RADIO
We’re in the home stretch of the mock: Round 3. At this point, every pick is a lottery ticket and there might not even be a winner out there. Many of these prospects will be taxi squad candidates in year 1 with the potential to take a step forward in years 2 and 3.
If you haven’t gotten around to reading Round 1 and Round 2 of the mock, I suggest giving them a read-through prior to hopping into Round 3. Given that we aren’t even a week removed from the end of the draft, rookie drafts will be very volatile in Round 2 and even more so in Round 3 as we get a clearer picture as to what rosters may look like closer to the season. Reports from camps and preseason will help us get a clearer picture of rookies’ roles and we may see some sleepers emerge much like Isiah Pacheco and Romeo Doubs a season ago.
Many leagues like to fire up rookie drafts soon after the NFL Draft, but I personally prefer waiting until August to give second and third-round picks higher hit rates. For now, we’ll do our best with the information we have and provide our third round mock:
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3.01 - Marvin Mims, WR, DEN
Denver shocked the world and grabbed Oklahoma prospect Marvin Mims at the end of the second round. Mims joins a loaded receiver room in Denver including Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, K.J. Hamler, and Marquez Callaway. Where does the 5-11 slot receiver fit into the ride in Bronco Country? The answer to that question is that talent finds a way. Patrick is coming off of an ACL tear, Jeudy and Sutton missed three games each in 2021 (and both have a rough injury history), and there was a point last season when Kendall Hinton was a decent starting option. If Sean Payton can get Russ cooking again and an injury or two happens in the Denver receiving room, Mims is a weekly locked-in WR2. Not to mention that both Jeudy and Sutton have an out to their respective contracts following this season.
3.02 - Jayden Reed, WR, GB
Jayden Reed was a somewhat surprising name to come off the board in the top 50 picks. He should start on day 1 in what looks like the NFL’s youngest group of weapons. Behind Christian Watson, the Packers are rolling with Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and Grant DuBose. Reed should be on the field early and often and could be a steal of a pick at 3.02. The only question mark is the effectiveness of first-year starter Jordan Love and how committed Green Bay may be to the run this season behind an experienced line and running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon.
3.03 - Xavier Hutchinson, WR, HOU
As of right now, Xavier Hutchinson looks to be somewhat of a dart throw. That being said, we already mentioned Houston’s questionable group of weapons in the Round 2 mock under Tank Dell. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has to throw the ball to someone - why not fellow rookie Xavier Hutchinson? Hutchinson reminds me of fellow Iowa State Cyclone Allen Lazard, standing at 6-3, 205, and with a strong history of college production. He has more of an NFL body than Dell and has a chance to start outside right away with a strong camp.
3.04 - Rashee Rice, WR, KC
Everybody knew the Chiefs had to add to their receiver room after losing JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency. Enter Rashee Rice, the big-bodied SMU receiver who they selected in the second round. After last season’s Skyy Moore experience, the fantasy community is fading Rice hard and he will likely be on the board here at 3.04. Having low expectations is realistic given the Chiefs’ lack of a WR1 outside of Travis Kelce and Mahomes’ tendency to spread the ball out, but there is always the chance that a receiver emerges from the group of Rice, Moore, Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Richie James, and Justyn Ross. Rice was drafted in the second round for a reason and enjoyed a breakout season last year for the Mustangs in which he grabbed 96 balls for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns.
3.05 - A.T. Perry, WR, NO
A.T. Perry could very well end up being the steal of the draft for the New Orleans Saints. A sixth-round selection, Perry strung together back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons with a total of 26 touchdowns over the past two seasons with Sam Hartman under center. With his 6-5, 205 frame, he pairs nicely with speedsters Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. With Michael Thomas often injured, Perry could walk into a starting role early in his career. The New Orleans offense should take a step forward with Derek Carr under center and Perry could be a beneficiary.
3.06 - Roschon Johnson, RB, CHI
Roschon Johnson began his career at Texas as a quarterback but transitioned to running back and spent most of his career behind Bijan Robinson. Despite running behind the best running back in college football, he still managed to run for over 550 yards in two of the three seasons they played together. Johnson will likely operate in a similar committee in Chicago, where he joins fellow Longhorn D’Onta Foreman and Khalil Herbert in a crowded backfield. The dynamics of this backfield will be interesting to monitor throughout the offseason and Johnson could be a steal at 3.06.
