May 7, 2018

Devy Top 100 College Prospects - Footballguys

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This is the third annual ranking of the Top 100 Devy Prospects for Dynasty Leagues. Before diving into the list of the Top-100 prospects, let’s try something new this year and start with a quick summary of the overall devy landscape at the four major positions.

Quarterback

Next season looks like a down year at the position, with no clear-cut, first-round talents. A couple guys will likely emerge from the pack and work their way into the first-round conversation, but it is difficult to bet on any one single guy at this point in the process. Among the most likely candidates are Justin Herbert (Oregon), Drew Lock (Missouri), Jarrett Stidham (Auburn), Shea Patterson (Michigan), Jake Bentley (South Carolina), Ryan Finley (NC State) and Dwayne Haskins (Ohio State).

The 2020 class already looks more promising at the top. Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama) resembles a young Russell Wilson and sits atop the overall devy quarterback rankings. Jake Fromm (Georgia) has A+ intangibles and just enough physical ability to project as an NFL starter. Plus, some of the quarterbacks listed above as 2019-eligible are more likely to end up in the 2020 class.

Typically, it is not recommendable to spend devy picks on incoming freshman quarterbacks except in the deepest of leagues. However, the 2018 freshman class (2021 NFL Draft class) is special. Justin Fields (Georgia) and Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) look like can’t miss prospects and were fantastic in the spring as early enrollees. If you have a need at quarterback and the patience to wait three years, these two are worth considering in devy drafts.

Running Back

The 2019 NFL Draft class looks relatively weak at the running back position, especially compared to the loaded 2017 and 2018 running back classes. David Montgomery (Iowa State), Damien Harris (Alabama), Bryce Love (Stanford) and Rodney Anderson (Oklahoma) each look like solid Day 2 prospects but probably aren’t special enough to get into the first round.

The 2020 running back class is setting up to be an absolute monster. The first-round of devy this offseason will be dominated by sophomore running backs. Cam Akers (Florida State) and D’Andre Swift (Georgia) look like surefire future first-rounders. J.K. Dobbins (Ohio State), Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin), Travis Etienne (Clemson) and AJ Dillon (Boston College) aren’t too far behind. Plus, highly touted recruits Najee Harris (Alabama), Stephen Carr (USC) and Trey Sermon (Oklahoma) showed flashes in limited playing and have a real chance to emerge as top prospects as well.

Wide Receiver

Wide Receiver is the most loaded skill position for the 2019 NFL Draft. AJ Brown (Mississippi) and N’Keal Harry (Arizona State) top the list. Kelvin Harmon (NC State), Ahmmon Richards (Miami), David Sills (West Virginia), Anthony Johnson (Buffalo) and Bryan Edwards (South Carolina) stand out amongst a muddled but deep second-tier of prospects. After a drought at the position in recent drafts, the 2019 wide receiver class could be the best since 2014.

It is still early, but as of yet none of the 2020-eligible receivers has really separated from the pack. Jerry Jeudy (Alabama), Tee Higgins (Clemson), Tarik Black (Michigan), and Jhamon Ausbon (Texas A&M) are some of the top names to watch.

Tight End

Noah Fant (Iowa) headlines a decent 2019 class and looks like a future first-round NFL talent. He has the potential to make a major impact in fantasy and is worthy of a top-20 overall selection in devy drafts. Caleb Wilson (UCLA) and Albert Okwuegbunam (Missouri) also project as potential early picks next year.

Who is Number 1?

In the two previous versions of this article, the pick for #1 devy felt obvious. In 2016, it was Leonard Fournette and in 2017 it was Saquon Barkley. The choice is much more difficult in 2018. Four players have a legitimate case, each worthy of the top spot.

Do you like to build your dynasty rosters around wide receivers? Then A.J. Brown and N’Keal Harry are the guys for you. They are the top wide receiver prospects of the last three years. Both have pedigree, early production, size, and run-after-the-catch ability. Both are locks to enter the 2019 Draft.

