RADIO
John Johnson's post-NFL Combine fantasy football rookie mock draft for 12-Team Superflex and 2-QB leagues. John breaks down whether each player is a good or bad pick in 2025 fantasy football rookie mock drafts in this big deep dive.
Dynasty fantasy football truly never sleeps. Thanks to the most dedicated fantasy managers out there, sites like RotoBaller can exist, always bringing you the latest up-to-date news about basically everything sports related, or in my case, telling you exactly who you should and shouldn't draft.
Every year, consensus rankings for both rookies and startups are filled with land mines or players that won't come anywhere close to producing enough to justify their ADP, thus essentially nuking your team. These are players you want to avoid. I'll be sure to warn you about them, as I have many times in the past.
Be sure to remember these takes when the season rolls around. I believe they'll age very well over the next few years. Let's dive in.
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Round 1 Mock Draft
1.01 - Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Combine testing or not, nothing will budge Jeanty's spot here. He'll slot in as an immediate bell-cow back at the next level and should produce very nicely as a result. There's not much to dislike about him. One of the few questions is his top speed, as it's possible he nixed testing at the combine because the other backs were so explosive.
ASHTON JEANTY TO THE HOUSE.
ONE OF THE SWEETEST RUNS YOU WILL EVER SEE.
THIS KID IS SPECIAL.
😱😱😱
pic.twitter.com/Llx0hULFqw— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 29, 2024
That being said, who the hell cares? Jeanty almost won the Heisman and rushed for over 2,600 yards and 29 touchdowns. And he showcased dominance on tape. He's not budging from the 1.01
1.02 - Cam Ward, QB, Miami
By now, Ward is the consensus QB1 of this class. While I vehemently disagree with this ranking, it's probably not changing. The top-3 are relatively set, and the combine and pro days are basically useless in evaluating quarterbacks.
Cam Ward has an arm arrogance that I love, and it also scares the crap out of me at times. There's a Jameis/Cutler rogue gene in there that will need to be tempered a bit. It'd have played better in the 1970s. pic.twitter.com/f6wa7xPe1T
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) February 28, 2025
So let's just ignore all the trash he puts on tape because he had a good statistical season and put some flashy plays on tape, right? I won't. I think Ward isn't worth this pick. This is the year you should trade back in rookie drafts, because other than the 1.01, the top tiers are stacked with garbage value.
1.03 - Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
It makes sense that the majority of the community have dug their heels in on T-Mac being the consensus WR1. Searches of X yield nothing but a verifiable avalanche of positive propaganda about him being the next elite prospect. This can all be traced back to an offseason video of him catching jump balls in drills and his massive game against the New Mexico Lobos that proved that he was totally elite and the WR1 and no one could possibly top him.
Tetairoa McMillan gets the Tee Higgins/Drake London comps due to his ability to separate at size.
He’s not the best separator, but I wouldn’t consider it a weakness.
Being dominate at the catch point as well as winning with your feet is key at that size.pic.twitter.com/icRv2vifks
— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) January 13, 2025
His highlight reel is full of him... not really separating very well, despite facing very poor defensive backs. The Big 12 is infamous for its poor pass-coverage, and that wasn't any different this season. Players can look great, especially if they're tall, against bad defenses, but his lack of separation ability IS a big deal because he doesn't have the strength that Atlanta Falcons WR Drake London does.
And the comps to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans are just disrespectful. Evans was, and remains, an elite separator, as well as being stronger and more physical than McMillan. T-Mac would probably be a lot lower on draft boards if he were three inches shorter, and that's important to remember.
He also didn't participate in the combine, despite a chance of boosting his draft stock if he did. It's safe to assume he'd have run something close to a 4.60-second 40-yard-dash because if he ran anything in the low 4.5s or better, he'd have certainly impressed NFL scouts.
1.04 - Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
When I said the top part of the draft here was filled with trash, I wasn't lying. Sanders is another very, very poor pick because the way he reacts to pressure kills way, way too many drives. Being a good QB at the next level is also about preventing bad plays from happening. You can have all the accuracy in the world, but when pressure is in your face and you need to save drives, you can't put your team in a hole.
Why do I have a 2nd round grade on Shedeur Sanders?
