Devy 100: 10-6

Rob Willette Posted On September 7, 2018

It is time for the annual installment of the Devy 100, the third-most ballyhooed set of devy rankings completed within the greater Southwest Minneapolis area. As always, whittling this down to a mere one hundred was no simple task. If there is anybody you believe was omitted erroneously, feel free to pop in the comments and express your displeasure.

The Devy 100 is designed for the community of DLF to be as informed as possible about all the college prospects and future dynasty stars whether they play in devy leagues or not. Remember, all this information becomes archived in our library of content and goes into our annual Rookie Draft Guide for you to review when each of these players becomes eligible for traditional rookie drafts.

10. Ahmmon Richards, WR Miami Hurricanes

Profile: One of the nation’s most electric receivers as a freshman, Richards had somewhat of a lost season as a sophomore. He was hampered by a hamstring injury early in the year before being lost for good with a meniscus injury late in the year.

When on the field, Richards has a toolkit tailor-made for the modern game. He thrives on creating immediate separation and excels in a timing and rhythm attack. Despite lacking elite long speed, Richards accelerates out of his breaks and gets upfield in a hurry after the catch. His catching technique can be a bit sloppy; footballs can get into his body and create issues both with securing the catch and making plays happen after. There is not a large body of work with Richards, but his plus traits are immense and his warts are skills which can be refined.

2018 Outlook: Richards was given this ranking prior to departing Miami’s opener against LSU with a mysterious knee injury. While Mark Richt has expressed optimism with regards to time missed, injuries are starting to add up for Richards and durability question marks have been added to his resume. There’s still hope for a strong return and a near full season of production, though any extended time missed and his stock could plummet.

[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]

9. Bryce Love, RB Stanford Cardinal

Profile: I tend to like Love more than most. He’s hyper-productive, has added good weight over his career, and I expect him to test fairly well. Add in impeccable character, and I think a team will be enamored with him as a piece of their backfield.

Love’s speed is his hallmark as he simply explodes when he sees a crease and runs with more toughness than you would expect from a smaller back. His feet are electric and while he has yet to be used as heavily as a receiver, he got some reps in the passing game as a freshman apprentice to Christian McCaffrey and looked comfortable doing so. You can debate whether Love is a feature back at the next level but I feel he is a safe bet to contribute to a backfield in some capacity.

2018 Outlook: While Stanford’s offense should become more balanced with the emergence of K.J Costello, Love is still the team’s best playmaker. He is a bonafide Heisman contender and one of the few backs who could flirt with a top 40 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

8. Kelvin Harmon, WR North Carolina State Wolfpack

Profile: The last few drafts have been bereft of big receivers with the requisite movement skills to become a hot commodity. 2019 should change the dynamic, and few offer better skills in the big man’s game than Kelvin Harmon. He can tightrope walk the sideline on back shoulder throws and has the aggressive approach at the point of attack you welcome from a big receiver.

In addition, Harmon has light feet, a sinewy yet strong frame and an advanced understanding of the route tree. While he may not dominate the passing numbers given he has a talented Jakobi Meyers across from him, he should make a marked improvement for the third straight season.

2018 Outlook: The aforementioned Meyers is a roadblock to Harmon posting a top Dominator Rating this year. However, he will still be a major focus of a passing offense led by a quality quarterback in Ryan Finley. After posting a relatively modest nine touchdowns in his first two seasons, it would be great to see Harmon develop into a monster red zone weapon.

7. David Montgomery, RB Iowa State Cyclones

Profile: A favorite of anybody who enjoys broken tackles, David Montgomery is a compact and brutish runner whose legs would churn under the weight of a two-story building. No yard is left behind when Montgomery totes the rock, though his modest 4.4 yards per carry in 2017 can be partly attributed to his desire to gain every yard possible. He can sometimes spend time navigating east and west when picking up the short gain is the most prudent move. Also a gifted pass-catcher, Montgomery has feature back traits across the board and the mentality to match.

2018 Outlook: Montgomery is the heartbeat of the Cyclone offense after notching 294 touches in 2017. You certainly would like to see the yards per carry average improve, though it is of course only one piece of the puzzle. A healthy season puts Montgomery squarely in the mix to be the first back off the board in 2019.

6. Bryan Edwards, WR South Carolina Gamecocks

Profile: Bryan Edwards looked like an NFL receiver at the age of 17, and his game has simply continued to grow since he held his own as one of the youngest players in college football as a freshman. With incredibly body control, strong hands, and a rocked-up build, the feature receiver tools are there. He has excellent quickness for any receiver – let alone a big-bodied one – and excels at creating separation quickly. He broke out at a young age and continues to be well ahead of his peers as a prospect. There is little left to add to his resume, and ample reason to think we could be returning to the days of having multiple receivers towards the top of rookie drafts.

2018 Outlook: Well-known is the fact South Carolina has one of the best receiving duos in the nation, along with promoting young players in Shi Smith and OrTre Smith. But Deebo Samuel and Bryan Edwards are different players with vastly different skill-sets. There is room for both to thrive in what should be an improved Gamecock offense. Presuming this is Edwards’ last year on campus, it should be a great one with South Carolina looking like the only team in the SEC East which can pose any sort of challenge to Georgia.

[/am4show]