"Unpacking Dez Fitzpatrick: Analyzing the Impact of the Rookie Wide Receiver for the 2021 Season"

Credit Mark Wallheiser/Associated Press

Our perspective on 2021 rookie Dez Fitzpatrick.

Dez Fitzpatrick is a six-foot-one, 208-pound wide receiver out of Louisville. Dez was drafted in the fourth round by the Titians, who didn’t have much outside of A.J. Brown until they added Julio Jones. Fitzpatrick ran a 4.47 forty-yard dash on his pro day.

"His drop in production could be related to not having Lamar Jackson."

Dez looks smooth in his routes and makes natural adjustments to the ball. Seventy-eight point two percent of his receptions went for a first down or a touchdown in his junior and senior season. One of three players with at least three catches of 60 plus yards in 2020. The other two players are Dwayne Eskridge and Devonta Smith. Dez had plenty of impressive catches on tape.

Fitzpatrick could bulk up a little bit as he is a bit leaner. Unfortunately, he had 20 plus drops over the last two seasons and never eclipsed his 45 reception or nine touchdown mark from his freshman year. The quarterback during his freshman year was Lamar Jackson. Jackson was the best quarterback he had, and he had a pretty productive season. The following down years could be explained by quarterback play.

Scouting Report

There are plenty of opportunities and very little competition in Tennessee, but this team will be a little run-heavy at times. There’s a real chance he could be the number three in that offense. We can't say it will be right away, but he will gain the least amount of defensive attention right now. Fitzpatrick is going late in rookie-only drafts and is a low price to pay for some upside potential.