• He holds onto the ball and takes bad sacks (23% P2S)
• Puts the ball in harm’s way under pressure
• Non-elite arm talent on film
• Modest athlete; pocket passer who panics and can’t hang in the pocket pic.twitter.com/pg2fUel1tv— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 4, 2025
I can forgive the lack of arm strength. What I can't forgive is the consistent bad decision making and poor pocket management. His rookie season will be a disaster if he's not put behind an elite offensive line. He could fix these problems, sure, but when was the last time we saw a player turn all these negatives around into strengths?
NFL quarterbacks really need to operate at least passably under pressure. And if they're not good at sensing it, adjusting to it, and making plays despite it, their production ceiling is severely capped.
1.05 - Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
He also didn't test at the combine, which concerns me. What also concerns me is that his route-running, while regarded as elite, doesn't show the requisite explosiveness in and out of his breaks to win consistently against outside coverage in the NFL.
Landing Emeka Egbuka wouldn't be too bad either. pic.twitter.com/4nmj8C1Ssb
— Brennen Rupp (@Brennen_Rupp) May 14, 2023
It's very, very strange to see him regarded as an elite prospect when his feet aren't particularly quick, especially on plays like the one above, and he doesn't separate much on a basic slant route. He's sluggish at the apex of many of his routes and struggles mightily against physical man coverage.
Watching Jabbar Muhammad in both games vs Ohio State. Here he dominates my guy Emeka Egbuka in press coverage.
Wait till I start posting the clips vs Jeremiah Smith and tell me he isn't one of the best CBs in this class. pic.twitter.com/RTUFKRqfIn
— Mighty Kaos aka Coach Williams 🏈 (@mightykaos41) January 28, 2025
Right now, he doesn't have the tools to be more than a power slot guy. Any NFL corner worth their salt will brutalize him. This is another pick you shouldn't make.
1.06 - Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
He ran a 4.41-second 40-yard-dash, so that means you should definitely ignore the fact that he's even worse against press than Egbuka and can't run a good route tree to save his life. Burden has a lot of work to do to become a consistently productive NFL wideout unless he's fed a bunch of easy targets to boost his value in PPR leagues.
📼TAPE TIME📼
WR Luther Burden III
Missouri❌THE BAD❌#scouting #NFLDraft #Mizzou #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/pLp0uyc4sp
— Mike Poland (@kenfigkowboy) February 3, 2025
Burden is praised for his ability after the catch, and his speed was solid, but I don't think he's even the best YAC receiver in this class. And using a first-round pick on a WR with big, glaring weaknesses in the most fundamental areas of a pass-catcher's game, in the hopes that he just learns how to be a good route-runner and separator and learns to beat tight coverage isn't a good strategy.
1.07 - Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
Dart is somewhat of the antithesis of Sanders and Ward in that he is much better at navigating the pocket, sensing pressure, escaping from said pressure, identifying blitzes, and having a cerebral understanding of the game that shows up on tape in very subtle ways. All the "obvious" things that a QB should do, Dart does better than Ward or Sanders on a consistent basis.
People say this was the best throw of Jaxson Dart's career so far, but he did the exact same vs The Duke Blue Devils in the Gator Bowl. Dart is a DAWG, they beat Duke that day 52 - 20.pic.twitter.com/qsnIxsh0nX
— 🏅C3 Deezeillskillz (@Deezeillskillz) March 3, 2025
The negatives to Dart's game are mostly minor or very coachable things. Subtle issues that he needs to work on are a lack of elite arm strength and not producing quite as well as Ward or Sanders did in their final seasons. Keep in mind Dart went much of the year without his top wideout because that's important.
Okay, Jaxson Dart. pic.twitter.com/mU3SZ6B63r
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) February 26, 2025
Dart is my QB1 for a lot of reasons, of which there are too many to list here. I think his understanding of the position is far deeper than Ward's or Sanders', and it shows up on tape. In a variety of tough situations, he displayed the best playmaking acumen of the three.
1.08 - Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
I'm not the biggest fan of his route-running and separation skills. Even though he's a bowling ball and can just truck defenders, as a pure pass-catcher, he leaves a bit to be desired. The NFL is remarkably unforgiving to all athletes who want to catch the ball that can't separate from coverage well.
Having 100+ catches for over 1,200 yards and 8 TDs in a season is cool and all...
But it's wild that Tyler Warren also had 26 rushing attempts for 218 yards and 4 TDs, while averaging 8.4 yards per carry.
Swiss Army knife 💪
— Joe Beldner (@JoeBeldner) February 26, 2025
Most of his tape showcases him running over defenders and making impressive plays after the catch and in the run game. Now name a tight end that's a good fantasy option that mainly wins that way. There isn't one, because you can't bully NFL defenders like you can the guys in college.
