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John goes through his Rookie mock draft 2025 Dynasty fantasy football leagues. This will be for 12-team, single quarterback leagues, and serves as an early and exhaustive guide for fantasy managers.
Being a manager in a Dynasty fantasy football league means you're almost never totally checked out from fantasy football. That can be a lot of fun for those looking for something to do in the offseason when there's no more football to watch.
Part of the fun of Dynasty is that you can research players much more and actually get a payoff for it. Or you can read this mock draft, which will identify all the biggest steals and players to stay away from. This piece is the result of hundreds of hours of film study and research into how and why certain players' skill sets translate well to the next level.
After an exhaustive film review, including a tape study of every player, this guide/mock draft is ready. By the way, to back up my credibility, I absolutely begged you guys to trade for Brian Thomas Jr. and Bucky Irving after Week 3 of 2024. If you did that, you could have won your leagues. Let's dive into this mega-breakdown.
Be sure to check all of our dynasty fantasy football resources for 2025:- Dynasty fantasy football articles
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
- 2025 rookie fantasy football articles
- 2025 rookie fantasy football rankings
Round 1 Dynasty Mock Draft: Picks 1.01-1.12
1.01 - Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Obviously, Jeanty will go first overall after what could have been a Heisman campaign. And he's obviously a great running back. While RBs typically don't last as long in the league as receivers do, you don't really care here because this year's WR class is weaker than most.
People seem to forget that Ashton Jeanty is one of the greatest receiving back prospects of all time…
His receiving numbers in 2023:
• 578 receiving yards
• 5 receiving TDs
• 44 receptions
• 48 targets
• 0 drops
• 24 missed tackles forced
• 13.1 yards/rec pic.twitter.com/jOEoYs4G8W— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 2, 2025
Other than being 5-foot-8, which isn't the biggest concern, he's the complete package at RB. Elusiveness, burst, pass-catching ability, decent pass-protection skills, durability, tackle-breaking prowess, and more define his fantastic skillset.
It also helps that great college RBs usually translate better to the NFL. It's position-dependent more on athleticism than on subtleties like route-running and explosiveness out of breaks, which receivers must excel at.
You're fine if you're at the 1.01, and while we don't hate trading down from here for a nice haul, it's not a necessity.
1.02 - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Choosing a WR with the second pick of rookie drafts in a weak class is philosophically a bad move if you think about it. The chance that he's not the best WR in the class is an idea that's scoffed at by many. The same could have been said for Marvin Harrison Jr. last year, and look how that turned out.
After hundreds of hours of film evaluation, I simply can't see why many are so high on him. His size is an asset, but it's being used to excuse the clear deficiencies in his game, and the idea that he'll be elite out of the gate is a bit ludicrous. He's just not an elite separator and is far too inconsistent for comfort.
Even if you focus on Tetairoa McMillan’s primary strengths, Travis Hunter STILL has him beat on paper (and film)
Contested-Catch win %
📌 Tet: 62.1%
📌 Travis: 68.8% ✅Drop %
📌 Tet: 8.7%
📌 Travis: 3.2% ✅ pic.twitter.com/T5v46QQqqC— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) December 16, 2024
It's telling that a guy who probably won't even primarily play WR at the next level is just straight-up better than TMac. And it's easy to get excited about him as the next Mike Evans, but I'm convinced that everyone who makes that comparison didn't watch Evans play college football at all.
Hopefully, people start doing Evans a favor and stop comparing him to a far inferior player. But the infatuation with the idea that McMillan could be the next Evans, even though he's clearly shown us that he's not, can be misguiding.
I'm trading away from this pick all day.
1.03 - Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
Next on the list of overrated receivers in a weak class is Burden, who lacks a lot of skills that he desperately needs to succeed at the next level to the degree that would warrant this pick in rookie drafts. Burden's yards-after-catch ability is pretty impressive, but his route-running isn't.
