Prior to the 2019 NFL Draft, wide receiver Kelvin Harmon out of NC State was getting a lot of hype from the dynasty football community.
Since falling a fair amount in the draft, the hype has died down some. Harmon even ended up getting drafted after another wide receiver that I like in this year's class, Terry McLaurin. After the NFL Draft, the hype has slowed down, but I still believe there is a lot of upside with Harmon in the NFL and in fantasy football. He ended up falling to the sixth round where Washington grabbed him with the 206th overall pick in the draft.
Let's see what made Harmon such a good prospect in the first place and why he might still be a desirable asset for dynasty owners.
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Measurements
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 215 lbs
Age: 21
40 Yard Dash: 4.60
Bench Press: 18
Vertical Jump: 32.5″
Broad Jump: 117.0″
3 Cone Drill: 7.15
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.32
60 Yard Shuttle: N/A
College Numbers
During Harmon's time at NC State, he put up some impressive numbers. In three seasons, he put up 2,665 yards receiving on 177 catches with 16 touchdowns. No NC State receiver had gone for 1,000 receiving yards since 2003 and Harmon did that in back-to-back seasons. Quarterback Ryan Finley frequently targeted him and was definitely his go-to receiver.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Harmon is a big, strong, and physical wide receiver with elite body control. He tracks the ball very well, blocks well, and has excellent hands. One of the most intriguing things that stood out about Harmon was the number of balls he caught. In his 25 games at NC State, he had at least five catches in 16 of them. He will be someone that rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins could lean on as a reliable option with solid hands.
The biggest knock on Harmon is his speed and quickness. The NFL Combine confirmed that he doesn't have the ideal speed that you'd like to see from a prototypical NFL X receiver. While he does have the size and a lot of the tools, his 40 yard dash time and his three-cone drill numbers were both underwhelming. Harmon may struggle at the next level against faster defensive backs, but overall I like his skill set enough that I think he'll overcome his issues with speed and quickness.
Landing Spot
After falling to the Redskins, Harmon finds himself in a very interesting spot for fantasy football purposes. In 2018, the leading receiver for Washington was Jordan Reed, who had 558 yards and two touchdowns. He totaled 54 catches on 78 targets and him being their leading receiver was very telling about the pass catchers in Washington. Josh Doctson led all Redskins receivers with 78 targets and Jamison Crowder is now in New York after he had 49 targets in 2018. Doctson led the receivers in yards with 532 and needless to say, the Redskins receiving core is seriously lacking.
While Harmon is someone that should be on your dynasty football radar, there is a chance that he could be relevant this year as well. Landing spots are huge for fantasy football purposes, and can really change the outlook people have on rookies. In Harmon's case, the receiving group in Washington is lacking to the point where he could potentially step into an immediate role, depending on how the pre-season goes. Haskins is more of a pocket passer and having a big bodied wide receiver on the outside is something that a quarterback needs. As someone who fits the mold of a prototypical X receiver, he could fill a void for the Redskins that they've been lacking over the past few years.
Dynasty Outlook
As far as dynasty rookie drafts go, Harmon is someone that I've knocked a bit in my rankings since the NFL Draft. He still has been going at the end of the second round into the third round, and I'm fully on board with that. I believe he has great upside and landing in Washington with Haskins, he has potentially a bright future ahead of him. In dynasty leagues, I'm all for buying into the talent of players, and Harmon is someone that I think is very talented and has nice upside in the NFL and for dynasty leagues.