In devy leagues we cannot just look at the current field and make decisions, we must maintain a strong roster construction balance. One component in maintaining a strong balance is understanding the strengths and weaknesses of future classes. In this article requested by an OG in the #DFFArmy, we will look ahead towards the 2022 class of prospects that will be eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft.
To explain the methodology of this process I have broken down many of the top recruits into three cohorts. First, we have the #TeamPedigree. These are highly rated players who retain value in devy leagues based on their recruiting hype alone and will be projected for high NFL Draft capital even if they do not succeed in achieving an early collegiate breakout. Secondly, we will look at the #TeamPotenial cohort. These are prospects that in the right situation, and if given opportunities early in their college career, can skyrocket to the top of the 2025 Draft class. Finally, we have my favorite type of players in the #TeamFun cohort., players who have unparalleled potential as NFL prospects but need several events to unfold for that potential to be realized and also offer dynasty league-changing upside.
#TeamPedigree
These prospects can survive multiple sub-optimal seasons in college and still retain top-end value in devy leagues despite a lack of production. According to player tracking and ranking services, these players have a high probability of earning high NFL Draft capital without having to play a single snap in college football. Of course, collegiate production plays a major role in the NFL college scouts’ process, so this is not to say that these prospects can do nothing in college football and still earn high NFL Draft capital, but they are well insulated.
QB – Quinn Ewers, Verbally Committed to Ohio State
Ewers has a prototypical quarterback frame standing at 6’3” and 208 lbs. The Five-Star Texas prospect is leaving the Lone Star State for Ohio State at this time. Ewers is already projected as a top-10 pick for the 2025 NFL Draft.
ATH – Travis Hunter, Verbally Committed to Florida State
Hunter is a twitchy athlete who is a full-time player on both sides of the ball. Hunter has a slender frame but has desired length and ability to fill out in college. The Five-Star Georgia product is verbally committed to Florida State, a team that with head coach Mike Norvell has been recruiting an arsenal of young talent. Hunter may end up being a full-time defensive back, but if he plays on offense he will be a dynamic athlete in space.
WR – Luther Burden, Verbally Committed to Oklahoma
Burden is shaping up to put a serious burden on Big 12 defenses (ha ha ha, drink some coffee, Brad). The 6’2” and 194 lbs. wide receiver already has the requisite size of an NFL receiver. The Five-Star from St. Louis does not have a verified 40-yard dash time from a high school combine but shows very good long speed on film. If he does end up at Oklahoma, he should quickly become one of Caleb Williams’ top targets. Allen Trieu of 247 Sports has compared Burden to fantasy favorite A.J. Brown and projects him as an early round-one draft selection.
RB – Branson Robinson, Undecided
Robinson is an athletic freak who as a junior in high school already posted a verified 4.49-second 40-yard dash. Standing at 5’10” and 220 lbs. that already equates to a 108-speed score, which would be above the 80th percentile among NFL players. His athleticism is not limited to speed; he also deadlifts 720 lbs. and can jump 40” in the vertical leap. He is a player that we can already translate to the NFL and is a solid selection in devy leagues that allow for high schoolers before his value skyrockets.
#TeamPotential
Here we have highly rated prospects that will still rely on their college production to stay on the NFL’s radar. The players in this grouping are heading into situations that have a high success rate when transitioning from college to the NFL, but still, need to prove themselves on the gridiron Saturdays to maintain their value.
QB – Walker Howard, Verbally Committed to LSU
Howard has adequate size for a quarterback standing at 6’1” and 195 lbs. The Louisiana Five-Star prospect is set to stay home and play for LSU, which we can presume means he will be playing with some of the top receivers in the country. Howard ran a verified 4.76-second 40-yard dash which means he won’t be a true dual-threat quarterback but can make plays with his legs when the opportunities present themselves.
RB – Emmanuel Henderson, Verbally Committed to Alabama
Henderson (no relation to TreVeyon Henderson) is a Five-Star running back from Alabama who will be staying in-state and playing for Nick Saban. He already has good size at 6”1” and 185 lbs. with room to add mass to his frame. Henderson is an electric one-cut style runner who can try to make too many cuts on a play, mainly because of the low level of competition given his athleticism. He will have to work for touches in Tuscaloosa playing behind Jase McClellan and Camar Wheaton early in his career. However, Alabama is a program that sends running backs to the NFL despite few touches early in a back’s career.
