The Devy Draft thread (2 Viewers)

[Vincesanity]

Thought on Boykin? Is he a potentially Top 50 NFL PICK?

 

[tdmills]

Cannon was listed at 175 on Baylor's official site last year. He's never going to be a huge receiver, but he doesn't look dangerously skinny either and he has a chance to get bigger given that he hasn't even spent a full year on campus in the weight program yet. Considering what type of WR he is, he doesn't have to get huge to be effective. Guys like Chad Johnson, Jeremy Maclin, T.Y. Hilton, and DeSean Jackson certainly weren't/aren't.

I think another important thing to remember is that he was a first year collegiate player last season. Straight out of high school. You usually don't see great stats from those guys at WR. So nitpicking the breakdown of his production seems a bit misguided at this point. I don't think it makes sense to get too picky with a true freshman. Especially not at a position like QB, TE, or WR. Given the learning curve of those positions and the steep jump from HS to CFB, you expect them not to be consistent producers every week. For example, Laquon Treadwell had zero 100+ yard games as a true freshman and only two games of 60+ yards, but didn't you take him top 5 in our devy draft after that season? I think it's understood that even most eventual NFL receivers aren't going to come in and stack up 1400+ yards as true freshmen. What's more important is to evaluate the potential and try to predict what the player might become with another 1-2 years of seasoning. In Cannon's case, he looks like a good bet to at least become a top 100 draft pick, if not top 50.

Lets go back to the original statement "no devy WRs that you would invest in....Cannon/Coleman are worth a look" which means you're higher on both of them.

-I like KD Cannon and he's my #10 ranked WR in his class. But you appear to have him ranked much higher than that. So why is he worth more than _____ other valued devy WRs?

-170 is his weight listed on ESPN, not sure where I got 160 from. Even so, he should add weight to be more effective to hold up at the next level. Adding weight doesn't necessarily mean speed is maintained. Players all the time cut at the combine to run fast. By the way, you mentioned his 100 Meter time, how fast do you think he is on the field? I see a 4.4 flat type of player, but expected more.

-The hit rate on small WRs with speed is very low. Naming off Desean, Hilton, Maclin, etc fit your criteria but tons have failed. From the 2010-2013 draft, here are players in rounds 1-4 that were speed guys: Tavon Austin, Marqise Goodwin, Markus Wheaton, Kendall Wright, AJ Jenkins, TJ Graham, Chris Givens, Devon Wylie, Travis Benjamin, Jarius Wright, Titus Young, Jurel Jernigan, Clyde Gates, Andre Roberts, Armanti Edwards, Jacoby Ford, etc. What criteria makes them hit or miss more in your eyes?

-He had a good freshman season, but as I said previously...he's in a great system for allowing WRs to gain yards. Bryce Petty will be a 1st-3rd round NFL Draft pick. Baylor has had a WR go over 600 yards receiving 13 times in the last 4 years by 9 different players. That friendly scheme produces inflated numbers is all i'm pointing out.

-I never drafted Treadwell in a devy draft. But even Treadwell is a different specimen. 2-3 inches taller, 50 lbs heavier, plays physical, 5 star recruit, plays in non-pass friendly scheme(in the same 4 year window Ole Miss had a player go over 600 yards only 6 times vs 13 for Baylor) and had Bo Wallace throwing him the football. That's pretty much the difference between Aaron Rodgers and Johnny Manziel. Treadwell is kind of the opposite of Cannon in every way.

-I agree, we're in the business of projecting potential at the NFL level for FF. Cannon is less likely to become a WR1-WR2 than many other devy players. You said top 100, if not top 50...that could be a late 3rd/early 4th round NFL pick. That's not what I want out of a devy pick, I want a 1st/2nd round player with high upside. I don't see that potential with Cannon. Desean Jackson 2nd/Chad Johnson 2nd/Hilton 3rd/Maclin 1st and those were the absolute best case scenarios.

 

[tdmills]

Kd cannon and Corey Coleman aren't even in my top 20 wrs.

Cannon is the closet thing to DeSean Jackson.

Or insert any fast player...Phillip dorsett, Lockett, dri archer, marqise Goodwin, Tavon Austin, etc. Speed is only one factor and others are more important in a wr.

None of those guys are close to DJax. It's obvious you haven't watched either Cannon or DJax of you think they're both just "speed".

I liked DeSean coming out a lot, took him over Devin Thomas pre nfl draft in one league in fact.

My point was more to ebf than you. But 160 pound speedsters haven't stuck in the FF world often. Then look at the Baylor wrs: wright, williams, goodley, robbie rhodes, tevin reese, norwood. They've produced huge numbers in a wide open offense. One wr2 season in ff and the future doesnt look bright.

I've watched a lot of Cannon, he's a hands catcher that tracks the ball well and is fast. But let's also keep in mind that 40% of his yards and 50% of his touchdowns came against northwestern state and buffalo.

I like Cannon but I'm not investing a high pick in a 160 lb WR in a wr friendly scheme. I see many more players that present better value.

You question Cannon's competition but not Corey Davis'? I generally stay away from sub-200lb WRs unless they really stand out, and Cannon does.

Where do you rank him among overall devy WRs?

Corey Davis is 2" taller and 35lbs heavier than Cannon. 31% of Cannon's games went over 100 yards vs 67% of Corey Davis' went over 100 yards(and he had a 99 yarder that I didn't count). Apples to oranges.

