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 running backs 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 ball carriers who might be selected high in the 2018 NFL Draft.
10. L.J. Scott (Michigan State) – Coming into the season, there were high hopes for the 6’0”, 238-pound Sophomore. He scored the winning touchdown to secure the comeback victory in last year’s Big 10 championship game. So, in the offseason, ESPN's Travis Haney stated that Scott may "potentially become a breakout star." Haney went on to say that the Spartans "want to get back to a run-heavy attack" and see Scott as a potential "feature back in the mold of LeVeon Bell." While we think this is farfetched, the youngster has averaged five yards per carry, even in an offense with few weapons. As a true Freshman, Scott scored 11 touchdowns on just 146 carries. The scoring chances are slimmer on a squad holding a 2-6 record. He is a strong back who will only get better.
9. D'Onta Foreman (Texas) – The Junior put the nation on notice with his powerful performance against Notre Dame in primetime Week 1. Foreman had 131 yards and a touchdown in that game. He is a big back (6’1”, 249 pounds) who has topped the 100-yard rushing mark every game and has carried the Longhorns offense. Texas has had several backs make it in the NFL and Foreman definitely looks the part. He will finish the season with more than 1,000 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns, and a yards-per-carry average over 6.0. With the Big 12 suffering through a down year, few appreciate the season the Texas ball carrier is enjoying. After last week’s victory over Kansas State, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein said that it's "impossible to ignore" Foreman's "talent and NFL potential." Zierlein went on to say, "Foreman is a big back who runs behind his pads and is able to create yardage with power, but don't sleep on his wiggle … Foreman has shown he can operate as a downhill back and an off-set back. He has the speed to get the edge and the burst to live between the tackles. He continues to impress scouts." Foreman put up 100 yards in the just the first quarter against Baylor Saturday. He gauged the inside of the Bears defense all game, ending the contest with 250 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. His twin brother, Armanti, caught 4 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown grab in the game. The upset against Baylor was a great showing by the Foreman brothers.
8. Curtis Samuel (Ohio State) – The Junior is a hybrid running back-wide receiver who we see as having more NFL appeal as a pass-catching back. He will either be a third-down back or slot receiver. Samuel is on the smaller (5’11”, 200 pounds) side, but is tough to bring down with the ball in his hands as evidenced by his short-yardage touchdown against Northwestern Saturday. He went over the 1,000-total yard mark in the game this week. Samuel is averaging over 8 yards per carry and almost 13 yards per reception. Coach Urban Meyer called Samuel his “Number 1 playmaker” and is touting the versatile star for Heisman Trophy contention. Dane Brugler said Samuel, "mixes his gears with controlled movements to deceive defenders and has the finishing speed to create big plays." Brugler went on to say, "Aside from his versatility, the first aspects of Samuel's game that stand out are his vision and understanding of weak spots in the defense … As a ball carrier, he is quick to feel openings and clear holes. As a receiver, he runs his routes to proper depth to attack soft zones and give his quarterback a clear target." We envision a team like New Orleans or New England looking for ways to utilize Samuel to create mismatches.
7. James Conner (Pittsburgh) – We admire the courage and tenacity of the 6’2”, 240-pound redshirt Junior. Conner overcame a traumatic 2015 season in which he tore his MCL in September and was then diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. People who only look at the numbers forget that Conner is still getting stronger as he continues to get stronger from his knee and cancer recovery. His game against Virginia Tech last week was his best, rushing for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 19 carries. The contest also had Conner’s longest run (40 yards) of the season. He has scored 5 touchdowns in just the last two games (against Virginia and Virginia Tech). Additionally, Conner has become a quality receiver this season, something he did not show earlier in his career. While he is eligible to enter the NFL Draft after the season, we think he should stay in school another season, to get stronger and because the 2017 running back class will have so many top players.
6. 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 the starter while Dalvin Cook was sidelined with a hamstring injury earlier, the 6'1”, 232-pound true Freshman rushed for 162 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 24 carries. He only had 315 yards on the entire season so the Syracuse game should give hope for devy owners that big games are on the horizon after Cook heads to the NFL. 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 state honor was no small honor given the talent that originates in the state of Florida. Patrick will become a household name in the college football community next year after Dalvin Cook goes pro. What makes Patrick special is his unique blend of size and speed. With Cook healthy and playing well, Patrick is not getting many carries but is still averaging over 6 yards per carry. We expect him to turn heads once Cook departs.
