Players continue to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft as the deadline approaches for them to announce their decisions. Now three weeks into this, we’ve already touched on a handful of players that could be of interest to dynasty league managers in less than six months. A reminder of just how fast the NFL season moves.
This week’s article features two high-profile signal callers who announced (or presumably will announce) their intent to go pro, and a running back who dynasty leaguers have been waiting for years to add to their rosters.
With an exciting week of announcements -- and more to come in the next several weeks -- here’s a look at four more players we can expect to be on NFL rosters early next year.
Note: Stats and information courtesy of PFF.com, CollegeFootballData.com and Sports-Reference.com.
Bryce Young, QB (Alabama)
Passing: 3,007 yards, 27 TDs, 5 INTs, 64.1 comp %
Rushing: 46 carries, 195 yards, 4 TDs
I waited to touch on this one until we had clarity on his bowl game status, but Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who is expected to declare for the draft, will be playing in the team’s Sugar Bowl matchup against Kansas State on December 31st.
Young has a chance to be the 1.01 of next year’s draft, after building a solid resumé during his three years at Alabama, starting with his sophomore season. In 2021, Young went off for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions, became the fifth sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy in the history of the award.
"I can't tell you how much I respect them as competitors"
— Ryan Hennessy (@RyanWVTM13) December 16, 2022
Nick Saban on Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. planning to play in the Sugar Bowl pic.twitter.com/ETfAdnfWw7
It’s worth noting that Young hasn’t “officially” declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, but the widely held speculation that he will declare, and the way Nick Saban talks about Young (and teammate Will Anderson), is enough to suggest the Sugar Bowl will be the last college game Young plays in.
Of his many accolades, Young became the first Alabama quarterback to throw for 3,000+ yards in two seasons, after he went for 3,007-27-5. During his time as Alabama’s starter, Young excelled against SEC defenses. Facing Georgia twice in 2021, Young threw for 781 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions, which included four “big-time throws” per Pro Football Focus.
Regardless of the competition, Young has proven capable of playing at an elite level. His 2022 season, which was largely devoid of wide receiver talent, still saw him finish with the highest passer grade among qualified quarterbacks per PFF (90.8) and 15th in adjusted completion percentage. Even without wide receivers Jameson Williams and John Metchie, Young saw his deep ball completion percentage jump from 37.8% to 41.9%, although he did attempt 31 fewer deep passes this season -- unsurprisingly.
Listed on the team site as an even six feet tall and 194 pounds, Young could draw some doubters during the pre-draft process because of his size. However, if recent history has taught us anything, it’s that the 6-foot-4-plus, big-armed quarterback, isn’t the only one that can succeed in the modern NFL.
Despite his lack of rushing numbers in college, it’s also worth noting that Young possesses above-average speed at the quarterback position and should turn in a solid 40 time.
Max Duggan, QB (TCU)
Passing: 3,321 yards, 30 TDs, 4 INTs, 64.9 comp %
Rushing: 112 carries, 404 yards, 6 TDs
Duggan and the Horned Frogs enjoyed an unprecedented run to the college football playoffs this season and will face Michigan for a shot at playing for a national championship. With four years as TCU’s starter under his belt, Duggan has thrown for 9,241 yards, 71 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in his career and has completed 60.6% of his passes while also rushing for 1,800+ yards and another 25 scores.
Duggan broke out in a big way for TCU this season, throwing for 3321-30-4 while finishing second in the Heisman race behind USC’s Caleb Williams.
Forever, Go Frogs pic.twitter.com/629SLM8I1C
— Max Duggan (@MaxDuggan_10) December 18, 2022
With a wealth of weapons at his disposal, including a potential first-round pick in wide receiver Quentin Johnston (53-903-5), Duggan ranked eighth in the nation in YPA (9.0) and was sixth in deep ball completion percent (50%).
On those deep ball attempts, Duggan produced 1,245 yards and 18 touchdowns, ranking fifth in the nation in passing yards on deep passes. As a four-star recruit from the 2019 class, Duggan was clocked running an official 4.58 40 according to his profile on 247Sports.com.
