The much anticipated NFL Draft is now a thing of the past and rookie draft season is in full swing. For most fantasy players, their draft is the best part of the season. If you aren’t prepared though, this enjoyable experience can quickly become overwhelming. There is no truer time than in rookie drafts where many fantasy managers are unfamiliar with a large portion of the rookie pool. A View to a Pick is here to help you by guiding you through a typical 3-round Rookie Draft to see which players they chose, and what some pivot options could be.
So, let’s take a look at A View to a Pick (1.08). Below is the Sleeper Draft Board from our mock draft which will feature Aaron St. Denis, Jeremy Shulman, SC Romero, and Jesse Moeller. The was a superflex, tight-end premium draft.
Rookie Pick 1.08
SC Selects Xavier Worthy, Wide Receiver, Texas.
At this point in the draft, we hit a tier gap. The top 4 quarterbacks and the top 3 wide receivers are now off the board. In mocks we did before the NFL Draft Brock Bowers was a slam dunk with this pick. However, he went to a team that I am not quite sure how they will use him. So, instead, I went with the receiver tied to the best quarterback in the game right now.
The Kansas City Chiefs have Travis Kelce, Marquis Brown, Rashee Rice, and Skyy Moore. Personally, I believe the only true competition for Worthy, outside of Kelce, for targets is Brown. However, Brown has up-and-down games and the Chiefs have missed a speedy playmaker since losing Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins a few years back. I am not saying Worthy will be the next Hill, but I am saying Worthy can be a dynamic playmaker for the Kansas City Chiefs. He leads that second tier of wide receivers for me based on his landing spot.
Superflex Trade Targets
QB- Jared Goff, Lions (4,874)
RB- Kenneth Walker, Seahawks (4,872)
WR- George Pickens, Steelers (4,499)
TE- Mark Andrews, Ravens (4,711)
Superflex Rookie Pivots
QB- Bo Nix, Broncos
RB- Jonathan Brooks, Panthers
WR- Brian Thomas Jr, Jaguars
TE- Brock Bowers, Raiders
All player values according to Keep Trade Cut.
Rookie Pick 2.08
SC Selects Blake Corum, Running Back, Michigan.
The dream landing spot was for Corum to get drafted by his college coach to become a Los Angeles Charger. However, sometimes reality is better than any dream. Blake Corum was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the NFL Draft. Yes, Kyren Williams was a stout back for the Rams last season. But the Rams utilize their runners with perfection. Corum should immediately overtake the role of RB2 for the team.
At this point in the draft, Corum was the best available player on the board. I could have possibly drafted wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, but I am not sure how much I like his landing spot. Even as an RB2 for the Los Angeles Rams, Corum may be a top-30 running back this season. Plus, I wanted to draft who I believe was the last running back on the board before a significant tier drop.
Superflex Trade Targets
QB- Justin Fields, Steelers (3,111)
RB- Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots (3,200)
WR- Calvin Ridley, Titans (3,263)
TE- David Njoku, Browns (3,789)
Superflex Rookie Pivots
QB-
RB- Marshawn Lloyd, Packers
WR- Ricky Pearsall, 49ers
TE- Ben Sinnott, Commanders
Rookie Pick 3.08
SC Selects Ja’Tavion Sanders, Tight End, Texas.
Sanders was drafted with the first pick in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Pick 101 to be exact of the Carolina Panthers. Honestly, he could not have been drafted to a better spot. The Carolina Panthers needed to gain weapons all around for quarterback Bryce Young. They added wide receiver Xavier Legette at the end of the first round. Then added top running back Jonathon Brooks in the second round. Each of their first four draft picks has the potential to start as soon as the season begins.
When the third round of rookie drafts comes around chances are you are drafting based on possible upside. At least that is how I approached it with this pick. There were other players on the board I enjoyed during the pre-draft process, but none gave as much upside as Sanders based on his landing spot. In Carolina, there are other tight ends. However, I do not think Sanders will have any issue beating them out. With the possibility of Sanders starting for the Carolina Panthers, I felt this was an easy pick, and possible steal this late in the draft.
Superflex Trade Targets
QB- Sam Howell, Seahawks (2,348)
RB- Gus Edwards, Chargers (2,207)
WR- Curtis Samuel, Bills (2,392)
TE- Michael Mayer, Raiders (2,395)
Superflex Rookie Pivots
QB- Spencer Rattler, Saints
RB- Tyrone Tracy Jr, Giants
WR- Jermaine Burton, Bengals
TE- Theo Johnson, Giants
If you enjoyed A View to a Pick, check out our full Rookie Consensus Rankings, check out of Rankings Page.
