On the surface, SprayberryFootball.com, which suggests scouts are looking for a player standing 6’3†and weighing 250 pounds.
Walker finished 2013 as a TE1 despite his below-average measurables though (the average measurables of the other 11 tight ends was 6’4â€, 255 pounds), proving the old adage that the size of the fight in the dog is indeed more important than the size of the dog.
So how did this widely overlooked, former sixth-round pick out of Central Missouri make such an impact last year?
Jake Locker vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick
It's true that the success of pass-catchers is largely dependent on the man chucking the rock. Net Expected Points between the two quarterbacks, our metric for quantifying a player’s success adding points for his team:
| Quarterback | Passing NEP | Per Drop Back | Pass Success Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | 33.79 | 0.09 | 45.28% |
| Jake Locker | 10.91 | 0.05 | 43.22% |
Fitzpatrick had a larger sample size, but he clearly outperformed Locker in Passing NEP, with a slightly larger Success Rate, which measures the percentage of passes that contribute positively towards a player's NEP. It should be noted that Fitzpatrick’s Total NEP, factoring in rushing as well, was 54.70 to Locker’s 26.15, or slightly above the average of 53.90 for all quarterbacks with a positive NEP. Quite simply, Fitzpatrick was the better quarterback last year, and that benefited Walker directly.
Walker vs. His Positional Contemporaries
As far as raw ability and the “eye test†go, Walker isn't in the same league as FantasyFootballCalculator.com's average draft position data, Walker is going undrafted in 12-team standard drafts, and in the 14th round (pick 186.5) in 14-team standard drafts.
The fact that he finished tied for eighth at the position last season in touchdowns, 12th in targets and 10th in catches makes him a roster-worthy commodity. Stability, consistency, and efficiency are traits to look for in your bench players, and I highly recommend drafting Walker late in drafts as a relative steal. The 2013 numbers were so modest, yet in the top tier, making him a candidate to surpass previous production, even with a quarterback who may not favor him as much.