There is a growing movement in the Dynasty community toward “devy” players. The term “devy” refers to developmental players carried on the dynasty league rosters. These devy players are usually college players but can even be high school athletes. Each week, we will look at a different set of devy rankings.
In dynasty leagues that include devy players, there are a two main things to consider: when the player is NFL Draft eligible and how well the player's attributes will translate to the NFL level. Each of these seem straight forward. Well, they are not. We regularly see players, especially at the quarterback position, stay in school a year or two longer after they are draft eligible. In addition, just because a player is a great college player, it does not necessarily mean he possesses the size, speed, and aptitude for excelling at the professional level.
This series of articles will focus on players who should be considered on their respective NFL prospects not college production. We will begin the series with a look at the quarterbacks who will be eligible for the 2016 NFL Draft.
5. Connor Cook (Michigan State) – Cook is one of those prospects who you think is a good prospect but you can never pull the trigger and select him. It happens to all fantasy owners. Some compare Cook to Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. They are similar in a couple of ways. While the fantasy football community continues to bash on Dalton, imagine how vilified he would be if playing on a poor team. This is a very real possibility for Cook. Imagine him playing in either Cleveland or Washington. It would be a big, hot mess. Both quarterbacks perform much better with a clean pocket, and struggle when pressured. Cook struggled in the season opener and his Spartans need him to complete a much higher percentage of his passes than the roughly 50% he connected on Friday night. He is likely the third or fourth quarterback drafted on draft day.
4. Jeremy Johnson (Auburn) – Johnson saw limited action in 2014 playing behind Nick Marshall. He is big (6'5”, 225 pounds) and very athletic. No, Johnson is not a running quarterback. But, he uses the athleticism to move around in the pocket and avoid defenders. The coaching staff has compared Johnson to Cam Newton, which got the fan base excited. As you watch Johnson, notice his strong arm, and monitor his touch on passes down the field. This ranking of Johnson assumes he will progress from the minimal snaps he saw last season. Do not let the win against Louisville fool you, Johnson did not play well. Johnson's two interceptions were bad throws that should not have left his hand. Auburn will run the ball often, setting up the pass. Johnson will have opportunities to pass off run action. We expect him to either excel or fall to the middle of the quarterback pack. The latter is looking more likely.
3. Cardale Jones (Ohio State) – Ohio State is in an enviable position at quarterback. Jones is battling J.T. Barrett for the starting gig. Both quarterbacks will be used a lot this season. Coach Urban Meyer even moved last year's opening day starter Braxton Miller to H-back because of the talent and faith he has in Jones and Barrett. The 2014 championship season was an amazing one for Ohio State and Jones. He emerged after both Miller and Barrett were injured. Jones had a combined 17 pass attempts going into the pivotal last three games of the season. But, in those three contests (including the National Championship), Jones hit on 46 of his 75 passes for 742 yards, 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He added 90 more yards on the ground, plus another score. The three wins were against Wisconsin, Alabama, and Oregon … three of the top teams in college football. Keep in mind that even if coach Meyer thinks Barrett should be the starter for part of this season, Jones is the better professional prospect. And, he showed it with a brilliant game against Virginia Tech on Monday night. Jones made NFL throws and looked like he belongs in the conversation for the top pick in next year's NFL Draft.
2. Christian Hackenberg (Penn State) – After a very promising Freshman season in 2013, Hackenberg struggled in 2014. There are a couple of reasons for the disappointing season. First and foremost was the loss of head coach Bill O'Brien to the Houston Texans. O'Brien did a great job with Hackenberg, and had the youngster playing at a high level. Plus, many forget that Hackenberg had future NFL star receiver Allen Robinson to target. With his coach and top pass catcher gone, Hackenberg struggled behind a poor offensive line last season. This led to poor mechanics, especially his feet, and erratic passing. Hackenberg has NFL size (6'4”, 220 pounds) and should rebound from the poor 2014 season by the end of this season. Will it be soon enough? Hackenberg should still be a top draft pick if he comes out after his Junior year, no matter his performance this season. The Penn State team is a mess and the criticism is mounting for the current coaching regime. Hackenberg has made enough top shelf throws throughout his career that a team should take a chance on him high in the 2016 NFL Draft.
1. Jared Goff (California) – Goff put up gaudy numbers a year ago and has a great chance to top them in 2015. As a Sophomore, Goff completed 316 of 509 passes for 3,973 yards, 35 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. He is big (6'4”, 205 pounds) and has great pocket presence. Many will discount Goff's production as a product of coach Sonny Dykes' pass-happy offense. But, Goff has been elite all the way back to his play at Marin Catholic High School. He should be considered the favorite for the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. The NFL is hungry for quarterbacks who put up monster college numbers and have prototypical size. Goff fits the bill on both.
Honorable Mention
J.T. Barrett (Ohio State) – Mobile, undersized (only 6'1” - much shorter than the NFL norm) quarterback who has a good arm but might need time to develop into a NFL quarterback. There was much buzz this offseason about how Barrett has improved as a quarterback, especially his throwing down the field. His lack of height and lack of experience in the pocket will be obstacles to overcome.
Trevone Boykin (Texas Christian) - Boykin is the favorite for the Heisman trophy due to his tremendous play-making ability. But, the NFL teams will scrutinize his ability to be a pocket passer and read defenses. Boykin is not tall (6'2”) and has made his mark with athleticism. We hand it to him, though, as the senior has improved as a passer. Will it be enough?
Cody Kessler (Southern California) – Kessler is a lesser professional prospect due to lack of size and weak arm strength. He has enjoyed playing in a stellar offense with great receivers, helping his numbers. When the draft scrutiny begins, we expect Kessler to fade into the background.
Joshua Dobbs (Tennessee) – Of these quarterbacks, Dobbs has the best chance to make the jump into the conversation as a first round NFL pick. He has NFL size and has great athletic ability. Sure, Dobbs needs to work on improving as a passer. His lack of experience shows. The Volunteers starter has a very strong group of weapons so there will be big games this season.
Jacoby Brissett (North Carolina State) – Brissett is a late bloomer who has flashed brilliance but has been a victim of inconsistency. It was good to see him play well last Saturday. He could vault up into the second day of the NFL Draft with a strong season.
Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) – Wentz is a big, pocket-passing quarterback who played well in the opening day loss to Montana. We are anxiously awaiting to see how Wentz handles the increased focus he will incur from opposing defenses.
That will do it for the 2016 Quarterback Draft Class. Next week, we will look at the 2016 Running Back Draft Class. Overall, this is not a strong Quarterback Class. There is little chance of a Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota, much less two elite prospects.
Feel free to email me (Tefertiller@Footballguys.com) with feedback. Also, I am on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/JeffTefertiller), LinkedIn, and Google+, so you can ask me questions on one of these as well.
