Fresno State, and you can see why he put together back-to-back 1,000-yard-plus seasons – one without Derek Carr, by the way. Harper has quick feet and wiggle in his hips – often out-angling defenders rather than out jumping or out muscling them. He explodes out of the gate and then glides to his spots, kind of like a drag racer.

His ability to pivot and accelerate on a dime makes up for Harper’s scary lack of long-speed, and his small hands are surprisingly adept at snatching the ball out of the air. Harper specializes in slants over the middle of the field and fades in the endzone. He’s the kind of player QBs love to depend on on 3rd downs and red-zone situations, but I still can’t ignore his horrendous speed issues. Harper is hoping to improve on his 40-time at Fresno State pro day this week, and barring a 2012-Kendall-Wright-like improvement, I have serious concerns about how that may stifle him at the next level.

Fantasy Outlook:

Harper is projected to go somewhere in the 3rd or 4th round of the draft. He’s going to have to make his money as a possession-type receiver, as he’s not what I would call a deep threat. This is in no way a fantasy death sentence though, as he possesses unique escapability and gets the most out of every play. His great hands and grace in tight quarters reminds of me Stevie Johnson during his tenure in Buffalo. I don’t expect Harper to blow up the stat sheet except for maybe in PPR leagues, but he could prove to be a consistent contributor on Sundays if his speed doesn’t kill him. Feel free to draft him as a low-end WR2 in dynasty rookie drafts.