One of the biggest flaws of NFL scouting is their tendency to selectively overrate players' route-running ability to retroactively fit consensus more. They did the same thing with New England Patriots wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk. Despite being hyped as the surefire WR1 for the Patriots, he barely saw the field because he was actually terrible.
Philosophically, taking a stand on certain players is better because consensus has hyped up massive busts. And at the wide receiver position, many of them share one common trait. That would be overrated route-running, and Burden's explosiveness out of his breaks simply doesn't inspire confidence.
The play above, starting at 0:23, is especially telling. Making what look like sharp cuts that don't even trip up a slot corner or safety, who initially takes a wrong step but recovers quickly and stays with him is telling. In the NFL, contested catch opportunities are way harder to come down with. And his route isn't very fluid -- the wasted chop steps at the beginning don't fool the defensive back.
Boston College CB Amari Jackson keeping edge contain while taking on a Luther Burden III block 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/CEHnadBLoa
— Jake Rabadi (@JakeRabadiNFL) January 1, 2025
He's also a liability as a blocker. I wouldn't be surprised if Burden wasn't taken in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft or even if he fell to the third. He's not explosive enough out of his route breaks or savvy with his footwork. And what a WR does before the catch is far more important than what he does after. He will struggle against NFL defensive backs, as he had to be schemed open even against college DBs.
1.04 - Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
This is the year to draft running backs in the first round. If you're not planning on doing that, you should probably trade down. Egbuka is a slot wide receiver at the next level, and while he's being hyped up massively, he has the same problem Burden does -- lack of explosiveness out of his route breaks.
The fantasy community hates the idea of a single stat being telling unless it's a stat they like or if it gives them confirmation bias, but both Egbuka and Burden's EPA/play were quite concerning. To see a WR like Oregon's Tez Johnson absolutely demolish them in this regard is concerning, though quarterback play has something to do with that, of course.
Emeka Egbuka trying (and failing) to fight through contact in the slot pic.twitter.com/lTXcvmoo1o
— Jackson Powers (@jpownfl) January 23, 2025
There are many who will say that this evaluation is too harsh, but we're talking about a top-5 pick in a rookie draft. You don't want a receiver who can't fight through slot contact and, more importantly, one who won't be able to play on the outside in the NFL. Egbuka doesn't have the slipperiness or the strength to stand up to decent outside cornerbacks in the big leagues.
He won't be the WR1 on most teams, and even if he was, they'd probably struggle mightily because of it. He's a slot guy. You don't want to spend such an expensive pick on a WR like that. Of course, most people prefer PPR scoring formats, so receivers have an advantage.
It's not like he's a bad player, but this year's WR class feels a lot like 2024's RB class. A lot of wash picks and maybe a gem or two late. The crop of pass-catchers in the early first round here would've all been ranked behind Harrison, Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze. Throw in Ladd McConkey and Brian Thomas Jr. if scouts hadn't whiffed so hard on their evaluations of those two.
1.05 - Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
We're a lot more comfortable picking RBs in the first round here. Hampton is probably a workhorse back from his first day in the league. His top speed is a knock on his game, but he has most of what you want for a 15-20 touch-per-game guy at the next level.
UNC star RB Omarion Hampton listed as 6’0 220 pounds…putting this filthy dead leg on the alley defender 🤯 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4QJ9xbbI9h
— Full-Time Dame 💰 (@DP_NFL) August 30, 2024
Top speed isn't the most important thing, though, and Hampton accelerates very well while changing direction and running in a straight line. He's a tank and looks a lot like Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs did in college. Hampton has a speed and tackle-breaking edge over Jacobs, though.
This isn't a difficult evaluation. He's well worth his pick here and a better option than any of the players above him.
1.06 - Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
It's extremely difficult to watch his tape and try to understand how he became rated this high. He gets massive props for the elite run-blocking he enjoyed in college, but life isn't like that in the NFL unless you play for the Philadelphia Eagles or Baltimore Ravens.
Ignoring the production and simply looking at the tape shows a very average-looking player who was in an ideal situation. He's maybe the seventh-best athlete of the running backs in this class as well. There's nothing that jumps off the tape as elite.