3.07 - Sean Tucker, RB, TB
Sean Tucker is the first and only undrafted free agent to find a place in this mock. After an effective college career in which he was the face of Syracuse football, Tucker found himself sliding completely out of the draft. The reason for his fall was not because of his production or ability, but because of an undisclosed medical issue which is believed to be a heart issue that could end his career. If Tucker is able to clear this issue he could very well play a significant role in a talent-deprived Tampa Bay backfield, which is where he signed an UDFA deal following the draft. After releasing Leonard Fournette, Tampa is left with Rachaad White to carry the load. White was inefficient in his opportunities a season ago and has only Chase Edmonds and Ke’Shawn Vaughn behind him fighting for carries. If Tucker is good to go and makes this roster, there is no reason why he can’t win the starting job in Tampa.
3.08 - Kayshon Boutte, WR, NE
Kayshon Boutte was the definition of a flier when New England selected him in the sixth round and he is the definition of a flier here in Round 3. Boutte looked like the real deal during his true freshman season during COVID in 2020 and started off hot in 2021 before suffering a season-ending injury, but he completely flopped in 2022 and fell from a first-round pick to a sixth. In addition to Boutte, the Patriots’ receivers include JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton, and Kendrick Bourne. The room leaves plenty of opportunity for Boutte to earn playing time if he can return to his high-end prospect form, and grabbing him here can end up being a value play.
3.09 - Zach Evans, RB, LAR
Zach Evans was a 5-star prospect and the number two running back in his class behind Bijan Robinson coming out of high school. After two efficient seasons at TCU, he transferred out to Ole Miss with Kendre Miller establishing himself as the top back. When he got to Ole Miss, Evans fell to second fiddle again behind breakout freshman Quinshon Judkins. Despite losing his starting job twice over the course of his college career, Evans turned out a number of highlight-reel runs and was always efficient as a runner. He joins the Rams’ backfield of Cam Akers, Kyren Williams, and Ronnie Rivers. Akers was in and out of playing time a season ago, and there is absolutely no reason that Evans can’t make a push to win the starting job in LA. At 3.09, you are getting a talented runner who has always been efficient and is playing in what has been a messy backfield situation over the past few seasons.
3.10 - Cedric Tillman, WR, CLE
With their first selection in the 2023 Draft, the Browns picked Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman. Tillman had a breakout 2021 season before missing a lot of 2022. He has the frame of an NFL receiver, but his path to playing time is not as clear as some of the other prospects. Tillman has Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Donovan Peoples-Jones, David Bell, and Marquise Goodwin ahead of him in what has been a run-first offense over the past few seasons. With Deshaun Watson playing his first full season in Cleveland and with the receiver room revamped, we may see them turn to the air more. That being said, Tillman is nothing more than a taxi squad player at this time but he has the size and talent to develop into a solid receiver and is tied to an elite quarterback.
3.11 - Puka Nacua, WR, LAR
In Round 5, the Rams added Puka Nacua to their receiver room. Nacua played two seasons at Washington before transferring to BYU where he used his 6-2, 205 frame to play all over the field. Behind Cooper Kupp in Los Angeles, it’s anybody’s guess as to who will see targets. Nacua can earn playing time by beating out Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek, and Tutu Atwell. He’s a prime target to add to your taxi squad.
3.12 - Evan Hull, RB, IND
Evan Hull becomes Mr. Irrelevant to round out this three-round rookie mock. Picked in Round 5, Hull had a hyper-productive career in an otherwise stagnant Northwestern offense. He singlehandedly gave Ohio State a game this season, and had well over 1,000 all-purpose yards for the second straight season. Grabbing 55 receptions for 546 yards and two touchdowns in 2022, Hull has a legitimate chance to have standalone value as a receiving back for the Colts. He can spell Jonathan Taylor when tired and likely pencils in ahead of Deon Jackson and Zack Moss immediately.
Follow @BrantasyFB on Twitter for More Content
That’s a wrap on my first-ever dynasty rookie mock draft. Follow @BrantasyFB on Twitter for more fantasy news and articles throughout the offseason and into the 2023 NFL season. Enjoy the offseason and go crush it in your rookie drafts!
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