Eric Ebron was the the overwhelming consensus No. 1 tight end prospect in the 2014 NFL Draft. Hence, the Top 10 pick Detroit used on him. A monster of a man, Ebron is considered a rare talent and special athlete. Some compare him to Vernon Davis.

We don’t necessarily expect it all to translate in year one for the rookie, however. Reports all offseason long – and throughout training camp – have been about Ebron’s struggles with the offense. The influx of information has even caused him problems holding on to the ball, which is unusual for Ebron. He’s recently said that he already feels he’s “hit a rookie wall”- and the season hasn’t even started yet. Last season, Keenan Allen didn’t admit to hitting his until Week 13 of the 2013 season for comparison.

Throw in Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Bradon Pettigrew, Joseph Fauria, and (are we really saying this?) Kris Durham – and the situation is murky at best for Ebron as a rookie. Undoubtedly, some fantasy players will take a flier on his upside, while we’d prefer to roll with the Charles Clays, Delanie Walkers, and Ladarius Greens of the world. In redraft leagues Ebron is nothing more than a super-sleeper, or more likely, waiver-wire fodder to begin the season.

It’s the polar opposite in Dynasty leagues, though. Eric Ebron is a top-shelf prospect in Dynasty Rookie Drafts. His future should be very bright in Detroit. At minimum, he will get an abundance of opportunity over the next few years. Anyone who has watched the Saints in recent years knows what New Detroit OC Joe Lombardi is capable of doing with the TE position when a large, athletic body with dependable hands is in place. His name is Jimmy Graham.

We recommend keeping a hands-off approach to Ebron in redraft leagues to start unless the league format allows for multiple keepers each season, in which case, we would start kicking the tires around Round 12 of standard 16-round drafts. In Dynasty, as mentioned, Ebron’s a first-round talent in rookie drafts – just don’t expect the explosions to come early and often in 2014.