Hello, again Fantasy Devy Gamers! We are here again to analyze the latest updates, performances, and NFL buzz surrounding college players that should prove to be integral to their eventual NFL Draft Stock. We will utilize recent statistics, performance and film, and general “front office whispers” to compile the intel shared. The hope is to provide you with a leg up on your opponents. You will know which devy players to target in trades and/or in what range of draft picks (both NFL and fantasy drafts) you can expect these players to be selected.

It is still the pre-combine hype season now and bold predictions about the upcoming NFL Draft abound. This past season’s Bowl Games gave us thrills and excitement, as well as plenty of surprises. In Part 1 of this article, we looked at a list of high-profile Bowl Game opt-outs. But now that the offseason has begun, many prospects who are underclassmen have declared for the draft. This time we will include a list of those “early-declares” instead. These players include: 

BYU RB Tyler Allgeier

Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux

Arkansas WR Treylon Burks

Alabama WR John Metchie III 

Purdue WR David Bell 

Virginia Tech RB Raheem Blackshear

Alabama WR Slade Bolden

Oklahoma LB Nik Bonitto

Oklahoma RB Kennedy Brooks

Georgia DB Lewis Cine

Ole Miss RB Snoop Conner

Florida State RB Jashaun Corbin 

Ole Miss QB Matt Corral 

Mississippi State OT Charles Cross 

LSU RB Tyrion Davis-Price 

Georgia LB Nakobe Dean 

UCLA TE Greg Dulcich 

Ole Miss RB Jerrion Ealy

Cincinnati RB Jerome Ford

Georgia TE John FitzPatrick 

Cincinnati DB Ahmad Gardner

Iowa RB Tyler Goodson 

Iowa State RB Breece Hall 

Notre Dame DB Kyle Hamilton

Texas A&M TE Jalen Wydermyer

Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson 

Alabama WR Jameson Williams

Oregon WR Devon Williams

Notre Dame RB Kyren Williams

Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker III

Ohio State RB Master Teague

Nevada QB Carson Strong 

LSU CB Derek Stingley Jr.

Texas A&M RB Isaiah Spiller

Penn State LB Brandon Smith 

Georgia WR George Pickens

Ohio State OT Nicholas Petit-Frere

Washington TE Cade Otton

Michigan State WR Jalen Nailor 

Western Michigan WR Skyy Moore

Texas A&M DL DeMarvin Leal

Purdue Edge George Karlaftis 

USC WR Drake London

NC State RB Zonovan Knight

Consequently, we are left with a 2022 draft class that is perhaps better-than-expected as compared to what we expected this time last year. While there may not be elite-level talents on the offensive side of the ball, there does appear to be depth at each position. 

With your author’s pre-combine positional rookie rankings articles coming out soon, we will put an emphasis on players who have not declared, and only cover a few lesser-known declarants. The NFL Scouting Combine will be here in a few weeks and pre-draft hype is growing for many prospects. Similarly, post-bowl hype and transfer portal breaking stories are intensifying the devy scene. Finally, we will now take a look at the rest of the draft stock movement of other important NFL prospects! 

TRENDING UP 

C.J. Stroud – QB – Ohio State

The predecessor to Justin Fields, C.J. Stroud stepped right in where Fields left off as the Buckeyes’ signal-caller and the offense didn’t miss a beat in 2021. Stroud already looks the part of the next new-age NFL pocket passer. He has a live arm that can zip the ball anywhere on the field. Stroud works through progressions and he does possess mobility. He could benefit from increased pocket presence, which will come with time and game reps, and as his ability to read and dissect defenses speeds up. 

Stroud accounted for 44 passing TDs with just 6 INTs in his first full season as a starter. The extent of this success prompted highly regarded top QB recruit, Quinn Ewers, to transfer to Texas. Stroud carved up basically every defense he faced throughout the season, compiling 4435 passing yards in 2 games. The Buckeye’s only two losses were to teams their defense could not stop. The future is very bright for Stroud as he looks every bit the part of an early first-round draft pick already. 

TreVeyon Henderson – RB – Ohio State 

Stroud’s teammate, true-freshman five-star recruit TreVeyon Henderson also opened up his first collegiate season as a starter with a bang. Henderson ran for 1255 yards on just 184 carries for a 6.8 ypc average. He also caught 27 passes for 312 yards. He scored 19 TDs in total on the year. Henderson is a natural runner who really can do it all. He can run with power and vision through the interior or he can make defenders miss, both in the hole or in the open field. Henderson is also a smooth receiver and will look to grow in that area, as well as pass protection. 

Henderson should have plenty of opportunities to continue to impress the next two seasons. He looks like the next Christian McCaffrey. He is the best RB in college football already. Your author is delighted that he already has three devy shares of Henderson. 

Jaxon Smith-Njigba – WR – Ohio State

Yet another Ohio State Buckeye makes the “trending up” list. Jaxon Smith-Njigba took over the Rose Bowl game, with both Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave choosing to sit out. Against Utah, Smith-Njigba caught 15 passes for 347 yards and three TDs. He finished the season with 1606 yards and 9 TDs in 13 games. He really took off the second half of the season, as he compiled 1055 yards and 6 TDs over his final 6 games. 

