By Vidur Malik

The NFC East is full of young and talented receivers who look to be part of the new school of top wide outs. The Eagles’ DeSean Jackson, the Cowboys’ Miles Austin, and the Giants’ trio of Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, and Hakeem Nicks have all proven to be reliable sources for catches and touchdowns for their quarterbacks. The Washington Redskins should be able to join their divisional opponents in that category, with Devin Thomas.

The Redskins are going through a transitional stage, but after things settle down in D.C., look for Thomas to emerge as a playmaking threat.   His 2009 numbers (325 yards, 3 touchdowns) aren’t very impressive, but he’s got the physical tools to withstand the beatings that NFC East defenses give out. At 6’2’’ and 215 pounds, he can fit right in to one of the hardest-hitting divisions in football.

Thomas may end up getting owners more points than they might expect if they select him. He seems to be the only target on the Redskins’ offense who has not proven himself to be a consistent player, but with an experienced quarterback under center, and other receivers who will be targeted by opposing defenses, Thomas seems to have everything necessary for a transition from talented wide out to a focal point of the offense. Chris Cooley has shown that he is a top tight end, and if he can come back from the ankle injury he suffered last year, he can be a consistent option for new quarterback Donovan McNabb. Santana Moss still has breakaway speed, and can benefit from McNabb’s strong arm. McNabb’s past success as an Eagle should also help Thomas improve. Being in the same division as his old team, McNabb should be able to get Thomas accustomed to what he will see from defenses. That should be a big advantage considering the pressure that teams like the Cowboys and Eagles apply to offenses.

Thomas might not become the number one receiver in D.C. next year, but there is reason to believe his numbers will improve significantly from last year, and in a division with so much talent on both sides of the football, the Redskins will need players to step up. The defense has been reliable, and will be crucial this year, because of the weapon-heavy NFC East they will be going against. The Redskins’ offense will have to improve along with the rest of the division if they want to compete. If Thomas can become the NFC East’s next Miles Austin or Steve Smith, the Redskins will have a better shot at improving upon the 4-12 record they put up last year. All the tools for that to happen are in place, and fantasy owners should consider taking a chance on Thomas.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

The tier separation amongst positions is at its highest when it comes to quarterbacks. If you are not going to go after one of the top five quarterbacks than you better separate yourself somehow with your receivers and running backs. Distancing themselves like usual are the likes of Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Brady, Rodgers, and Rivers. We all know that. The key is who can be the quarterback that emerges to a high tier two level? The young crop of quarterbacks in the league are shaky at best to consider as starters, but some owners will have to rely on them. Lets look at our first unveiling of fantasy quarterback rankings.

1. Aaron Rodgers

Just take a glance at the way the Packers season ended. Though it was a loss in the playoffs to the Cardinals, the football world came away looking at the NFL’s youngest emerging quarterback. Rodgers threw every type of football possible and put on a show not scene in quite some time. Green Bay will keep spreading the football around and make Rodgers the number one quarterback this year in the world of fantasy.

2. Drew Brees

Brees is going to rack up incredible numbers just about every game. He is at a level that should not taper off for several years. New Orleans seems to have the right nucleus of packages to mix up the defense just enough to keep them on their heels every play. Having Reggie Bush as a threat to catch the ball in the open field just tacks on additional Brees points for us.

3. Philip Rivers

The burden keeps getting heavier on Rivers shoulders. Many would think Rivers should get more of a balance now that rookie Ryan Matthews has arrived. Rookies though tend to go through their struggles especially in pass protection. Rivers is a vocal leader and loves to air the football out to Vincent Jackson. We are a bit worried that his interceptions may rise, but he should have a career high in passing yards.

4. Peyton Manning

The equivalent of pouring a cup of coffee every day. It’s routine and nothing is going to change. Manning is an obvious rarity to the game of football, and he will continue putting on a clinic each and every Sunday. There’s been questions surrounding his team in years past and it’s never become an actual factor. At 34, he still has three to four years to keep dynasty league owners happy.

5. Matt Schaub

He finally stayed healthy and performed to that high paying contract the NFL world thought the Texans were foolish for signing him too. With the best receiver in the game at his disposal, Schaub is in calming territory. Injury woes seem to be in the past. The Schaub-Johnson combo is a must for owners that get their hands on Andre Johnson. There’s nothing like seeing your fantasy tracker update by almost twenty points when a touchdowns scored. That’s what will happen on the plethora of thirty plus yard bombs these two will connect on in 2010.

