Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft for Fantasy Football: Five Rounds, TE Premium

May 19, 2026

Chris Gregory's dynasty fantasy football rookie mock draft for TE Premium non-Superflex leagues. His five-round rookie mock draft for the 2026 NFL rookies.

The 2026 NFL Draft felt like one of the least exciting in recent memory from the moment the class was finalized in January … and that feeling has only solidified into fact as rookie drafts begin this May. While five top-end prospects would all go in the first round of most rookie drafts in this class, the talent after that top tier fades fast and hard.

With that said, there are some potential gems in this class, particularly at tight end. One way to polish those gems is to add TE Premium scoring to your league. If tight ends receive 0.5 or more bonus points per reception in your league, then several of these rookies should be exciting third-rounders worth reaching for … instead of guys you hold your nose to take in the fourth.

On the flip side, removing the Superflex label has the effect of thinning the excitement in this class, but to a lesser degree than usual. By dropping the Superflex slot but adding TE Premium, you force down players like Ty Simpson while pushing up fliers like Justin Joly. It’s a yin and yang effect that you can see play out in the rookie mock draft below.

Round 1

Overvalued Prospects: Every year, I pick the top “overvalued players” being drafted higher than they should be in rookie drafts, based upon film analysis and draft results/buzz. Noteworthy names from this list in past years are Jerry Jeudy, Kaleb Johnson, RJ Harvey, Treylon Burks, Kenny Pickett, Rashee Rice, Quentin Johnston, Rondale Moore, Trey Benson, and Skyy Moore.

KC Concepcion makes the overvalued list this year, in part because the dynasty world loves him more than either film or landing spot suggests they should. This is not to say Concepcion’s excellent separation skills and YAC ability should be ignored. However, his drops, lack of ideal size, capped top-end speed, and his orange helmet mean he should go closer to 1.10 than 1.06.

#Browns KC Concepcion goes up for the ball pic.twitter.com/Wc9oRhgBJl

— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham9) May 8, 2026

Two more overvalued prospects in this class are Antonio Williams and Jadarian Price. Both prospects are being pushed up rookie boards based on their landing spot and immediate “opportunity.” However, neither was an elite prospect, and both have the characteristics of role players whose usage could be capped by 2027 or 2028 with added competition.

Undervalued Tight Ends: TE Premium scoring, even a half-point bump, drives up the value of all tight ends significantly. This is particularly true of Kenyon Sadiq, who is being devalued because of a short-term location problem, and Eli Stowers, to a lesser degree.

Sadiq is as physically gifted as any tight end prospect to come out of college since Kyle Pitts Sr., though less polished and safe. While Sadiq is raw as a route runner, his speed and explosiveness show up on tape, and his blocking should keep him on the field.

Throw in the fact that his quarterback may soon be Arch Manning, and Sadiq should go ahead of Price and Concepcion in TE Premium.

Stowers should also see a boost in ADP and value with TE Premium scoring. While the Vanderbilt product isn’t the blocker that Sadiq is, and he is even more raw than the Duck, Stowers also has elite physical traits and strong hands. There is immense upside for him in Philadelphia’s offense if Dallas Goedert and A.J. Brown are both gone by 2027.

Round 2

Sleeper Tight Ends Rise: Remember, the value of tight ends rises according to the amount of your TE Premium bonus. If your league rewards a full-point bonus for tight end receptions, then you should expect at least one of the sleeper tight ends in this class to rise into the second round of your rookie drafts.

For our money, Oscar Delp is the sleeper worth elevating. He has the athletic testing, broken tackles, and burst up the seam to suggest his best is yet to come. While it’s true that his production was limited at Georgia, remember that the same was true for George Kittle at Iowa. Fast, athletic, blocking tight ends find the field and get plenty of chances to develop.

Georgia TE Oscar Delp. Fun player. Good blocker. pic.twitter.com/AtNXzq8bQD

— Tyler Brooke (@TylerDBrooke) March 28, 2026

Quarterbacks Fall: Ty Simpson is not worth a second-round pick in non-Superflex rookie drafts. While his landing spot will eventually be good, he averaged just 7.2 rushing yards per game and two yards per attempt. Add in that he has just 15 college starts, nine of them good, and the fact he will sit all of 2026 at a minimum …  and it’s unclear whether he will ever help you.

Beyond Simpson, there are no passers in this class who merit consideration in the second round of non-Superflex dynasty rookie drafts. In fact, there may not be a passer worthy of a second-round pick in Superflex rookie drafts, Simpson included. The pool is thin, the risk is high, and the need is low for most non-Superflex drafters this year.

