Dynasty College Prospect Stock Watch: Final Regular Season Rankings

Whether you enjoy college football or just want to gauge the talent pool for next year, we’ve got you covered.  The purpose of this article is to provide information that can help you better assess the trade value of your first or second rounders as the season progresses. This way when you make a trade that involves rookie draft picks, you have a better idea of what those picks are worth.

Regular Season Comes to a Close

Initially I had the regular weekly article ready to go, but I decided since this week would be the final entry I would discuss the state of the overall class rather than the weekly results.

At this point everyone can pretty much agree this year’s draft class is at least a notch below the norm when it comes to high level talent.

I certainly won’t argue with that point for the most part. However, the talk has been so negative that I think it’s come to the point where we’ve overly devalued the class.

Sure there isn’t a Trent Richardson in this class, and there certainly isn’t an Andrew Luck or an RG III. But there is still plenty of talent available to help dynasty owners.

And while the draft pool is still not certain (we have to wait until January deadline for underclassmen to declare before the pool is finalized), I do have a pretty good grasp of the talent.

With this final entry I took out the draft ineligible players to focus in on the eligible ones. I wanted to give some final comments on each player as I ranked them for the final time this year (2012). I also want to open up the discussion in case anyone had any specific questions regarding their individual dynasty teams—so please fire away any questions that you may have. I will monitor the messages until Friday so check back frequently throughout the week.

Final Weekly Rankings of Draft Eligible Prospects

1. Justin Hunter, WR Tennessee: Hunter is a WR1 talent. He has some maturing to do but his ceiling and skill level are in AJ Green territory. That type of upside is worthy of the number 1 pick in your dynasty draft. He’s not quite the elite pass catcher that Green was coming in but he has the ability to develop that part of his game.

2. Keenan Allen, WR California: When I watch Allen play I see a smaller, quicker, faster version of Vincent Jackson. He’s NFL ready and I can see him making an early impact in his rookie season.

3. Geno Smith, QB West Virginia: If you lack a franchise QB1 on your roster, or have an aging one, he is a worthy investment. If you already have your quarterback, then skip ahead and select the next best skill position player.

4. Eddie Lacy, RB Alabama: I moved Lacy ahead of the pack of running backs because he best fits what NFL coaches look for in a feature back. He’s got the size and body most coaches prefer. Obviously this could change depending on the team he lands with, and of course we can’t forget he could still decide to return for his senior year.

5. Giovani Bernard, RB North Carolina: Bernard is a redshirt sophomore so it means he’s eligible for the draft but there’s an equally good chance he returns to school for another year. He’s a dynamic multi-purpose back but his size isn’t ideal for NFL coaches. He’s capable of being a very good PPR running back even if that’s in a 2 back system.

6. Stepfan Taylor, RB Stanford: You all know by now how much I like Taylor, but for some reason he’s yet to receive the national recognition. I’m hoping the feeling is different inside NFL buildings because I see a running back in the same mold as Frank Gore.

7. Andre Ellington, RB Clemson: Size factor will be an issue for Ellington. I’m not sure he’s feature back material but he has that potential, which is a common theme with most backs in this class. There’s no shortage of potential but most come with a lot of what ifs.

8. Robert Woods, WR USC: His teammate and fellow superstar, Marqise Lee, is working to get Woods to come back for another year. I’m not sure he’ll be successful because Woods is a probable first round pick. Regarding his talent, he’s on par with last year’s crop of receivers. As I said in preseason, I think Woods is a good receiver but I just don’t see him being an elite level receiver.

9. DeAndre Hopkins, WR Clemson: He’s a tactical and savvy route runner. I think he’s flying under the radar and perhaps even I am underrating him.

10. Tavon Austin, WR/RB West Virginia: I added running back to his name because of his recent switch to the position from receiver. Now that I’ve given it some thought and watched a little tape of him since his switch, I see a lot of Jahvid Best in him. It will be interesting how he’ll be used at the NFL level but I have no doubt he’ll be used as a hybrid type player. He’s a high upside prospect in PPR formats.

