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Andy Richardson

Rookie Draft Recap

Jeanty, and then not much agreement

My dynasty league held its annual rookie draft over the weekend. I like to present the recap here for people to see how one group of 12 teams viewed the incoming class. If you have your own rookie draft coming up, perhaps this one will help.

This is a one-quarterback league. I understand a lot of dynasty leagues are SuperFlex, with the result being that quarterbacks go early and often. But this year, that's probably less true than normal. And in 1-QB leagues like mine, there really wasn't a lot of love for the position.

It's PPR scoring, but TE-premium, so tight ends get 1.5 points per reception. There are also 2 flex spots in lineups, so theoretically you can start 3 tight ends per week. Last year in this league, rookie tight end Brock Bowers was the 8th-highest scoring non-quarterback, Trey McBride was 10th, and George Kittle was 13th. I mention this in part so I'll catch less heat for my first-round pick, which I'm already second-guessing.

But whatever, here's the recap. My picks are in bold.

ROUND 1
PickPlayerPos
1.01Ashton JeantyRB
1.02Omarion HamptonRB
1.03Tetairoa McMillanWR
1.04Tyler WarrenTE
1.05Travis HunterWR
1.06TreVeyon HendersonRB
1.07Colston LovelandTE
1.08Quinshon JudkinsRB
1.09Emeka EgbukaWR
1.10Kaleb JohnsonRB
1.11Matthew GoldenWR
1.12RJ HarveyRB

If you have the top pick and for some inexplicable reason don't want to select Jeanty, trade that pick for a bounty you'll surely get. He's not going to a great roster, but that probably only means he'll be more of a centerpiece -- runs, short catches, lots of big plays.

There are three reasonable candidates for the No. 2 spot. But Hampton is the other clear workhorse back in this class and shouldn't take long to push Najee into a secondary role (one-year contract for him, too).

McMillan and Hunter can and will be debated. Hunter is the unicorn who I'd pick if I knew he'd play full-time as a wide receiver. McMillan doesn't have as good a quarterback, but he should be the No. 1 right away and the kind of guy who will make Bryce Young look better. I am aware the Jaguars say Hunter will start out with the wide receivers. I think you only trade up to take him at No. 2 overall if you're planning on playing him both ways, and that has to mean he'll be held out of some offensive packages. And Brian Thomas is really good.

That mild concern from a fantasy perspective with Hunter, who to be clear is awesome, is part of why I went with Warren, a pick I'm second-guessing. He's great, he put up huge numbers last year, he goes to a team with little else at the position. And it's TE-premium, and my current TEs are Dallas Goedert and Cole Kmet, which was fine last year but not so much this year. I'm also debating Warren versus Loveland, and since I have Kmet I suppose Loveland would be the wiser pick. Ian said here the other day he'd give the edge to Loveland (younger, faster, longer arms etc.) and maybe I should have. The lone negative I see with him is Chicago's crowded receiver situation, moreso than Indy's, and the fact that we know Warren can be a featured receiver because he's done it, Loveland hasn't yet. But a tough choice and I'll continue to second-guess.

Picks 7-11, I like Henderson and Judkins as the next two backs, definitely. Judkins could be Cleveland's new Chubb, Henderson should push Rhamondre aside by next year. Loveland I've talked about. I'm lukewarm on Kaleb. Just kind of looks like a poor man's Najee. We'll see if I underestimated him.

Had Egbuka made it to 12, I'd have taken him. Really like the prospect, the pedigree (Ohio State, they've sent some good wideouts to the NFL lately right?) and the landing spot. Yeah they've got two good wide receivers, both are older, injuries are more of a concern lately, and the Bucs throw a lot. I also like Golden but would not have taken him there (Packers are fickle with wideouts and have so damn many of them); I was pretty pleased to get Harvey. Should be Sean Payton's starter pretty quickly, talented three-down potential. I also have Audric Estime anyway, making the pick even easier.

ROUND 2
PickPlayerPos
2.01Jayden HigginsWR
2.02Luther BurdenWR
2.03Cam SkatteboRB
2.04Jack BechWR
2.05Tre HarrisWR
2.06Cam WardQB
2.07Mason TaylorTE
2.08Bhayshul TutenRB
2.09Terrance FergusonTE
2.10Harold FanninTE
2.11Kyle WilliamsWR
2.12Elijah ArroyoTE

I was hoping Burden would make it to me at 2.04. Chicago's crowded receiver situation has been noted but I think they'll find ways to get him touches as both receiver and out of the backfield. Love Rome Odunze but being the wide receiver the new coaching staff presumably wanted counts for something. Skattebo a big producer at Arizona State and only has Tyrone Tracy to beat out. Thought he might go earlier. Fourth-round draft capital at least suggests some NFL reservations about his future as a starter.

Chalk pick would have been Harris over Bech. But I'm not sure how many wide receivers the Chargers can support and just like Bech's game a little better. More than one Cooper Kupp comparison (good blocker, strong route-runner, good intensity, good hands). Also a sucker for the feel-good story about him writing a letter to his older brother (killed in the New Orleans terror incident on New Year's Day), Don't draft this way yourself, but in dynasty I do tend to favor players I have a soft spot for, sue me.

I was originally picking at 2.12 in this draft. Three players I definitely would have taken there -- Tuten, the combine star and Jacksonville's running back pick, Fannin, who just broke a lot of receiving records for the position, and Williams, who might be New England's long-term top wideout -- were drafted right before me, so I traded out of the pick for an extra third. Williams was literally the last player I liked a lot.

Cam Ward will go earlier in SuperFlex, but in this start-1 QB league, he's not as coveted. And the other QBs drafted were third-rounders.

ROUND 3
PickPlayerPos
3.01Jaydon BlueRB
3.02Jaylin NoelWR
3.03Jaxson DartQB
3.04Dylan SampsonRB
3.05Pat BryantWR
3.06Jalen MilroeQB
3.07Jarquez HunterRB
3.08Devin NealRB
3.09Jalen RoyalsWR
3.10Woody MarksRB
3.11Kyle MonangaiRB
3.12Elic AyomanorWR

A whole lot of running backs here. Blue could earn reps in Dallas, but just a fifth-round pick, and a little small. My two selections at the position, Neal and Monangai, were drafted even later, but New Orleans has an old starter and Chicago doesn't necessarily have a guy the new coaching staff likes, so they were worth late fliers. Marks and Sampson also worth fliers, with Sampson, well, he was taken almost three rounds after the same team took Judkins. Hunter, the Rams have Kyren and Blake Corum, I'm not that patient.

Bryant was discussed here in a story by Ian. Sean Payton compared him to Michael Thomas, which is certainly a plus but also the kind of thing you might say about a wide receiver who's slow. But Denver has Courtland Sutton and otherwise an open starting spot, I think.

There are a multitude of wide receivers in this draft named Jaylin or Jayden or Jalen. I considered Noel (Houston's pick), Royals (joining KC and Mahomes), and another one who wasn't drafted.

Three tight ends who were selected I haven't mentioned yet. Taylor to the Jets looks good, negative is that it's the Jets, but he could be a rookie starter, and their new OC comes from the Lions, so there's some LaPorta hope. Ferguson (Rams) could replace Tyler Higbee a year from now, while Arroyo (Seahawks) could do the same with Noah Fant. I put all my eggs in the Warren basket, but would have taken Fannin in the 2nd and considered one of the others in the third, had they been there for me.

Comments (criticisms, questions) welcome.

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