5. Miles Gaskin (Washington) – The Sophomore put the nation on notice during his breakout 2015 season as a true Freshman. He ran the ball 227 times for 1,302 yards, and 14 touchdowns. That is impressive for a true Freshman. Gaskin is smaller (5’9”, 195 pounds) than many would like, but makes up for it with the ability to make defenders miss. In the offseason, ESPN ran an article quoting an anonymous Pac-12 defensive coach saying Gaskin's "feet are unbelievable." The coach went on to say, "He's just great in short areas and quick as a frickin' hiccup … His ability to make people miss is special. I'm just thinking of some plays against him and I'm like, 'How in the heck did he get out of that?' He's so fast and decisive and powerful." Playing in the Pacific Northwest, Gaskin does not get the recognition he deserves.
4. Jeremy McNichols (Boise State) – After just 17 carries and 15 receptions as a Freshman, McNichols had a breakout season in 2015. He carried the ball 240 times for 1,337 yards, and 20 touchdowns. The all-purpose star added 51 receptions for 460 yards and 6 touchdowns through the air. Let’s remember that McNichols took over the starting job because Jay Ajayi entered the NFL Draft after the 2014 seasons. The 5’9”, 207-pounder was impressive as a Sophomore and is continuing his strong play in 2016 as evidenced by the monster game against BYU a week ago. In that contest, he had 140 rushing and a score to go with 109 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air. We expect McNichols to remain in school another year to due to the historic 2017 running back class. His versatility will be an asset in the NFL.
3. Saquon Barkley (Penn State) – While not as highly touted coming out of high school as many on this list, Barkley was studly as a true Freshman in 2015. The 5'11”, 215-pounder possesses a solid combination of size and speed. In 2015, his first collegiate year, Barkley carried the Penn State offense through the well-chronicled struggles of Christian Hackenberg. Last season, Barkley carried the ball 182 times for 1,076 yards and 7 touchdowns. He added another 161 yards and a score as a receiver. It was an impressive Freshman season. It was enough to be ranked No. 1 in Pro Football Focus' elusive rating last season. This is a great indicator for his professional prospects. 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 with Weidl’s analysis. Barkley topped the 1,000-yard mark as a true Freshman playing in a one-dimensional offense and is enjoying another big season. In fact, Barkley led the Nittany Lions to the upset over Ohio State a week ago, running for 99 yards on only 12 carries. In the game Saturday against Purdue, Barkley ran the ball 18 times for 207 yards and 2 scores plus he added another 70 yards on three receptions. Yes, that is correct. Barkley totaled 277 yards and a pair of scoring runs in the lopsided victory over the Boilermakers. With one more year before he is eligible to enter the NFL Draft, we expect Barkley to continue his development and gain supporters throughout the NFL Draft community.
2. Damien Harris (Alabama) – Earlier this season, Harris was just starting to assert himself when an ankle injury popped up. He injured the ankle against Kent State. But, since his return, the young back has been great. He has topped 100 rushing yards in the big games 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. In the recent big wins against Texas A&M and Arkansas, Harris was VERY impressive, topping 100 rushing yards in each contest while splitting carries with two other backs. Many had Bo Scarbrough penciled in as the Alabama starter coming into the season, but Harris has seized the starting role and playing well.
1. Derrius Guice (LSU) – Even as a Freshman, Guice was able to get carries behind superstar Leonard Fournette. With Fournette injured for a few weeks, Guice shined. In the game against Missouri, the Sophomore gained 163 yards and scored thrice on just 17 carries. He was impressive. Guice received the start the next game against Southern Mississippi as Fournette was not back from injury. In that game, Guice toted the rock 16 times for 162 yards and a pair of scoring runs. The 5'11”, 215-pound back was ranked RB2 by Rivals and has proven that ranking to be accurate. Guice was the MVP of the US Army All-American game. We think he is a star in the making who will be in the 2017 Heisman Trophy race.
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.