Cordarrelle Patterson

There was no bigger surprise in the NFL in 2021 than Patterson, who at age 30 finally found a system he could thrive in and a coaching staff willing to use him as something more than a return man and occasional wide receiver or gadget player. The veteran's speed was never in question, but in turn the Vikings, Raiders, Patriots and Bears all had trouble figuring out what to do with it. The Falcons, lacking viable alternatives in the backfield, decided to turn Patterson loose as a running back and see what happened. The result? Nearly 1,200 scrimmage yards and 11 total touchdowns. Patterson's production through the air nearly matched what he gained on the ground, but with Atlanta usually playing from behind that didn't hamper his usage too much. He did fade late in the season, failing to reach 60 scrimmage yards in any of his final five games, but considering he's never even reached triple digits in touches in a season before, some fatigue was understandable. The Falcons offense could be even worse in 2022 with Matt Ryan gone and a threadbare receiving corps for the new starting QB to throw to, whether that's retread Marcus Mariota or rookie Desmond Ridder, plus the team did bring in Damien Williams to share some of the load. Patterson's still the favorite to lead the backfield in snaps and touches, however.

Though he's classified as a wide receiver at each of his five NFL stops, Patterson brings most of his value as a running back and kick returner at this stage of his career. His total carries have either matched or exceeded his targets in each of the past three seasons, and the disparity (64-25) was greater than ever while suiting up for the Bears in 2020. Expect the trend to continue in Atlanta. Patterson won't be asked to run many routes on a receiver-rich team, but the RB room is among the shallowest in the league. After moving on from Todd Gurley, Brian Hill and Ito Smith this offseason, the Falcons didn't draft a running back, leaving free-agent pickup Mike Davis as the No. 1. Patterson and Qadree Ollison will head into training camp as the next men up on the depth chart behind Davis.

Going into his eighth NFL season, Patterson hasn't posted 500 yards from scrimmage since 2014 and has never had more than 627 such yards in any season. In his first year with the Bears in 2019, he only received 28 touches, and it's difficult to see him having an increased role in 2020, especially after the team added Ted Ginn and rookie Darnell Mooney this offseason. As always, Patterson has much more value in leagues that award fantasy points for return yardage, as his 825 kick return yards last year was the fifth time in his career that he's posted at least 792 yards in that category.

Very few players in the NFL can touch the ball just a few times and have the type of impact on a game that Patterson does. His elite athleticism and game-breaking speed make him a player that terrifies defenses, but his lack of refined route running usually forces offensive coordinators to use him as a decoy that allows other teammates to see lighter coverage. Aside from his rookie season, he's yet to exceed 501 yards from scrimmage in any of the last five years. Of course, he also will be expected to serve as Chicago's kick returner, a role he's used to take six TDs to the house in his career.

At 6-2 and 228 pounds, Patterson adds size to the Patriots' wideout corps, but how much of a role the 2013 first-rounder ends up carving out in the offense has yet to be determined. His value as a kickoff returner and gunner should land him a roster spot and there's added opportunity with Brandin Cooks no longer in the mix and Julian Edelman facing a four-game suspension to start the season. Chris Hogan will be a Week 1 starter, but after that not much is set on New England's wide receiver depth chart. In addition to Patterson, the Patriots have Eric Decker, Phillip Dorsett and Braxton Berrios on hand. At least one member of that group has a chance to emerge as an early-season fantasy sleeper, which makes Patterson's rapport with QB Tom Brady worth monitoring as the summer rolls along.

Considered a first-round bust in Minnesota, Patterson caught just two passes for 10 yards in 16 games during the 2015 season -- his third year in the league -- before bouncing back last season with a career-high 52 receptions. Much of Patterson's value has come in the kick return game, which doesn't help potential fantasy owners in most league formats. The top of the wideout depth chart is secure in Oakland with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree leading the way, but Patterson will have an opportunity to compete against Seth Roberts for slotting behind the top duo. Roberts is a likely candidate to retain his position after posting 10 touchdowns through his first two years in the league, leaving Patterson strictly as a deep threat, bubble-screen weapon, and return specialist.

Patterson's disappointing performance as a receiver worsened throughout the 2015 season, as he caught just two balls on two targets for 10 yards in 16 games. Nearly all of his value came in the kick-return game, where he racked up 1,019 yards and found the end zone twice. The Vikings elected not to pick up the fifth-year option on Patterson's contract, so he's set to become a free agent following his 2016 campaign. With the addition of first-round pick Laquon Treadwell, Patterson's role as a receiver figures to once again be heavily limited, but his athletic ability could occasionally be used as a weapon for the team's offense -- not just special teams -- if he improves in training camp.

After Patterson caught 45 passes for 469 yards and four TDs during his 2013 rookie campaign, expectations with regard to his production were rosy in advance of last season, but instead he experienced a regression on that front. Still, the 24-year-old wideout – who recorded 33 catches for 384 yards and a TD in 16 games for the Vikings last year -- has plenty of ability, and with improved route running – a stated goal of his – this coming season, Patterson is a candidate to turn things around. That said, in the wake of the free agent departure of Greg Jennings, trade acquisition Mike Wallace and returnee Charles Johnson are currently penciled in as the Vikings' starting wideouts, so nothing will be handed to Patterson as he approaches his third NFL season.

Despite not being involved in the offense until late in the year, Patterson scored nine touchdowns as a rookie (four receiving, three rushing, two returns). And from Weeks 14-17, Patterson had five touchdowns from scrimmage, 15 catches, 215 receiving yards and 129 rushing yards. At 6-2, 220, Patterson is tall for a player with game-breaking speed and elusiveness, and he seems to run even faster than his 4.42 NFL Combine time. In short, there’s little doubt about his physical skills, and we have to think the opportunities will be there from Week 1, even with Greg Jennings still around. Of course, it’s unclear who will be throwing him the ball. Matt Cassel was the best quarterback on the team last year, but the Vikings traded up to draft Teddy Bridgewater with the 32nd pick, and it’s only a matter of time before he takes over. While Bridgewater certainly has the higher long-term ceiling, Patterson is likely to have to adjust to a rookie quarterback either in training camp or during the year. But the addition of offensive coordinator Norv Turner (the architect behind Josh Gordon’s breakout in Cleveland last year while playing with three sub-standard quarterbacks) should help. Expect Turner to target Patterson down the field more and scheme to take advantage of his big-play ability. Throw in Patterson’s added contributions on the ground and in the return game, and there’s a good deal of upside here.

After dealing Percy Harvin to the Seahawks, the Vikings signed Greg Jennings – and spent the 29th overall pick on Patterson. While Jennings will be the team's No. 1 wideout, Patterson has an excellent chance to break camp as a starter. At 6-2, 216 and with rare open-field running skills, Patterson is a threat to make plays even on shorter throws. He's tough to bring down, and he makes for a nice red-zone target. Like most rookie receivers, his game lacks polish, and it's unclear whether Christian Ponder will get him the ball farther down the field. Moreover, as long as Adrian Peterson stays healthy, the Vikings are always going to be a run-first team.