[Dynasty] 2017 Draft Prospects (2 Viewers)

ESPN's Mel Kiper ranks Miami junior QB Brad Kaaya No. 13 on his Big Board.
"Another player certain to be dissected based on the mountain of tape he has already piled up -- having thrown almost 800 passes, when many juniors are about to start for the first time -- Kaaya is a talented quarterback with a big arm, touch and growing poise as he reads the whole field," Kiper wrote. "He continues to get better." The 6-foot-4, 209-pound Kaaya threw for 3,238 yards (61.2% completions) and a 16/5 TD/INT ratio last year after posting a sensational 26/12 TD/INT rate as a frosh.

 
 
Source: ESPN.com
May 16 - 6:21 PM

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georg013 said:

Gordon is garbage. Opportunity is what has kept the white running back from prominence. Opportunity and ignorance.

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EBF said:

They're very different. Cook is a glider. Actually reminds me of Darren McFadden a little bit in terms of style. Not a lot of fancy moves, just explosive north-south running. He's not a big or strong back. More reliant on his speed.

I'm not the biggest McCaffrey fan, but he's more powerful and elusive. I think he's better with the ball in space. 

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ESPN's David Lombardi wrote that Arizona State junior RB Kalen Ballage has "shown a freakish combination of strength and athleticism on multiple occasions."
Ballage is not the Sun Devils' lead back, as Demario Richard remains HC Todd Graham's main man. Even playing off-spotlight, Ballage still managed to impress in 2015, rushing for 653 yards (5.2 YPC) and four touchdowns while catching 12 passes for 60 yards. The 6-foot-3, 222-pounder also saw limited work as a kickoff returner. Graham has tinkered around with him as a linebacker in practice previously, but that has not been put into game action.

 
 
Source: ESPN.com 
May 17 - 10:47 PM

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Sports draft analyst Rob Rang wrote that USC junior WR JuJu Smith-Schuster's "frame and game" remind him of Terrell Owens.
Owens (6-foot-3, 223 pounds) and Smith-Schuster (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) do, indeed, share similar body types. While we're in the comparison market, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. believes that Dez Bryant comps for JuJu will run rampant over the countryside in the coming months. Last season, Smith-Schuster caught 89 passes for 1,454 yards and 10 touchdowns. He underwent surgery to repair a broken right hand in early November, but even that did not force him to miss a game.

 
 
Source: CBS Sports 
May 19 - 10:45 PM

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Louisville HC Bobby Petrino called junior WR Reggie Bonnafon "one of the greatest kids in the world to coach."


For [Bonnafon], it was a matter of -- he didn’t have a lot of experience playing the position [of wide receiver]," Petrino said, "so he was working hard to learn everything. This really gives him a chance to use his natural ability." The 6-foot-3, 206-pounder switched over to receiver from quarterback this spring. He offers a silly amount of athletic talent -- 43.5-inch vertical jump during offseason testing -- and could thrive as a receiver if he can make the full adjustment. While the Cardinals initially recruited (and played) him as a quarterback, Bonnafon is no stranger to the outside, having suited up at receiver for several years in high school prior to a position shift his senior year. If you aren't already on the Louisville bandwagon, it is going to be full-up by the time August camp rolls around. Find your seats now.
 
Source: ESPN.com

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ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. wrote that we should not be surprised if Minnesota senior QB Mitch Leidner is a first-rounder in 2017.
Kiper and colleague Todd McShay might be sharing a brain (or, if nothing else, notes), as the same week that the former pushed Leidner as a potential surprise non-surprise first-rounder, the latter mocked the 6-foot-4, 237-pounder to pick No. 25, which would be held by the Cowboys according to Vegas Super Bowl odds (a reliable metric if there ever was one). Last season, Leidner threw for 2,701 yards (59.5% completions) with a 14/10 TD/INT ratio. We really don't see a first-rounder here, though he does have the sort of frame and physical style of play that would make him worth a developmental selection after Day 1 in 2017.

 
 
Source: ESPN Insider 
May 21 - 7:46 PM

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ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Cal graduate QB Davis Webb the No. 1 senior quarterback prospect for 2017.