 

[EBF]

I'm not going to get into a big debate about Cannon, but he was a top 50 national recruit by Scout/ESPN/Rivals, he had 1000+ receiving yards as a true freshman Baylor, and he has an elite trait (speed) that's valuable in the NFL (he was Texas state 4A 100m champion and has been clocked as fast as 10.32 in the 100m). Based on those credentials and what I observed in his high school clips, he's a guy who should go in the first 2-3 rounds of any PPR devy draft where he's eligible.

It's not wrong to point out that Baylor has a friendly passing scheme, but one thing worth mentioning is that none of their other eventual NFL WRs were instant sensations on campus. When you look at all of the NFL WR talent they've produced, one thing that stands out is that it took all of those guys several years to make a big impact. In other words, Baylor might be a friendly offense, but it hasn't historically been friendly for true freshmen. That makes Cannon's achievements more notable.

Here are the first season numbers for Baylor's recent NFL WR alumni:

Josh Gordon (2009) - 1 catch, 7 yards

Antwan Goodley (2011) - 2 catches, 26 yards

Terrance Williams (2009) - 3 catches, 61 yards

David Gettis (2006) - 4 catches, 82 yards

Tevin Reese (2010) - 45 catches, 401 yards

Kendall Wright (2008) - 50 catches, 649 yards

KD Cannon (2014) - 58 catches, 1030 yards

As you can see, his freshman yardage total is almost double the next closest guy. That doesn't mean he's automatically better, but it's an important point. Generally speaking, 19 year old freshmen straight out of high school have not yet peaked. They're not finished products. Therefore you probably shouldn't judge them as such. All those guys like Gordon, Williams, and Wright improved significantly as they gained experience and developed physically. If you assume that Cannon also has some additional development left in the tank then you start to see why he's a strong prospect. As a true freshman, he looked like a guy who could be a 2nd-3rd round pick in this draft. With another year or two under his belt, he could become one of the most dominant WRs in college football. That's an appealing trajectory. I really struggle to think of 10 better devy WRs, but everyone has different takes on these guys.

 

[Xue]

Just completed this 2-rounder. 3rd year, with 33 Devys already rostered. 1QB 2RB 3WR 1TE 2Flex https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/t_U6nIPpCql60TT9k2ZvcOg/htmlview

1.01 Nick Chubb
1.02 Rashard Higgins
1.03 Devontae Booker
1.04 De'Runnya Wilson
1.05 Corey Davis
1.06 Royce Freeman
1.07 Mike Williams
1.08 Damien Harris
1.09 JuJu Smith
1.10 James Conner
1.11 Artavis Scott
1.12 Tajae Sharpe

2.01 Jordan Villamin
2.02 Josh Doctson
2.03 Leonte Carroo
2.04 Pharoh Cooper
2.05 Calvin Ridley
2.06 Bucky Hodges
2.07 Derrius Guice
2.08 George Campbell
2.09 Michael Thomas
2.10 Josh Malone
2.11 Allen Lazard
2.12 Robert Foster

 

[wildabeast49]

I have a question for you devy veterans that is more theory based. Using this years draft as a template, assuming the rookie/devy player pool is undiminished, when do you start taking your top 4-6 devy guys?

 

[EBF]

I have a question for you devy veterans that is more theory based. Using this years draft as a template, assuming the rookie/devy player pool is undiminished, when do you start taking your top 4-6 devy guys?

That's going to vary a bit from year to year, but for me Chubb is worth a mid first. I believe he is a better RB prospect than Gurley or Gordon, so it's mostly just a matter of the time discount and the possibility of injury. I would say Elliott, Henry, and Treadwell (probably my next cluster) are worth a mid-late first depending on how much you like them.

The best bargains in a deep devy draft are always going to be the under-the-radar guys though. You can get criminal talent discounts if you find a guy who has lots of skills and not lots of hype. Chubb and Elliott a year ago were great examples. You could've gotten them 20-30+ picks deep in a lot of devy drafts, much less drafts with rooks + devs.

 

[Vincesanity]

EBF steered me to Chubb last year at a deep discount, he was way in front of that one.

 

[tdmills]

I have a question for you devy veterans that is more theory based. Using this years draft as a template, assuming the rookie/devy player pool is undiminished, when do you start taking your top 4-6 devy guys?

It depends on a few factors: realistic expectations of your current team, your patience as an owner, what you value.

-Realistic expectations of how competitive your team is in 2015/16/17/etc. When will most of your players hit their prime and when will you most likely have your championship run. If you are a win now team and thin, then grabbing an early devy doesn't make a lot of sense and I would grab a rookie that can help you. If you're a win now team, but pretty deep...then I would grab a draft eligible player in 2016. If you're not close to winning, then determine who has the highest ceiling.

-Patience. If you're not a patient owner, then grabbing a true freshman or sophomore might not be for you and perhaps you should grab a rookie. Young devy players require a long time to wait, so make sure you're okay with the ups and downs of their development.

-Value. Different owners prefer different things/positions/traits/etc.

My personal philosophy is to target players with the highest ceilings. But the further we get away from NFL production, the more variance will factor in. The NFL Draft process helps...multiple years of college production...physical/skill development...recruited out of HS. All of these are pieces to the puzzle, but in the end it's just a projection.

