From the end of their college football season until the NFL Draft, prospects are doing everything in their power to impress NFL front offices and improve their draft stock. One of the most important weeks of this process just concluded with the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl both concluding over the weekend. Each year, top NFL draft prospects flock to these events to compete against each other to prove who should be selected first in April; a few players stood out among the crowd and boosted not only their NFL draft stock but their dynasty fantasy football stock as well.
Quarterbacks
This quarterback class is widely regarded as a weak class, especially compared to what we saw last year with six quarterbacks being selected in the first 12 picks of the 2024 draft. This year, we have two quarterbacks who have distanced themselves from the rest of the pack. Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are both projected to be selected in the top half of the first round, but the big question is who will emerge as the QB3 in this class and when will they be selected in the draft?
Many people point to Jaxson Dart as the potential QB3 but there are definite concerns with the style of offense he commanded at Ole Miss not translating to the next level. He then struggled at the Senior Bowl which opened the door for others to potentially fill that vacuum. One signal caller trying to step up is Syracuse’s Kyle McCord who was easily the best quarterback at the Shrine Bowl this season.
McCord upped his draft stock during the 2024 college football season after a tough year starting at Ohio State. McCord led the country with 4,779 passing yards and threw 34 touchdowns for Syracuse this season, revitalizing his career in upstate New York. McCord demonstrated incredible zip on his football during practice and he showcased his timing and anticipation in the quick passing game.
I’m not sure if McCord will be the third quarterback off the board but after this past week, he put himself in the conversation. There are plenty of teams that need quarterback help and McCord is going to get a chance. A year ago at this time, I’d say it was crazy to view Kyle McCord as a dynasty asset, but depending on the draft capital and landing spot he could very well command a third or fourth-round rookie pick.
Running Backs
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Arizona
One of the biggest winners of the week was Croskey-Merritt, who ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns during the actual game which earned him Shrine Bowl Offensive MVP honors. He showcased an incredible burst that was on display during his time in college and his ability to find the end zone.
The reason this week was so important for Croskey-Merritt was that his 2024 season was taken from him by the NCAA. He ran for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns during the 2023 season at New Mexico and transferred to Arizona following that year. During the first game of the season, he ran for 106 yards and a touchdown but that was the last time he suited up for the Wildcats. This was due to an eligibility issue in 2019 during his time at Alabama State. He only played four games that year and redshirted to preserve his eligibility, but unfortunately, he switched numbers with another player on the team who continued to play. All of those games went to Croskey-Merritt which meant his redshirt year was invalid and he lost that season deeming him ineligible to play in 2024 for Arizona.
Croskey-Merritt is most likely only a day three pick in the NFL draft but I really like his size and speed. He’s going to get an opportunity to compete for a role on an NFL roster and I think he’s showcased the ability to earn opportunities no matter where he lands. He pushed his name back into the national landscape with his performances last week.