Webb (formerly of Texas Tech) broke a long-standing transfer commitment to Colorado and jumped over to Cal earlier this week. He is technically not a senior, having already graduated, but Kiper smashes him onto the top of his senior list regardless. Minnesota's Mitch Leidner and Ole Miss' Chad Kelly round out the top three on that list. The analyst wrote that Webb "has an NFL skill set and is a player NFL teams will watch closely," adding that the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder "could thrive in the draft process."

 
Source: ESPN Insider

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ESPN's Alex Scarborough noted that "[Arkansas coaches] say [senior TE Jeremy Sprinkle is] better after the catch than [Hunter] Henry."
"[Sprinkle] has to work on some of the nuances of his game," Scarborough wrote, "but if he does that, then there’s no reason to believe he can't be an All-SEC player by season’s end." Last season, the 6-foot-6, 255-pounder caught 27 passes for 389 yards and six touchdowns. That came with Hunter Henry taking the bulk of the work at tight end for Arkansas. Henry was drafted by the Chargers in April. With the deck cleared, this will be Sprinkle's show in 2016.

 
 
Source: ESPN.com
May 23 - 2:40 PM

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Pro Football Focus' Steve Palazzolo believes Cal graduate QB Davis Webb "will attract the NFL’s attention" but must "make better decisions against zone coverage."
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Webb recently signed with the Golden Bears as a grad transfer with an eye on taking over for Jared Goff. At Texas Tech in 2014, the big-armed Webb ranked No. 16 with a big-time throw percentage of 5.43 percent. "He can throw with accuracy and touch both between and outside the numbers, but his flashes of brilliance were accompanied equally by head-scratching throws," Palazzolo wrote. While Webb proved adept at shredding teams downfield, his 5.71 percent rate of turnover-worthy plays (13 interceptions on only 345 attempts in 2014) forced the Red Raiders to hand his job to a guy named Patrick Mahomes, who never gave it back. "Webb is often mechanical and robotic in the pocket and a little too slow to get through his progressions," Palazzolo wrote. "However, the flashes are enough to think that Webb can have success in the Pac-12, particularly since he’s moving to a similar offensive system."

 
 
Source: Pro Football Focus
May 26 - 8:14 PM

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Bleacher Report's Ryan McCrystal says Texas State senior QB Tyler Jones "has the tools of a draftable quarterback."
To show them, he'll need to win the starting job. In 2014, Jones' coming out party included 3,209 yards of total offense with 22/7 TD/INT ratio and six rushing touchdowns. Last year started off about the same, but he face-planted down the stretch and finished with a poor 14/10 TD/INT rate on 3,100 total yards and 10 rushing scores. The Bobcats have a new coaching staff and plucked up Missouri grad QB Eddie Printz -- a pro-style pocket passer -- on the transfer market. Jones and Printz have contrasting games. This competition will spread deep into the summer.

 
 
Source: Bleacher Report 
Jun 3 - 9:05 PM

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Per Pro Football Focus, Iowa senior TE George Kittle is the highest-graded tight end returning to school.
Kittle led the Big 10 runner-ups with six touchdown catches on 20 receptions for 290 yards (14.5 yards per catch average), quite efficient indeed based on his 25 targets. Kittle also had the best yards per route run average of any college tight end at 3.09 last year. The biggest reason he's the highest-graded returner at his position, though, is he's the best-graded returning Power-5 tight end. (14.5 yards per catch average)

 
 
Source: Pro Football Focus 
Jun 3 - 8:31 PM

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NDT Scouting's Kyle Crabbs believes Texas A&M senior WR Josh Reynolds could see a rise similar to former TCU WR Josh Doctson in 2016.
Crabbs wrote that there was a "legitimate possibility" that Reynolds takes that next step. He noted that the "skill-set is there" for the 6-foot-4, 190-pounder. Last season, Reynolds hauled in 51 passes for 907 yards and five touchdowns. In October, NFL Media's Chad Reuter called him "one of the best receivers in the country." As Reuter noted then -- and it is just as true now -- Reynolds' statistical output has a natural handicap on it, with fellow wideouts Ricky Seals-Jones and (especially) Christian Kirk siphoning off targets. He will also have to navigate the quarterbacking wilds that will come with transferring Oklahoma QB Trevor Knight taking over at signal-caller. Though Texas A&M's quarterback situation was such a mess down the stretch in 2015 that any sort of stability at the position should help everybody involved.