Kaleb Johnson has good vision and had a good feel for the flow of the defense. He will occasionally miss cut back lanes simply because he is going full throttle forward through open holes. He makes a good cut back against the flow of the defense here. pic.twitter.com/msT1jykTT2
— Thomas Martinez (@BoltsDraftTalk) January 6, 2025
And backs are often erroneously praised for their vision when the reality of the play was that the offensive line parted the sea like Moses and let the RB run free through some green grass. Getting caught by a hand tackle to the hip at the end is particularly hideous and outright damning.
Do not draft Johnson. You are wasting a first-round pick if you do.
1.07 - Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Warren will need some time to develop in the league. He's... not really a route runner, which is a very strange thing to say. He found plenty of success on rushing plays and by simply bulling over defenders, but that also doesn't work in the NFL.
What's strange is that he compares very closely to Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott as a pass-catcher. "Wow, look at his tackle-breaking ability" applies to Sinnott just as well. It's not hard to find the tape that supports this idea.
It took 6 OU defenders to bring Ben Sinnott down pic.twitter.com/LGK3XOTnjD
— Clint The K-State Fan (@Thekstatefan2) September 26, 2022
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers is an elite route-runner, that's why he succeeded so well in the NFL.
Warren isn't. That's disqualifying of him as a first-round pick. Again, you're eschewing a chance at capitalizing on a stacked running back draft class (though there are a few busts) to take a player whose archetype has never succeeded as a fantasy tight end in the history of the game. It just makes no sense.
1.08 - TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
Henderson's speed should afford him immediate opportunities in the NFL. He's really not a terrible pick here. The egregious underrating of several other RBs in this class isn't necessarily a negative reflection on Henderson's play.
For starters, he's a good pass-protector, so he should see the field a decent amount. And he has excellent speed, so whichever team he joins will probably try to get him the ball pretty often.
TreVeyon Henderson should comfortably be the RB2 by now.
I’d consider him the Jahmyr Gibbs-esque RB value of this class and landing spot could put him above Ashton Jeanty in dynasty value by the end of 2025
pic.twitter.com/dAK7oS5tIa— Jagger May (@JagSays) January 11, 2025
Let's not buy into the insanity of the above tweet -- no, you can't compare him to Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs -- but he is a burner for sure.
The major concern with him is his upright running style. That doesn't fly as much in the NFL as it does in college and could be exploited heavily to hurt his tackle-breaking ability.
And like the next player on this list, his hip flexibility and lateral quickness aren't inspiring. In fact, his lateral agility leaves a lot to be desired. There are backs in this class that possess speed close to his with much more horizontal movement ability.
1.09 - Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
Which brings us to the other RB on Ohio State's roster this past season. What's interesting is that the RBs and WRs listed so far are actually not the best in the class. It's been so strange to see how they're rated. Judkins' utter lack of hip flexibility is a massive concern. You can't succeed like that in the league.
It almost looks like there's something artificially restricting his mobility. He missed multiple opportunities to simply juke the guys in front of him in the above clips, and as has been stated many times, you can't run guys over or slip off tackle attempts from NFL linebackers.
Judkins' film is nearly as disqualifying as Warren's is. You have to dodge tackle attempts regularly at the next level. He'll need to be in the right situation. Interestingly, the Las Vegas Raiders seem like a team that would draft him, and they'd continue their backfield woes if they did.
1.10 - Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
Harris is the best WR in this class because he is the most fluid and smooth route-runner, and he is so impossibly efficient that it defies logic. The prevailing truth was that if you put a man on Harris this season, he was going to get burned.
Dart's teammate Tre Harris absolutely destroyed man coverage this year:
+ 9.85 YPRR (Most among all WRs since PFF started tracking in 2015)
+ 94.4 PFF receiving grade (Best among all WRs since DeVonta Smith in 2020)Data via @PFF https://t.co/YHK3FERM0h
— Dataroma (@ffdataroma) February 4, 2025
And that's exactly what happened. Yet scouts are lukewarm on Harris even though he put up DeVonta Smith Heisman Campaign level PFF grades and crushed the efficiency stat so hard that he obliterated charts doing so.
