The NFL is made up of the most dynamic group of athletes in the world, whether it be blazing speed, unparalleled strength, or insane bounce. Heading into the 2021 season we want to highlight the most athletic NFL prospects, as well as include their value on devy rosters. A series that we rolled out last offseason gave us much more actionable insights when we review the results.
This year we will be counting down the most athletic players from the least likely to make an impact in the NFL to the most likely. In doing this we are going to combine the players’ athletic traits, production profiles, and competition levels to highlight undervalued devy assets as well as players to keep an eye on for late breakouts. In this article, we will start with the uber-athletic athletes that do not have the production that indicates NFL Draft capital. Let’s dive into the devy darlings!
Justin Hall, WR, Ball State
The most productive FCS receiver of all time, having hauled in 257 passes for 2,772 yards and 13 touchdowns also adds peripheral production in the rushing game. It is clear why Ball State focused on feeding Hall throughout his career. The 5’9” and 186 lbs. super senior is known for his insane strength. Along with being very productive through the air and ground, Hall tested very well this Spring with a 500 lbs. back squat and a 305 lbs. power clean. Because he plays in the FCS, he is not eligible for Campus to Canton leagues, but remember the name when the NFL Combine for 2022 rolls around.
Rachaad White, RB, Arizona State
White is a player who I wanted to include in my devy breakout player of the week series last season, but being a JUCO transfer he was too old to be eligible. I am happy to include White in this series based on his athleticism that vaulted him above the high-pedigree freshman DeaMonte Trayanum. The Sundevils senior running back excels in size-adjusted athleticism metrics. Standing at 6’2” and 210 lbs. his combination of 22 MPH in-game speed and power yielded an average of 10-yards per rush on 42 attempts. He turned eight of his 42 attempts (19%) into rushing touchdowns, he also added 151 yards and three touchdowns in the receiving game. White is a player you can add even in shallow devy leagues as he has all of the tools of an all-purpose running back.
Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida
The Gators leading returning rusher from their 2020 season, the senior Pierce wins with pure power. Standing at 5’10” and 210 lbs. Pierce has an insane 705 lbs. power squat a crazy combination of power and burst yielded 1,232 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns to go along with 206 receiving yards and two scores in his career at Florida. His 4.5-second 40-yard dash time equates to a 104-speed score. His combination of athleticism and production should already have him on the NFL’s radar for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Dareke Young, WR, Lenoir-Rhyne
Dareke rhymes with freak, so Young fittingly is a repeat on the athletic freak list. Lenior-Rhyne has a history of producing day-two draft selections with crazy athleticism like Kyle Duggar, and Young looks like the next man up. Young tested this Spring with a 43.5” vertical leap, an 11’3” broad jump, and power cleaned 305 lbs. Young’s massive 10.125” hands hauled in 48 receptions for 873 yards and 12 TDs. He was also used in the rushing attack 88 times, which yielded an impressive 658 yards and eight TDs. I expect the 6’2” and 215 lbs. gadget player to be playing on Sundays in the years to come.
Jalen Virgil, WR, Appalachian State
The super senior for Appalachian State has unparalleled speed. The 6’1” and 210 lbs. receiver has world-class speed, finishing the 100-meter sprint in just 10.29-seconds for the Appalachian State track program. He also can jump out of the gym with his 40.5” vertical leap. With a 4.35-second 40-yard dash time at 210 lbs. Virgil has a speed score of 117. His athleticism led to his solid production with 83 receptions for 1,210 yards and ten touchdowns. His game-changing speed could lead to a team selecting him by day two of the NFL Draft to take the top off defenses.
In the next segment of this article, we will take a look at some devy options whose proven athleticism and production have them already drafted in most devy leagues. These are players who we can project as potential day-one or day-two draft prospects. As we work through this article we will learn more about the dynamics between athleticism and production and what leads to NFL Draft capital as well as future success in the NFL.
Read Part 1 Here, Read Part 2 Here, Read Part 3 Here
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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