The current group of rookie prospects features three very good players(Gurley/Cooper/White) and about four good players(Gordon/Ajayi/DGB/Parker). I would take Nick Chubb #4 after the very good players because his ceiling is above that 2nd group.

I would suggest you click the link in my signature for more help.

 

[tdmills]

Just completed this 2-rounder. 3rd year, with 33 Devys already rostered. 1QB 2RB 3WR 1TE 2Flex https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/t_U6nIPpCql60TT9k2ZvcOg/htmlview

1.01 Nick Chubb

1.02 Rashard Higgins

1.03 Devontae Booker

1.04 De'Runnya Wilson

1.05 Corey Davis

1.06 Royce Freeman

1.07 Mike Williams

1.08 Damien Harris

1.09 JuJu Smith

1.10 James Conner

1.11 Artavis Scott

1.12 Tajae Sharpe

2.01 Jordan Villamin

2.02 Josh Doctson

2.03 Leonte Carroo

2.04 Pharoh Cooper

2.05 Calvin Ridley

2.06 Bucky Hodges

2.07 Derrius Guice

2.08 George Campbell

2.09 Michael Thomas

2.10 Josh Malone

2.11 Allen Lazard

2.12 Robert Foster

Booker is way too high. Shocked Harris went that far in front of Guice....I have Guice #1 out of the freshman. Also think Malone is too low.

 

[Denver724]

Just completed this 2-rounder. 3rd year, with 33 Devys already rostered. 1QB 2RB 3WR 1TE 2Flex https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/t_U6nIPpCql60TT9k2ZvcOg/htmlview

1.01 Nick Chubb

1.02 Rashard Higgins

1.03 Devontae Booker

1.04 De'Runnya Wilson

1.05 Corey Davis

1.06 Royce Freeman

1.07 Mike Williams

1.08 Damien Harris

1.09 JuJu Smith

1.10 James ConnerThe

1.11 Artavis Scott

1.12 Tajae Sharpe

2.01 Jordan Villamin

2.02 Josh Doctson

2.03 Leonte Carroo

2.04 Pharoh Cooper

2.05 Calvin Ridley

2.06 Bucky Hodges

2.07 Derrius Guice

2.08 George Campbell

2.09 Michael Thomas

2.10 Josh Malone

2.11 Allen Lazard

2.12 Robert Foster

Booker is way too high. Shocked Harris went that far in front of Guice....I have Guice #1 out of the freshman. Also think Malone is too low.

Owner traded back from 1.11 to 2.02. Ended up getting 2.10 in the deal. Got Doctson, Malone and Lazard. I only had one pick and took Freeman at 1.06. I thought that was really good value.

 

[JonB86]

One round, 2016 Eligibles only Superflex with Tiered PPR .5/1/1.5 RB/WR/TE

Super flexible lineups, start 1 of each position, 1 superflex and 4 RWT flexes.

My picks with a star.

1. Laquon Treadwell

2. Tyler Boyd

3*. Ezekiel Elliott*

4. Corey Davis

5*. Cardale Jones*

6. Derrick Henry

7. DeRunnya Wilson

8. Mike Williams

9. Christian Hackenberg

10. D'Haquille Williams

11*. Corey Clement*

12. Connor Cook

 

[offdee]

Phenomz Dynasty Draft results (14 teams, 4 rounds, each team allowed one college player per roster)

Selected last yr and already rostered:

- Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss

- Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama

----

1.01: Ezekial Elliott, RB, Ohio St

1.02: Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

for value reference: 1.03 = Kevin White, 1.04 = Ameer Abdullah

1.05: Tyler Boyd, WR, Pitt

for value reference: 1.06 = Tevin Coleman, 1.07 = DeVante Parker, 1.08 = Breshad Perriman

1.14: Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU

2.04: Jonathan Williams, RB, Arkansas

2.07: Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma

3.09: Corey Clement, RB, Wisconsin

3.11: Duke Williams, WR, Auburn

3.13: Cory Davis, WR, Western Michigan

4.03: Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio St.

4.10: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson

4.13: Devontae Booker, RB, Uta

 

[EBF]

Phenomz Dynasty Draft results (14 teams, 4 rounds, each team allowed one college player per roster)

1.05: Tyler Boyd, WR, Pitt

for value reference: 1.06 = Tevin Coleman, 1.07 = DeVante Parker, 1.08 = Breshad Perriman

Not sure the love for this guy is justified. Unless I'm severely underestimating him, he doesn't look like he has great athletic tools for the next level. I don't care how skilled a WR is -- if he doesn't have a certain base level of height/weight/speed athleticism then he's not going to thrive in the NFL. Boyd's listed height/weight of 6'2" 190 is super skinny and he would need to blaze in the 40 to look viable at that size.

Parker almost seems like the best-case-scenario for Boyd, so it's weird to see Boyd picked higher. Not sure that move makes any sense.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Phenomz Dynasty Draft results (14 teams, 4 rounds, each team allowed one college player per roster)

Selected last yr and already rostered:

- Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss

- Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama

----

1.01: Ezekial Elliott, RB, Ohio St

1.02: Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

for value reference: 1.03 = Kevin White, 1.04 = Ameer Abdullah

1.05: Tyler Boyd, WR, Pitt

for value reference: 1.06 = Tevin Coleman, 1.07 = DeVante Parker, 1.08 = Breshad Perriman

1.14: Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU

2.04: Jonathan Williams, RB, Arkansas

2.07: Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma

3.09: Corey Clement, RB, Wisconsin

3.11: Duke Williams, WR, Auburn

3.13: Cory Davis, WR, Western Michigan

4.03: Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio St.

