The NFL Draft can have a big impact on player value. Below are six wide receivers who were hurt by the draft.
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Rashod Bateman, Baltimore
Rashod Bateman is a clear loser of the offseason, which culminated in the draft. The team added Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr in free agency before they drafted Zay Flowers in the first round of the NFL Draft. This is the third time the team has spent a first-round pick on a wide receiver in the past five years (Bateman and Marquise Brown). Bateman has played a total of 18 games in his two seasons and was a limited participant when he was healthy in 2022. Bateman faces a critical offseason in 2023 with a much deeper depth chart than in 2022.
Courtland Sutton, Denver
Courtland Sutton had a disappointing 2022 season, his first season with Russell Wilson as his quarterback. Sutton was projected to be a potential deep threat for Wilson, but the situation failed to materialize. The team selected Marvin Mims in the second round of the draft, who is the handpicked receiver of new head coach Sean Payton. Sutton and Jerry Jeudy have both been in trade rumors this offseason, with fit a major question in the new Payton offense heading into the 2023 season. The team picked up Jeudy’s fifth-year option, which could make Sutton a summer trade candidate.
Jalin Hyatt, NY Giants
For much of the pre-draft process, Jalin Hyatt was in the conversation to be a first-round pick, but he fell to the third round of the draft when the New York Giants selected him. The historical odds of success and the projected volume are significantly worse for a third-round pick than a first-round pick. Hyatt also has a lot of competition on the depth chart, and his lower-than-expected draft pedigree should create caution in dynasty formats.