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 of the offseason and season, we have looked at a different set of devy rankings.
As we survey devy prospects, we examine traits, abilities, and skill sets that will translate to the NFL. This week, our final edition of the season, we will look at a two-round rookie mock of prospects eligible for the 2019 NFL Draft. We looked at this draft class earlier in the season, but the season has given us some surprises. There have been several players who have come out of nowhere this year, more than in recent memory.
2.12 Travis Homer – RB (Miami) – Homer has battled injuries through his three-year Miami career. He has high-end speed and can break off long runs any time he touches the ball. Homer played behind Mark Walton last season and is just as good of a prospect as the Bengals fourth-round pick. The poor quarterback play for the Hurricanes has hurt Homer’s numbers. Also, Homer often shares the backfield with speedster Deejay Dallas and Freshman star Lorenzo Lingard. The Junior from nearby West Palm Beach, Florida is an NFL prospect who could light up the NFL Combine without ever topping the 1,000-yard mark in college.
2.11 J.J. Arcega-Whiteside – WR (Stanford) – Born in Zaragoza, Spain, Arcega-Whiteside moved to South Carolina when he was 6 years old. English was his third language. In South Carolina, Arcega-Whiteside was the state’s player of the year in 2014 and was a multiple-sport star. The 6-foot-3, 225 Senior is making plays this season after being a relative unknown during the first few years of his Stanford career with just 72 receptions coming into 2018. The Cardinal passing game is far from stellar but relies on the veteran to make plays, especially in the redzone. He could be a sneaky fantasy option in the middle rounds of rookie drafts next year.
2.10 Rodney Anderson – RB (Oklahoma) – After carrying the ball just once in 2015, Anderson did not play again until 2017. He missed the 2016 season with an injury suffered in August 2016. The Junior had a solid season in 2017 with 1,161 yards and 13 touchdowns on just 188 carries. He added another 281 yards and 5 scores through the air. Expectations were high coming into the season for the Junior. However, Anderson injured his knee earlier in this season and now will be sidelined until 2019. Given his injury history, and the stable of capable runners in the Sooners backfield, there is a chance Anderson goes pro after the season. His ability as a runner and receiver will be attractive to NFL teams.
2.09 Mike Weber – RB (Ohio State) – While J.K. Dobbins gets more publicity, it is Weber who is the back the Buckeyes turn to late in games. Weber is thick and rugged with better-than-expected speed. He has averaged over 6 yards per rush attempt and is a good receiver out of the backfield. Weber is a player most take for granted but he has a legitimate NFL pedigree and could be a viable fantasy starter.
2.08 Parris Campbell – WR (Ohio State) – The 6-foot-1, 208-pound Redshirt Senior is a player who should be a better NFL player than collegiate. For most of his Buckeye career, the offense was a ground-oriented attack. It has just been this season with Haskins under center that the offense has opened up. Campbell is very fast, anchoring his high school relay track teams and set a personal best of 10.77 in the 100-yard dash. At worst, Campbell could land a speed role similar to Ted Ginn Jr or Torrey Smith. If he lands in the right situation, we could envision success like an early-career Mike Wallace in Pittsburgh.
2.07 Trayveon Williams – RB (Texas A&M) - The smallish back (5-foot-9, 192 pounds) has been very impressive since playing as a true Freshman. After a strong opening to his career, Todd McShay said that he has been "really impressed" with the youngster’s "raw ability, particularly his burst and top-end speed." Williams was named to the True Freshman All-American team by ESPN. He was the first Aggies Freshman in school history to rush for at least 1,000 yards. For his size, Williams has been surprisingly durable. He will top 500 career carries next week, through just three seasons. The Texas A&M offense runs through the workhorse Junior as evidenced by his 228 rushing yards in the victory over Mississippi on Saturday.