WRs in college football against Man coverage this season (min. 50 targets).
Tre Harris...lol pic.twitter.com/ZIukHsSLVT
— Tyler Brooke (@TylerDBrooke) February 5, 2025
Hysterically crushing charts like this so hard that the whole picture has to be zoomed out is something that shouldn't be ignored. Outlandishly outlierish is the only way to describe Harris' 2024 season other than unfortunately marred by injury.
NFL teams notice these things, and Harris going inside the first round, as the above post implies, wouldn't be a surprise. Plenty of Harris' production came against poor competition, but you can just cut his Man YPRR by 33 percent, and he'd still easily have led the country.
The ease with which he manipulates defenders is incredible. His routes look easy and smooth, and though he lacks elite top-end speed, he can still win vertically due to the threat of his horizontal breaks. We love picking him here.
1.11 - Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
It's very difficult to evaluate Hunter for fantasy purposes. He played very well as a receiver, and if he dedicated to that position full-time, he could be the best WR in this class. Yet the prevailing wisdom is that he'll primarily play cornerback in the NFL.
He possesses a rare skill set, and while he's a bit raw as a route-runner and separation technician, he could make absurd plays that no other receiver could this past season. This is a risky pick to make.
One thing you notice about Travis Hunter at the receiver position is how well he transitions the tempo of his releases.
You see this tempo work with Hunter at the top of routes as well as after the catch - cornerstone trait of his offensively.
— AngeloFF (@angelo_fantasy) October 27, 2024
Still, he's basically the opposite of Burden in that he's massively explosive out of his breaks. Conventional wisdom says he won't play most of his snaps at WR, but if you're willing to take a chance on him and that turns out to be false, you're landing a huge win.
1.12 - Cam Ward, QB, Miami
The quarterback class is weak, just as the WR class is. The clear best QB is also not him, so he probably isn't a great pick. He's very inconsistent, and it's rightful to get nervous about quarterbacks whose best traits are their improvisational skills.
In the NFL, quarterbacks usually fail if they can't play within structure and struggle if they find it hard to play within structure or try to improvise when they should be standing tall in the pocket and delivering.
Cam Ward has flaws that prevent him from being an elite QB prospect, summarized by these three clips:
• Holds onto the ball and loses the game with a turnover on 2nd down
• Takes an awful sack after hesitating to hit his wide open read
• This one is self-explanatory… pic.twitter.com/dy2gE38QdK— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 4, 2025
It's interesting that Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was easily viewed as a better prospect than Ward yet displayed some of the same deficiencies -- holding on to the ball too long, being chief among them. That's an absolute killer in the NFL. Defenses feast on QBs that can't or don't play with good timing.
Maybe he'll make his team's offensive line look terrible like Williams did when it was, in fact, his fault. But it's hard to trust him with a first-round pick.
Round 2 Dynasty Mock Draft: Picks 2.01-2.12
2.01 - Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Alright, we've written eleven gazillion words so far and turned this into a way bigger article than it might have been. Still, nothing wrong with being thorough. Sanders is an awful pick. He can't deal with pressure. You can't succeed in the NFL as a quarterback if you can't deal with pressure.
Elite NFL QBs (EPA per play >0.1) had low Pressure-to-Sack rate in college. Out of the 14 QBs with EPA per play >0.1 since 2015, 13 of them had sack rates <20% (only Daniels broke that at 20.2%) in college.
The ability to avoid sacks is critical to NFL QB play.… pic.twitter.com/mEhgtNWMEF
— Analytic Football (@analyticballer) February 5, 2025
For starters, let's dispel the myth that taking sacks doesn't matter. Pressure to sack rate is the best predictor of NFL success for quarterbacks. Having a low P2S doesn't make you automatically succeed in the NFL, but QBs with a bad rate almost always fail. There have been a select few exceptions, as always.
