The 2018 NFL Draft Prospect series breaks down draft-eligible players, highlighting their college production as well as their NFL potential. It’s important for daily fantasy players to know about NFL rookies before they’ve played a down of professional football because they are among the most misvalued assets in all of DFS. People who know NFL rookies have a significant DFS edge. The draft will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, from April 26-28.
This piece is on Iowa State wide receiver Allen Lazard.
For more on all the other receivers in the class, see our 2018 NFL draft wide receiver rankings.
Updated as of Mar. 17.
Senior | 6’5″ and 227 Pounds | Born December 11, 1995 (Age: 22) | Projection: Rounds 5-7
Combine numbers: 40-yard: 4.55 sec | bench reps: 17 | 3-cone: DNP | 20-yard shuttle: DNP | vertical: 38 in | broad: 122 in
Although Lazard was recruited by a number of upper-echelon programs such as Notre Dame and Stanford, the prospect from western Iowa decided to stay local and attend Iowa State, where his father (Kevin) had played and his brother (Anthony) was playing. A four-year starter, Lazard made an immediate impression as a freshman: His raw numbers weren’t great, but he was on a 2-10 team with poor quarterback play, and he still managed to finish second on the offense with 45 receptions, 593 yards receiving, and three touchdowns. As a sophomore he continued to progress, leading the team in all receiving categories with 56 receptions, 808 yards, and six touchdowns, and he also averaged 19.5 yards per punt return on 11 opportunities. As a junior he was the heart of the team, leading the offense (again) in receiving with 69 receptions, 1,018 yards, seven touchdowns, and 32.8 and 33.3 percent of the passing yardage and scores.
Last year the Cyclones offense exhibited more balance as sophomore running back David Montgomery emerged as an all-around force, but even with less of the overall load Lazard had another solid campaign with 71 receptions for 941 yards and 10 touchdowns. Even though Lazard played on a poor team in the offensive-oriented Big 12, he still finished his career with a top-10 yardage mark among all receivers to play in the conference since 2000. A contested-catch specialist, Lazard has an imposing frame, and his size-adjusted speed and burst make him comparable as an athlete to such players as Josh Gordon and Kenny Golladay, but he reportedly had trouble against defensive backs in Senior Bowl practices, and he opted not to do any of the agility drills at the combine. It’s possible that Lazard lacks the shiftiness to separate consistently from defenders in the NFL, and as a result some scouts have talked about a potential to shift to tight end, where he could function as a move player who exploits beneficial matchups against slower linebackers and outsized safeties. Regardless of whether Lazard stays at receiver or moves to tight end, if he has NFL success it will likely be as a between-the-hashes and red-zone pass catcher.
——
Matthew Freedman is the Editor-in-Chief of FantasyLabs. He has a dog and sometimes a British accent. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he’s known only as The Labyrinthian.
Photo Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