2.06 Collin Johnson – WR (Texas) – Johnson is a big (6-foot-6, 220 pounds) receiver who possesses blazing speed. He is the big-play receiver for the Longhorns. Johnson has NFL bloodlines. His father, Johnnie, also played at Texas and was an All-America defensive back (1976-79) who was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame.
2.05 Myles Gaskin – RB (Washington) – Gaskin is a bit undersized (5-foot-10, 193 pounds), but has carried a large workload for the Huskies. In his first three seasons at Washington, Gaskin carried the ball 786 times for over 4,055 yards and 45 touchdowns, with 21 of those scores coming in 2017. He is the focal point of the Washington offense with Dante Pettis now in the NFL.
2.04 Bryce Love – RB (Stanford) – The Senior surprised most NFL Draft experts by choosing to come back to school after the 2017 season was over. It will cost him for the NFL Draft after a lackluster 2018 season. Last year, he exploded onto the scene as the lead back with 2,118 yards and 19 touchdowns on 263 carries. This year has been disappointing by comparison. Though he is undersized (5-foot-10, 202 pounds), Love has proved able to carry a heavy workload as was evidenced last year. This year has been rough with injuries and lack of production. He has elite speed, reportedly clocked a 4.30 in the 40-yard dash. With a strong Combine, Love could be a second-day pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
2.03 Benny Snell, Jr. – RB (Kentucky) – The Junior has a chance to top 750 career carries for 4,000 yards through three seasons. In a conference with several great running backs, Snell was named first-team all-conference in 2017 by the Associated Press. Many will question the athletic ability of the 5-foot-11, 223-pound runner but he is deceptively quick at the line of scrimmage. Snell has been productive in the tough SEC and will be in the discussion for a committee role in the NFL.
2.02 Hakeem Butler- WR (Iowa State) – The 6-foot-6, 219-pound Junior plays the receiver position like a basketball player. After the passing of his mother, Sheryl Butler, he moved in with his aunt and uncle (Aaron and Marian Harrison). Butler has two first cousins who were Kentucky basketball stars, Aaron and Andrew Harrison so his hoop skills are natural. He has been impressive this year and could turn pro after the season. If there was one player on this list who could raise his draft stock dramatically, it is Butler. He has been dominant at times.
2.01 Marquise Brown – WR (Oklahoma) – Brown plays up to his nickname of “Hollywood.” Undersized at 5-foot-10, 168 pounds, Brown makes plays and the NFL teams are figuring out how to get the ball in playmakers hands, ala Tarik Cohen and Tyreek Hill. He could go much higher in the NFL Draft than most expect.
1.12 Kelvin Harmon – WR (North Carolina State) – The Junior is a physical specimen (6-foot-3, 214 pounds) who wins in the air and with solid route running. Harmon was born in Liberia and came to the U.S. when he was four years of age. In his first two years at North Carolina State, Harmon had 96 receptions for 1,479 yards and 9 touchdowns. Just this season, Harmon has 5 games with at least 125 yards receiving. He is very good at high-pointing the ball and win the air. We expect Harmon to seriously consider coming out after the season. He has a chance to be a day-two pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
1.11 Tyler Johnson – WR (Minnesota) – Johnson toils in relative obscurity for the Golden Gophers. From Minneapolis, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Johnson has been impressive in 2018. He only had 49 receptions coming into this season but has exploded in 2018, including monster outings against Iowa, Ohio State, and Nebraska in recent weeks.
1.10 Justice Hill – RB (Oklahoma State) – The Cowboys have not used Hill efficiently through his collegiate career. Hill was the Oklahoma high school player of the year and totaled 3,364 yards and 54 touchdowns throughout his high school career, with 32 of those scores coming his Senior year. For a between-the-tackles runner, Hill lacks bulk (5-foot-10, 190 pounds), but is slippery with outstanding vision. He has the potential for a Warrick Dunn-type of NFL career.