Prefer building around running backs? You’ll have to wait until 2020 but it should be worth it. Cam Akers is your prototypical workhorse back in the mold of Ezekiel Elliott with speed, power and elusiveness. D’Andre Swift is a mismatch nightmare in the mold of Alvin Kamara and his upside in PPR leagues is exciting.

Top 100

WR A.J. Brown, Ole Miss (2019) Brown is a difficult player to project to the next level because he plays almost exclusively out of the slot despite being a 6’1, 225-pound monster. Brown was incredibly productive, leading the SEC with 75 catches for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns last year as a true sophomore. His final outing of the season -- against Mississippi State in a heated rivalry game-- was one of the best performances of 2017. Brown comes with a pedigree as well. He as a top national recruit who Nick Saban compared to Julio Jones. Terrell Owens may be a more apt comparison. Brown isn’t a speedster but timed a very solid 4.52-forty yard dash at The Opening two years ago and has been able to get free deep against college defenses. Sophomore Highlights
RB Cam Akers, Florida State (2020)Akers ranks narrowly as the top running back prospect in college football. He was arguably the most hyped recruit in the entire class of 2017 and lived up to the buzz by rushing for a Florida State freshman record 1,024 yards. He has a freakish combination of size (a well built 220 pounds) and speed (legitimate 4.45) that makes him an elite prospect. He showed solid pass-catching ability but isn’t quite as polished as Swift. Freshman Highlights
RB D'Andre Swift, Georgia (2020) Swift was easily the most polished of the freshman backs, flashing potentially elite route-running and receiving skills. You see flashes of Alvin Kamara with his ability to win 1-on-1 matchups. He also rushed for a whopping 7.6 yards per carry. As a big believer in trying to contextualize production, there is nothing more impressive than the fact that Georgia went out of their way to get Swift touches in the college football playoffs despite having the top two senior backs in the nation (Nick Chubb and Sony Michel). Freshman Highlights
WR N'Keal Harry, Arizona State (2019) Harry is a load on the outside, standing at 6’4 with long arms. The former five-star recruit has more than lived up to the hype after choosing to stay at home in Arizona despite being heavily recruited by most of the best programs in the nation. With his size and ball skills, he is dominant in contested-catch situations and led the Pac-12 with 1,142 receiving yards last season. Harry has also shown some wiggle running after the catch and even returning some punts. The questions about him next spring will be similar to those faced by Courtland Sutton: Does he have the speed and route-running acumen to separate from NFL defensive backs?Sophomore Highlights
RB JK Dobbins, Ohio State (2020) Dobbins is an athletic freak. He was named the Nike Football SPARQ Rating champion of the 2017 recruiting class with a 146.76. He ran a 4.45 40-yard dash with a 4.09 shuttle, a 42-inch power ball toss and 43-1 inch vertical. The explosiveness showed up immediately in Columbus with Dobbins quickly seizing the starting job as a true freshman with 181 yards in his college debut and rushing for over 1,400 yards. His lateral agility and ability to make quick jump cuts are as impressive as any back we’ve seen in recent years. Dobbins isn’t the biggest guy but should have enough size at 208 pounds to be a feature back at the next level. Freshman Highlights
RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (2020) Taylor had a monster freshman year in the running back-friendly Badgers offense, rushing for 1,977 yards. From an NFL perspective, Taylor’s combination of size (5’11, 214) and long speed makes him extremely intriguing. He was the New Jersey state champion in the 100M dash crossing the line in a blazing time of 10.64 seconds. He reportedly runs the 40 in the low 4.4s. After hauling in just eight receptions in 2017, one of Taylor’s primary focuses this offseason is growing as a receiver. If he can add that element to his game, he could be the top-ranked devy player overall this time next year. Freshman Highlights
