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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.
The wide receiver position is especially difficult in devy leagues. When we think about the 2015 rookie class, Kevin White and Breshad Perriman were not rostered as devy players in most leagues. Neither were many of the Top 10 drafted rookies at the position. Only Amari Cooper was a certainty. Dorial Green-Beckham, and Devante Parker in some leagues, were rostered on devy teams. Many will wonder why there are so many misses. The answer is easy. The players who excel at the professional level seemingly come out of no where. The team that drafts the receiver is huge in the success of a player, especially a wide receiver. Antonio Brown, Calvin Johnson, and Odell Beckham, Jr. were not rostered in the majority of devy leagues. The bust rate is high in rookie drafts. The bust rate in devy drafts is much higher because we still have not seen the player reach his potential, we do not know his professional team destination, and there is a possibility for injury along the way.
This series of articles focuses on players who should be considered on their respective NFL prospects not college production. In this article, we will take a look at the top wide receiver prospects who will be eligible for the 2017 NFL Draft. Also, keep in mind that one or more of the backs eligible to turn pro this spring will actually stay in school. It happens every year.
5. DaeSean Hamilton (Penn State) – Hamilton gets little publicity due to playing in a disappointing offense led by Christian Hackenberg. He redshirted the 2013 season after suffering a wrist injury. This was the year with Bill O'Brien coaching and Allen Robinson starring at the receiver position. So, last year, Hamilton burst onto the scene as the team's top pass catcher. The redshirt Freshman broke the Penn State Freshman record of receptions (11) and receiving yards (165) in his first collegiate game. Hamilton led the Big 10 conference in receptions in 2014. He did this with a struggling quarterback and as a Freshman. The strong initial season included 14 receptions against Ohio State. This stellar season earned him Freshman All American honors. Hamilton is 6'1”, 211 pounds. The sluggish offense and inconsistent quarterback play of Hackenberg has taken its toll this year. Many will point to Hamilton's lack of elite size or speed as a reason to discount his future. But, let's remember that he caught 82 passes for 899 yards in his first collegiate season a year ago. If Hackenberg were playing better, we might be hearing about Hamilton more.
4. Josh Malone (Tennessee) – Malone is full of potential and short on production. The 6'3”, 195-pound Sophomore is a big-play player. The local product from Gallatin, TN is still very young, turning 20 years of age this coming March. Malone was Rivals' WR2 coming out of high school. The combination of poor quarterback play, strong running game, and emerging Junior MarQuez North have limited Malone's production. But, let's remember the immense upside Malone possesses. He will have plenty of time to show off his wares.
3. Artavis Scott (Clemson) – Like so many Clemson players, Scott's athleticism makes him fun to watch on film. The Sophomore has burst and play-making skills. With the injury to Mike Williams, Scott is relied upon more in the Clemson offense. Many will worry about his size, 5'11”, 185 pounds, but there are plenty of top receivers shorter than ideal. A week ago, Scott caught 10 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. In that contest against Boston College, no other Clemson receiver had more than three catches. Scott will celebrate his 21st birthday December 12. He is still young and will continue to get better.
2. Malachi Dupre (LSU) – The Sophomore 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 redzone threat. Dupre is not relied upon as much as he could be given, his team has Leonard Fournette lined up in the backfield. Those who just look at boxscores will be disappointed in Dupre. He has performed well when targeted in the passing game. Middling play from quarterback Brandon Harris has further limited Dupre's production as well. The Tigers also have the talented Travin Dural at receiver. Dupre is a Louisiana product who stayed home to play for LSU even though he was highly recruited. As teams load up to stop the run, we expect Dupre's role to increase, and the targets to follow.
1. JuJu Smith-Schuster (USC) – The youngster has been impressive this season. He has emerged onto the national scene. Smith-Schuster should pass the 1,000-yard mark in the next week or two. He has put up big numbers almost every week and could have some monster games down the stretch. The young pass catcher was dominant against Utah on Saturday evening. The Sophomore turns 19 years of age on November 22. Think about that for a moment. He is still just 18 years old. In addition, if Smith-Schuster leaves when eligible after the 2016 campaign, he will only be 20 years old. Smith-Schuster has good size, 6'2”, 200 pounds, and runs great routes. He is able to get open with ease. This is one prospect who will continue to get better and better.
Honorable Mention
Travis Rudolph (Florida State) – Rudolph was the top ranked receiver coming out of high school, as ranked by Rivals. He is a local product from West Palm Beach, Cardinal Newman High School. Rudolph is athletically built, but needs to add weight to his 6'2”, 184-pound frame. He is just a Sophomore and will continue to improve on route running, reading defenses, and gaining separation off the line of scrimmage. The upside is high if he can continue to develop.
Allen Lazard (Iowa State) – Lazard is one of those players who fails to wow scouts but makes plays. He is tall but needs to add some bulk to his 6'5”, 190-pound frame. Lazard had many offers to leave the state, but decided to stay near his hometown of Urbandale, IA. He was a big-time recruit, choosing Iowa State over Notre Dame, Nebraska, Stanford, California and Iowa. One factor that led him to Iowa State was his father, Kevin, played football at Iowa State in the early 1990s. We question Lazard's burst and ability to beat the speedy NFL defenders. He missed Saturday's game against Baylor with a shoulder injury.
K.D. Cannon (Baylor) – Cannon has been overshadowed by the incredible Corey Coleman this season. He is a small, 5'11”, 170 pounds, speedster who possesses 4.38 (40 yard dash) wheels. Cannon passed the 1,000-yard mark a year ago in the prolific Baylor offense. Yes, Cannon is fast, but he also is able to run decent routes. The Sophomore will continue to develop and could see his name called on Day 2 of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Devonte Boyd (UNLV) – The redshirt Sophomore caught 65 passes for 980 yards a year ago, earning Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors. Boyd is from Henderson, NV and was not a big name in the recruiting world like many on this list. He needs to add weight and strength to his 6'1”, 175-pound frame. Draft analyst Chad Reuter called Boyd a "Donald Driver clone" which is a very descriptive compliment. Reuter cited Boyd's strong hands and elusiveness after the catch in making the comparison. We expect Boyd to slowly get more publicity this season and into the 2016 season.
Devante Noil (Texas A&M) – Noil likes his nickname “Speedy”. At 5'11”, 185 pounds, the Sophomore runs a 4.36 40-yard dash. He has legitimate deep speed, but is having trouble asserting himself into a larger role in the Aggies offense. Noil has been nicked up some but we have been disappointed that Noil's role is not larger. This past Spring, the coaches and school administration asked Noil to take a break from the team in order to better address some off-field situations. Coach Sumlin questioned Noil's maturity at that time. Maybe he will mature and gain a larger role in the offense. Maybe not. But, there is a chance that Noil will be a better professional receiver – even as just a situational deep threat – than in the collegiate ranks.
Ermon Lane (Florida State) – Lane is a Florida recruit from Homestead, FL who originally committed to Florida before flipping to Florida State. Remember the timing. He made the switch after Florida State lost Kelvin Benjamin to the NFL Draft. There was opportunity waiting in Tallahassee. Coming out of high school, ESPN recruiting analyst Jared Shanker compared Lane to former Penn State receiver Allen Robinson saying, "Big, physical, athletic and deceptively fast are four quality attributes when describing both Robinson and Lane." Lane is a Sophomore who already has a big-league frame, standing 6'3”, 205 pounds. Lane is not getting much playing time this season so we are left wondering why.
That will do it for the 2017 Wide receiver Draft Class. Next week, we will look at the top overall players of the 2017 Draft Class.
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.