4.10: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson

4.13: Devontae Booker, RB, Uta

Wow.

Only being allowed one devy per roster gives the guys who wait ridiculous value. Out of curiosity, does that generally give 3rd and 4th round picks more value?

 

[MAC_32]

A couple dozen were kept, but this is who I added. We do idp, but there are maybe ten total on all rosters combined. Draft is probably 75% rb and wr. My keepers are Alex Collins (6th round pick) and Ezekiel Elliott (8th round pick).

6. James Conner

16. Kareem Hunt

25. Elijah Hood

33. Michael Thomas

43. Leonte Caroo

54. Jordan Villamin

73. Isaac Whitney

85. Deon-Tay McManus

 

[BigTex]

After Chubb and Elliot I'd take Sony Michel. No one is talking about him. I had a scout personally tell me he has never seen a player like him before. Granted that was four or five years ago I think Sony was like 15 years old but I wouldn't hesitate to take him if Chubb and Elliot or gone when my time rolls around which they will probably be gone.

Tex

 

[JohnnyU]

Phenomz Dynasty Draft results (14 teams, 4 rounds, each team allowed one college player per roster)

1.05: Tyler Boyd, WR, Pitt

for value reference: 1.06 = Tevin Coleman, 1.07 = DeVante Parker, 1.08 = Breshad Perriman

Not sure the love for this guy is justified. Unless I'm severely underestimating him, he doesn't look like he has great athletic tools for the next level. I don't care how skilled a WR is -- if he doesn't have a certain base level of height/weight/speed athleticism then he's not going to thrive in the NFL. Boyd's listed height/weight of 6'2" 190 is super skinny and he would need to blaze in the 40 to look viable at that size.

Parker almost seems like the best-case-scenario for Boyd, so it's weird to see Boyd picked higher. Not sure that move makes any sense.

Back to that again I see. Tell that to Marvin Harrison, DeSean Jackson, and Antonio Brown. You were inclusive with the height / weight, so unless you mean "or" after mentioning height/weight and before speed/athleticism, I stand by what I said.

 

[tdmills]

After Chubb and Elliot I'd take Sony Michel. No one is talking about him. I had a scout personally tell me he has never seen a player like him before. Granted that was four or five years ago I think Sony was like 15 years old but I wouldn't hesitate to take him if Chubb and Elliot or gone when my time rolls around which they will probably be gone.

Tex

You've said this before and I respectfully disagree. Michel isn't even close to the #3 devy rb for me.

 

[MAC_32]

After Chubb and Elliot I'd take Sony Michel. No one is talking about him. I had a scout personally tell me he has never seen a player like him before. Granted that was four or five years ago I think Sony was like 15 years old but I wouldn't hesitate to take him if Chubb and Elliot or gone when my time rolls around which they will probably be gone.

Tex

He was drafted between Villamin and Whitney, I'd have picked him instead of Whitney had he been there. Probably could still get Whitney with my last pick, so I'd have been short a McManus,I'd actually like to see him do it on a Saturday before investing anymore in him. Wouldn't be the first toolsy prospect to never realize his potential.

 

[EBF]

Anyone done a 2016 devy yet? I have my first one in a couple weeks and I'm really curious to see what consensus boards look like.

 

[Vincesanity]

None this early but interested to see how yours shakes out.

 

[DexterDew]

I'm trying to compile my tiers, I don't see too many elite talents in my league(s), but there is some nice players

I will admit the WR pool is pretty shallow, and will consider QBs and TEs because of it

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Happy to see this bumped finally, we need to get some devy talk going. All my devy drafts are in less than a month (mid-late Feb).

I took over a rebuild orphan in one league that's only a year old (aka not many devys owned) and I have 8 out of the 14 devy picks...I've got my work cut out for me.

Do we have a devy discussion thread? Seems like this one would just be for posting/discussing actual drafts and not about rankings.

 

[krsone21]

A quick question. I joined a Devy league last season. It was the inaugural season. We have the devy's with the rookies in the same draft. Do you all prefer to have them combined or have a separate Devy and Rookie draft?

 

[JohnW1970]

I'm in 8 devy leagues, seven have separate drafts, and that is what I prefer.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Ongoing devy draft, my first of the year. One round, 14 owners. Will update as it goes along, no clock right now.

Players owned already: Chubb, Dupre, Fournette, Mike Williams, Lazard, Corey Davis, Corey Clement, Josh Malone.

Draft:

1. Dalvin Cook

2. JuJu Smith-Schuster

3. Christian McCaffrey

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Ongoing devy draft, my first of the year. One round, 14 owners. Will update as it goes along, no clock right now.

Players owned already: Chubb, Dupre, Fournette, Mike Williams, Lazard, Corey Davis, Corey Clement, Josh Malone.

Draft:

1. Dalvin Cook, RB FSU

2. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR USC

3. Christian McCaffrey, RB Stanford

4. Saquon Barkley, RB Penn

5. Derrius Guice, RB LSU

6. Christian Kirk, WR Texas A&M

7. Deon Cain, WR Clemson

8. Calvin Ridley, WR Alabama

 

[EBF]

Our draft started early. First four picks were Smith-Schuster, Barkley, McCaffrey, and Ridley.