Round 3

More Tight Ends Pushed Up in Premium: We cheated a bit here, projecting Oscar Delp (my TE3 in the class) over the TE3 in terms of ADP (Max Klare). However, ADP is close between Delp and Klare, while Delp is significantly higher on my board. Klare simply has too much competition, plus Delp is the better blocker and athlete.

With that said, the moment someone drafts either Klare or Delp in your TE Premium, you should expect a quick run at the position to follow. ADP and projections suggest that Klare and Delp should both be gone after the first few picks of the third round in this format, with Justin Joly and Eli Raridon both getting pushed into the third round as well, thanks to positional value.

Delp and Klare are not the only worthwhile tight ends going in this range, though. Raridon has arguably the best landing spot of the group, with Drake Maye at quarterback and a real shot to unseat Hunter Henry by 2027. Meanwhile, the Broncos traded up to get Joly, and his film suggests he could quickly supplant Evan Engram and be the “Joker” Sean Payton wants.

What a catch by Justin Joly 👏

📺 @TheCW_Sports x @PackFootball pic.twitter.com/bhnPx77rHy

— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) September 27, 2025

QBs Continue to Fall: As we noted earlier, there is a real question whether Ty Simpson is worthy of a second-round rookie pick in non-Superflex. There is less of a question about whether the other passers in this class are worth a third-round pick in the non-Superflex format … the answer is clearly “no.”

Backup Backs: The negative way to look at this running back class is that a lot of the best backs landed in crowded backfields without a starting job. The positive way to look at it is that several of the more intriguing backs in this class could find their way to fantasy relevance with one injury or an eventual trade.

Adam Randall and Mike Washington Jr. are the most intriguing backs in this range. In fact, one could argue that those two have as much upside as any running back in this class who didn’t attend Notre Dame.

Randall is a converted receiver with size and power, and he was Baltimore owner Steve Bisciotti’s first draft pick. Randall could easily earn the primary backup role behind Derrick Henry this year, with starting potential by 2027. Meanwhile, Washington has the size, speed, and big-play ability that demand you put him in your lineup if Ashton Jeanty is out.

Round 4

Betting Against Beck: Some people are drafting Carson Beck in the second round of Superflex rookie drafts, and that makes sense. In that format, any quarterback with starting potential has value, and Beck may have a real shot at starting all season for Arizona. However, his value in non-Superflex is muted.

Beck is not an elite athlete, nor does he have the arm strength or mobility of an upper-tier starter. While he does have good size and average physical tools, his best bet at long-term fantasy relevance is to carve out a role like Brock Purdy did … but he doesn’t process or move as Purdy does in the pocket.

To make matters worse, Arizona has a history of drafting quarterbacks and replacing them the next year. Given the depth and skill in next year’s rookie quarterback class, odds favor the Cardinals doing just that and moving on from Beck next offseason. With that probability on the table, why spend any draft capital on a physically limited one-year rental in non-Superflex?

Lottery Tickets: The fourth round of rookie drafts is where you take fliers on upside, knowing the pick is likely to be wasted. This is particularly true in non-Superflex leagues, where the top positional talent is pushed up, and the quarterbacks are pushed down, rather than the inverse that happens when Superflex pushes passers up and talented position players down the board.

In this scenario, one passer worth taking a late-round flier on is Taylen Green. In non-Superflex leagues, mobile passers with tremendous physical skills are worth more than safer pocket passers. Given how deep quarterback is in these leagues, safe backups are not that valuable, but guys who have a 5% chance to turn into Jalen Hurts are.

Round 5

Early Waivers: There is never any consensus in the fifth round of rookie drafts, but this year, that is particularly true. The lack of depth at quarterback and running back in this class forces the tight ends and receivers into earlier rounds this year, especially in TE Premium, which causes the deepest positions in this class to thin abnormally fast as people drain those wells early.

With that in mind, the fifth round this year is a grab bag of players you would usually chase on waivers. Atop that list for us is Deion Burks, a talented playmaker whose size could force him into a pure slot role as a pro. Burks fell in the NFL Draft because of medical red flags, but he has the talent of a fourth-round pick who could replace Josh Downs if Downs ever leaves town.

Other names worth knowing in this range and format are Kendrick Law, Colbie Young, and Tyren Montgomery.

Law is a gadget player with the skill set and build to become a backup to Jahmyr Gibbs in time, possibly converting into a third-down back who can play the slot. Meanwhile, Young is a good athlete, landing in a Cincinnati offense where the WR3 role could be up for grabs. Finally, Montgomery is a crafty slot competitor who could surprise after impressing at the Senior Bowl.

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