 
 
Source: Kyle Craggs on Twitter 
Jun 7 - 2:41 PM

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Orland Sentinel's Matt Murschel predicts Virginia Tech junior WR Isaiah Ford's numbers will jump in new HC Justin Fuente's system.
The 6-foot-1, 174-pounder rolled up 1,164 yards on 75 receptions with an ACC-best 11 touchdowns last year to earn all-conference honors. That was in Frank Beamer's conservative vision. Expectations are obviously sky high as Ford enters an up-tempo spread scheme.

 
 
Source: The Orlando Sentinel 
Jun 9 - 6:35 PM

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Earlier this week, Arizona State senior WR Tim White advanced to the outdoor national championships in the triple jump by recording a 53'11" leap.
White is a sensational athlete who led the Sun Devils in all-purpose yards with 132.9 yards per game last year. ASU HC Todd Graham has praised White in conversations with his buddy Bill Belichick. Belicheck, and presumably the rest of the NFL, know of White as the "triple jump guy" at the moment. A breakout season will send him surging up draft boards.

 
 
Source: AZ Central 
Jun 10 - 4:56 PM

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NDT Scouting's Kyle Crabbs called UNC senior WR Ryan Switzer a "sleeping giant in productivity."
Crabbs noted that while Switzer caught just six passes over his last two games, he managed to get open an additional eight times. He just didn't receive targets on those occasions. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior finished the 2015 season having caught 54 passes for 693 yards and six touchdowns. The slot standout has yet to surpass 1,000 yards receiving in a season.

 
 
Source: Kyle Crabbs on Twitter 
Jun 11 - 8:38 PM

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A Big Ten defensive coach said that he sees shades of Jalin Marshall and Ezekiel Elliott in Ohio State junior RB Curtis Samuel.
"Every time we watched [Samuel] on film, I thought he was a really good player who sure seemed to make a lot of plays," the coach said. While he didn't offer any specifics in his comparison of Samuel to Elliott, he noted that Samuel's versatility is reminiscent to that of Marshall. Last season, the 5-foot-11, 196-pounder contributed through his running (17 carries for 132 yards, 7.8 YPC), receiving (22 catches for 298 yards) and return prowess (nine kick returns for 207 yards).

 
 
Source: ESPN Insider 
Jun 11 - 7:20 PM

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UNC senior WR Ryan Switzer told Sports Illustrated "I believe I'm a first-round talent."
"I believe I have the opportunity this year to show that," he said. Switzer, you may recall, famously said before his sophomore season that he could "possibly win a Heisman." The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder isn't at either level yet, but neither is out of the question. The NFL draft advisory committee gave him a mid-fourth-round grade after the season, so there's work to do. But to start with, Switzer is one of the best return men in college football history. With one more punt return touchdown, he'll tie the NCAA record hared by Texas Tech's Wes Welker -- to whom he is comped -- and Oklahoma's Antonio Perkins. "I think the joint package helps," HC Larry Fedora said. "At [the pro] level, the more you can do, the more valuable you are." On offense, Switzer caught 54 passes for 693 yards and six touchdown in 2015. He may flirt with 1,000 yards this fall.