TYLER WARREN - (TE, PENN STATE) (6’6’’ 260 LBS)
Warren is a high-level athlete whose skill set is NFL ready due to his catch radius, route-running, YAC, and unlimited positional versatility.
Strengths:
- Very tall and well-built size for an NFL ready Tight End
- Huge catch… https://t.co/Pw1MQIQPdS pic.twitter.com/v29Lb5gPFy— Nick McClay (@nickmcclay22) February 13, 2025
Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski could run through defenders, but he was a good separator. That YAC skill is best suited as a complementary piece to a TE's game rather than the featured talent. As an extension of the run game, Warren does have intriguing upside. But expecting him to have a receiving ceiling around that of players like Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers isn't realistic.
He's nowhere close to those guys as a separator. How he's used will be key, because he's talented enough to be productive mainly after the catch. He's an absurd athlete. But his big plays mainly come on short routes, runs, or posts and other vertical routes without sharp cuts to get away from defenders.
He's not that bad of a pick, but adjusting expectations for his receiving output is probably a good idea. He'll need to be fed a lot of designed targets to put up impressive stat lines, because he will be blanketed by defensive backs in the NFL.
1.09 - Omarion Hampton, RB, UNC
Hampton is a good pick here. He smashed his combine, running an official 4.47-second 40-yard-dash, leapt 38 inches in the vertical jump, and logged a 10-foot-10-inch broad jump. All at 221 pounds. Hampton has the durability, size, and athleticism to step in to a premier RB1 role from Day 1 in the league.
Hampton was the feature back for his college in 2023 and 2024, amassing 534 carries for 3,164 yards and 30 touchdowns, and hauling in 67 catches for 595 yards and three scores. On the right team, he'll face very little competition for touches, and he'll be just 22 years old to start the 2025 season.
UNC RB Omarion Hampton is a top 5 RB in this class for a few reasons...
But this is one of them.
His tendency to power through contact and always fall forward for extra yards.
Perfect skillset to be a 1B HAMMER. pic.twitter.com/bwP9GuN4np
— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) February 4, 2025
He's the definition of a power back. His top speed won't have him hitting a ton of home runs, but volume is arguably the most important thing here. I can't help but see Joe Mixon in his game. In fact, their games were eerily similar in college.
He could stand to be a bit more elusive and to accelerate more quickly when he's off-balance, but these are more nitpicks than anything. However, his lateral agility is just solid, not great, so he'll need good blocking at the next level, or he risks having seasons of poor efficiency.
Omarion Hampton is next in line for a long list of elite power backs…
Think Josh Jacobs, Deuce McAllister, all-pro David Johnson, Nick Chubb, etc.
Elite contact balance, falls forward for extra yards, explosive linear athlete.
RB2 and top 30 player. pic.twitter.com/KtYbw3M1S3
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 22, 2025
He's not the most adept at quickly shifting horizontally to set himself up to explode through creases that the offensive line opens up. Even at his size, it's tough to be a majority downhill runner in the league. Basically only Derrick Henry can do that. Landing spot will be very important for Hampton. This is an area of his game he has the athletic talent to improve, though.
He has fantastic contact balance, which is one of the strongest parts of his game. A team that lets him build up speed and get to the second level will present an ideal situation for him. Think of the difference between Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs' seasons in 2023 and 2024. Hopefully the former Tar Heel doesn't go to the Raiders.
1.10 - Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Golden's 4.29-second 40-yard-dash would have risen his stock here more had Hampton not also dominated the combine. I guess the tape didn't show that the Texas product was quite that fast. Hilariously, his teammate Isaiah Bond, who boasted that he could break the record, didn't come close.
Matthew Golden made the SEC Championship a really tough game for Georgia CB Daniel Harris - full route running ability was on display from his ability to win vertically to breaking routes in any direction.
Separation city. pic.twitter.com/m4Hdqc54LT
— John Crumpler (@JohnCrumplerMD) March 4, 2025
While I disagree with the above X poster than an out route with outside leverage against a defensive back that's behind you equates to separation city, Golden's athleticism gives him a higher ceiling than we previously thought. Why I don't like picking him here is that he's just not explosive out of his breaks.
Despite the speed, his routes are just fine. Success on short out routes is far too commonly touted as proof of elite separation skills. Golden rarely burned opposing defensive backs in 1-on-1's, and didn't get open consistently. When adjusting for the much better athleticism of NFL defensive backs, I don't see Golden doing much in his first year.