6. Tom Brady

We have him a bit lower than most would expect. Brady is still a tier one quarterback but he has been bypassed slightly over the past year. New England’s old ways of getting it all done through Tom Brady just is not going to work anymore. We were surprised just like every one that they decided not to find a new running back to supplant Laurence Maroney. The backfield of Maroney, Fred Taylor, and Kevin Faulk immediately brings us to question the direction of the Patriots. You have an aging team that’s on a decline. Brady also will have to deal with Randy Moss who could begin to quit and pout as he knows this is his last year on the Patriots.

7. Brett Favre

Yes we’re ranking him this high. After Favre finally retires everyone is going to be dumbfounded when last years stats finally sink in twenty years from now. At 40 years old, FORTY, Favre threw 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Amazing. Think of some of the forty year old quarterbacks that have tried to play in this league. Doug Flutie, Steve Deberg, Vinny Testaverde, and even Warren Moon. At that point in their careers as you’d expect they were finished. Favre came to life. You have to believe him when he talks that football means everything to him. The game does not age him after all the beatings he has taken.

8. Tony Romo

Dez Bryant’s in the mix now too add to Miles Austin and Roy Williams. The weapons are there for Romo to climb into the top three of fantasy quarterbacks. It should happen in fact, but just like the Cowboys have had their issues winning in the playoffs, we are not quick to move Romo up that far yet.

9. Kevin Kolb

This is not a 23 or 24 year old first year starter. Kolb is 26 and should be ready to step up to this stage. Timing is everything and it is Kolb’s time to flourish. He learned from a professional in Donovan McNabb, and also learned from Mike Vick a bit last season. Philly loves to throw the ball as they tend to lead the league in percentages of throws versus the run. The bad thing for Kolb is the Eagles are paying Vick a good chunk of change. If Kolb can’t handle the role Vick could be in before the month of September is completed.

10. Eli Manning

Manning quietly may boast the best trio of receivers in the league as a whole. Manningham, Steve Smith, and Hakeem Nicks are as electric as a group as we can think of. The Giants and Tom Coughlin have never been a team that likes to tally up the points and air out the football. Playing to your strengths is what wins you football games. Coughlin began to realize as last year rolled along that they needed to let Manning find these young receivers. How else could you explain an almost fifty yard increase in yards thrown per game by Manning compared to his prior three year average?

11. Chad Henne

12. Donovan McNabb

13. Joe Flacco

14. Jason Campbell

15. Matthew Stafford

16. Ben Roethlisberger* suspension

17. Jay Cutler

18. Matt Ryan

19. Carson Palmer

20. Vince Young

21. Matt Leinart

22. David Garrard

23. Matt Hasselbeck

24. Matt Cassel

25. Alex Smith

26. Matt Moore

27. Mark Sanchez

28. Jake Delhomme

29. Josh Freeman

30. Brady Quinn

31. Sam Bradford

32. Mike Vick

33. Trent Edwards

34. Derek Anderson

35. Kyle Orton

36. Charlie Whitehurst

37. Ryan Fitzpatrick

38. Seneca Wallace

39. Dennis Dixon

40. Jimmy Clausen

41. David Carr

42. Kerry Collins

43. Byron Leftwich

44. Billy Volek

45. Tarvaris Jackson

By Zack Cimini

　notjustagame23@gmail.com

Running backs rule fantasy football leagues and are snatched up like deals on black Friday. Some owners have strategize other avenues to throw drafts for a loop and find themselves buried. Everyone knows the drill but securing the correct backs is the hard part. Last year saw some backs disappoint in great lengths. Who will those backs be this year?

1. Chris Johnson- A new deal will be in his hands soon. Will he regress from last season or continue to super charge Vince Young and the Titans offense? In the open field Johnson is not going to be touched. Fantasy owners that get additional bonus points on touchdowns of long distance are going to be able to bank on an additional 20-30 points alone in that category.

