Unlock More Content Like This With A
Footballguys Premium Subscription
"Footballguys is the best premium
fantasy football only site on the planet."
Matthew Berry, NBC Sports EDGE
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. During each week of the season, we will look at a different set of devy rankings.
A few weeks ago, we began to look at the potential 2017 NFL Draft class, beginning with the quarterbacks. This week, we are examining the top players eligible for the 2019 NFL Draft.
As we survey devy prospects, we will be looking at traits, abilities, and skill sets that will translate to the NFL. So, let’s get started on top players who might be selected high in the 2019 NFL Draft. Most of these players are Freshmen so much could change in the next two years.
10. Joshua Jacobs (Alabama) – Jacobs is a 5’10”, 200-pound Freshman out of McLain high school in Tulsa, OK. He played quarterback as a Sophomore before transitioning to running back. Jacobs is a very good running back and a good receiver out of the backfield. While overshadowed by Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough, Jacobs still is getting consistent carries almost every game. In the win over Mississippi State, Saturday, Jacobs carried the ball 9 times 89 yards. The Crimson Tide uses all three running backs liberally as coach Saban leans on the defense and a strong running attack.
9. K.J. Costello (Stanford) – Costello has NFL size (6’4”, 216 pounds) and a great high school pedigree. ESPN and Rivals listed him as the second-best pocket passer in the country, behind Jacob Eason. Costello was prolific in high school, even breaking Carson Palmer’s school record with 8,222 passing yards. He also threw for 62 touchdowns and ran for 19 more. Stanford rarely starts freshmen, especially at quarterback so we will need to be patient and wait until at least 2017 to see Costello play.
8. Demetris Robertson (California) – Robertson is a slender pass catcher (6’0”, 175 pounds) who will add weight as he develops. The true Freshman from Savannah, GA, is having a big season. Many recruiting services had him as the top receiver in the country out of high school. Coming into the Saturday night game against Washington State, Robertson had 38 catches for 551 yards and 6 touchdowns. Three of those receptions went for over 50 yards. In the game Saturday, Robertson reeled in 6 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. This means that the Freshman now has 692 receiving yards on the season. There is good reason. Robertson has big speed as evidenced by his 10.51 100-meter dash in high school. His track coach gave a glowing review of who Robertson is as a person. Coach Deedee Colter said, "He’s wonderful, talented, respectful, does anything you ask him to do … He cares about the other kids. It’s amazing what he can do to rally a team. He’s always asking how the other kids did, supporting them, no matter how good they are." We like seeing the positive stories about the top recruits. While Robertson plays on a struggling California team, he is still making plays and could be a quality pro pass catcher.
7. Shane Buechele (Texas) – The 6’2”, 190-pound Freshman has performed well and righted the ship after a shaky few games following the Notre Dame victory. Buechele became the first player since Bobby Layne in 1944 to start his first career game as a true Freshman at quarterback for Texas. The early success is not a surprise. Buechele was a known commodity after playing high school football in Arlington, TX where he achieved a 4.0-grade point average and plenty of football accolades. Buechele’s father is a bench coach for the Texas Rangers which is the reason for the family living in Arlington. The youngster is on track for 3,000 passing yards and a 60% completion percentage.
6. Devwah Whaley (Arkansas) – At 6’0”, 197 pounds, many do not appreciate the agility of Whaley. Many schools recruited him as a defensive back due to his fluid hips and short-area quickness. Whaley ran for 1,530 yards and 21 touchdowns during his Senior year in high school. He should finish the season in strong fashion. Whaley is averaging over five yards per carry and is getting 10-15 carries most weeks.
5. Shea Patterson (Mississippi) – The 6’1”, 197-pound true Freshman had his redshirt removed last week and made an immediate impact in the upside of Texas A&M in College Station. In the contest, the Freshman was awesome. He completed 25 of 42 passes for 338 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. The Aggies have a strong defense and Patterson tore them up in his first collegiate game. Patterson was an All-American on several lists (USA Today, U.S. Army, among others) due to his play-making ability inside – and outside – of the pocket. Patterson was named the Most Valuable Player of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl after completing 6 of his 9 passes for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns while leading his West team to a 37-9 victory over the East. In addition, Patterson was named the Most Valuable Player of the Elite 11 QB competition. We are excited to him play, especially with the talent Mississippi has at the wide receiver position.