11. Terrence Williams, WR Baylor: Williams has impressed the scouts this year mainly because he showed he is more than just a vertical receiver. When I wrote about him in preseason I noted he was a better route runner than he got credit for and felt he was actually a pretty versatile receiver. I’m fairly certain he’ll do well at the Combine so I look for him to be one of those Combine risers.

12. Mike Gillislee, RB Florida: What a year Gillislee has put on tape this season. He came out of nowhere and steadily climbed the charts each week. He really has feature back upside and I love the way he plays the position. With the questions surrounding this year’s running back class, you never know where he may end up when it’s all said and done.

13. Cardarrelle Patterson, WR Tennessee: He’s developed every week as a receiver and his playmaking ability is off the charts.

14. Tyler Eifert, TE Notre Dame: A complete TE that should see early playing time. He’s a legit TE1 prospect.

15. Knile Davis, RB Arkansas: Just when I was ready to write him off the Knile Davis of 2010 arrived for in his final game of the season. Where has this been? I’m not sure he’ll declare, but what I saw this week showed he still possesses that first round ability. He’s a huge gamble but he’s such a low risk upside pick if selected in the 2^nd round of rookie drafts.

16. Tyler Wilson, QB Arkansas: He has the tools to be a franchise quarterback, but he’s taken a beating behind that Arkansas offensive line the last two years. It’s made his mechanics and pocket presence shaky.

17. Tyler Bray, QB Tennessee: I’ve said it before. He’s so physically talented but there are a few off the field concerns and consistency issues that hold him back. Will he mature out of it?

18. Joseph Randle, RB Oklahoma State: I hope to see him in a zone blocking scheme because it will hide some of his deficiencies as a running back. But he has the speed and athleticism to be a good running back in the zone read system.

19. Jordan Reed, TE Florida: He’ll be viewed as an H-Back type player in the draft process but I think he has the potential to be an every down TE, even if he’s a bit undersized. He’s actually a pretty good blocker. I feel he has TE1 potential.

20. Montee Ball, RB Wisconsin: A capable runner that can play in any system. He’s not special by any means but if he gets playing time he will be productive.

21. Marquess Wilson, WR Washington State: He’s talented but we have few answers about why he quit the football team.

22. Christine Michael, RB Texas A&M: He’s played well with limited playing time to close out his senior season. He could be a sleeper candidate.

23. Dennis Johnson, RB Arkansas: Johnson may be viewed as a change of pace back because of his height, but because of his stocky build I feel can withstand the physical pounding. He’s certainly a stash and see kind of prospect.

24. Da’Rick Rogers, WR Tennessee Tech: His tape doesn’t wow me and his past off field issues certainly doesn’t help his cause. He’ll be someone to watch in the Combine process because he needs a good showing.

25. Jonathan Franklin, RB UCLA: Statistically he’s impressive but his size worries me. He’s almost a sure bet to be a change of pace back.

26. Logan Thomas, QB Virginia Tech: It will be interesting to see if Thomas returns for his senior year given his up and down season. My biggest concern with him is he didn’t develop at all as a passer from last season to this season. No improvement. Some of that may be because he had all new receivers but watching him play, it was clear that some of his passes just plain didn’t go where he was aiming. So that brings up a big question for me. Has he peaked? Is this who he is? Those are questions I can’t answer and for that reason I’d have to label him as huge project.

27. Matt Barkley, QB USC: The physical limitations are going to be the reason he’ll drop as a prospect. Sticking with former USC quarterback’s for comparison, he’s very much like Matt Leinart in that regard.

28. Le’Veon Bell, RB Michigan State: I personally don’t like him as a long term prospect but there are some that do. I don’t feel he fits the modern era NFL offenses.

29. Ray Graham, RB Pittsburgh: I like Graham as a change of pace back with a bit of upside to be more. He won’t be an every down runner but he may still bring some value to dynasty owners if he lands with the right team.

30. Jawan Jamison, RB Rutgers: He’s ok. I think he’ll be a good backup who can fill in and do a capable job if called upon.

Paymon Shokoohi is an NCAA/NFL skill position analyst, Senior Writer for DLF and can be found on Twitter @setmyroster and in the forums as dlf_paymons.