2. Adrian Peterson- His fumbling woes can not be overlooked but he is a young back that is still growing. Sometimes he is too aggressive or careless with the ball and that’s what has caused his collapse. The Vikings and Peterson know they have a great chance of being right back to the NFC championship game and finishing off what they did last year. Adding to that fuel is the fact that Peterson needs to show the world he can sidestep last seasons miscues and reprove himself.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew- The bowling ball keeps hurling himself like old school sonic the hedgehog spinning forward. He possesses it all, an ability to burst through holes, bounce off defenders and use his core strength to be one of the best little guy goal line backs that has been in the league in years. Jacksonville’s nucleus’s offensively does worry us a tad but Jones-Drew is one of the few backs in the league that is not in a share system in the backfield. He can be counted on to get the same amount of touches every game, which translates to happy fantasy owners.

4. Ray Rice- He was the spark that catapulted the Ravens to dangerous heights last year. He is sort of just like Jones-Drew but with a faster notch of speed to his game. Unlike Jones-Drew though Rice has too share carries with Willis McGahee and McClain. Baltimore was smart enough to get Rice more involved as the year goes on. With a full sixteen games to show his value Rice could be the gem of this years draft and number one next year.

5. Frank Gore- Gore is just that consistent back like Curtis Martin use to be. Nothing flashy but he seems to stick around the elite backs year after year. Last year he showed a toughness side of himself by fighting through an injury and only missing limited action. He did go through a rut on the field because of it but finished out the year strong when he was healthy. He reached double digit touchdowns for the first time in his career which gets him into the top five instead of bottom ten.

6. Steven Jackson- It’s hard for us to watch Jackson’s talent fade away on a team that is going nowhere. Jackson will have the weight on his shoulders to carry a rookie quarterback and a team with zero identity. He’ll garner the most eight man boxes in the league until Bradford shows strong enough capabilities to warrant not. Jackson may see a continued decline in touchdowns but his yards will always be there. Combining out of the backfield from short yardage dumps he should easily get between 1500-1750 yards total rushing/receiving.

7. Michael Turner- In most leagues Turner is going to be the first round pick someone does not want. It’s the pick where you have to draft for value than what you anticipate. Turner had a rough go in his second year with Atlanta as we predicted. At 28 he is still relatively young as far as mileage goes for a running back. That means his injury plagued 2009 season should not be so alarming. He should bounce back and is on an offense that is heavily loaded.

8. Ryan Matthews- Big shoes to fill for Matthews and expectations are set sky high. Early on San Diego may use Sproles a little more than they will as the season carries on, just so Matthews can ease in. Once that first breakout game happens which could be week one, Sproles will be relegated to a third down back. Playing with Philip Rivers sounds good in all, but if he misses a blocked assignment how will he handle Rivers barking in his face?

9. Rashard Mendenhall- Mendenhall stole the show from Willie Parker and made it easy for the Steelers to let Parker exit. Mendenhall gets to be the main option for the Steelers offense for the first six weeks with Ben Roethlisberger suspended. That means an extra five to ten carries a game to keep the hands out of Dennis Dixon’s hands. Those goal line touchdowns that ticked fantasy owners off last year from Ben Roethlisberger will be touchdowns for Mendenhall.

10. Ryan Grant- There is no discounting what Grant did last season. You just can not keep him out of the top ten based on how he complements Aaron Rodgers. Fantasy owners still may be hesitant on him as he started the year so slow and piled up numbers late. He scored more than half of his touchdowns (6) in the last four weeks of the season. Green Bay has one of the best if not best receiver sets in the league which makes huge holes for Grant. The emergence of tight end/split end Jermichael Finley makes Grant’s end of season push likely to carry over into 2010.

11. Shonn Greene- There will be carries a plenty for the Jets as they try to protect Mark Sanchez. It’ll be interesting to see how the percentages of carries are split up between Greene and LT, especially in the red zone. Greene took over Thomas Jones job in the playoffs even though Jones had been a heck of a back for the Jets. We anticipate Greene to be a fantasy friendly bright spot as Jets backs have been since the Curtis Martin days.

12. Jamaal Charles- Behind Chris Johnson, Jamaal Charles is probably the second best as a home run back in the NFL. We told you to scoop Charles up off the waiver wire weeks before the saga began and ended with Larry Johnson. Charles has another veteran to deal with in Thomas Jones, but do not let that worry you.

