Rookie Class 2017 - Quarterbacks
Let's start our road map to fantasy football relevance for the upcoming season by breaking down the incoming rookie class of quarterbacks.
Rookie quarterbacks coming in, ready to start and truly make a positive difference does not happen often. Of course their are notable expceptions, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, and even most recently Dak Prescott come to mind.
Those success stories do not always encompass the high intensity of the NFL even after a very successful college career. I can offer RG3 as a great example of someone who had an electric start to his career followed by injury and lackluster play upon his return.
So let's breakdown the rookie class, and their situations.
1. Mitch Trubisky - Chicago Bears
The Bears shocked the football world...not necessarily in a positive way...when they moved up a spot last minute to grab the slinger from North Carolina with the 2nd pick of the draft.
Trubisky brings a limited profile view from college so there are a lot of questions about how his dual threat type of approach can translate to the NFL.
With the Bears paying Mike Glennon a solid paycheck to step in as the starter, and the depleted wide receiver corps, it clouds the timing of the impact Trubisky could have for the franchise.
There are some positives to his game as he ranked 5th in the country with a 68.0 completion percentage in the 2016 season. He was picked off six times versus his 30 touchdowns and also generated 5 scores on 308 yards with his legs.
While we can all sit back and wonder what the Bears are planning, one could assume the idea is for Trubisky to spend a year learning the system and speed of the game at the NFL level and see how he can contribute next year.
2. Patrcick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs
With the 10th pick of the first round Alex Smith's days in Kansas City became numbered when the Chiefs selected Mahome.
Mahomes has the size and some of the intangibles that NFL teams crave for the position. At 6'2" and 225 pounds he also showed some strength during his tenure at Texas Tech. He's got a monster of an arm, which is not always an indication of greatness (Jay Cutler anyone?) but coupled with the improvement of his accuracy each season in college it shows he's willing to work on touch.
When he steps in is going to be the question as the powers that be in KC seem to be growing weary of Alex Smith's game-manager approach.
With big playmaking potential and Andy Reid -- a QB development extraordinaire -- at the helm, Mahomes may be the most fantasy relevant signal caller of the rookie class. At best, it's a high-risk, high-reward situation.
3. DeShaun Watson - Houston Texans
After the Osweiler experiment, I am sure that Texans fans everywhere we rejoicing that Watson landed in Houston.
There are a lot of questions about his skill set translating to the NFL level, but it certainly seems like an ideal landing spot. With a top rated defense, some solid options from the receiver position, and legs that are dangerous enough to be respected if he's pressured, there are reals signs that he may be fantasy relevant early on in the season.
There are questions about accuracy and decision making on the field. Tentatively he'll be behind Savage to start the season and his projected value for fantasy purposes is up in the air.
4. Deshone Kizer - Cleveland Browns
Another year and another Browns quarterback in the mix. While there's a case to be made that he may be the best quarterback on the roster, that's not saying much at this point.
Kizer is big bodied at 6'4" and athletic, he boasts a big arm. His inconsistent play saw him benched a few times last season. His size and power also translated into 18 rushing touchdowns over the last two years of his college career making him a red-zone dual threat. Over his 23 starts, he had 15 games with at least one interception which could be a dangerous stat upon entering NFL style defenses.
My opinion still stands on him being on the better end of the available QB's in Cleveland, but I also think he could have benefited from another year of play at the collegiate level.
Stay tuned in as I continue next week with the rookie wide receivers!
Rookie quarterbacks coming in, ready to start and truly make a positive difference does not happen often. Of course their are notable expceptions, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, and even most recently Dak Prescott come to mind.
Those success stories do not always encompass the high intensity of the NFL even after a very successful college career. I can offer RG3 as a great example of someone who had an electric start to his career followed by injury and lackluster play upon his return.
So let's breakdown the rookie class, and their situations.
1. Mitch Trubisky - Chicago Bears
The Bears shocked the football world...not necessarily in a positive way...when they moved up a spot last minute to grab the slinger from North Carolina with the 2nd pick of the draft.
Trubisky brings a limited profile view from college so there are a lot of questions about how his dual threat type of approach can translate to the NFL.
With the Bears paying Mike Glennon a solid paycheck to step in as the starter, and the depleted wide receiver corps, it clouds the timing of the impact Trubisky could have for the franchise.
There are some positives to his game as he ranked 5th in the country with a 68.0 completion percentage in the 2016 season. He was picked off six times versus his 30 touchdowns and also generated 5 scores on 308 yards with his legs.
While we can all sit back and wonder what the Bears are planning, one could assume the idea is for Trubisky to spend a year learning the system and speed of the game at the NFL level and see how he can contribute next year.
2. Patrcick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs
With the 10th pick of the first round Alex Smith's days in Kansas City became numbered when the Chiefs selected Mahome.
Mahomes has the size and some of the intangibles that NFL teams crave for the position. At 6'2" and 225 pounds he also showed some strength during his tenure at Texas Tech. He's got a monster of an arm, which is not always an indication of greatness (Jay Cutler anyone?) but coupled with the improvement of his accuracy each season in college it shows he's willing to work on touch.
When he steps in is going to be the question as the powers that be in KC seem to be growing weary of Alex Smith's game-manager approach.
With big playmaking potential and Andy Reid -- a QB development extraordinaire -- at the helm, Mahomes may be the most fantasy relevant signal caller of the rookie class. At best, it's a high-risk, high-reward situation.
3. DeShaun Watson - Houston Texans
After the Osweiler experiment, I am sure that Texans fans everywhere we rejoicing that Watson landed in Houston.
There are a lot of questions about his skill set translating to the NFL level, but it certainly seems like an ideal landing spot. With a top rated defense, some solid options from the receiver position, and legs that are dangerous enough to be respected if he's pressured, there are reals signs that he may be fantasy relevant early on in the season.
There are questions about accuracy and decision making on the field. Tentatively he'll be behind Savage to start the season and his projected value for fantasy purposes is up in the air.
4. Deshone Kizer - Cleveland Browns
Another year and another Browns quarterback in the mix. While there's a case to be made that he may be the best quarterback on the roster, that's not saying much at this point.
Kizer is big bodied at 6'4" and athletic, he boasts a big arm. His inconsistent play saw him benched a few times last season. His size and power also translated into 18 rushing touchdowns over the last two years of his college career making him a red-zone dual threat. Over his 23 starts, he had 15 games with at least one interception which could be a dangerous stat upon entering NFL style defenses.
My opinion still stands on him being on the better end of the available QB's in Cleveland, but I also think he could have benefited from another year of play at the collegiate level.
Stay tuned in as I continue next week with the rookie wide receivers!
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