I have the #9 pick.

Forgot to mention that guys like Chubb, Fournette, Freeman, Perine, and Cook were already rostered in previous years.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Finished draft.

PPR, start 2-4 RB. My picks bolded.

1. Dalvin Cook, RB FSU

2. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR USC
3. Christian McCaffrey, RB Stanford

4. Saquon Barkley, RB Penn
5. Derrius Guice, RB LSU
6. Christian Kirk, WR Texas A&M
7. Deon Cain, WR Clemson

8. Calvin Ridley, WR Alabama

9. Jalen Hurd, RB TEN

10. Samaje Perine, RB Oklahoma

11. Bo Scarbrough, RB Alabama

12. Elijah Hood, RB UNC

13. Ronald Jones II, RB USC

14. Demetris Robertson, WR UGA

 

[JohnnyU]

Our draft started early. First four picks were Smith-Schuster, Barkley, McCaffrey, and Ridley.

I have the #9 pick.

Forgot to mention that guys like Chubb, Fournette, Freeman, Perine, and Cook were already rostered in previous years.

Update:

1.01 - JuJu Smith Schuster WR USC

1.02 - Saquon Barkley RB Penn St.

1.03 - Christian McCaffrey RB Standord

1.04 - Calvin Ridley WR Alabama

1.05 - Christian (Captain) Kirk WR Tex A & M

1.06 - Elijah Wood RB UNC

1.07 - Damien Harris RB Alabama

1.08 - Mike Williams WR Clemson

1.09 -

1.10 -

1.11 -

1.12 -

1.13 -

1.14 -

 

[tdmills]

Our draft started early. First four picks were Smith-Schuster, Barkley, McCaffrey, and Ridley.

I have the #9 pick.

Forgot to mention that guys like Chubb, Fournette, Freeman, Perine, and Cook were already rostered in previous years.

Also: Corey Davis, Hodges, Clement, Scarborough, Tyner, Dupre, Guice, and Merritt.

 

[JohnnyU]

Our draft started early. First four picks were Smith-Schuster, Barkley, McCaffrey, and Ridley.

I have the #9 pick.

Forgot to mention that guys like Chubb, Fournette, Freeman, Perine, and Cook were already rostered in previous years.

Update:

1.01 - JuJu Smith Schuster WR USC

1.02 - Saquon Barkley RB Penn St.

1.03 - Christian McCaffrey RB Standord

1.04 - Calvin Ridley WR Alabama

1.05 - Christian (Captain) Kirk WR Tex A & M

1.06 - Elijah Wood RB UNC

1.07 - Damien Harris RB Alabama

1.08 - Mike Williams WR Clemson

1.09 - Myles Gaskin RB Washington

1.10 - Jalen Hurd RB Tenn

1.11 -

1.12 -

1.13 -

1.14 -

 

[EBF]

I went with Washington RB Myles Gaskin at #9. A bit worried about his lack of ideal height/weight/speed numbers, but his running style reminds me a lot of Ray Rice. Gaskin is a little bit more stretched out physically, but has the same effortless ability to bob and weave through defenses. He has that natural plant-and-drive quickness to run on a swivel and make cuts that most backs aren't capable of. 1300+ rushing yards as a true freshman in the Pac-12 is a nice achievement and I think we'll be hearing more from him in future seasons. Could be a 2nd round pick down the line ala Ray Rice and Ameer Abdullah.

I will offer some thoughts on other players I looked at when the draft is over.

 

[Denver724]

Our draft started early. First four picks were Smith-Schuster, Barkley, McCaffrey, and Ridley.

I have the #9 pick.

Forgot to mention that guys like Chubb, Fournette, Freeman, Perine, and Cook were already rostered in previous years.

Update:

1.01 - JuJu Smith Schuster WR USC

1.02 - Saquon Barkley RB Penn St.

1.03 - Christian McCaffrey RB Standord

1.04 - Calvin Ridley WR Alabama

1.05 - Christian (Captain) Kirk WR Tex A & M

1.06 - Elijah Wood RB UNC

1.07 - Damien Harris RB Alabama

1.08 - Mike Williams WR Clemson

1.09 - Myles Gaskin RB Washington

1.10 -

1.11 -

1.12 -

1.13 -

1.14 -

Updated

A little surprised Kirk went ahead of Williams. Maybe the neck injury had an impact.

 

[ThreeThousand]

Finished draft.

PPR, start 2-4 RB. My picks bolded.

1. Dalvin Cook, RB FSU

2. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR USC

3. Christian McCaffrey, RB Stanford

4. Saquon Barkley, RB Penn

5. Derrius Guice, RB LSU

6. Christian Kirk, WR Texas A&M

7. Deon Cain, WR Clemson

8. Calvin Ridley, WR Alabama

9. Jalen Hurd, RB TEN

10. Samaje Perine, RB Oklahoma

11. Bo Scarbrough, RB Alabama

12. Elijah Hood, RB UNC

13. Ronald Jones II, RB USC

14. Demetris Robertson, WR UGA

Demetris Robertson hasn't even committed to UGA yet.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Finished draft.

PPR, start 2-4 RB. My picks bolded.

