We completed one of these a few weeks back, but due to the NFL Draft, values for rookies have fluctuated greatly. Here is our second 12-team, 5-round Superflex mock draft where the draft pool is made up of both 2020 rookies and Devy prospects.
1.01 Brad – Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts
1.02 Kyle – Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs
1.03 Clay – Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
1.04 LJ – Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins
1.05 Greg – Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
1.06 Cody – Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
1.07 Jason – JaMarr Chase, WR, LSU
1.08 Jason – D’Andre Swift, RB, Lions
1.09 Cody – Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
1.10 Greg – JK Dobbins, RB, Ravens
1.11 LJ – Jalen Reagor, WR, Eagles
1.12 Clay – Cam Akers, RB, Rams
Things went nearly as expected in round one. The selection of Bateman this early will be an outlier in most drafts that mirror this concept and format. In taking him, or Chase, you are passing on five other receivers that were selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. While both Chase and Bateman could be selected that high next year or the year after, it’s not a guarantee, so an owner must confront the age-old conundrum dealing with the worth of a bird in hand. The group was wise in only selecting players from the 2020 and 2021 classes and the split was 8 to 4 in favor of the recently drafted rookie class. I can’t envision a realistic scenario in which a player from the 2022 class would be considered amongst this dozen. A compelling argument could be made that this is the strongest first round of a rookie draft in many years and as many as 10 of the 12 should have been composed of that group. Devy is a game that allows for great freedom in personal preferences, which is what we’ve seen exercised in the opening salvo. -@FranchiseKF
2.01 Kyle – CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
2.02 Brad – Jerry Jeudy, WR, Broncos
2.03 Brad – Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
2.04 Kyle – Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
2.05 Clay – Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
2.06 LJ – Laviska Shenault, WR, Jags
2.07 Greg – Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State
2.08 Cody- Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State
2.09 Jason – Seth Williams, WR, Auburn
2.10 Jason – Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
2.11 Cody- Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
2.12 Greg – Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers
Much has already been said about the 2021 WR class being better than the 2020 WR class which just had 6 WRs go in the first round. CeeDee Lamb falling into round 2 is the biggest surprise here. He was WR1 pre-draft, but things changed once he landed with the Cowboys. They may have the volume to make him a relevant asset during his rookie season, but they do have two very good WRs that could cap his ceiling early on. Day 1 & 2 of the NFL draft practically filled out our first 3 rounds for fantasy rookie drafts with what seemed to be a higher-than-average number of skill players taken in that range. Regardless, the Devy assets are highlighted well within round 2 of this mock with 7 of the 12 selections still being in college. Travis Etienne could have been RB1 in the 2020 class but decided to return to school where he remains RB1 for another season. Both Etienne and Hubbard headline an underwhelming group for next year but look to be solid values in this mock draft. Every player selected within round 2 has the ability to be highlighted and showcased as an NFL team’s workhorse or WR1. Rondale Moore hasn’t been forgotten by any means, but evaluators may need to be reminded just how amazing he is as a player. He is pound-for-pound the best WR in college football and he should have a very smooth transition to the league as a dynamic playmaker that can change an offense. Tamorrion Terry has the highest upside of the group with his size and athleticism. A very good group that helps to highlight the valuation of players within the early stages of the mock. The talent is thicc. -@Pacificscouting
3.01 LJ – Henry Ruggs, WR, Raiders
3.02 Clay – Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals
3.03 Kyle – Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
3.04 Brad – Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson
3.05 Brad – Michael Pittman, WR, Colts
3.06 Kyle – Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers
3.07 Clay – Denzel Mims, WR, Jets
3.08 LJ – George Pickens, WR, Georgia
3.09 Greg – Bryan Edwards, WR, Raiders
3.10 Cody- Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State
3.11 Jason – Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
3.12 Jason – David Bell, WR, Purdue
