April 18, 2024
This is the time of the fantasy season  in dynasty leagues when the good owners are trying to find ways to fortify their teams.  One of the best ways to do that is by looking to the college players that might make the move to the NFL this spring.  Here are more of the players that stood…

This is the time of the fantasy season  in dynasty leagues when the good owners are trying to find ways to fortify their teams.  One of the best ways to do that is by looking to the college players that m&mmight make the move to the NFL this spring.  Here are more of the players that stood out with their bowl game play.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, rather a starting point for the 2015 NFL Draft and your own rookie fantasy draft!  I listed these players alphabetically:

DT: Carl Davis, Iowa

This is a bad man who demands two blockers on almost every play.  He gets great initial pressure right off the snap of the ball.  Davis knocked a guard back into the ball carrier to knock both offensive players on their butts and the next play stood up a guard while reaching out with one arm tackling the running back.  The problem is Davis moves like an alligator, full speed straight ahead with a lot of power and determination.  However, when you make him move laterally, he loses a lot of steam and power.

His big body takes a while to slow down as momentum carries him towards his original direction.  Davis has a strong powerful punch combined with swim moves, but can get caught high, at times, not using his huge legs to balance himself.  He enjoys punishing the ball carriers by landing on them while making the tackle.

DE: Mario Edwards, Florida State

The defensive end does a good job anchoring the line of scrimmage, forcing the play back inside without giving ground.  He gets good leverage his initial first steps, forcing the offensive tackle back on his heels. Edwards has quick hands, dipping underneath blocks or swims past them on the way to the quarterback.  There were a few times he kicked down to play defensive tackle, and other times he stood up playing more of an outside linebacker role.  The defender got more frustrated and winded as the game became further and further out of reach.

WR: Rashad Green, Florida State

This receiver struggled at times against Oregon.  He misconnected with Winston on more than a few occasions.  Green is more of a possession type receiver at the next level, making catches in the middle of the field with defenders draped all over him.  The wide out has soft hands, is quicker than fast, and always fought for extra yardage.  He does a good job squaring his shoulders, blocking downfield in the run game.

QB: Marcus Mariota, Oregon

The quarterback makes quick reads by either getting rid of the ball in a hurry or full sprinting down the field.  He has bouncy feet, moving around well in the pocket, and is extremely accurate within ten yards of the line of scrimmage. Mariota is downright scary when he full sprints away from pressure in the pocket, passing accurately down the field hitting receivers in stride. It’s almost like the quarterback prefers a heavy rush, so he can take advantage of the defense’s back-end. It is concerning when he tries throwing across his body as the ball flutters too much and is more likely to be intercepted.

The young signal caller gets over excited, at times, as he missed a wide open receiver by over 15 yards down field.  He reminds me of a more athletically talented Colin Kaepernick.  Mariota reads the backside defensive end and decides whether he should throw or run.  When the quarterback decides to run, he is quite good at pitching the ball to a trailing runner to continue the play. This offensive weapon makes defenders miss in the open field and is more than capable to sprint 60 yards down the sidelines on the way to end zone.  I’m not sure how comfortable Mariota will be running a pro style offense though.

QB: Jameis Winston, Florida State

For such a controversial man off the field, the quarterback is quite calm in the pocket and is comfortable taking snaps from center or  shotgun formation. The gunslinger is an emotional leader and keeps competing until the bitter end.  He has good arm-strength and can make all the throws using good footwork by stepping forward while releasing the ball. Winston is also willing to take the safe check down throws to avoid turning over the ball.

When he has the protection, the young quarterback tries to work thru his progressions, but can run with the ball when he sees an opening. He has quick feet and sees down the field, reading blocks to gain additional yardage and uses a mean stiff-arm.  There were times under pressure that Winston threw behind his receivers, leaving them exposed to big hits trying to contort to the pigskin.  As the game went along, the quarterback got more frustrated and lost grip on the ball which resulted in a big fumble touchdown return by Oregon.  Hopefully he can put his off-field woes behind him.

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