The NFL Draft is more than three months away, and your fantasy drauction day even further out. But now that the underclassmen have made known their intentions to either turn pro or return to school, it’s time to get to know some of the rookies you’ll want to be aware of next fall—maybe sooner, if you’re in a dynasty league or hold a separate rookies-only draft.
With that in mind, here’s a quick get-acquainted session with the underclassmen who opted out of their college days, focusing on the “skill” position players fantasy folks tend to focus on.
QUARTERBACKS
If this draft was to be a seniors-only affair, there may not have been a quarterback selected on Day One. However, all four quarterbacks who are leaving school early have a chance to hear their name called on Saturday.
The cream of the crop is Matt Stafford of Georgia. He has everything the pro scouts look for physically—size (6-3, 236) and a cannon arm—plus he has the leadership/winner’s mentality intangibles that oftentimes separate the Ryan Leafs from the Peyton Mannings. Stafford isn’t quite as polished as, say, Matt Ryan was coming out of school; then again, we said the same thing about Joe Flacco last year. Stafford will go in the first round, probably within the first three picks.
With Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, and Tim Tebow all opting to stay in school, Mark Sanchez decided to leave USC for the NFL despite just one season as the Trojans’ full-time starter. Sanchez has the prototypical size (6-3, 225) pro scouts seek in a quarterback, and his efficiency (a 34:10 TD-to-INT ratio, a 65.8 completion percentage, a 164.6 quarterback rating) suggests he can make the necessary throws. While he may have benefited from another season at Southern Cal, his potential should land him a spot in the first round.
The next two quarterbacks on most draft boards, Josh Freeman of Kansas State and Ball State’s Nate Davis, are more developmental projects who could go in Round Two but are more likely to hear their name called early on the draft’s second day.
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