13. DeAngelo Williams- Williams hopes he can stay healthy a full season and re-enter the top ten for fantasy backs. It is definitely in reach. There is no questioning that the Panthers still have the best one-two punch of a backfield in the NFL. If Stewart were not such a high threat to split carries Williams would be a top five back. It’s remarkable that he tastes the end zone as frequently as he does.

14. Beanie Wells- What Ken Whisenhunt did last year with the Cardinals running back situation was similar to an old veteran getting playing time just because of his stature. Tim Hightower is not a number one running back, but Whisenhunt refused to give the job to Wells. He flirted with it later on in the year and that’s when the Cardinals started coming to life again. Wells will get his carries this season and should gain near 1200 yards rushing. The only glaring issue with Wells was him being prone to fumbling the football.

15. Cedric Benson- Talk about a transformation no one saw coming. After seeing his career dwindling to the point of no return to the NFL, Benson recommitted himself. Suddenly he was one of the top five backs in the league and was doing it consistently not just against poor defenses. He racked up two one hundred yard games against the Ravens which made the league and fans respect him once again. Last year was not a fluke and will see how his body handles coming off a year of 300 carries.

The best of the rest

16. Brandon Jacobs

17. Pierre Thomas

18. Joseph Addai

19. Knowshon Moreno

20. Ronnie Brown

21. LeSean McCoy

22. Matt Forte

23. Jahvid Best

24. Felix Jones

25. Ricky Williams

26. Jonathan Stewart

27. Reggie Bush

28. Michael Bush

29. Ahmad Bradshaw

30. Marion Barber

31. C. J. Spiller

32. LaDainian Tomlinson

33. Clinton Portis

34. Ben Tate

35. Fred Jackson

36. Jerome Harrison

37. Thomas Jones

38. Leon Washington

39. Carnell Williams

40. Tim Hightower

41. Donald Brown

42. Laurence Maroney

42. Justin Forsett

43. Darren Sproles

44. Steve Slaton

45. Montario Hardesty

46. Marshawn Lynch

47. Chester Taylor

48. Larry Johnson

49. Mike Bell

50. Glen Coffee

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Strategizing for a fantasy football draft is good in all until your plan gets thwarted by other owners. Certain players fall off the board and in panic mode you scramble and reach for other picks you think won’t be there. It’s happened to all of us. Then come the end of the draft you realize you have a glaring gaping hole. For most it comes square at the position of quarterback. Owners get immersed in adding that sure fire depth to the running back and wide receiver position that they bypass a quarterback for several rounds. Depending on the size of your league sometimes that works to your advantage.

It does not matter if you’re in an eight, ten, twelve, or fourteen team league, once all owners have their primary quarterback they tend to wait three to four rounds before drafting a backup. This gap of rounds provides the necessary leverage for yourself to take advantage. Sometimes it works, and sometimes you’re stuck throwing Kyle Orton or Jake Delhomme out there. It’s probably a scenario you want to avoid if at all possible. Some of you just do not learn, and were going to take a look at some quarterbacks that owners will risk carrying their fantasy team on a week to week basis. Get use to weeks of hit or miss. Yeah we’re talking those weeks where your cursing up a storm when a point total of six is put up by your quarterback.

If you can get your hands on two of these guys below, you could start spot them enough to set up favorable matchups and get quality starts. It’s almost like setting up bye week fillers. Quarterbacks on this list last year were Matt Schaub now a top five fantasy quarterback, Brett Favre, and Joe Flacco who will all likely be considered top ten fantasy quarterbacks.

Chad Henne- From what Henne showed he can be an elite quarterback with the right direction and proper progression on his part. He possesses the quarterback smarts to learn by the week, and did a dandy of a job for being thrown in after Pennington’s injury. He has an organization backing him 100 percent, and the physical tools to be a fantasy number one. His youth and inexperience will scare of owners this year. We still like him to grow and be a quarterback you can become more at ease with starting as the season goes on. Having Brandon Marshall out there does not hurt either.

Kevin Kolb- Based on Andy Reid’s coaching tenure in the NFL we know he tends to have a disproportionate ratio of passes compared to run plays. Kolb may not lead the league in certain quarterback categories, but we can bet he will be close to the top in attempts. That has to be a bright sign for fantasy owners as some of the quarterbacks we’d like to rank higher are cut down a few notches because of their offensive system. You do not have to worry about that with Kolb. Interceptions will come in bunches with Kolb but that territory is nothing alarming as we all expect it due to his inexperience.