Straight from the jump, it’s quite shocking to see the 1st WR drafted in 2020 fall to the 3.01. That perfectly exemplifies just how crazy these combined Rookie+Devy drafts can be when you have a bunch of Devy-centric drafters involved. I’d argue there are only 5 or so Devy players that should be considered within the Top-20 Rookies in a SuperFlex format. That’s how deep the profiles at the top of this 2020 class are. The slight tier interjection between Higgins and Pittman makes some sense given that Higgins ends the run of early declare rookie WRs. Early declare/younger WR prospects have a provably higher hit rate, even if the same draft capital is assumed with their counterparts. Interestingly, 10 of the 12 picks in this round were WRs, signifying a prior tier break at QB and RB. If collegiate games are played this season, Kylin Hill and Sam Howell could both prove as smash hits from these slots. Hill could surpass his career receptions total in just this season alone (Hello, Mike Leach!), broadening his profile and increasing the probability of Day 2 draft capital in 2021. With the exception of UNC and Miami, much of the ACC Coastal is devoid of NFL caliber talent. Howell could very easily carve it up once again as a sophomore and will continue to vault his stock if he does so. He’s a boom-bust pick that may be just a bit too rich for my blood when you consider some of the exciting WR/RB talents that go off the board in the 4th round. You’ll see them below. -@DW_Clayton
4.01 Cody – Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State
4.02 Greg – Max Borghi, RB, Washington State
4.03 LJ – Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M
4.04 Clay – Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
4.05 Kyle – Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama
4.06 Brad – Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
4.07 Brad – Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB, Bucs
4.08 Kyle – Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC
4.09 Clay – Joe Ngata, WR, Clemson
4.10 LJ – AJ Dillon, RB, Packers
4.11 Greg – Devin Duvernay, WR, Ravens
4.12 Cody- Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Memphis
This is the point in Rookie drafts where you see a bit of a drop off from the top 15-18 guys. As evidenced by the nine Devy prospects who went off the board this round. The majority of the Devy players selected in this round will be fighting for a first-round rookie selection in 2021. Ke’Shawn Vaughn dropped lower than expected, he’s been going borderline round one in most rookie drafts. Duvernay is a player I expected to grab a lot of in the third round of rookie drafts. Olave looks to be on his way to a big junior season, the Buckeyes’ top receiver is almost unguardable against college DBs. I believe he will test well and become a first-round draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Borghi will enter the NFL with one of the most impressive pass-catching profiles for any RB in recent memory. – @DevyWarehouse
5.01 Jason – Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest
5.02 Jason – Jamie Newman, QB, Georgia
5.03 Cody- Zamir White, RB, Georgia
5.04 Greg – Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma
5.05 LJ – Jordan Love, QB, Packers
5.06 Clay – Antonio Gibson, RB, Redskins
5.07 Kyle – Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Nebraska
5.08 Brad – Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
5.09 Brad – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
5.10 Kyle – Zack Moss, RB, Bills
5.11 Clay – Chase Claypool, WR, Steelers
5.12 LJ – Demond Demas, WR, Texas A&M
The final round manifested some value at the QB position. Jamie Newman looks to take over a talented Bulldogs offense and as much as the competition he faces will be tougher, the talent around him is considerably better. Newman could take a big step in 2020 and be the dual-threat QB that NFL teams are venturing for. Spencer Rattler and Bryce Young come off the board here and could pay big dividends in Superflex as they develop. Jordan Love finally comes off the board and could be a solid value in the fifth round. Productive Sage Surratt finds the later round but has the potential to move up a round after another productive season. Chase Claypool is an athletic specimen in a high-powered offense that offers great fantasy value. Antonio Gibson is a complete upside pick at this point, but from his skill set and what the Redskins are saying about how they want to use him, it’s hard to argue this pick. Kyle Pitts is the potential TE1 for the 2021 NFL Draft so his landing spot in the 5th is a solid value. Ending the draft with arguably the most athletic freak in this mock and the most upside in Demond Demas is incredible value. All in all, some nice picks that have the potential for production past their value in fantasy points. -@AllpurposeScout
