Rookie Spotlight: Jordan Payton, WR Cleveland Browns

Height: 6’1 1/8”
Weight: 207 lbs
Hands: 10 1/8’’
Arm: 32 1/8’’
40 yard dash: 4.47 (Combine)
NFL Comparison: Anquan Boldin, Shaq Evans, Mike Davis

Scouting Notes: Payton has broad shoulders that he uses to box out defenders on the short and intermediate routes that are his bread and butter. He’s got big, reliable hands too — some of the best in college football during his time at UCLA, where he holds the record for most receptions. He only had 6 drops over his last two seasons as well. Most proficient in slants, drags and comebacks, Payton lacks the burst to do much damage in the open field. His 40 time is deceiving, as he takes a long time to get to top speed, and he doesn’t regain it out of breaks. This lack of explosion and a comparatively stiff playing style to most big-play WRs is going to make it hard for him to separate from DBs at the next level, though he is a decent tackle-breaker, so his best chance at production is as a possession receiver. One area where Payton does excel is in the blocking aspect of the game — he was arguably the highest-rated blocking WR in college football in 2015. Payton was a non-factor during the week of 2016 Senior Bowl practices and rated a disastrous dead-last in the RW 2016 NFL Combine On-Field Performance Scores.

Fantasy Outlook: Payton will make for a much better real-life WR than fantasy asset. He’s a hard worker who rarely misses a ball thrown his way and can out-muscle defenders with consistency but there is much flash to him. His blocking ability alone might get him and keep him on the field for the lowly Browns. The fact that he’s a possession-type receiver with a relatively low ceiling makes him a player to avoid in fantasy leagues outside of deep PPR dynasty leagues.

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