Matthew Stafford- Toughness, heart, and determination were just some of the traits Stafford showed in his debut season. While his rookie year was cut short he threw some throws that just have future Pro Bowler written all over the guy. Detroit has been working on retooling the team to get Stafford a strong supporting cast. He has the receivers and newly drafted running back Javhid Best will add a flare of unique abilities for Stafford. Best’s skill set is not like a back the Lions have had in who knows how many years. Stafford is not a guy you would probably want as your number one, but he’ll have certain weeks where he will be a top ten or higher fantasy quarterback. Probably more than anticipated.

Donovan McNabb- For some reason McNabb’s draft stock in fantasy drafts has slipped the last few seasons just as his fanfare in Philadelphia has. Besides the occasion game where McNabb can’t hit a target if it were five feet in front of him, he is rather consistent for the most part. Those games are inexplicable, but McNabb has the obvious driving force to this season. Departing from Philadelphia was not what he wanted and he is set to pull a Brett Favre resurrection as Favre did in his actual favorable destination in Minnesota. Washington is stocked at running back and McNabb will find a way to develop his receivers as he did with mediocre receivers for the majority of his career in Philly.

Others that deserve a glance with binoculars

* Jason Campbell- Will he adjust and fit in well? Oakland’s always been a tough place for quarterbacks but Campbell is not a young quarterback anymore. He is a veteran at age 28 and should be ready for this type of stability that Washington never could grant him.

* Ben Roethlisberger- The media will be all over him from training camp onward, heck they already are. Will the constant questioning wear on him, or can he move on and let his game on the field speak for itself? He has a lot to prove to doubters and fantasy owners have to keep in mind a minimum four game suspension if the original six gets reduced.

* David Garrard- Garrard’s been a fantasy tease on occasion and is probably the league leader in inconsistency. You just don’t know what you’re going to get from him. We thought he’d see some type of increase once Dirk Koetter came aboard as the offensive coordinator. After all Koetter came from the potent Arizona State offensive system as their college coach. Garrard just has not excelled enough entering the crossroads of his career. It’s hard to believe he is only one year younger than Donovan McNabb.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

One of the stunning rises amongst sleepers that actually came to life last year was Steve Smith. No not the Steve Smith of the Panthers who could not dispel Jake Delhomme’s horrid continuation of faltering. It was Steve Smith of the Giants. Anticipating his rise amongst the crop of Giants receivers was not predictable. While he backed up Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress he really showed no signs of being a starting wide receiver. Maybe it was the chemistry of having a player familiar with him that allowed Eli Manning to develop a natural rapport with Smith. Manning looked his way often to the tune of over 100 catches for 2009.

There are reasons to believe that Smith’s 09 season may be his all time high. As the season went on the Giants discovered they have a great young core of receivers. Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham began to emerge after battling injury woes. They add a big play element that Smith does not possess. Coming off their solid years where they battled minor injuries, they should both be better prepared to handle a rigorous NFL season. Subtle things that receivers begin to pick up with the amount of talent they have will be second nature.

In years past Eli Manning was never a big threat for huge statistics. Last year was sort of a forced reckless attack with Eli’s arm for the Giants. They’re typically more reliant with their ground attack. With Brandon Jacobs ineffective while playing through injury and getting behind often, the Giants had to let Eli let it fly. They know that is not the approach they can have to get back to their winning ways.

Steve Smith was Eli’s safety net that proportionately would be the leader each game by almost two to one on any other Giants receiver. He actually finished with more catches total (107) than both Mario Manningham (57) and Hakeem Nicks (47) combined. That type of stark contrast is just not typical in this day and age of the NFL. Another key factor to look at is the Giants under utilized their tight end Kevin Boss. Boss did not have a horrible season from a tight ends perspective but we’d expect him to get a little more involved this year. A solid running game opens up the play action and streaks over the middle. Jacobs should be back 100 percent and that means Manning can have another threat to work off of over the middle.