1. Dalvin Cook, RB FSU

2. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR USC

3. Christian McCaffrey, RB Stanford

4. Saquon Barkley, RB Penn

5. Derrius Guice, RB LSU

6. Christian Kirk, WR Texas A&M

7. Deon Cain, WR Clemson

8. Calvin Ridley, WR Alabama

9. Jalen Hurd, RB TEN

10. Samaje Perine, RB Oklahoma

11. Bo Scarbrough, RB Alabama

12. Elijah Hood, RB UNC

13. Ronald Jones II, RB USC

14. Demetris Robertson, WR UGA

Demetris Robertson hasn't even committed to UGA yet.

That was the most off the wall pick to me. Didn't see it coming at all.

 

[JohnnyU]

Our draft started early. First four picks were Smith-Schuster, Barkley, McCaffrey, and Ridley.

I have the #9 pick.

Forgot to mention that guys like Chubb, Fournette, Freeman, Perine, and Cook were already rostered in previous years.

Update:

1.01 - JuJu Smith Schuster WR USC

1.02 - Saquon Barkley RB Penn St.

1.03 - Christian McCaffrey RB Standord

1.04 - Calvin Ridley WR Alabama

1.05 - Christian (Captain) Kirk WR Tex A & M

1.06 - Elijah Wood RB UNC

1.07 - Damien Harris RB Alabama

1.08 - Mike Williams WR Clemson

1.09 - Myles Gaskin RB Washington

1.10 - Jalen Hurd RB Tenn

1.11 -

1.12 -

1.13 -

1.14 -

updated

 

[EBF]

We finished our draft tonight:

Our draft started early. First four picks were Smith-Schuster, Barkley, McCaffrey, and Ridley.

I have the #9 pick.

Forgot to mention that guys like Chubb, Fournette, Freeman, Perine, and Cook were already rostered in previous years.

Update:

1.01 - JuJu Smith Schuster WR USC

1.02 - Saquon Barkley RB Penn St.

1.03 - Christian McCaffrey RB Standord

1.04 - Calvin Ridley WR Alabama

1.05 - Christian (Captain) Kirk WR Tex A & M

1.06 - Elijah Wood RB UNC

1.07 - Damien Harris RB Alabama

1.08 - Mike Williams WR Clemson

1.09 - Myles Gaskin RB Washington

1.10 - Jalen Hurd RB Tennessee

1.11 - OJ Howard TE Alabama

1.12 - Deon Cain WR Clemson

1.13 - LJ Scott RB Michigan State

1.14 - Courtland Sutton WR SMU

1.15 - Travin Dural WR LSU

I had the ninth pick. When I looked at the list of players available in this draft, I had JuJu and Barkley as a pretty strong top two. I think there's a dropoff after them. I knew Kirk, Ridley, McCaffrey, and Hood would probably go before #9. I didn't have the ammo or interest to trade up for them. That left me with a pretty short list for my selection. I went Gaskin, but considered several other players. Some of the other names I looked at:

RB Joe Mixon, Oklahoma - 5 star recruit from the 2014 class. Sat out the 2014 season with off-field stuff. 753 rushing yards (6.7 YPC) and 28 catches splitting time with Perine this season. I don't like tall backs and he has some of the issues that most tall backs do, but he has good lower body strength and agility. Is he a great prospect? I think it's hard to peg his pro potential, but a relatively big back with hands and mobility seems like he could find a role. A really optimistic comparison would be LeVeon Bell, though Mixon isn't that heavy. He was the last name I eliminated before I took Gaskin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPRI_P4QJ6g

WR Courtland Sutton, SMU - Sutton ended up going at #14 and I definitely looked at him for my pick. He had 49 catches for 862 yards and 9 TDs this year as a redshirt freshman on a dreadful SMU team. Big frame at 6'4" 215 and can really go up and get the ball. He has some similarities with Kelvin Benjamin and Marques Colston. I don't know if his route running and movement are going to be on par with the NFL's best big receivers like Vincent Jackson and Demaryius Thomas, but he is an interesting name.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0CQOBXInic

TE Mark Andrews, Oklahoma - Had some impressive plays this year as a redshirt freshman with 7 TDs on just 19 catches. Reminds me of a more athletic Zach Ertz and could be a nice value in TE premium leagues. I already have Eifert here and wasn't likely to go TE unless desperate due to the relatively low trade value of the position.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYwyatbEAgw

WR Shelton Gibson, West Virginia - Smallish WR with blazing speed (10.7 100m time in HS). Kind of a DeSean Jackson type. Averaged 24 yards per catch last season. An electric athlete, but he's not very big and he cradle catches the ball. In a deeper draft, I'd take a flyer. Couldn't justify it in a one round devy though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osLlQhGqlpY

WR KD Cannon, Baylor - Regressed statistically after breaking the 1000 yard barrier as a true freshman last season. Very fast. Not sure if he offers enough else, but my sense is that he may be a little undervalued after a somewhat quiet year. With Coleman gone, he should see an uptick in production next season and is likely to find his way to the NFL eventually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCVQpDJWn4k

Also looked at Kareem Hunt and Boom Williams. Hunt has the size and production. Not really sold on his footwork or cutting, but I can see him having spurts of productivity in the NFL. Williams is a lot like Gaskin. Undersized with good moves and pretty good, but not great speed. He's a bit more of a strider though and didn't have the same volume of production, so he was lower on my board. Finally, I looked at the high school kids briefly. I've had mixed results with that population and wasn't going to roll the dice on another unless he ticked every box. The Clemson commit Tavien Feaster looks like he could be interesting, but I wasn't ready to use a pick on him yet.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Not a Hurd fan, EBF? Seems like the kind of guy that would check a lot of your boxes. Despite being tall, he's also got the speed to go along with it like Henry. He's got the 5* athlete pedigree, runs with power, and is one of the better receiving RB's. He's also eligible in 2017, which is always a plus.