RB David Montgomery, Iowa State (2019) For the most part, the top backs in the 2016 freshman class didn’t pan out at the college level. Montgomery has emerged from seemingly out of nowhere as the top running back prospect in that class and the early favorite to be the first back off the board in the 2019 NFL draft. Montgomery has a game that is strikingly similar to that of Kareem Hunt, which is perhaps unsurprising since Iowa State’s Matt Campbell was previously Hunt’s head coach at Toledo. Both backs have an uncanny ability to run through arm tackles and make guys miss in the open field. Like Hunt (who ran a 4.62 40-yard dash at the combine), Montgomery lacks elite speed which will probably keep him from being a first-round pick. However, he can make a major fantasy impact as a Day 2 selection if he ends up in the right situation. Sophomore Highlights
WR Kelvin Harmon, North Carolina State (2019) A big receiver with exceptional body control, Harmon had a breakout sophomore season with 65 receptions for 993 yards. Speed and ability to separate are potential concerns for Harmon. He makes a lot of his catches with defenders draped all over him.Highlights
WR Ahmmon Richards, Miami (2019) Richards had a huge season as a true freshman in 2016, with 934 receiving yards and a 19.1 yards per catch average. However, injuries limited Richards to just 7 games in 2017 and he never looked quite right, managing just 24 catches for 439 yards. An ankle injury caused him to miss three games early (and limited him in other games) before a knee injury ended his season in November. Richards also struggled through some drop issues in 2017 and will need a bounce-back season to re-establish himself as a top NFL prospect.Sophomore Highlights
RB Damien Harris, Alabama (2019) Harris was getting buzz as a potential 2nd-round pick in the 2018 Draft before making the surprising decision to return to Tuscaloosa for his senior season. He is just 1,395 yards away from breaking the Tide's all-time career rushing record. Harris led the SEC last fall with 4.8 yards per carry after contact according to Pro Football Focus. he also reportedly ran a 4.40 at spring test two years ago. Even if inflated, by a tenth of a second, Harris has nice speed for a back who is 220 pounds and looks like a solid NFL prospect even if he makes fewer “wow” plays than you’d expect for such an accomplished back. He’s a physical north-south runner with long speed. Junior Highlights
RB Rodney Anderson, Oklahoma (2019) Anderson had a big season with over 1,400 yards and 18 total touchdowns but really had his national coming out party in the college playoffs against Georgia. Anderson is a well rounded prospect with above-average size, power, speed and receiving ability. Sophomore Highlights
RB Travis Etienne, Clemson (2020) With the exception of Saquon Barkley, there may not have been a college back in the nation with more “juice” in his legs than Etienne. His explosiveness with the ball is incredible. Etienne burst onto the scene as a relatively unheralded true freshman and emerged as the best player on Clemson’s offense, scoring 13 touchdowns. Freshman Highlights
RB Zamir White, Georgia (2021) White is a big-time recruit, ranked as the top back nationally in the 2018 freshman class. He is the full package with size, speed and receiving skills. However, a torn ACL in November clouds the picture a bit. While ACL injuries are no longer career-ending in most cases, it is still a difficult injury for running backs to fully recover from and there is no guarantee White will have the same burst when healthy. It is probably a good sign what White was able to partially participate in non-contact spring practice drills while wearing a brace on the knee.
WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama (2020) Jeudy is a spitting image of Calvin Ridley. The two South Florida prospects were both 5-star recruits and sport similar builds with decent height (6’1) but thin, wiry frames. Both win with elite quickness and strong route running. Jeudy misses much of the spring with injury but projects as the top wide receiver for the Crimson Tide in the fall.Freshman Highlights
WR Bryan Edwards, South Carolina (2019) Edwards has put together solid production through two years. He has totaled 108 receptions, 1,383 yards, and 9 touchdowns. He is more of a possession receiver at 6’3, 215 pounds but should run in the high-4.5s, so he has decent upside and profiles as a Day 2 pick assuming he declares after his junior season. Sophomore Highlights
WR Dekaylin Metcalf, Ole Miss (2019) Metcalf looks the part of a first-round wide receiver. He is 6’4 with long arms, shows speed and leaping ability. However, he hasn’t really excelled as anything other than as a jump ball mismatch in the red zone. Metcalf is still raw after missing most of his freshman season with a foot injury and still has plenty of upside if he can put it all together. Sophomore Highlights