First and second round WRs since 2020 along with this year’s notables. pic.twitter.com/m4JUkxbyDh
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) February 22, 2025
A faster Ja'Lynn Polk is my best comp for him, with less brickhandism disease.
1.11 - TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
One catch and run that was well blocked and went for a long touchdown in the National Championship game pushed Henderson into the first round. I don't know if he should be here, though. There are other backs I'd rather have. Henderson's upright running style won't be conducive to breaking tackles at the next level.
And he's fast, but not quite the elite burner he was touted to be, if his 40-yard-dash is any indication. Henderson isn't in my top-5 backs, not because he isn't good, but because there's a lot better talent in this class.
1.12 - Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
He's fallen a bit after his lackluster combine performance, but I maintain that he's not a good prospect, and simply had an elite situation. I've never seen run-blocking as good as I saw Johnson get in college, and most of the time, he simply ran through wide open holes. He's not particularly elusive, strong, or fast.
List of RBs I'd rather draft in rookie drafts than Kaleb Johnson:
Ashton Jeanty
Omarion Hampton
Bhayshul Tuten
Brashard Smith
Dylan Sampson
RJ Harvey
Devin Neal
Quinshon Judkins
Cam Skattebo
TreVeyon Henderson
Raheim Sanders— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) March 2, 2025
He's an utter waste of a pick at this spot. Take any of the other guys on the above list, please. The most mediocre of the athletes that doesn't do much other than follow his blocks should not be on your radar.
Round 2 Mock Draft
2.01 - Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
Judkins would be a running back that I really liked, where it not for one glaring flaw in his game. His tape at both Ole Miss and Ohio State showed some of the most inflexible hips I've seen on a back. With speed, that becomes an issue. There's not much curvilinear acceleration or bend to his game when he has any kind of velocity.
He has great power and solid explosiveness, so when he builds up a head of steam, he's a formidable foe for defenders trying to tackle him. But NFL linebackers won't just keel over like a lot of them do in college. It's generally a far better and more sustainable practice to make them miss with elusiveness.
QUINSHON JUDKINS BREAKS LOOSE FOR 70 😤 pic.twitter.com/caOnrKcRm7
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 21, 2025
Landing spot will be of massive importance for him. As you can see above, when the blocking is good, everything's fine. But if he ever has to deal with poor run-blocking, it might not be pretty.
Former Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins who recently entered the transfer portal has followed many current Ohio State players on Instagram 👀. Would be HUGE portal pickup pic.twitter.com/oXFz42yvqf
— The Buckeye Nut (@TheBuckeyeNut) January 5, 2024
Stiff hips doesn't imply that a player can't put on juke moves. But with any kind of speed, Judkins is relegated to being a downhill runner. That works often, of course, but it limits his overall upside. Judkins is perhaps best suited as a committee back, because he's not great at quickly bounding behind the line of scrimmage to find small creases and taking off from awkward angles to accelerate.
2.02 - Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
The best possible pick you can make at RB in this year's draft, Tuten is my RB1 on the season. He's a remarkably explosive athlete who's massively slept on. I'm not sure how he has such a complete suite of skills to succeed as an RB at the next level and is treated like he's just a track star.
And before the combine, he was hardly on anyone's radar. Which makes no sense. The film is the best of any of this year's RBs in terms of translatable skillsets. Two of my concerns with Jeanty is that NFL tacklers are not so easy to shrug off, and Boise State regularly gave him the luxury of excellent run-blocking.
Bhayshul Tuten is the biggest riser at RB in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Boasts 228 missed tackles forced with 46 TDs in the last three years. 18% explosive run rate and also a beast in the red zone. Fumbles are of concern (5 in 2024). Pass pro/receiving is average.
Day 2 talent, imo. pic.twitter.com/2KFZsVa7Cp
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 21, 2025
While Tuten didn't have guys hanging off of him as much as Jeanty did, I'd argue he's the better player due to his elite speed. He's a great goal-line back, and forces a ton of missed tackles, as you can see from the X post above. I'd argue the first play it shows is the most impressive broken tackle of the season.
Tuten is much faster than Jeanty. In fantasy football, home-run hitters win leagues every season. Tuten is the premier home-run hitter in the draft and will be one of the best in the league, considering he ran a 4.32 40-yard-dash, which is remarkable. He's faster than Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
2.03 - Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
There's significant risk in drafting Hunter. It's not possible for a player to play two ways in the NFL, however much he might insist it is. Even if he had the durability and endurance to play a majority of the team's snaps, he would essentially need to double up his practices and all his studying and film sessions. It wouldn't make much sense, as it would simply require too much time.