4. Trayveon Williams (Texas A&M) – The smallish back (5’9”, 182 pounds) has been very impressive as a true Freshman. In the double-overtime victory over Tennessee last month, Williams ran the ball 28 times for 216 yards and a score. The week following his coming out party, college analysts were fawning over Williams’ ability. Todd McShay said that he has been "really impressed" with the youngster’s "raw ability, particularly his burst and top-end speed." Many are more familiar with other superstars on the Aggies like Myles Garrett and the wide receiving corps, but Williams has been a difference-maker for the team.
3. Jacob Eason (Georgia) – The 6’6”, 217-pound true Freshman has already led Georgia to a pair of fourth-quarter, game-winning drives on the road (Missouri and Kentucky). He was recruited from the state of Washington to travel all the way down to the SEC to play college football. Eason was the top-ranked quarterback for most of the recruiting services and added Gatorade Player of the Year honors. He turns 21 years of age this week and has a very bright future. The Bulldogs are a young team who will grow and develop. Eason led Georgia to a big 13-7 win over 9th-ranked Auburn Saturday. He was efficient, completing 20 of 31 passes for 208 yards and scores or interceptions. It was a big victory for the Freshman passer.
2. Mike Weber (Ohio State) – Weber is a stout (5’10” 215 pounds) running back who has gotten a chance to shine after Ezekiel Elliott bolted for the NFL. The redshirt Freshman has added a powerful element to the Buckeyes running game. In the big win against Oklahoma earlier this season, Weber carried the ball 18 times for 123 yards. He will top the 1,000-yard mark for rushing yards this season and is a quality receiver out of the backfield.
1. N'keal Harry (Arizona State) – Harry is a big receiver (6’3”, 210 pounds) who has made a big impact early in his college career. In the loss to Utah Thursday night, the true Freshman hauled in 8 passes for 114 yards. This game brought him up to 43 receptions for 495 yards and 4 touchdowns. In high school, Harry caught 119 passes for 2,715 yards and 25 touchdowns. A little-known fact is that current Arizona State quarterback Bryce Perkins was Harry’s teammate in high school and the pair won the state title in 2014. Rivals ranked Harry as the top wide receiver and the 18th best prospect in the country. His stellar pedigree and quality play as a Freshman vault Harry to the top of our list.
Also, keep an eye on:
Deondre Francois (Florida State) – The redshirt Freshman quarterback has led the Seminoles to a strong season. His blend of athletic ability and a strong arm have punished opposing defenses for paying too much attention to running back Dalvin Cook. Florida State holds a 7-3 record while its young quarterback has passed for 2,675 yards, a 60% completion percentage, and 15-4 TD-INT ratio.
Nate Craig-Myers (Auburn) – The wide receiver came to Auburn with high hopes. He has only caught a few passes this season but has flashed big-play potential. The Freshman has the size (6’2”, 204 pounds) and just needs to refine his wide receiver skills. He and teammate, Kyle Davis, will be a force in the SEC for the coming years. Davis is also a big target (6’2”, 219 pounds) and has seen the field more than Craig-Myers. Also, keep tabs on Eli Stove. He is lesser ranked than these two but was still a big-time recruit. The conservative Tiger offense will limit the upside of this trio.
Devin Duvernay (Texas) – Duvernay stayed home to play at Texas. He has average size (5’11”, 195 pounds) but the wide receiver makes big plays for the Longhorns. Coming into Saturday’s game, Duvernay had 13 catches for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Freshman caught just three passes for 29 yards in the loss. He and Buechele will be a force in the BIG12 for years.
Elijah Holyfield (Georgia) – Evander’s son was a huge “get” for the new Bulldog coaching staff. While he is not playing much behind Georgia’s star tailbacks (Nick Chubb and Sony Michel), do not take this lack of playing time as an indictment on Holyfield. He will be a very good college back. Rivals had him ranked as the second-best tailback in the country coming out of high school.
B.J. Emmons (Alabama) – Emmons was the top-ranked ball carrier on several recruiting lists but is currently buried on the depth chart. He has the size and speed to be a great NFL player, but it will take time.
Sam Darnold (USC) – The redshirt Freshman has played very well after getting the starting nod a few games into the season. In the huge upset of Washington, Darnold was very good. He completed 23 of 33 passes for 287 yards and a pair of both scores and interceptions. He now has 2,161 yards on 169-of-248 passes, and a 22-6 TD-INT ratio. Saturday night, Dane Brugler tweeted, “Only a RS freshman, but I've already had NFL scouts bring up Sam Darnold's name during convos. They love him.” He is a quarterback to watch as he develops.
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.