TE Noah Fant, Iowa (2019) Fant has solid size at 6’5, 241 pounds but is definitely a receiver first and not known for his blocking. He broke out as a true sophomore with 11 touchdown catches and an impressive 16.5 yards per reception. Fant ran a 4.64-forty yard dash as a 211-pound recruit and reportedly has been able to get even faster despite adding 30 pounds.Highlights
RB AJ Dillon, Boston College (2020)Dillon rushed for 1,589 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns as a true freshman and really came on strong down the stretch. For a big man (240+ pounds), he is an exceptional athlete. Prior to his senior year, he posted a 4.56-second 40-yard dash, a 4.29 in the shuttle, a power-ball toss of 40 feet and a vertical jump of 38.3 inches. Steve Addazio noted the progress he has made this spring: “He’s an every-down player now. He’s done a great job this spring of learning protections and becoming a third-down back so he will never need to exit that field.” Freshman Highlights
QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (2020) As a highly-touted true freshman, he received most of his action in garbage time in relief of Jalen Hurts. However, trailing in the national championship game, Nick Saban went to Tagovailoa in the second half and the dynamic freshman led a comeback capped by a long touchdown in overtime to win the title. There will be Russell Wilson comparisons, which are justified due to Tagovailoa’s uncanny ability to escape pressure and keep his eyes downfield to make big plays. While he missed the spring due to an injury, Tagovailoa still looks like a lock to be Alabama’s 2019 starter due to the obvious lack of progress as a passer displayed by Jalen Hurts in the spring game. Freshman Highlights
RB Najee Harris, Alabama (2020) Showed up to Alabama with nearly as much hype as Cam Akers but didn’t make much of an immediate impact (just 361 rushing yards). However, it was notable that Harris was in the game on arguably the biggest drive of Alabama’s season late versus Georgia in the national championship. Nick Saban said this spring that Harris needs to focus on improving his blocking to see the field more. Harris will have to bide his time for another season behind Damien Harris but has the size, speed and nifty feet to eventually emerge as an early-round NFL prospect.
RB Bryce Love, Stanford (2019) Love is a big-time college player who is one of the Heisman favorites. He also has outstanding speed and ridiculous big-play ability (13 runs of 50+ yards last season). However, it is tough to project a big enough NFL role for Love to feel confident about his future fantasy value. Love is only 196 pounds and has had trouble staying healthy in college. Unlike some other smaller backs (including former teammate Christian McCaffrey) who have had fantasy success, Love isn’t a great receiver with less than 30 catches in his three-year career. Love is worth drafting in devy leagues with the hope he can improve as a receiver. If he does, he can develop into a dynamite committee back. Junior Highlights
WR Justin Shorter, Penn State (2021) The top wide receiver recruit in the 2018 freshman class, Shorter is a size-speed freak. At 6’4, 213 pounds, he was the fastest recruit on hand at The Opening’s regional combine for the northeast. Unlike some of the other top incoming freshmen, Shorter is not an early enrollee. With no information as to how he stacks up against college competition, Shorter’s a high-risk pick but one that comes with massive upside.
WR Tarik Black, Michigan (2020) Black immediately established himself as Michigan’s top receiver as a true freshman but a foot injury suffered in Week 3 ended his season. He has great size, solid speed, and a polished, well-rounded game.
QB Justin Fields, Georgia (2021) Accurately ranking high school quarterbacks is usually a near impossible task. However, Fields is one of the rare exceptions where his special traits are glaringly obvious even at a young age. He is an outstanding athlete and at 6’3, 220 pounds has the solid frame to run the ball 8-10 times a game at the next level, which gives him massive fantasy upside. He also has a big arm and above-average accuracy. An early enrollee, Fields lived up to the substantial hype in the Georgia spring game. Spring Game Highlights