Duggan has produced dating back to his days at Lewis Central High School and has the rare honor of being a four-year starter as a true freshman in a Power Five conference. For all his deep ball prowess, Duggan tends to lack the accuracy needed to succeed in the short and intermediate parts of the field. Among qualified quarterbacks, this season, his 69.4% accuracy on short passes ranks 104th in the nation. He’s ranked outside of the top 100 in short-field accuracy in two of his last three seasons.
How teams value Duggan will be something to watch this offseason. With decent size and athleticism and an accurate deep ball, his lack of arm strength and short-field accuracy could limit his upside as a prospect.
Bijan Robinson, RB (Texas)
Rushing: 258 carries, 1,580 yards, 18 TDs
Receiving: 19 receptions, 314 yards, 2 TDs
At last, we have finally received word on the draft status of Texas running back Bijan Robinson.
OFFICIAL:
— Noah Gross (@noah_gross27) December 19, 2022
Texas Longhorns RB Bijan Robinson announces he will declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. #HookEm | @KXAN_News pic.twitter.com/eyIZpcHivh
The former No. 1 running back recruit in the nation may have been drafted as the RB1 of the 2021 NFL Draft if he were eligible, but will now garner first-round draft hype as a member of the 2023 NFL Draft. This season was a dominant one for Robinson -- something we’ve grown accustomed to seeing during his brilliant career.
As a true freshman, Robinson appeared in just nine games but rushed for 86-703-4 while averaging an impressive 8.2 yards per carry. That season, Robinson ranked second among qualified running backs in YCO/ATT (6.09) and 49th in missed tackles forced despite ranking 109th in rushing attempts. We could see from the beginning that Robinson had a very real chance to be a dynasty darling for years to come.
The below YouTube video can serve as a trip down memory lane for those interested.
Robinson closed out his career at Texas in elite fashion this season. His 4.17 YCO/ATT ranked 13th among qualified runners, while his 40.5% missed tackles forced rate also ranked among the best in the nation.
A hard man to bring down, he amassed over 600 yards on breakaway runs this season per PFF -- tying for the 10th most breakaway runs in the nation (21). As a receiver, Robinson never caught more than 26 passes in a season but boasted an impressive 6.8 aDOT in 2022 while going for 19-314-1. His 314 yards marked a career-high -- as did his 16.5 yards per reception.
The last running back to draw first-round draft capital was Najee Harris in 2021. The Steelers selected Harris, who didn’t break out until his third year on campus and spent four years at Alabama before declaring. Robinson also won’t be 21 until January. Harris was 23 when he took his first NFL snap.
First-round running backs have largely fallen by the wayside in the NFL. Clyde Edwards-Helaire snuck into the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, in what’s widely regarded as a colossal mistake, but in total, we’ve seen just six first-round running backs in the last five years, with three going in the 2019 NFL Draft.
It’s likely Robinson hears his name called in the first round. The question is how high can he go? If Harris can break into the top 25 as a 23-year-old, third-year breakout, Robinson’s youth and early production could be enough for teams to consider him as a top-10 pick.
Rashee Rice, WR (SMU)
Receiving: 96 receptions, 1,355 yards, 10 TDs
Rashee Rice’s season came to an end after a foot injury held him out of SMU’s bowl game against BYU last week.
Having already accepted an invite to the Senior Bowl, scouts will fall in love with Rice during the pre-draft process thanks to his ability to make plays after the catch and win contested targets.
Among draft-eligible receivers, Rice’s YPRR (3.05) ranks fifth, while his 14 contested catches is good for sixth-most.
Take one look at his highlights and it’s likely you’ll catch yourself whispering “he’s got that dog in him” as you see him make one play after another. You can’t help yourself, I get it.
Rice is a natural playmaker with the ball in his hands, ranking 13th in the nation in missed tackles forced (18) this season after forcing 16 missed tackles in 2021. At 6-foot-3, 206 pounds, Rice has the ideal size and speed to translate to the NFL level.
He may not hear his name called in the first round of next year’s draft, but he looks like a near lock to be a Day 2 pick. If that’s the case, fantasy managers will love using one of their later rookie draft picks to secure a bonafide playmaker who could contribute for years to come.