Sanders is in the 20 percent range, which is very bad. Many will point to Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels 20+ number as proof that it's irrelevant, but Daniels is far more athletic than Sanders, and it's much more rewarding for him to risk sacks if he hangs back for longer and waits for rushing lanes to open up or for a WR to get open.
And in Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's case, he intentionally waits for bigger plays and makes up for his sacks easily. The vast majority of QBs are simply not good enough to do this, and Sanders is part of a weak class. Burrow was the best QB prospect in a long time, and Daniels won the Heisman trophy and was an elite runner. Sanders is neither of these things.
"Taking bad sacks" is a horrible thing for a quarterback to do. Sanders does it a lot. Avoid him.
2.02 - Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Golden is a lukewarm pick here. He's leapfrogged one of his teammates in making it to the top of the second round. We feel he has the potential to develop into a nice WR2 with time. Again, though, this is a weak WR2 class. It's not a bad strategy to punt this position until later if you don't get Harris.
While he's not ridiculously explosive out of his breaks, the pacing of his routes and the intelligence with which he plays is very impressive. He's relatively twitchy, as the below post says, and varies his speed to control his position on the field and where he ends up, making the DB's job harder.
All the WRs in this class save for Harris in the first two rounds are overrated, though. Golden is not an outside WR. He's a Josh Downs-lite type player.
2.03 - Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Loveland absolutely carried the Wolverines' offense this season and is an excellent route-runner. It's always impressive to see a tight end be crucial to his team's offense and display skills that translate well to the next level.
TEs who are great route-runners make matchup nightmares for opposing defenses. They're too big and strong to be covered well by defensive backs and too quick for linebackers to cover. This archetype of player can see immediate success at the next level.
6’5, 250lbs TE’s are not usually able to create man separation like this…
Colston Loveland can. pic.twitter.com/tjzPgxRs9h
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) January 5, 2025
It's incredibly impressive to see a player of this size separate like this. And unlike the McMillan size praise, Loveland is 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, so this is justified. Loveland's game is highly refined, as he's also able to turn upfield quickly and possesses surprising speed. His quickness off the line of scrimmage is notable.
This is a fantastic pick. Loveland is the best tight end in this class, so getting him for far cheaper than Warren is a steal.
2.04 - Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
Oh god... an avalanche of receivers. This is a weak class, yet somehow, the consensus rankings for Dynasty (which determine how people draft, usually) are just hammering a million receivers. It seems like this class being weak isn't affecting how consensus thinks, and they're just jamming in WRs as if this were last year's elite class.
Well, it's not, and Royals is not a good route-runner relative to what it takes to succeed at the NFL level. Maybe compared to Utah State's competition, he was.
He's a nice gadget player and a lower-tier slot guy at the next level.
2.05 - Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
We will get to better players later. But we still have to slog through a huge glut of WRs that don't have a shot of being a WR1 and won't even be good WR2s. He's quite good at making contested catches, but he just doesn't generate consistent separation.
He's not athletic enough to be great at the next level. And while it may seem like this article harangues players too much, there is just excellent talent still on the board at this point.
2.06 - Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas
So it doesn't matter how weak the class is because people will "slam pick" receivers anyway. Got it. Bond is very fast, at least. If he can refine his route-running, he has great upside. The good thing here is that he's a better value pick than Royals, Ayomanor, and Golden in this round.
He dealt with injury issues this season. That's made his stock fall. But he has serious jets. For players in the later rounds of the draft, you should just take the better athletes. Bond has great upside due to this and shouldn't be bashed for his injury luck.
Sometimes it just looks so easy for Isaiah Bond. Speed catches the corner and he’s gone.
50-yard TD pic.twitter.com/AtkyLokSTq
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) September 15, 2024
This clip alone should tell you that there's no reason to take any of the other second-round receivers here before him. It's a bit hard not to get at least a small amount of Adonai Mitchell vibes, given his struggles with catching the ball. But he gets open often. He may take time to develop in the league, but he's a solid pick here.