WR Parris Campbell, Ohio State (2019) Campbell is likely to be a divisive prospect next spring. He isn’t a natural pass catcher and has had way too many drops in his career. However, he is an elite athlete who could destroy the NFL combine next February. At 6’1, 205 with long arms, Campbell runs legitimate sub-4.30 times. It is easy to discount reported college testing numbers and you have to take Campbell’s 4.26-forty yard dash with a grain of salt. However, it is also worth noting that Campbell’s posted times at Ohio State were faster than those listed for recent NFL notables Curtis Samuel, Marshon Lattimore and Denzel Ward who all ran in the low-4.3s at the NFL combine.Junior Highlights
WR Collin Johnson, Texas (2019) A true junior listed at 6’6, Johnson is one of the tallest top receiver prospects we’ve seen recently. He uses his height and length to great advantage, showing a huge catch radius and a knack for making the spectacular catch. In his best moments, Johnson looks like a future star and first-round talent. But he’s maddeningly inconsistent and disappears for long stretches. Highlights
RB Mike Weber Ohio State (2019) Weber has become a forgotten man in devy leagues after losing his starting job to J.K. Dobbins. He will have a chance to re-establish his NFL bona fides in 2018, as he is expected to split carries with Dobbins. Weber had a hamstring injury that limited him early in the season and opened the door for Dobbins but had a number of impressive runs once he got healthy. Over a three-game stretch in November against Michigan State, Illinois, and Michigan, Weber turned 32 carries into 327 yards and 5 touchdowns. Weber is a big, physical back who ran a 4.35-forty yard dash last spring and broke off a number of long runs down the stretch of the 2017 season.Sophomore Highlights
RB Stephen Carr, USC (2020) Highly-ranked recruit was solid backing up Ronald Jones as a true freshman. However, a back injury that required surgery that caused him to miss spring camp is a red flag. “Right now he’s on pace to be full speed for training camp,” Clay Helton said. Helton laid out the plan to get Carr back on the field, explaining that the start of June will mark three months from his surgery. In addition to the back problems, Carr missed a month during the season with a foot injury.
WR Anthony Johnson, Buffalo (2019) Transferred into Buffalo from JUCO and had a monster season with 76 catches for 1,323 yard and 14 touchdowns. Johnson has solid size at 6’1, 207 pounds and reportedly runs in the 4.40-range.
WR Tee Higgins, Clemson (2020) Higgins was a consensus top-20 overall recruit in the 2017 class. He had 345 receiving yards and averaged 20.3 yards per reception as a true freshman. Higgins is a legit 6’4 with elite ball skills and actually had a basketball offer from Louisville coming out of high school. He looks poised for a huge leap in production in his second season after starring in the Clemson spring game (4-118-2). He needs to continue to add weight to his lanky frame if he wants to continue on the same career trajectory that took Mike Williams to the top-10 in the NFL Draft. Like Williams, Higgins will have to overcome concerns about his speed. Highlights
WR Jhamon Ausbon, Texas A&M (2020) Impressed last spring as an early enrollee and went on to have a solid true freshman season with 50 catches for 571 yards and 3 touchdowns. However, it is worth noting that he did much of his damage against lesser competition. Against SEC opponents, he caught just 21 passes for 246 yards and didn’t score. As he prepares for his sophomore season, Ausbon has again starred during the spring. He had over 100 yards receiving in the first half of the Texas A&M spring game.
TE Caleb Wilson, UCLA (2019) Wilson racked up 38 catches and 490 yards in the month of September before going down with a broken foot. In the opener, he had 15 catches and 208 receiving yards in a comeback win over Texas A&M. A few weeks later, he caught 11 passes for 145 yards against Stanford. Wilson had offers from smaller schools to play quarterback but instead walked onto USC as a tight end. He possesses solid size and reportedly runs in the 4.7-range. Highlights
WR David Sills, West Virginia (2019) The former quarterback made the switch to wide receiver and in his first full season at the position grabbed 18 touchdowns. Incredibly, he scored multiple touchdowns in 7-of-13 games for the Mountaineers. Sills is slender but at 6’4 with good leaping ability and long arms, he has excelled in the red zone. Junior Highlights
