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 will begin examining the players eligible for the 2018 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 overall players who might be selected high in the 2018 NFL Draft.
10. Jacques Patrick (Florida State) – Patrick is a big collegiate back, especially considering he was the same size in high school. Last season, while starting against Syracuse as starter Dalvin Cook was sidelined with a hamstring injury earlier in the season, the 6'1”, 232-pound true Freshman rushed for 162 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. He only had 315 yards on the entire season so the Syracuse game should give hope for devy owners. Patrick's future is bright. He was Rivals and ESPN RB3 in the class and named Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Florida. That is no small honor given the talent that originates in the state. Patrick will become a household name in the college football community next year after Dalvin Cook heads to the NFL. What makes Patrick special is his unique blend of size and speed. We expect him to turn heads once Cook departs.
9. Malachi Dupre (LSU) – The Junior possesses optimal size (6'3”, 195 pounds) and makes huge plays in the air. Dupre is tall and a tremendous leaper. He will grow into a red-zone threat over time. The slender wide receiver is not relied upon as much as he could be due to his team having Leonard Fournette lined up in the backfield. Those who just look at box scores will be disappointed in Dupre. Given the lack of production, he is the player most likely to move down the rankings this season. But, the quarterback change has us hopeful. He has performed well when targeted in the passing game. Pro Football Focus' Steve Palazzolo had some positive things to say about Dupre before the season began. Palazzolo wrote, "A smooth runner with the speed to challenge the defense down the field, Dupre can track the ball extremely well, making him a downfield threat … Dupre does a nice job running the vertical route tree." He went on to say, "The volume hasn’t been there for Dupre, or his teammate Travin Dural for that matter … We’d like to see him targeting more often, particularly in the middle of the field where he doesn’t consistently catch the ball in traffic." Palazzolo had Dupre ranked as the fourth-best receiver who could enter the NFL Draft this season. Given the lack of quality statistics, we are including Dupre in this list because he has a great chance to stay in school.
8. Deon Cain (Clemson) – Many people who follow and write about college recruiting had Cain as one of the top players in the entire class. The former high school quarterback has been clocked at 4.44 40-yard dash. The issues for the talented youngster are all off the field. He reportedly failed a drug test last year and was suspended from the team. This suspension caused Cain to miss the National Championship game against Alabama, a game the Tigers could have used the talented receiver. Before the suspension, Cain emerged to fill the void left by Mike Williams, who was lost for the season after suffering a broken neck. Cain is a physically impressive player (6'1”, 210 pounds), with great speed, and is still learning how to become a star at the receiver position. If he was not already well-known nationally, the big game against Louisville a couple of weeks ago solidified Cain as a top pass catcher. In that contest, he caught five passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
7. Christian Kirk (Texas A&M) – All throughout his football career, people have been discounting Kirk due to his smallish frame (5'11, 190 pounds), but the true Sophomore is one of the better receivers in the country. He played wide receiver, running back, kick returner, and defensive back in high school and his versatility has helped Texas A&M. Kirk is an elite athlete whose versatility will be viewed as a positive in the NFL. To us, he looks like a young DeSean Jackson, able to get open with ease any time he desires. Kirk received many accolades last season. Bruce Feldman named Christian his top true Freshman of 2015. In his article, Feldman wrote, “In a very turbulent season, the Arizona native was the Aggies’ one sure thing. A rock-solid, mature-beyond-his-years, go-to guy, Kirk showed his playmaking skills in the opener against Arizona State and never eased up." The quarterback change to Trevor Knight has held Kirk’s numbers in check this season, but his play-making ability has jumped off the screen.
6. Josh Rosen (UCLA) –As a true Freshman, Rosen showed the poise and a strong arm of an upperclassman. Many worry that Rosen is resting on his laurels and not putting in the time to reach his potential. So that is a concern for a player who achieved success early in his college career. Rosen has NFL size (6'4”, 208 pounds) and has excelled as a pocket passer. The youngster has the look of an NFL star. He is our second-ranked devy quarterback, behind Deshaun Watson. We are hoping Rosen will take another step in his development. He has enjoyed some monster outings this season against the lesser defenses of the Pac12. Currently, Rosen is injured and his void is obvious in the Bruins offense.