Smith showed strong enough signs that he is a great possession receiver, there is no questioning that. Where we think he’ll lose a bit of luster is touchdown catches. Sure Manning did throw for 27 touchdowns and could equal or improve on that this year. It’s the guys behind him that worry us. Nicks (six touchdowns) and Manningham (8 touchdowns) did strong enough damage with touchdown receptions to figure they should only become a bigger part of the Giants attack in 2010. For the minimal amount of catches they had, dividing even an extra fifteen to twenty catches each would cause a significant fall for Smith.

When it comes time for your fantasy drafts it comes down to drafting Steve Smith as your second receiver, or banking on Manningham or Nicks increasing their play as your third or fourth receiver. For sure you do not want to have Smith as your overall number one but he’ll be safe as your second. The upside with Manningham and Nicks is tremendous. Expect a strong training camp battle to solidify that second wide receiver spot. New York has to be glad about one thing. They were able to shake off the Burress impact rants in less than a year. Their receiver core is young and going to be one of the strongest units in the league for some years to come.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

When you think of Syracuse football the first thing that comes to mind is, do they play football there anymore. The program has been in disarray since 2000. Long gone are the days of Marvin Harrison, Rob Konrad, Donovan McNabb, and Dwight Freeney. Talented players that use to commit to Syracuse are finding their ways to Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and other opposing conference teams. Attracting prospects and turning them from a blue chip to a stud is what Syracuse footballs main challenge has been. That’s harder said than done, and the program has stunk it up the past decade.

Last year the team regained some notoriety even though losing was still apart of the fold. They hired Doug Marrone former Saints offensive coordinator to take over head coaching duties. Then a laughable story at first in bringing in Greg Paulus to quarterback the team actually fared decent. Paulus had a rough go at stretches but brought fans back to the Carrier Dome to watch football, and had them in many games they could of won. Paulus has now worked himself an opportunity to make the Saints team after getting an invite to training camp.

A prime reason for Paulus’s ascent and climb throughout last year at Syracuse was because of wide receiver Mike Williams. Williams stretched defenses and gave Paulus a safety net of trust on any type of throw. Paulus could air out a median type of pass or the quick throw and Williams would not disappoint. How else could you explain a quarterback that was held for hardly any yards throwing including only 36 passing yards in the second half against Minnesota, to a week later throwing for 346 yards? That just doesn’t happen. Take a glance at the guy who ate up over 200 yards receiving with two touchdowns in that game, Mike Williams.

Williams had a tumultuous ride at Syracuse. While the team was being dismantled on the field, Williams showed a glimmer of hope for Syracuse fans. As a sophomore he caught a touchdown in nine straight games in 2007. That’s when the off the field issues begun. He was suspended for the 2008 season for academic reasons,  and had to rededicate himself by enrolling at a nearby community college. This type of story has happened to many of athletes and some just give up. Even with how embarrassing the matter was Williams got his grades up and showed enough for Syracuse to reinstate him for 2009.

Last year was going fine for Williams and it seemed as if he did not miss a beat. Talks around college football began to label him as a potential first or second round pick, and a top talent receiver. Towards the end of the season things began to unravel again for Williams. As Syracuse’s chances for a bowl exited the team also began to deviate from rules laid down by head coach Marrone. Players on the team including Williams had went to a casino in New York and been involved in a minor accident. That led to a suspension imposed on all the players. Instead of facing the suspension Williams decided to quit the team. With only a few left he figured there was no value in finishing out the year as he had plans to put his name in the NFL Draft anyways.

You could see why his stock slipped and why teams were weary in adding him to their team. Williams fell all the way to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round, but has every opportunity to show NFL franchises what they missed out on. Tampa Bay is going to give him a chance to win a starting job. The team has a lot of question marks especially offensively, and Williams will have his work cut out against opposing secondary’s. That’s nothing different from the way it was at Syracuse where teams tried to slow him down but couldn’t.

If Williams can stay out of trouble he is going to be a solid fantasy receiver in his first season. Tampa Bay is going to be down in a lot of ball games. That will open the door for Williams to get additional junk yardage and possible touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Out of the receivers selected this year Williams could end up being of the highest value right behind Dez Bryant. Call it crazy for a fourth round pick, but Williams has been bucking trends ever since he stepped foot at a Syracuse school that hasn’t seen his type of talent in years.