 

[mikel2014]

I was surprised to see that TE OJ Howard wasn't a consideration. Thoughts?

 

[Denver724]

I'm surprised LJ Scott dropped to the 1.13 spot. Great value. Also really like Cain at the 1.12.

 

[EBF]

Not a Hurd fan, EBF? Seems like the kind of guy that would check a lot of your boxes. Despite being tall, he's also got the speed to go along with it like Henry. He's got the 5* athlete pedigree, runs with power, and is one of the better receiving RB's. He's also eligible in 2017, which is always a plus.

No, I'm not a big fan of Hurd. For one thing, his production wasn't that good in 2015. Yes he had 1300+ yards in a tough conference and that's nice, but he ranked 12th in the country in carries yet finished just 29th in rushing yards. His 4.7 YPC would be great in the NFL, but in college it ranks towards the bottom of all 1000+ yard rushers. He also didn't prove to be a big play threat. He had just 10 runs of 20+ yards on 277 carries. To put that number in perspective, Chubb had 8...on 92 carries. Hurd's long run % compared to top prospects:

Cook - 9.6%

Chubb - 8.7%

Barkley - 8.2%

Hood - 7.3%

Perine - 6.2%

Fournette - 6.0%

Collins - 5.9%

McCaffrey - 5.6%

Freeman - 5.3%

Gaskin - 4.8%

Henry - 4.3%

Elliott - 3.8%

Hurd - 3.6%

I'm not going to suggest that this stat means everything (after all I'm relatively high on Elliott and Gaskin), but it's an indication that Hurd wasn't much of a dynamic big play threat last season.

Putting the numbers aside, he doesn't wow me from an eyeball test standpoint. He bounces everything outside. A lot of tall guys struggle with running and cutting in small windows (think Andre Williams and Melvin Gordon). Thomas Tyner, a guy I hyped a couple years ago, has a little bit of this as well. He looks amazing when he can hit his stride, but he struggles to "get low" and improvise when he needs to adjust his trajectory at a moment's notice. Contrast that with someone like Gaskin, who can do stuff like this.

I don't see the strong lower body from Hurd or the agility that I prefer in RB prospects. I won't say he's a lock to fail because I've been wrong about a lot of guys before (wouldn't have predicted any success for L Murray, K Williams, or D McFadden last season), but he's not a player that I covet. I'd even go so far as to suggest that his backup Alvin Kamara, might have a better pro future:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unDqREydqpU

Interestingly, Kamara averaged 6.52 YPC with a 5.6% long run percentage behind the same OL last season.

 

[EBF]

I was surprised to see that TE OJ Howard wasn't a consideration. Thoughts?

Howard has been on the radar ever since his strong freshman season. I don't think he would be a bad pick. He seems like a relatively high floor selection with decent upside. On the other hand, he's a TE (low positional value in most leagues) and prior to the NC game his production had been pretty minimal in college. A big play here and there, but not much else. Andrews in one season has more receiving TDs (7) than Howard has in his college career (4). Howard is a guy that I looked at in previous seasons, but never quite wanted to pull the trigger on.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

I was surprised to see that TE OJ Howard wasn't a consideration. Thoughts?

TE's rarely get drafted in any of my devy leagues regardless of hype. The position takes forever to develop in the NFL and doesn't hold a lot of trade value until they are elite, even in TE premium leagues.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

I was surprised to see that TE OJ Howard wasn't a consideration. Thoughts?

Howard has been on the radar ever since his strong freshman season. I don't think he would be a bad pick. He seems like a relatively high floor selection with decent upside. On the other hand, he's a TE (low positional value in most leagues) and prior to the NC game his production had been pretty minimal in college. A big play here and there, but not much else. Andrews in one season has more receiving TDs (7) than Howard has in his college career (4). Howard is a guy that I looked at in previous seasons, but never quite wanted to pull the trigger on.

I remember Howard being hyped as an incoming Freshman, even. He wasn't drafted in any of my leagues but his name was the only TE prospect being talked about as potential draftees at that time, and he hadn't even played yet. If anything people expected a lot more a lot earlier from Howard, like you alluded to.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Not a Hurd fan, EBF? Seems like the kind of guy that would check a lot of your boxes. Despite being tall, he's also got the speed to go along with it like Henry. He's got the 5* athlete pedigree, runs with power, and is one of the better receiving RB's. He's also eligible in 2017, which is always a plus.