Smith-Njigba is talented enough to run routes from the slot, the X, or the Z position. He is supremely athletic and possesses good speed with outstanding body control and balance. He is already an accomplished route runner and looks the part of a first-round NFL draft pick. Smith-Njigba is my #2 devy WR, just a shade behind only Kayshon Boutte of LSU. 

Josh Downs – WR – North Carolina

Sophomore receiver Josh Downs exploded onto the scene in 2021, creating big gains and flashy plays. After recording minimal statistics in a reserve role as a freshman, this past year Downs caught 101 passes for 1335 yards and 8 TDs. Downs is a small but explosive athlete who has already proven to have reliable hands. He still has room to improve with his release off the line and route running, as well as blocking. 

If Downs can create a rapport with the new Tarheel QB in 2022 and puts up similar production he should hear his name called near the end of the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Brock Bowers – TE – Georgia

Georgia’s new true-freshman TE Brock Bowers really stunned the nation in 2021. A five-star recruit he entered college with clout and notoriety, but no one expected Bowers to lead the Bulldogs in nearly every major receiving category in year one. In 14 games he registered 56 receptions for 882 yards and 13 TDs. He also earned for rushing attempts, adding 56 yards and another TD on the ground. 

Bowers is an incredible athlete, as he moves and runs as well or better than most WRs in college football. He is gritty and a willing blocker, but he is a difference-maker as a playmaker in the passing game. At 6’4” 230 lbs. he still has time and room to grow, develop and improve his game. He is a sure-fire first-round draft pick and has the potential to go in the top-10 if he can avoid injury and continue to produce as he did as a freshman. He is neck and neck with Michael Mayer, battling for the top devy TE spot. 

Sean Tucker – RB – Syracuse

Sean Tucker was an undersized three-star recruit from Maryland when he committed to the Orangemen. However, Tucker showed flashes of promise in a limited role in the covid-shorten 2020 season. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2021 college football season, Tucker took his game up a few notches to compete at an elite level. He gained complete control of the Syracuse backfield and turned in 1496 yard season with 12 TDs on the ground. He also caught 20 passes for an additional 255 yards and two more TDs. 

Tucker has inserted his name among the top-ranked devy RBs in the 2023 and 2024 classes. What is more impressive is that he has achieved these accolades on a roster with limited talent and ability and against ACC competition. If Tucker can stay healthy and replicate his 2021 success he will emerge as one of the first five RBs drafted in the 2023 class if he chooses to declare after next season. 

TRENDING DOWN

Quentin Johnston – WR – TCU

As a true freshman in 2020, Quentin Johnston came to TCU with a reputation as a high-flying, jump-ball athlete. He managed to flash in some games his first collegiate season. He is a very long and rangy receiver who serves as an excellent downfield threat. However, Johnston did not take the next step or show much development in 2021, largely replicating his 2020 production. Saddled by poor QB play on a poor offense, it is concerning what might become of his draft stock. 

Johnston needs to enter the transfer portal and try to leave TCU (as his former teammate Zachary Evans did who just landed at Ole Miss). His best opportunity to showcase his skills and catch the attention of more scouts is to pair up with a more competent QB and offense. For now, though, he is slipping.   

Jalen McMillan – WR – Washington 

The highly regarded four-star recruit out of Fresno, CA failed to do much as a true freshman in 2020. He played in just three games and recorded a single reception and two rushing attempts. This past season, McMillan took a step forward as he led an abysmal receiving attack with 470 yards on 39 receptions and three TDs. 

While it was good to see McMillan improve, he remains on a bad team, and especially bad offense moving forward. Like Johnston, McMillan could have benefitted from transferring out, when the news was stirring last month. Instead, McMillan chose to be loyal to Washington. While this says a lot about his character and reliability as a person, it does little to progress any potential NFL opportunities. Hopefully, the Huskies will funnel the passing game through the talented and strong possession receiver and his route running abilities will show through. 

JT Daniels – QB – Georgia to Transfer Portal?

Former five-star recruit JT Daniels has been on a wild ride throughout his collegiate career. He chose USC as his destination coming out of high school and started there as a true freshman. After a relatively solid first season, he went down with an injury in the first game of his second season and was ultimately replaced permanently by then-freshman Kedon Slovis (who is now transferring out of USC to Pittsburgh, to avoid being sent to the bench by the arrival of Caleb Williams).

JT Daniels then landed in Georgia after entering the transfer portal. He caught up with the offense and rehabbed injury all at once. He started the last four games of the season for the Bulldogs in 2020 and looked outstanding. Then this past year, he came out and struggled before ultimately losing the starting job to a gritty, unheralded Stetson Bennett, who promptly led Georgia to a National Championship win. 

Daniels now finds himself in the transfer portal again, but we are not sure of any ideal situations for him to go to. As a prospect, Daniels is an old-school pocket passer that offers next to nothing in the way of rushing acumen or even general escapability, in some ways reminiscent of Kyle Trask of last year’s draft (in terms of a statue). Daniels has the arm talent to be a star in the NFL, but he needs reps and game experience against top-level competition to improve his mental side of the game. It remains to be seen how this situation will play out. 

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