The draft weekend has come and gone. Now is the time to put in the hard work as your rookie fantasy drafts are upon us. My dynasty fantasy rankings get based on a three to four-year window, not their immediate impact. This is especially important with the quarterback position.
1. Johnny “Football” Manziel, Browns- The signal caller to the stars might be the most popular man in Ohio today, but with the impending suspension of ultra-talented receiver Josh Gordon, his value takes a slight hit. The Browns play good defense which will let Manziel use his feet and his strong arm to find play makers down the field. Manziel has good pieces of a running game (Tate, West, and Crowell) to keep the defenses guessing and has TE Jordan Cameron as a safety blanket. Count on him to be a QB2 after October and hopefully grow into a QB1 for 2015. Quarterback needy teams should draft him towards the bottom of the first round of your rookie drafts.
2. Teddy Bridgewater, Vikings- Sometimes patience pays off and the marriage with Norv Turner could make it even better. Bridgewater is an accurate passer within 25 yards of the line of scrimmage. This plays to the strength of their offensive weapons: RB Adrian Peterson, WR Cordarrelle Patterson, and TE Kyle Rudolph. The young quarterback has the athleticism to become another Russell Wilson, so grab him in the early to middle second round of your rookie dynasty drafts.
3. Blake Bortles, Jaguars- Despite being selected first, this young quarterback comes into a revamped offense without much consistency from the year before. Jacksonville did a great job adding more weapons acquiring Toby Gerhart via free agency, Bortle’s former college teammate RB Storm Johnson, and two new rookie wide receivers in Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson. It will take time for the team to gel, but there is plenty of excitement coming to Jacksonville via Orlando.
4. Derek Carr, Raiders- The strong-armed quarterback goes to a team with a good running game and a suspect receiving core. Hopefully this Carr will get a better start to his NFL career learning behind Matt Schaub than his brother ever did. If he can handle the Black Hole crowd, Carr could surprise down the road. I’m not sold on him yet. Draft him as a QB3 in the third round of your rookie draft.
5. Logan Thomas, Cardinals- My ranking of Thomas here is a combination of his athleticism and the coaching he will get from Bruce Arians. There is no rush to force him to play, so Thomas can work on his footwork, pocket presence, and mechanics. The quarterback has a strong arm, moves well in the pocket and in space. He could become the next Ben Roethlisberger in a year or two.
6. Tom Savage, Texans- This young man started off his last season as a Pitt Panther rough, but finished his college career on a high note. I’m not sure if there is enough to get excited about here, but the opportunity is there for the taking with a head coach that knows how to get the most out of his players. Look to acquire him in the late third to early fourth round of your rookie drafts.
7. Zach Mettenberger, Titans- He is so dissimilar to Jake Locker. Mettenberger is a statue in the pocket, has a huge cannon for an arm, and great footwork. The rookie quarterback has some substance abuse issues and has a nagging lower back injury, but may get an opportunity considering Locker can’t stay healthy or play consistently. I view him as a QB3-4 with upside in two quarterback and deeper leagues.
8. Aaron Murray, Chiefs- The senior quarterback does all the little things well while showing tremendous poise and understanding of a pro style offense. Murray is a bit slight for a starting quarterback, but will get the opportunity with a great quarterback head coach in Andy Reid. If Alex Smith can’t be re-signed in 2015, Murray might get his chance. He is another QB3-4 with upside in two quarterback and deeper leagues.
9. AJ McCarron, Bengals- One of the most winning quarterbacks in college football history tumbled down the draft board due to character concerns. McCarron got drafted into a great situation if Andy Dalton falters again this season. He has enough arm strength, pocket presence, and touch to be a starter. McCarron is worth drafting in two start or deeper quarterback leagues.
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