No, I'm not a big fan of Hurd. For one thing, his production wasn't that good in 2015. Yes he had 1300+ yards in a tough conference and that's nice, but he ranked 12th in the country in carries yet finished just 29th in rushing yards. His 4.7 YPC would be great in the NFL, but in college it ranks towards the bottom of all 1000+ yard rushers. He also didn't prove to be a big play threat. He had just 10 runs of 20+ yards on 277 carries. To put that number in perspective, Chubb had 8...on 92 carries. Hurd's long run % compared to top prospects:

Cook - 9.6%

Chubb - 8.7%

Barkley - 8.2%

Hood - 7.3%

Perine - 6.2%

Fournette - 6.0%

Collins - 5.9%

McCaffrey - 5.6%

Freeman - 5.3%

Gaskin - 4.8%

Henry - 4.3%

Elliott - 3.8%

Hurd - 3.6%

I'm not going to suggest that this stat means everything (after all I'm relatively high on Elliott and Gaskin), but it's an indication that Hurd wasn't much of a dynamic big play threat last season.

Putting the numbers aside, he doesn't wow me from an eyeball test standpoint. He bounces everything outside. A lot of tall guys struggle with running and cutting in small windows (think Andre Williams and Melvin Gordon). Thomas Tyner, a guy I hyped a couple years ago, has a little bit of this as well. He looks amazing when he can hit his stride, but he struggles to "get low" and improvise when he needs to adjust his trajectory at a moment's notice. Contrast that with someone like Gaskin, who can do stuff like this.

I don't see the strong lower body from Hurd or the agility that I prefer in RB prospects. I won't say he's a lock to fail because I've been wrong about a lot of guys before (wouldn't have predicted any success for L Murray, K Williams, or D McFadden last season), but he's not a player that I covet. I'd even go so far as to suggest that his backup Alvin Kamara, might have a better pro future:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unDqREydqpU

Interestingly, Kamara averaged 6.52 YPC with a 5.6% long run percentage behind the same OL last season.

One thing that I found on a couple different TENN forums when researching the context around Hurd's play, was how horrible their OL is, which is something to take into consideration. I appreciate your viewpoint though. I think he is fairly similar to Henry, who also is a huge guy that doesn't play like you'd expect him to at that size...he's just in an ideal situation. I see a lot of potential in the passing game with Hurd though, which is big for me.

 

[EBF]

Not a Hurd fan, EBF? Seems like the kind of guy that would check a lot of your boxes. Despite being tall, he's also got the speed to go along with it like Henry. He's got the 5* athlete pedigree, runs with power, and is one of the better receiving RB's. He's also eligible in 2017, which is always a plus.

No, I'm not a big fan of Hurd. For one thing, his production wasn't that good in 2015. Yes he had 1300+ yards in a tough conference and that's nice, but he ranked 12th in the country in carries yet finished just 29th in rushing yards. His 4.7 YPC would be great in the NFL, but in college it ranks towards the bottom of all 1000+ yard rushers. He also didn't prove to be a big play threat. He had just 10 runs of 20+ yards on 277 carries. To put that number in perspective, Chubb had 8...on 92 carries. Hurd's long run % compared to top prospects:

Cook - 9.6%

Chubb - 8.7%

Barkley - 8.2%

Hood - 7.3%

Perine - 6.2%

Fournette - 6.0%

Collins - 5.9%

McCaffrey - 5.6%

Freeman - 5.3%

Gaskin - 4.8%

Henry - 4.3%

Elliott - 3.8%

Hurd - 3.6%

I'm not going to suggest that this stat means everything (after all I'm relatively high on Elliott and Gaskin), but it's an indication that Hurd wasn't much of a dynamic big play threat last season.

Putting the numbers aside, he doesn't wow me from an eyeball test standpoint. He bounces everything outside. A lot of tall guys struggle with running and cutting in small windows (think Andre Williams and Melvin Gordon). Thomas Tyner, a guy I hyped a couple years ago, has a little bit of this as well. He looks amazing when he can hit his stride, but he struggles to "get low" and improvise when he needs to adjust his trajectory at a moment's notice. Contrast that with someone like Gaskin, who can do stuff like this.

I don't see the strong lower body from Hurd or the agility that I prefer in RB prospects. I won't say he's a lock to fail because I've been wrong about a lot of guys before (wouldn't have predicted any success for L Murray, K Williams, or D McFadden last season), but he's not a player that I covet. I'd even go so far as to suggest that his backup Alvin Kamara, might have a better pro future:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unDqREydqpU

Interestingly, Kamara averaged 6.52 YPC with a 5.6% long run percentage behind the same OL last season.

One thing that I found on a couple different TENN forums when researching the context around Hurd's play, was how horrible their OL is, which is something to take into consideration. I appreciate your viewpoint though. I think he is fairly similar to Henry, who also is a huge guy that doesn't play like you'd expect him to at that size...he's just in an ideal situation. I see a lot of potential in the passing game with Hurd though, which is big for me.

FWIW, I'm not super high on Henry. I know he just won the Heisman and may be a 2nd-3rd round pick, but I don't see him as a lock for NFL success.

I think I like him more than Hurd though.

 

[Denver724]

I was surprised to see that TE OJ Howard wasn't a consideration. Thoughts?

TE's rarely get drafted in any of my devy leagues regardless of hype. The position takes forever to develop in the NFL and doesn't hold a lot of trade value until they are elite, even in TE premium leagues.

Agreed. Probably the hardest position to projection in devy leagues. Better off taking TE's as late flyers and hope for the best. I ended up taking Andrews last year in the 5th round or later (in five "TE Premium" leagues). 6-round devy drafts.

 

[BigTex]

I feel like I'm the only one high on Hood and as productive as Cook has been, his frame just doesn't fit the running back mode (at least his lower body).

Tex

I meant Hood.