“I was able to speak with eight scouts in total. Five of them shared with me that their team views Hunter as a WR, and three have him listed as a CB. When asked if they see him having a role on both sides, they all agreed it would be a mistake not to utilize his unicorn ability… https://t.co/3MbtKAwzDQ
— 32BeatWriters (@32BeatWriters) March 4, 2025
However, recently, there's been increased rumblings that Hunter could get significantly more snaps, and thus opportunities, at wide receiver. He has the highest athletic ceiling of any "WR" prospect in this class. If we do see him taking the majority of his work at WR, and being used in special packages as a cornerback to leverage his athletic superiority, he could have major upside.
Of course, if we knew already that he'd play a ton at wideout, his value would be much higher. Part of the price of getting him with a second-round pick is the chance that he'll be a tough player to start. But chasing upside wins you championships. And considering the massive dearth of good WRs, at least compared to what NFL teams want, Hunter could be a huge steal.
Travis Hunter = Tempo King
He manipulates his defenders with speed transitions, tempo, and footwork.
Special talent.pic.twitter.com/uGkOR4sn49
— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) January 16, 2025
2.04 - Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
The best comp I could come up with for Ayomanor was a faster and less injury-prone Michael Wilson. How much confidence that inspires in me is questionable. Ayomanor is a tough player to evaluate, though, because he wasn't asked to run a diverse route tree at Stanford. Whether that was a limitation of his skill or of the offense he played in is up for debate.
For someone who’s 6’2/210lbs, Elic Ayomanor (WR #Standord) plays with a ton of horsepower & twitchiness.
– Definitely someone who’s rising up my board slowly…
Potential Fits: #Chargers, #Chiefs, #Ravens, #Patriots pic.twitter.com/DjCh8SfYBb
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) January 21, 2025
The Cardinal spammed the ever-loving hell out of the comeback routes. And he was usually money on these. He moves like he's 10 pounds lighter and a few inches shorter than he actually is, and has impressive explosiveness. He's also a good jump-ball artist and is smart with how he moves after the catch.
I keep hearing/reading that Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor has “great ball skills”. Sure, he makes some wildly acrobatic catches look easy. But to see a handful of highlights and proclaim “great ball skills” is just LAZY… and incorrect.
I actually love many aspects of 13’s game… pic.twitter.com/3qF9MTMXHD
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) February 22, 2025
But... the drops. Quentin Johnston 2.0 maybe? Who knows. Can't always get caught up in the athleticism.
2.05 - Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Basically the entire Wolverines passing offense last season was Loveland. Any time you see that from a tight end, you should start paying attention. Loveland has the highest upside of any tight end in this class, though many believe it's Warren who is the best prospect.
The difference between the two is that Loveland is a much, much better route-runner and separator. That will always be the most important prerequisite for a TE or WR to be good in the NFL, other than very basic things like not having stone hands and being able to see.
Colston Loveland is a big, fast dude.
Opportunity, under the right coaching staff, to serve as a complete mismatch in the slot at the next level. pic.twitter.com/0AaY9DvZsS
— John Crumpler (@JohnCrumplerMD) March 4, 2025
TEs with his suddenness and burst in and out of breaks, and great separation skills, are massive mismatches. He's 6-foot-5 and weighed in at 248 pounds at the combine. Just because he doesn't run over people as much as Warren does doesn't mean you shouldn't consider that Loveland is TE1 of this class.
In the right offense, he should quickly become a premier option and a TE1 in fantasy.
2.06 - Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Milroe is an absolutely horrible passer. He does not have the accuracy right now to be an NFL quarterback, and usually that's a difficult thing to fix. Milroe has intriguing rushing upside, but that's about it. I wouldn't be comfortable drafting him in any league anywhere at any point.
Billy Bowman Jr. Intercepting Jalen Milroe@AtoZSportsNFL pic.twitter.com/iaMKXHH7Zr
— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) January 28, 2025
There are too many clips of him not being able to hit the broad side of a barn, even when not under any pressure.
Everything is off here.
Footwork, timing, mechanics, everything.