QB Justin Herbert, Oregon (2019) The top passer eligible for the 2019 draft in what is a relatively weak class, Herbert has been prolific in the Oregon spread offense when he has been able to stay healthy (missed half of last season with a broken collarbone). While part of that production is system-based, it is worth noting the drastic difference in the success of the Ducks offense with Herbert compared to without him. Herbert looks like the prototype of an NFL pocket passer with great size and an above-average arm. He is still young, with plenty of upside (he’s actually slightly younger than Tagovailoa) despite being a class ahead.Sophomore Highlights
QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (2021) Lawrence is a lanky 6’6 quarterback with a big arm and surprising mobility for a guy his size. In terms of comparisons, he looks like a slightly taller and more mobile Jared Goff. Despite the presence of returning starter Kelly Bryant, Lawrence has a good chance to win the starting job for Clemson at some point in 2018. He already looked like the best quarterback on the roster in the spring game, going 11-for-16 passing for 122 yards and a touchdown. Spring Game Highlights
WR Demetris Robertson, Cal (2019) Robertson missed almost all of his sophomore season after surgery to fix an unspecified lower-body surgery that he said had been bothering him for nearly a full year. With the lack of any firm reporting on the nature of the injury, it is hard to know whether it will impact Robertson moving forward. If he can return to full health, he has an NFL future as a big-play threat in the mold of Will Fuller.
RB Trey Sermon, Oklahoma (2020) Sermon rushed for 744 yards and five touchdowns and caught 16 passes for 139 yards and two more scores as a true freshman. He went down with a knee injury that looked scary in the spring game but Coach Lincoln Riley said "early indications are positive" that it is not serious. Sermon should backup Rodney Anderson in 2018 and then have a crack as the lead back in Norman during the 2019 season.
TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri (2019) He showed up as an oversized receiver but added 40 pounds in his redshirt season, going from 220 pounds to 260. While he did much of his damage against weaker competition, 11 touchdowns in 9 games in his first college season is fantastic production.
TE Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State (2021) Ruckert is one of the most highly-regarded, pass-catching tight ends to enter college football in recent memory. Urban Meyer is doing nothing to tamp down the early hype, stating: “I think Jeremy Ruckert might be the best tight end prospect that I've ever seen and recruited. His skill set is ridiculous. Now it's a question of getting him ready to play.
RB Elijah Holyfield Georgia 2019 Perhaps a bit overhyped early in his career, Holyfield was quickly passed on the Georgia depth chart by the younger D’Andre Swift. He will have to battle just to be the top backup in 2018to hold off younger challengers like Zamir White and James Cook. However, Holyfield had a strong spring and still has time to make an impact. He has enough size and speed to remain an interesting prospect.
RB Asa Martin, Auburn (2021) An early enrollee, Martin impressed in the spring and should immediately join the rotation. He has drawn early comparisons to Kerryon Johnson based upon his build and running style.
RB Benny Snell Kentucky 2019 Snell has been incredibly productive, with over 2,400 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns in two seasons. He is a physical back with decent size at 5’11, 220. He is somewhat reminiscent of John Kelly in that he is an easy prospect to like but there may not be that one elite trait that would propel him into a big role in an NFL offense.Sophomore Highlights
RB Devin Singletary Florida Atlantic 2019 Under head coach Lane Kiffin, Singletary took the college football world by storm last season, rushing for 1,920 yards and 32 touchdowns to earn Conference USA MVP. Level of competition is a question for Singletary but one that will get answered early in 2018, as the Owls open the season at Oklahoma. Sophomore Highlights
RB Brian Snead, Ohio State (2021) While fellow Ohio State freshman running back Master Teague has generated most of the attention from a devy perspective due to excellent measurables and a strong performance in the spring game, Snead looks like the better NFL prospect. He has a well-rounded skill set and more wiggle and flexibility than Teague, if perhaps less straight-line speed.