 
 
Source: Sports Illustrated 
Jun 13 - 4:48 PM

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With regards to the NFL attention Minnesota redshirt senior QB Mich Leidner has received this offseason, HC Tracy Claeys said "I don’t pay attention much to the NFL stuff."
"He has the size, he has the skills they look for," Claeys said, adding that Leidner will "have to play well" first and "everybody gets a little ahead of themselves by writing articles like that." ESPN’s Todd McShay projects Leidner as the No. 25 pick and Mel Kiper ranks Leidner the nation’s No. 2 senior QB behind Cal’s Davis Webb. We're with Claeys on taking a wait-and-see approach. The 6-foot-4, 237-pounder had an unacceptable 51.5 completion percentage in 2014, posted an uninspiring 25/19 TD/INT ratio the past two years combined and played so inconsistently that Gopher fans were chanting for his backup as recently as this past October. It's true that the size, athleticism and arm strength all check Day 1 NFL boxes, and it's also true that Leidner improved rapidly down the stretch last season (the three-INT debacle in the finale against Wisconsin notwithstanding). We'll see how he does in new OC Jay Johnson system.

 
 
Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
Jun 16 - 6:10 PM

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ESPN's David Lombardi noted that Arizona State redshirt senior WR Cameron Smith (knee) could play a pivotal role in replacing departing talent.
With both D.J. Foster and Devin Lucien out the door, there should be ample opportunity for Smith (along with Tim White) to make strong contributions in 2016. His potential is intriguing. He missed the entirety of the 2015 campaign due to knee surgery, but as a redshirt sophomore in 2014, he recorded 41 catches for 596 yards and six touchdowns. The coaching staff believes that he has recovered fully from the surgery.

 
 
Source: ESPN.com 
Jun 18 - 5:40 PM

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Iowa senior QB C.J. Beathard and Clemson's Deshaun Watson were the only 2015 Power 5 quarterback who attempted 50-plus fourth quarter passes without throwing an interception.
Not bad company for Beathard, a sleeper draft prospect. For all the talk of Iowa's conservative offense, Kirk Ferentz trusted Beathard to let it rip when it counted. Beathard's 14 20-plus yard fourth quarter completions were the second-best Power 5 total behind only Washington State's Luke Falk (who had double the attempts to do it). Beathard went 44-of-63 (69.8 percent) for 706 yards, six scores and no interceptions in fourth quarters last year.

 
Source: ESPN.com

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Miami junior QB Brad Kaaya went 27-for-64 for 973 yards and a 4/0 TD/INT rate on 20-plus yard throws downfield last year.
As a sophomore, Kaaya posted Pro Football Focus' No. 13 passing grade among returning quarterbacks. "Outside of a pair of rough outings in Weeks 10 and 11 versus Virginia and North Carolina, he was remarkably consistent all season long," Jeff Dooley wrote. In all, Kaaya threw for 3,238 yards (61.2% completions) with a 16/5 TD/INT ratio.

 
Source: Pro Football Focus

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Penn State junior WR Saeed Blacknall "has ideal size for a prospect and tantalizing upside," writes Bleacher Report's David Kenyan.
This offseason, Penn State HC Franklin fired offensive coordinator John Donovan and hired Joe Moorhead, who brought with him an up-tempo spread offense. Now that the Nitts have joined modern offensive football, Blacknall is one of several poised to break out if everything goes according to plan. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound burner was a four-star recruit and is a big-play threat. He's posted only 18 catches for 343 yards and two touchdowns the past two seasons, otherwise known as the Dark Ages in Penn State circles, but is an ace breakout candidate this fall.

 
 
Source: Bleacher Report 
Jun 17 - 8:27 PM

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Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski says Montana redshirt senior QB Brady Gustafson will be compared to Carson Wentz throughout the draft process.
Along with his ideal 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame, Gustafson boasts "an effortless throwing motion" and is "athletic enough to maneuver around the pocket," per Sobleski. Gustafson was lightly recruited and was buried on the depth chart for his first three years on campus. Montana HC Bob Stitt's arrival changed his fortunes rapidly. "He’s got the physical tools, and he's quicker and faster than people realize," Stitts said. "He can also run a little bit and cover some ground. ... He can make all of the throws, too." Like Wentz, Gustafson, who suffered a broken leg on September 19, missed much of his season. Upon his return, Gustafson completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 619 yards and a 5/1 TD/INT rate over his last two games. "He's raw, but the tools, attitude and approach are present to develop into an early-round possibility after a strong senior campaign," Sobleski wrote.