1.09 Ryan Herbert – QB (Oregon) – The true Junior may stay in school another year. Herbert is a great athlete with an NFL physique (6-foot-6, 225 pounds). He was a multi-sport star in high school. After completing 63.5% of his passes and owning a 19:4 TD:INT ratio as a true Freshman, Herbert was very impressive in year two. In 2017, his completion percentage jumped (to 67.5) and he had a 15:5 TD:INT ratio. We have Herbert as the top passer for the 2019 NFL Draft. In a weak quarterback class, Herbert is the top of the class if he chooses to leave school.
1.08 Anthony Johnson – WR (Buffalo) – The redshirt Senior is playing for his third college since leaving high school, but buzz has slowly picked up for the star receiver. In 2017, Johnson caught 76 passes for 1,356 yards and 14 touchdowns. This year has been more of the same strong play. He has a chance to be the top wide receiver drafted in 2019.
1.07 Devin Singletary – RB (Florida Atlantic) – Many see Singletary’s size (5-foot-9, 200 pounds) and think he is too small for the NFL. He is short but definitely not small. The Junior is thick and shifty. He carried the ball a whopping 301 times last year for 1,920 yards and 32 touchdowns for the Owls last year. Singletary will eclipse 4,000 rushing yards 400 receiving yards through his first three collegiate seasons. He is a player few discuss as a top player in the devy community but has big-time potential.
1.06 D. K. Metcalf – WR (Mississippi) – The son of former NFL offensive lineman, Terrance Metcalf, D.K. was a four-star recruit out of Oxford, MS. Metcalf is a huge receiver (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) but is nimble for a player of his size. The one concern will be pure, straight-away speed as measured by the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He is out for the remainder of the season with a neck injury. Before the injury, Metcalf scored a touchdown in every game this season except two this year. He will end the season with 26 catches for 569 yards and 5 touchdowns. The 22 yards-per-reception average is encouraging given the lack of breakaway speed. These types of injuries are serious. Highly-ranked Ammon Richards had his football career ended earlier this season with a neck injury. We are hopeful Metcalf will return to full strength this offseason, but the injury shows how tenuous the careers are of football players at all levels.
1.05 Darrell Henderson – RB (Memphis) – Henderson had a monster 2017 season (1,154 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns plus 226 receiving yards and 2 more scores) averaging 8.9 yards per carry. Henderson has continued the pace in 2018 with over 1,000 rushing yards while leading the nation in yards-per-carry average. Expect buzz on Henderson to pick up as the season progresses.
1.04. Bryan Edwards – WR (South Carolina) – Edwards enrolled early as a True Freshman in 2016, starting all 12 games and earning Athlon's Freshman All-America second-team honors. He is still very young for an NFL prospect, turning 20 years of age this week (November 13). Edwards had 108 receptions for 1,383 yards and 9 touchdowns through his first two years at South Carolina. He has started year-three strong, too. The middling quarterback play of Jake Bentley has inhibited upside many weeks, but Edwards has still been very good.
1.03. David Montgomery - RB (Iowa State) – The stout (5-foot-11, 222 pounds) Junior burst into the spotlight and carried the Iowa State offense last season. This year has not been so great with stacked boxes and injuries plaguing the 2018 campaign. We still like Montgomery’s pro prospects.
1.02. N'keal Harry – WR (Arizona State) – Harry is a big receiver (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) who made a big impact early in his college career. Still a true Junior, Harry could be special by the time he turns pro, possibly in 2019. Harry should have top 200 career catches and 3,000 career yards by the end of the season. The poor quarterback play has inhibited Harry’s production, but he still has been a monster in the PAC12.
1.01 A.J. Brown – WR (Mississippi) – The stocky (6-foot-1, 225 pounds) Junior from Starkville, MS, made a lot of big plays last year. In 2017, Brown caught 75 passes for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns. This put him up to 104 catches for 1,664, and 13 touchdowns through his first two seasons in Oxford. He has topped the 1,000-yard mark already this season, too. The blend of size and play-making ability pushes Brown to tops on the list.
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