2.07 - Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
There are still great RBs to come. Skattebo's lack of explosiveness will always cap his upside, but he should carve out at least some role at the next level. You can watch a 25-minute highlight reel below -- he certainly produced very well in college.
His vision, contact balance, and strength stand out particularly. The huge plays won't be as common at the next level, but his standout tackle-breaking ability will be valuable.
This isn't a bad pick, either.
2.08 - Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green
Like Warren, Fannin was very tough to tackle. Also, like Warren, his movement is very lumbering and awkward, and at TE, that's a tough sell at the next level. Fannin gained 1,555 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in his senior season.
Going to Bowling Green certainly helped his production. Size mismatches are also more prominent in college than they are in the NFL.
A lot of running through green grass doesn't make a player better at football. Fannin has some strengths, but big numbers don't guarantee great production at the next level.
2.09 - Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
Neal is a solid pick here. He was extremely productive in college. His top speed isn't special, so he won't be hitting many home runs unless the defense gets way out of position, but he routinely sets up defenders to fail and makes great cuts to get them out of position.
His style is beautifully crafted, and his lateral agility is seriously impressive. This is extremely important at the next level. With time, he should be able to carve out a consistent role. He should settle into an RB2 role, at the very least, toward the end of the season.
Beyond that, his landing spot will be very important.
2.10 - Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
A diamond in the rough, Higgins is one of the best WRs in this class. He's a fantastic value pick at this spot, and you should be very happy if you're at this spot and able to get him here. I'd personally reach for him in the earlier parts of the second round, as he easily clears them.
I don't normally like posting reps where the WR blows past a defender this easily, but Jayden Higgins isn't supposed to be able to move like this at this size pic.twitter.com/jYsM44iIxH
— Joe DeLeone (@joedeleone) January 29, 2025
He's easily a better route-runner than McMillan, who has a limited set of routes that he can run well. And he's around the same size (just one inch shorter and three pounds heavier). Higgins is a smooth, fluid route-runner with great ball skills and impressive jump-ball ability.
When evaluating contested catches, the "wow" plays translate much better than making routine catches and hanging on while absorbing hits. This may be hard to believe, but remember Polk from the 2024 Draft. He supposedly had the best hands in college football, and then we learned that they were bricks in the NFL.
Late adjustments and fighting through real contact are also good signs. A defender merely being there and barely making an effort to get the ball doesn't count. It's generally more reliable to win with finesse and technique than it is through strength.
Iowa St. WR Jayden Higgins - size (6'3+, 215) ✅ and the contested catch ability to match
But even more impressive at that size is his short area quickness pre/post catch
60 1st downs and 9 TDs this season (per PFF) pic.twitter.com/8MknQQLzj4
— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) December 5, 2024
And short-area quickness is far more important, because separation is king in the NFL. No receiver consistently catches passes while having guys draped on them or getting blasted by tackles in the league year after year. Higgins' ability to pick up first downs stands out as well.
Explosiveness out of breaks is massively important. Higgins has it. Draft him in the second round at any point and you're making a good WR pick.
2.11 - Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon
Please, for the love of God, pick this guy before the next one. Johnson comps very closely with Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell, who was on fire before injury issues and his quarterback's massive regression ground that train to a halt.
He is an elite separator. Dell also already proved that his size won't be an issue for his play, so stop worrying about that.
Tez Johnson is so dynamic
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 8, 2024
He's also fantastic after the catch, has great short-area quickness, and has speed to burn. Johnson is my WR2 in this class, but he's being ignored for what reason is beyond me. For reference, Harris is at No. 1, and Higgins is at No. 3, with McMillan at the fourth spot.
Sounds insane? Sometimes, the insane-sounding ideas before the season are correct. Like with Bucky Irving last year. It turns out that if you nail what NFL scouting gets wrong, you can crush all your leagues.
2.12 - Xavier Restrepo, WR, Miami
While his athleticism probably precludes him from being a No. 1 WR, Restrepo's ceiling is around that of Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir. In fact, it's difficult not to think of Shakir when watching Restrepo's tape.