WR Henry Ruggs, Alabama (2020) Ruggs is one of a trio of talented true sophomore receivers expected to start for Alabama this season. All three have big-time speed and quickness, though they lack in bulk. Ruggs had 12 catches for 228 yards and 6 touchdowns as a freshman.
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan (2020) The top-ranked wide receiver in the freshman class of 2017 was forced to step in almost immediately as the top receiver and struggled at times with inconsistency and drops. While the shine is off the apple a bit, Peoples-Jones is still a freakish athlete with legitimate 4.40 speed, leaping ability, and good size. It shouldn’t be a surprise if he makes a big leap in his sophomore season and vaults back up the devy rankings.
QB Jake Fromm, Georgia (2020) After nearly leading Georgia to a national championship as a true freshman, Fromm is the safest bet in college football to be a long-term NFL starter and franchise quarterback. The elite intangibles (intelligence, leadership ability, poise, and work ethic) are what separate him from the pack. While there aren’t any standout physical traits, he checks all the boxes in terms of the size, athleticism, arm strength and accuracy required to be a starter at the next level. Freshman Highlights
QB Drew Lock, Missouri (2019) Lock is an interesting mix of Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield. He looks the part with great size, a powerful arm, and quick release, though like Allen sometimes struggles with accuracy and decision-making. Lock’s on-field demeanor is similar to that of Mayfield, confident and cocky. Lock wisely chose to go back to school for his senior season and has the potential to emerge as the top quarterback in a mediocre 2019 class if he can put it all together.
WR Emanuel Hall, Missouri (2019) Arguably the best deep-ball receiver in the nation, Hall had 6 touchdown receptions of 50+ yards against good competition down the stretch of the 2017 season. He has excellent size at 6’3, was a state-champion high-jumper and shows big-time speed on the field. Hall has had some problems with drops and isn’t polished as a route-runner, which makes him a one-trick pony. However, even if a receiver is only great at one thing, scoring long touchdowns is a nice thing to be great at. Junior Highlights
WR Keelan Doss, Cal-Davis (2019) If you’re looking for a small school sleeper that should be available late in even the deepest of devy drafts, Doss is your guy. He is insanely productive at the FCS level (115-1,499-7 in 11 games) and looks to have the size (6’3, 206) and athleticism to successfully make the jump to the NFL level.
RB LJ Scott Michigan State 2019 Scott hasn’t lived up to the Le’Veon Bell comparisons he generated out of high school but has been a solid, productive player in East Lansing. He has topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage each of the last two years. Inconsistency both on and off the field have held Scott back but he could be the type of guy who finally puts it together in a “contract year” with the draft looming next March
RB Damarea Crockett Missouri 2019 Crockett was having a solid second season before a shoulder injury in Week 6 ended his season. The 5’11, 225-pound back has averaged 6.6 yards per carry for his career.
RB James Cook, Georgia (2021) Despite being the younger brother of Dalvin Cook and a highly-rated recruit, James Cook has flown slightly under the radar because he chose to join a loaded group of running backs at Georgia. Not only are veterans like D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield ahead of him, but Cook is in the same class as the top-ranked back in the nation — Zamir White. Cook is an undersized, 5’11, 190-pound back with elite speed (10.55 in the 100M) and excellent receiving skills.
RB Myles Gaskin Washington 2019 An incredibly productive player, Gaskin has topped 1,300 rushing yards in each of his three seasons. Gaskin made the decision to return for his senior season after getting a fourth-round projection from the NFL. There isn’t much more for Gaskin to prove. He is an excellent player but may be listed generously at 5’10, 193 pounds and the lack of size probably limits his upside at the next level.