QB – Ty Simpson, Verbally Committed to Alabama
Simpson has a nice baseline standing at 6’2” and we would like to see him add some mass to his 185 lbs. frame. The Five-Star Tennessee product has committed to Alabama to become the logical Bryce Young replacement. Having run a verified 4.91-second 40-yard dash he presents a philosophical change in the Alabama offense, back to more of what we saw from Mac Jones.
QB – Gunner Stockton, Verbally Committed to Georgia
The Four-Star Georgia native is set to stay in-state and play for one of the top programs in the country. He has great size standing at 6’1” and 220 lbs. Has great dual-threat ability having rushed for 3,416 yards and 62 TDs in three seasons. He has active feet in the pocket and can make throws from multiple platforms. He should compete with Brock Vandagriff once he steps on campus for the starting job after J.T. Daniels moves on.
QB – Connor Weigman, Verbally Committed to Texas A&M
Weigman, similar to Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson, will have to choose between playing professional baseball and football. And that is likely where his comparisons to those two elite quarterbacks end. Weigman stands at 6’2” and 208 lbs. The Five-Star Texas product has good mobility but does not have a dynamic short area. He shows good pocket awareness and can develop into a very solid player under the guidance of Jimbo Fisher.
#TeamFun
This grouping of players does not necessarily have a high probability of making a difference for an NFL team if they do not first prove themselves worthy on the college football scene. However, if they can translate their natural athletic abilities and skills during their collegiate careers, they could potentially be the best player on a dynasty roster once they make it into the league.
QB – Maalik Murphy, Verbally Committed to Texas
Murphy has the highest ceiling of any quarterback in the 2022 class, which includes Quinn Ewers who will likely be a top-10 quarterback prospect in the All-Time rankings. Murphy has prototypical quarterback size standing at 6’4” and 225 lbs. with unlimited arm strength. The Four-Star quarterback has the mobility to be considered a dual-threat quarterback and will present top-tier matchup issues playing alongside Bijan Robinson in Steve Sarkisian’s offense at Texas.
RB – Trevor Etienne, Undecided
The younger brother of Travis Etienne is a Four-Star running back prospect from Louisiana. Standing at 5’10 and 210 lbs. the running back prospect is likely going to earn his fifth star this season. He is currently considering LSU (among other blue blood programs) and we have seen his skillset already succeed in college football as he draws so many comparisons to his brother, Travis.
QB – Jacurri Brown, Verbally Committed to Miami
Miami’s transfer super-senior starting quarterback, D’Eriq King is one of the most productive dual-threat college fantasy producers. And in 2022, Miami will have to choose between Jake Garcia (the strong-armed statue), and Jaccurri Brown (the Lamar Jackson clone). Brown has a 6’4” and 205 lbs. frame with room to bulk up along with allowing Miami to maintain their current offensive philosophy. The Four-Star from Georgia, Brown shows the ability to make every throw as well as being an electric athlete in space; what he currently lacks is consistency. If he hits, he will be a last-round pick in devy leagues who translates as an elite fantasy option in the NFL. And if he busts, you simply have a high-risk high-opportunity miss.
Honorable Mentions
* Evan Stewart, a Five-Star undecided WR with Olympic-level track speed that translates to the gridiron.
* Caleb Burton, a Five-Star undersized WR who is committed to Ohio State who draws comparisons to Jerry Jeudy.
* Gavin Sawchuk, Four-Star RB with elite long speed who draws comparisons to Christian McCaffrey.
* Raleek Brown, a Four-Star undersized RB committed to Oklahoma who has verified long speed and projects to be a solid 0RB mold.
* Cade Klubnik, Four-Star undersized QB committed to Clemson with a track record against top Texas HS competition.
* Kevin Coleman, a Five-Star undersized and undecided WR who will fit today’s pace and space style of offense.
* C.J. Williams, Four-Star undecided WR who projects as a prototypical alpha WR who draws comparisons to Keenan Allen.
Thank you for reading my article! If you enjoyed it, keep an eye out for my future articles. You can also follow me on Twitter @DynastyDiagnos1 and reach out with any questions, comments, or ideas you’d like me to explore for a new article.
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