Xavier Restrepo wins with subtlety.
Watch how efficiently he breaks. At no point can the DB decipher whether he’s going to continue up field or break into the middle. In the blink of an eye, he’s already found the soft spot.
This isn’t flashy, but it exemplifies his game… pic.twitter.com/73lOI29Je8
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) January 25, 2025
He's my No. 5 WR in this class. His skill set will be immediately useful at the next level, and the short-area quickness should help him gain consistent separation. A team looking for a Shakir-type player will be happy with him. This is a solid pick.
Round 3 Dynasty Mock Draft: Picks 3.01-3.12
3.01 - Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee
There is absolutely no reason for Sampson to be drafted this late, but consensus is consensus. He's the first of three RBs that are so hilariously underrated that it seems like we're living in a fever dream. What could possibly make people want to draft unathletic receivers in a weak class over an astounding athlete like Sampson is just mind-boggling.
The Colts need someone like Dylan Sampson (preferably Sampson himself) really, really badly pic.twitter.com/XLW9JZEVm1
— John (@colts_report) January 30, 2025
He is a league-winner in redraft and Dynasty. He broke school rushing records this season and was first-team All-SEC. Why you'd draft a mediocre Utah State WR over him is just ludicrous.
WHY is a dark horse Heisman candidate SEC running back who runs a 4.3 40-yard dash and had elite production being rated IN THE THIRD ROUND by consensus? What is happening? Sampson is a steal and worth a first-round pick.
3.02 - Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Milroe is not a good passer. He probably won't succeed in the NFL because of this. He's not a good decision-maker, and while he has some solid wheels, his regression in 2024 exposed many of his flaws.
Poor pocket awareness, bad decisions, and inaccuracy will make life brutal for him at the next level. His rushing upside makes him worth picking at some point in rookie drafts, though.
I'm being too nice actually. He's terrible. No reason to draft him. Find a QB elsewhere.
3.03 - RJ Harvey, RB, UCF
Part deux of "WHAT"???? Harvey is an elite running back who's averaged over 6.0 yards per carry for three seasons in a row. He ran for 1,416 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2023 and improved to 1,577 yards and 22 rushing scores in 2024.
The best RB in his school's history is an elite prospect and is criminally underrated. He's risen a bit recently, but he's still way too low. And he's an elite athlete. The preseason ratings of players sometimes drag them down, and they can't recover when they're overshadowed by a guy like Jeanty.
Part of the reason I recommend not drafting the Iowa RB Johnson is that players like Harvey are better and available much later.
All-American RJ Harvey 2024 Highlights pic.twitter.com/0QY29H5mhy
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) December 16, 2024
Elite athleticism should command your curiosity, and when combined with elite production, the two should command your attention. Harvey is a top-4 back in this class. He is a monster steal in the third round of rookie drafts.
3.04 - Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
Dart is my QB1 in this year's class. He's been underrated, like many other players, for reasons that are tough to wrap one's head fully around. He had great production, led an excellent offense, and did so without his WR1, the aforementioned Harris, for much of the season.
QB draft prospects when blitzed during their final college season pic.twitter.com/1b6u8tbeAm
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) February 4, 2025
His absurd 12.4 yards per pass attempt against the blitz and 92.8 PFF grade both lead all quarterbacks over the last two seasons. One of two things has to be true -- either Dart is underrated, or Harris is underrated. Both can be true.
He's clearly shown that he can handle pressure. Ward and Sanders have shown that they cannot. And not being able to deal with pressure is a terrible thing for an NFL quarterback. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold proved that to us in his final two games this season.
Dart is the best QB in this year's draft. It's a weak class, but he's still a great value here.
3.05 - Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
Gordon's 2024 tape and numbers stand in stark contrast to those of his 2023 campaign. Either opposing defenses solved him, or the whole offense took a step back. Both may be true. He played in the Big 12, so it's not like he was facing elite defensive units.