 
 
Source: Bleacher Report 
Jun 17 - 8:11 PM

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Bleacher Report's David Kenyan believes Oklahoma State junior QB Mason Rudolph might be a better NFL prospect than Miami's Brad Kaaya.
 
"The potential frustration with Rudolph is Oklahoma State's offensive philosophy, which focuses on quick-hitting, high-percentage throws," Kenyan wrote. "He'll need to learn a more complex scheme in the pros." The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Rudolph threw for 3,770 yards (62.3% completions) with a 21/9 TD/INT ratio last year as a sophomore. "Rudolph is poised in the pocket and will pass the velocity threshold," Kenyan wrote. "He needs to continue improving accuracy, but that's practically a mandated criticism for college quarterbacks. If [Carson] Wentz was worthy of the No. 2 overall selection, there's little doubt Rudolph can be a first-round pick."

 
Source: Bleacher Report

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ESPN's Brandon Chatmon thinks Baylor redshirt senior QB Seth Russell "could force his way into early round consideration thanks to the run-pass threat he can provide."
To have a chance to do so, Russell will have to stay healthy, beat out Jarrett Stidham for the job and shepherd Baylor football through what promises to be the most trying season of college football since Penn State took the field after their own mega-scandal. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Russell says the fracture in his neck -- which ended his 2015 season in October -- has "healed perfectly," so we're off to a good start.

 
 
Source: ESPN.com 
Jun 16 - 7:20 PM

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When asked why Oregon junior RB Royce Freeman is so hard to stop, an anonymous Pac-12 defensive coach responded, "How do you tackle him?"
Only 12 percent of Freeman's 283 runs last season were stuffed behind the line of scrimmage, the No. 1 rate among the FBS' top 10 runners. "How do you tackle him? I don't know," the coach said. "It's almost impossible to tackle that guy unless you gang-tackle him because he keeps his legs moving. For as big as he is [5-foot-11, 230 pounds], he's such a patient runner. He lets things develop. He's powerful, but he doesn't just say, 'Hey, I'll lower the boom.' He kind of feels his way in and out of traffic." The 6-foot, 229-pounder rushed for 1,836 yards and 17 touchdowns last year.

 
 
Source: ESPN 
Jun 22 - 8:05 PM

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FOX Sports' Bruce Feldman tagged Miami QB Brad Kaaya, Houston QB Greg Ward and Tennessee RB Jalen Hurd as his top three dark horse candidates to win the Heisman.
 
Feldman views "dark horse" candidates as players listed in Vegas as 20/1 favorites (or lower) for the award. The analyst likes the 40/1 Kaaya the most by that standard, though he does caution that the Miami gunslinger might be handicapped simply by playing in the ACC, fearing that Clemson's Deshaun Watson and FSU's Dalvin Cook could push Kaaya to the side. The analyst noted that Greg Ward (50/1) would receive a huge bump in Heisman hype with a win over Oklahoma in the season-opener (though Leonard Fournette could tell you that recency bias can play a huge role, as he learned the hard way after struggling against Alabama in November). As for Hurd (50/1), Feldman calls him "a big physical back with freaky speed." Hurd's biggest hurdles to true national prominence on an award level might come from his own teammates. Not only will the talented Alvin Kamara be nipping at his heels for carries, QB Joshua Dobbs is, himself, a potential Heisman contender.

 
 
Source: FOX Sports 
Jun 23 - 4:00 PM

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Pro Football Focus lists Oregon junior RB Royce Freeman No. 7 in its preseason Heisman rankings.
The 6-foot, 229-pounder rushed for 1,836 yards and 17 touchdowns last year and ranked third in the FBS with 80 forced missed tackles. "Often overlooked in the running back conversation, Freeman brings a tough, downhill style to an Oregon offense that gets pigeonholed as a finesse system," wrote Steve Palazzolo. "Oregon’s spread offense does a good job of creating space for running backs and Freeman took advantage to finish with the fourth-best rushing grade in the nation while averaging 3.8 yards after contact per rush to tie for 12th."

 
 
Source: Pro Football Focus 
Jun 24 - 7:48 PM

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