5. Saquon Barkley (Penn State) – While not as highly touted as many on this list, Barkley was studly as a true Freshman in 2015. The 5'11”, 215-pounder is fast, earning the gold medal in the 100-yard dash for Eastern Pennsylvania. In his first collegiate year, Barkley carried the Penn State offense with the well-chronicled struggles of Christian Hackenberg. Barkley was ranked No. 1 in Pro Football Focus' elusive rating last season. This is great news for his professional aspirations. Also, ESPN's Kevin Weidl was effusive in his praise for the Penn State star’s combination of power, agility, burst, competitiveness and strength as a 220-pound runner. Considering Barkley’s has enjoyed some big outings in his short career, we agree. Barkley topped the 1,000-yard mark as a true Freshman playing in a one-dimensional offense.
4. Damien Harris (Alabama) – Harris was just starting to assert himself when an ankle injury popped up. He injured the ankle against Kent State. But, the young back has been great this season. He has topped 100 rushing yards in almost every game this season. Harris is from small-town Berea, KY. but he was highly recruited out of high school. Many recruiting services had the 5'11”, 205-pound runner as the top back in the recruiting class. He is more polished than most youngsters, possessing speed, explosiveness, and the vision to cut back and find a lane to break open a big play. We saw these qualities on display in the big win against USC earlier in the season. Harris was VERY impressive in that outing as he only ran the ball nine times but totaled 138 yards. He was impressive the next week against Mississippi, too.
3. Lamar Jackson (Louisville) – The 6’3”, 205 true Sophomore has been very impressive this season. He has drawn comparisons to Michael Vick and other top quarterbacks of the past. What makes Jackson so difficult to defend are his arm strength paired with speed and elusiveness with the ball in his hands. NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter had this to say about the Louisville star, "Jackson shows excellent speed and agility in the open field as well as enough toughness to get that last yard … The sophomore isn't consistent with his accuracy, but he could improve in that area with time." Jackson has relied on his naturally-given talent that he now needs to work on improving as a quarterback. In an NFL.com article, an NFC executive said that Jackson "has the look of a first (overall) pick." The executive went on to say, "The thing I took away from the (Clemson-Louisville) game is that Lamar Jackson has the look of a first (overall) pick, but I don't think (Deshaun) Watson has the same look." This is high praise for the talented Sophomore.
2. Derrius Guice (LSU) – Even as a Freshman, Guice was able to get carries behind superstar Leonard Fournette. With Fournette injured the past few weeks, Guice has shine. In the game against Missouri, the Sophomore gained 163 yards and scored three times on just 17 carries. He was impressive. The 5'11”, 215-pound back was ranked RB2 by Rivals and has proven that to be an accurate ranking. Guice was the MVP of the US Army All-American game. We think he is a star in the making.
1. Calvin Ridley (Alabama) – Ridley enjoyed an impressive Freshman season in 2015. The 6'0”, 180-pounder easily seized the WR1 duties for the Crimson Tide. We expect Ridley to continue to add bulk to his slight frame. He is a dangerous receiver down the field and with the ball in his hands. But, Ridley has impressed most with his ability to win contested passes. He has an impressive ability to high-point the ball and aggressively attack it. This is a trait which will translate well in the NFL. For those who track the age of the incoming rookies, Ridley is one year older than most of the other Sophomore receivers, and two years older than one or two top pass catchers in his draft class. He still is a great prospect, nonetheless, after catching 75 passes for 893 yards and five touchdowns, as a Freshman in the run-oriented Alabama offense. In a game against Kentucky earlier this month, Ridley went bonkers reeling in 11 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns.
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.