Forget for just a moment players like Leonard Fournette, Corey Davis, Dalvin Cook, Mitchell Trubisky, etc. You’ve done all of your reading on them, and the media machine around you has far too often beaten you over the head with the names and metrics of these players. What about the lesser-known, lower hype guys? That’s what you should be asking yourself. How are you possibly going to enjoy the 2017 NFL Draft, much less dominate your upcoming fantasy drafts when all you’ve done is hung your hat on the big names and forgotten the underdogs?
Answer: You’re not!
Luckily for you, it’s reasons like this that you visit PlayerProfiler.com, so you can expand your knowledge on these players, and dominate where others may fail. We have not let you down before, and we won’t let you down now! Have a look at these players that are receiving little attention, but shall go ignored no more!
Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback, Texas Tech
Quarterbacks are always going to get talked about a lot. It’s the most important position in all of professional sports, and can go a long way in determining a team’s success for years to come. So if you’ve heard of Patrick Mahomes, I’m not surprised, but he likely hasn’t been talked about in the ways Mitchell Trubisky, Deshaun Watson and DeShone Kizer have been. At 6-foot-2, 225-pounds Patrick Mahomes possesses great size for the position, and most closely compares to the 2016 rookie of the year winner Dak Prescott.
During his time at Texas Tech, Patrick Mahomes was a prolific college producer, posting a career total of 11,252 passing yards, 93 touchdowns and 29 interceptions over the course of three seasons. He also ran for 845 yards and 22 touchdowns, while posting 12 rushing touchdowns in his final collegiate year. Mahomes has been an elite college product since setting foot on campus, and possess a 19.0 Breakout Age, placing him in the 95th-percentile among players at his position.
Not often known for being the most fleet footed quarterback, Patrick Mahomes ran a 4.80 40-yard dash (62nd-percentile) and 10.96 Agility Score (94th-percentile). His 99.8 SPARQ-x score (76th-percentile) solidifies himself as one of the more athletic quarterbacks in this year’s draft class, now he needs to fine tune his raw ability into NFL material.
Like every other quarterback to go through Texas Tech over the last decade or so, Patrick Mahomes was no stranger to excessive passing and playmaking. The Red Raiders are a team that throws early an often, evidenced by the fact that Mahomes attempted 40-plus passes in eight of his 12 games last season, including a blistering 88 pass attempts against Oklahoma.
If you’re looking for immediate gratification at the quarterback position, Patrick Mahomes isn’t you’re guy. If you’re willing to wait a year or two for a player to develop into a player ready to take over a franchise, Patrick Mahomes may be just that.
Aaron Jones, Running Back, UTEP
For the University of Texas-El Paso Miners, the road to paydirt was paved by running back Aaron Jones. The 5-foot-9, 208-pound running back spent four seasons at UTEP, and posted a 47-percent College Dominator Rating (95th-percentile), while averaging 7.7 yards per carry his senior year (97th-percentile).
As an agile running back who possesses excellent burst, Aaron Jones should find himself on an NFL roster by the end of the draft, and could prove useful on third down if he can develop in the passing game. His 127.3 Burst Score (87th-percentile) and 11.02 Agility Score (85th-percentile) are perfect traits for a running back who doesn’t bring much to the table in the way of size, as Aaron Jones will look to create space around defenders rather than running through them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up2V99rJ_CU
In what has proven to be an underwhelming draft class since the NFL Scouting Combine has drawn to a close, Aaron Jones has a chance to be a hidden gem in the later rounds of this year’s draft.
Krishawn Hogan, Wide Receiver, Marian College
You probably haven’t heard of Marian University or Krishawn Hogan, but those days are drawing to a close. During his final two seasons at at Marian, Krishawn Hogan amassed 181 receptions for 3,259 yards and 31 touchdowns, while also rushing for 173 yards and 25 touchdowns on 62 carries. While he is by no means a dual-position player at the NFL level, he was clearly a reliable option for Marian on all areas of the field.
The biggest knock against Krishawn Hogan will be the inferior competition he faced throughout his college career, however nobody is questioning the big bodied wide receiver’s potential. At 6-foot-3 and 222-pounds, Krishawn Hogan has the genetic makeup to play on the outside against NFL corners, and a 10.19 Catch Radius (82nd-percentile) to haul in a multitude of passes.
Krishawn Hogan ran a 4.56 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine (42nd-percentile), but achieved a 105.5 Height-adjusted Speed Score (HaSS) (83rd-percentile) on PlayerProfiler.com. His 124.1 Burst Score (67th-percentile) and 10.95 Agility Score (77th-percentile) place him in good company among NFL wide receivers, and his best comparable player is Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjQa8FEJ3No
Possessing a 44.8-percent College Dominator Rating (88th-percentile), 18.0 College YPR (86th-percentile) and 19.3 Breakout Age (82nd-percentile), Krishawn Hogan is nothing short of an elite college receiver who will now look to make a name for himself in the NFL. If you’re looking for a true sleeper option in your 2017 dynasty rookie drafts, look no further than Krishawn Hogan, who for now, is now off of most fantasy gamers’ radars, with the exception of yours.
Adam Shaheen, Tight End, Ashland University
Ashland University may finally be on the football map thanks to tight end Adam Shaheen. To put it simply, Adam Shaheen is nothing more than an enormous, agile, athletic freak.
After spending two seasons as the starting tight end at Ashland, Adam Shaheen drew the attention of scouts with his strong hands and physical ability. The 6-foot-6, 278-pound tight end closed out his final two seasons with 127 receptions for 1,670 yards and 26 touchdowns. His 36.4-percent College Dominator Rating (95th-percentile) is testimony to the way Ashland relied on him to generate offensive production, all while averaging 15.2 yards per reception in school (76th-percentile).
Adam Shaheen enters the 2017 NFL Draft with a 107.8 Height-adjusted Speed Score (79th-percentile) and 11.75 Agility Score (64th-percentile) and 116.3 SPARQ-x score. Perhaps the most impressive stat posted by Adam Shaheen at the NFL Scouting Combine was is 7.09 three-cone drill time. It’s a drill that is used to test a player’s agility, and Adam Shaheen out shined several running backs and wide receivers of far less size, who were perceived to be far more agile.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EXfWYAhvdk
At this point, it would be surprising to find Adam Shaheen getting his name called on the second day of the draft. He could be the third or fourth tight end off the board in this year’s draft, and is already a favorite among NFL fans and fantasy gamers who want to see teams tap into his potential.