TE Hunter Bryant, Washington (2020) An undersized hybrid WR/TE in the mold of Trey Burton. While not likely to be a high draft pick, Bryant has the type of skill set that would make him an intriguing fantasy option as basically a big slot receiver with tight end eligibility.Highlights
WR Mecole Hardman, Georgia (2019) Through two years, Hardman has been a jack of all trades, master of none. He has played defense, starred on special teams, running back, wildcat quarterback and finally started to settle in late in the season as a receiver. Hardman is extremely raw but his athleticism is top notch, which gives him considerable long-term upside and his special team abilities make him a good bet to stick in the NFL.Highlights
WR Devonta Smith, Alabama (2020) Only had six receptions as a true freshman but had the biggest catch of the year — a 41-yard touchdown grab to win the national championship in overtime. Smith should step into a starting role in 2018 and has the explosiveness NFL teams seem to be prioritizing over size in recent drafts.
RB Trayveon Williams Texas A&M 2019 Williams had a sophomore slump. After averaging an impressive 6.8 yards per carry as a freshman in 2016, he managed just 4.4 as a sophomore. Williams lacks prototypical size at 5’11, 200 pounds but his toughness and receiving skills give him a great chance to carve out a committee role in the NFL.
QB JT Daniels, USC (2021) Much like Jake Fromm, Daniels has solid, if not spectacular, physical skills but boasts elite intangibles that should allow him to step in and start successfully as a true freshman. “His advanced feel in the pocket, football IQ, ability to call protections, read coverages and understand a complex playbook is at a college level already,” according to scouting evaluations. If not for the massive hype of Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence, Daniels would be getting even more attention as one of the most talented quarterback recruits to enter college in recent years.
QB Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (2019) Haskins was a highly-rated recruit out of Maryland who breaks the mold of what Ohio State has had at quarterback for the past decade. He is a much better passer and doesn’t possess the athletic ability of his predecessors. After redshirting his first season, he was the backup to senior J.T. Barrett as a redshirt sophomore. Haskins played in mop-up time during blowouts before being thrust into the middle of a fierce rivalry game against Michigan when Barrett went down with a knee injury. Haskins was outstanding, showing poise, accuracy and a big arm to lead Ohio State to a come from behind victory on the road. He entered the spring as the favorite to start in 2018 but Redshirt Junior Joey Burrow kept the competition too close to call. Urban Meyer needs to make a call on the starter soon because Burrow is interested in pursuing grad-transfer opportunities if he doesn’t win the job. The most likely scenario is Haskins winning the job and starting for at least the next two seasons before potentially leaving early for the 2020 draft. Though there is always the possibility he is “one and done” as a starter (similar to Mitch Trubisky) and enters the 2019 draft.
QB Jarrett Stidham, Auburn (2019)
RB Travis Homer, Miami (2019)
RB Lorenzo Lingard, Miami (2021)
RB Ricky Person, NC State (2021)
RB Miles Sanders Penn State 2019
RB Justice Hill Oklahoma State 2019
RB Master Teague, Ohio State (2021)
WR Tyler Vaughns, USC (2019)
WR Danny Davis, Wisconsin (2020)
WR Jonathan Giles, LSU (2019)
WR Tyrie Cleveland, Florida (2019)
RB Salvon Ahmed Washington 2020
WR Deebo Samuel, South Carolina (2019)
WR Austin Mack, Ohio State (2019)
WR Jaylen Smith, Louisville (2019)
WR Jordyn Adams, Clemson (2021)
WR CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma (2020)
WR Jalen Reagor, TCU (2020)
WR Terrace Marshall, LSU (2021)
WR Jeff Thomas, Miami (2020)
WR Denzel Mims, Baylor (2020)
WR Juwan Johnson, Penn State (2019)
RB Ricky Slade, Penn State (2021)
WR K.J. Hill, Ohio State (2019)
RB Ty Johnson Maryland 2019
RB Jordan Scarlett Florida 2019
RB Josh Jacobs Alabama 2019
RB Tavien Feaster Clemson 2019
WR Michael Pittman, USC (2019)
TE Luke Ford, Georgia (2021)
WR Chase Claypool, Notre Dame (2019)
WR Miles Boykin, Notre Dame (2019)
WR Joseph Lewis, USC (2020)
WR Nate Craig-Myers, Auburn (2019)
WR Marquise Brown, Oklahoma (2020)
WR Riley Ridley, Georgia (2019)
WR Tyrell Shavers, Alabama (2020)
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021)
TE Sean McKeon, Michigan (2019)
WR Tyler Johnson, Minnesota (2019)