By: Rich Gonzalez

I’d like to start this out by introducing myself, my name is Richard Gonzalez and I am the newest member of the Toilets to Titles crew. Going forward I will be focusing on the rookie aspect of all the  content we push out while also helping out with anything the crew needs. I have been given the opportunity to join this great cast of misfits rounded up from all parts of the world.

The Mock

This past week the crew from T2T had their 2nd Dynasty start-up mock draft. The six of us were each assigned two teams. The parameters of this 10-round start-up draft were the following – PPR, Dynasty, Super flex & TE premium(1.5 PPR for TEs). I will focus on the rookies that were drafted in the 10 rounds and discuss their value as we navigate through the process. Clearly, not all drafts go the same way. Some rookies might fly off sooner/later in your draft, but hopefully this will give you an advantage to where you can jump in and pounce on those opportunities to snipe your counterparts and build for the future.

The ten round twelve team draft had a total of 22 rookies drafted. Break down went like this; five quarterbacks, nine running backs , seven wide receivers, and one tight end. Now some will say that this year’s draft class is loaded with quarterbacks and wide receivers and thin at the running back position. When it comes down to the brass knuckles of the grueling NFL, landing spot is the key driver to truly determining how great this class is and can be.

Quarterbacks

First, we will dive into when the rookie QBs were drafted, and their value at the spot.

Trevor Lawrence at 1.8- 6th QB of the board. Prescott was drafted right after him. Now this is a superflex draft and by all accounts the Jacksonville Jaguars will be taking him number one overall. He has all the credentials to be the next big QB star. Will Urban Meyer set him up for success? He will be the opening day starting QB for the Jaguars. He is young and ready to be on your fantasy roster for the next decade or two. He will go fast, and I can see this being par for the course in all drafts.

Justin Fields at 2.10- 11th QB off the board. Mobile QB seems to be the future of the NFL but there is a big group that will draft him over Lawrence. Landing spot will be key and could see him being drafted by the Jets or the Panthers but only time will tell. Potential starter.

Trey Lance at 5.2- 17th QB off the board. Dual threat QB coming out of North Dakota State. Could he be the QB the 49ers are looking at to come in and replace Garoppolo? San Francisco has made it clear they are not happy with Garoppolo’s production. With only one season under his belt 2019, and one game in 2020 against Central Arkansas with a subpar performance. He is a high-risk target for any NFL team.

Zach Wilson at 5.8- 19th QB off the board. Another promising QB with all the right tangibles to be the next rising star and being cast as the next Mahomes type QB does not hurt. I do like Wilson but probably best to draft him as your second QB in a startup dynasty draft with high upside if given a chance.

Mac Jones at 6.6- 22nd QB drafted off the board. As some look at this national champion Alabama QB, you cannot help but compare him to Tom Brady coming out of college. Not your typical statured QB, not very mobile but does have an arm and his accuracy is there. Some say the talent around him made him look better but that will be something we  will have to see at the next level. Another QB you will look at as a second or third QB on your team starting out.

Running Backs

Next group I will cover is the running backs of the class. Some say not as deep as the 2020 class, but I will say a lot of them are potential diamonds in the rough. Also, these results are truly based on their college careers and results will change depending on where the RB is drafted this year. Landing spots are key and the draft board will change drastically after the NFL draft is conducted.

Najee Harris at 3.5- 12th RB off the board. Coming out of Alabama he is the cream of the crop of this class. Harris is a tank that can break tackles with the best of them and his explosiveness for someone his size is huge. Drafted between Aaron Jones and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, he can be a young stud in your stable to build for the future. Great pick

Travis Etienne at 4.7- 16th RB off the board. Travis Etienne is another mold like Najee Harris. Same traits and explosiveness but might have the quickest acceleration in the class. A running back with speed like his is a killer to have.

Javonte Williams at 4.9- 18th RB off the board. Javonte Williams and Etienne will swap in drafts as preference plays a big role when drafting. Coming out of North Carolina he shared time with another RB we will discuss later but has all the skill to succeed at the next level. Also being able to handle catching out of the backfield will play a big part of winning in the NFL. Williams bowls people over and can make them miss. His contact balance is probably best in class as well.

Jermar Jefferson at 7.2- 25th RB off the board.

Kenneth Gainwell at 7.10- 27th RB off the board.

Michael Carter at 8.1- 29th RB off the board.

Chuba Hubbard at 8.12- 32nd RB off the board.

Trey Sermon at 9.1- 33rd RB off the board.

Kylin Hill at 10.8- 40th RB off the board.

I did not go in depth on the last six running backs as I view them all as great value in a dynasty league, and at this point you are drafting backup and running back by committee players. The main focus is it being a dynasty league youth is always key at this point.

 Wide Receivers

As we switch over to the wide receiver position, this class has proven to be one of the most gifted and deep classes that have been churned out from the college level. As more and more teams switch over to NFL style offenses these players are more NFL ready day one . Once again as gifted as some of them are landing spot will play a key role in early success with their respective teams.

Ja’Marr Chase at 4.2- 8th WR off the board. Maybe a little early off of the board but has all the potential to be a megastar at the next level. Chase did opt out of playing this last year not 100% due to covid, but also to prep for the upcoming draft. Will it factor in when Chase is selected? Or will his 2019 season of 20 TD’s and 1,780 receiving yards shadow over the missed season. According to our draft it seems the latter.

Devonta Smith at 6.5- 16th WR off the Board. Smith had an outstanding season with Alabama with the injured Waddle not playing most of it. His production at the Championship game was one for the ages, but his thin body frame is what is at question here. Will he hold up at the next level? Only time will tell. At this point the risk is worth the reward.

Rashod Bateman at 7.4- 20th WR off the board. To me there are still a lot of great NFL wide receivers on the board, but it comes down to if you are drafting a young squad or a win now squad. Bateman is a steal at this point if you are deep at WR. Let him develop for next year’s squad and you might get immediate production straight out from the gate. Bright future for this stud if it can be utilized with the right team.

Jaylen Waddle at 8.5- 26th WR off the board. Waddle could have easily been the number two WR in this class and taken a lot sooner, but injuries got a hold of him this last season tempering expectations going into this year’s draft. Compared to Tyreek Hill, if he takes off where he left off he can easily be the steal of the draft. Another time will tell the situation but worth the risk.

Rondale Moore at 8.9- 28th WR off the board.

Tylen Wallace at 10.1- 35th WR off the board.

Kodarius Toney at 10.10- 39th WR off the board.

Same with the last three WRs, I do not go in depth about the players because it is the same situation as the running backs at this point of the draft. You are either drafting depth or youth. All three players will depend on landing spots and competition.

Tight Ends

As we move into the last position, the TE position. One rookie player was drafted in the ten round TE premium draft. Maybe the most hyped player coming out of college outside the QB but warranted it is Kyle Pitts.

Kyle Pitts at 5.12- 4th TE off the board. Right behind Kelce, Kittle, and Waller. Easily can be said as the Number 1 dynasty TE prospect going into Dynasty rookie drafts. He has the size and skill to immediately produce out of the gate. Big bodied, great hands, and the rare prototype that will create a ton of opportunities at the next level. I can go on all day from his agile ability to his natural pass catching abilities. I would argue with the same parameters of this league and if it was a rookie only draft, I would not argue if he was drafted number 1 overall.

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 In closing, this mock draft was conducted before the NFL draft and still in the first week of free agency. So a lot of changes will happen, and outcomes will vary. The point of the draft is to help understand where the value is now, and where it will be as we get closer to the 2021 NFL season. We hope it helps you get closer to building a dynasty squad for the future while winning now.