I won’t own a single share of Jalen Milroe even if he’s a 1st round pick.pic.twitter.com/4B93COCrqI
— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) January 31, 2025
He has deep, deep fundamental issues with his game that need fixing. It'd be better for you to wait and see if he makes strides, then trade with him later. QBs with this many problems that are this big typically fall in value after their rookie seasons, anyway. Situation will matter, of course. If he gets the reins of a good team, he could be productive in fantasy for a time.
But he probably wouldn't keep any starting position for long. He'd be interesting as a spot starter if his rushing upside pans out.
2.07 - Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
Higgins ran an official 4.47-second 40-yard-dash at the combine, which was impressive. He's 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, yet is a very fluid mover and ran a diverse route tree, showcasing impressive nuance in his separation skills. And unlike Ayomanor, he does have good "ball skills" and isn't plagued with drops.
Jayden Higgins
- So silky for a 6'4 215 guy. pic.twitter.com/1EsXPQXY6I
— Jacob Morley (@JacobMorley) January 31, 2025
His route breaks are extremely crisp and clean. I like a bigger Jakobi Meyers comp for him, which is something that excites me greatly. Higgins is a fantastic pick. I think he's what people want T-Mac to be, as he's better with both contested catches and jump balls, in my mind.
2.08 - Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
I like him a lot. He doesn't have great straight-line speed, but it's tough to poke other holes in his game. He's an extremely fluid mover, highly elusive, plays with great strength, and is an instinctive back that regularly sets up defenders to fail.
Every Cam Skattebo breakaway run (15+yards) from 2024 #NFLDraft2025 pic.twitter.com/dgC8rNj696
— Ray G (@RayGQue) February 24, 2025
He's very tough to bring down, often would carry defenders on his back, can absorb big hits and remain upright, and is good at shrugging off even firm tackle attempts. In the open field, he won't be outrunning many defenders, but has excellent vision, and should still be able to break off big runs.
To me, he feels like a bigger, stronger, and upgraded version of Kyren Williams.
2.09 - Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
A riser because of his combine performance, I can't see any reason why Royals should be here in place of the Iowa State product, Jaylin Noel, who's just a better player. Royals' suddenness out of his route breaks isn't to the standard it needs to be to play outside. He's more of a YAC threat than anything, which means he could get a role, at least.
Maybe a rotational WR3 role is in his future. Not something I'm excited about picking up in the second round. There are other fast receivers that are better, like Noel.
2.10 - Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
Neal didn't stand out at the combine, running a 4.58-second 40-yard-dash. He's in a speed tier with Johnson and Skattebo, among which I like Skattebo the most. Neal probably won't demand a workhorse role unless he lands on a team with a lack of RB talent, but he's good enough to at least earn a committee spot right now.
He's solid in most areas of his game. Elusiveness, strength, power, vision, etc. There's nothing that screams "great", though. I'd much rather draft the next pick here.
2.11 - Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee
I was confused that Sampson elected not to run the 40-yard-dash at the combine. I suspect it could be due to an injury, likely the lingering effects of the hamstring issue he picked up in his final game of the season. Which makes perfect sense. No reason to risk pulling his hammy again.
The hole the OL created here was a thing of beauty. And then the burst of speed from Dylan Sampson when he got to the edge. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/QOMyzWkth8
— zach ragan (@zachTNT) September 10, 2024
I imagine without the injury, Sampson would have run a 4.35-ish 40-yard-dash, and been the second-fastest RB, behind Tuten. Sampson can do everything. He plays with great strength, has insane acceleration and top speed, can be a workhorse, has good receiving ability, has good vision and plays with plenty of bend. He's a fantastic pick. Hopefully his hamstring has healed fully.
He's a steal here.
2.12 - Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
I did a review of Noel's film recently. He's incredibly explosive when changing directions, and his route breaks are like dynamite. I was seriously impressed. He'll be a huge steal in rookie drafts, considering he's not even going in the second round in many mocks.
Jaylin Noel with the phenomenal adjustment to the ball against Quincy Riley! #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/VMrk3bHQlM
— Travis May (@FF_TravisM) January 28, 2025
Noel just has "it". A remarkable suite of ball skills, intelligence, and awareness to go along with solid speed and explosiveness. He's like a faster Amon-Ra St. Brown, and his ceiling in the league feels pretty similar. I don't want to make that comp without giving credit to fantasy analyst Brett Whitefield for making it first. Thanks, Brett.
Anyways. Noel is likely to be a league-winner in redraft if he goes to a functional offense. And in Dynasty, he's a slam-dunk great pick.
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