Still, it's hard to watch the tape and not see a blueprint for success in the NFL. His combination of size and speed is impressive. He can't hold a candle to Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry, but it's hard to think he should be ranked so low now. This is a good value pick.
He does have impressive athleticism, and his hurdles are certainly highlight-worthy. This feels like a classic case of overthinking. Gordon is solid and should earn a nice role with time.
3.06 - Savion Williams, WR, TCU
Williams is not a traditional NFL wide receiver, but he's an explosive athlete.
He can't run traditional routes and get separation, but in the hands of a good offensive coordinator, he could develop into something interesting. He might be better suited as a gadget player. So, in the right hands, he's an interesting player to pick up.
His after-catch ability and capabilities out of the backfield mean he should find a home somewhere and have solid potential. He's an intriguing prospect.
3.07 - Jack Bech, WR, TCU
Bech could carve out a WR3 role at some point, but he's more likely a rotational or depth piece. It's hard to see him getting much playing time, as his athleticism is simply not up to par for NFL standards. He's not quick or explosive enough to generate consistent separation at the next level.
3.08 - Damien Martinez, RB, Miami
There isn't a ton of upside with Martinez. He may struggle to find his way onto a committee. He's nowhere close to the last two players on this list. He doesn't have elite burst or athleticism and has somewhat stiff hips. He'll likely spend his career as a backup or third-stringer but not a lead back.
3.09 - Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
Noel is an interesting slot option at the next level. He has the skills to at least get a part-time role, and if he lands on a team that has a need at slot WR, he could develop into an option for them. His speed is solid, and he has the requisite athleticism if he progresses in his game.
It will come down to a landing spot for him, but it's possible he could push his way into relevance. In the third round, that's all you can ask for (from a receiver this year).
EDIT: After more thorough review of the tape, I am VERY high on Noel. He will be a massive, massive steal in all fantasy formats.
3.10 - Woody Marks, RB, USC
Marks is a good accelerator that has solid top-end speed but lacks excellent lateral agility. Still, he should be a nice backup at the next level and could develop into a lower-end lead back on the right team. There were a few teams that didn't have good RBs last season, and though this class is stacked, in a great landing spot, he could have a few years as a FLEX-worthy player if he's lucky.
3.11*** Brashard Smith, RB, SMU
Steal city. Another explosive RB with elite production who is massively underrated. What a surprise! He's ranked in the 50s of FantasyPros rookie rankings. I guess 1,332 yards rushing at 5.7 yards per carry, 14 touchdowns, and 327 receiving yards and four touchdowns is bad now?
SMU RB Brashard Smith is a name that I was frankly ignorant on coming into today.
Not anymore. His tape shows an extremely versatile back who is a major threat as receiver. Very good speed & elite change of direction.
Excited for another look tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/F5naJvi0mC
— Justin Apodaca (@JustinApod) January 28, 2025
He has way too much burst, lateral agility, vision, and fluidity of movement to be rated this low. I'm not sure what the deal is with consensus this season, but it's egregiously off on some players. Then again, it usually is.
Smith has all the tools to succeed. He could put on some weight, sure, but he will likely be used as a weapon out of the backfield, which helps his value. He's a very capable receiver.
And better than Kaleb Johnson.
3.12*** - Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
I put three asterisks because, for some reason, Tuten is also ranked outside the top 36 rookies.
Yeah, that's the most egregious rating of any player in this class. Tuten is elite.
He's possibly the best athlete of all the running backs in this class. He's great at everything, too.
I see a lot of this in Bhayshul Tuten. Big reason I'm so high on him. pic.twitter.com/C2w0Mjaode
— Jordan W (@hillarambe) January 19, 2025
Seriously. Tuten is elite. He checks every box, but he... went to Virginia Tech? Maybe that's why he's so criminally underrated. Anyway, he's my RB2
Jeanty, Skattebo, Yarns look nice here pic.twitter.com/0Jh7Ag0sTI
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) February 3, 2025
He's an easy top-5 back in a stacked class and my personal RB2. If you have a chance to get him in the third round, TAKE IT!
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