Welcome to The Fantasy Football Universe IDP Rookie Mock Draft 1.0. This mock draft was Superflex and tight-end premium. It was a 12-team draft and featured two managers who each drafted six players per round for a total of 36 rookie picks.
The draft featured Aaron St. Denis and Steve Hungarter of IDP Guys and Fantasy Six Pack.
Round 1
Embed from Getty Images1.01- Jared Verse, DE (Florida State)
1.02- Laiatu Latu, DE (UCLA)
1.03- Dallas Turner, DE (Alabama)
1.04- Cooper DeJean, CB (Iowa)
1.05- Chop Robinson, DE (Penn State)
1.06- Jer’Zhan Newton, DT (Illinois)
1.07- Chris Braswell, DE (Alabama)
1.08- Edgerrin Cooper, ILB (Texas A&M)
1.09- Payton Wilson, ILB (NC State)
1.10- Bralen Trice, DE (Washington)
1.11- Darius Robinson, DE (Missouri)
1.12- Tyler Nubin, S (Minnesota)
Round 1 Recap
This is what you should expect IDP rookie Drafts to look like for the most part. At least half of the first round is going to be defensive linemen. 4 of the first 5 and 5 of the first 7 picks off the board are DL, with the vast majority of them being edge rushers.
Two linebackers went toward the end of Round 1. That is unlikely to be a common occurrence. It only occurred here because we were both higher on one of the linebackers than consensus. In most IDP Rookie Drafts, the first linebacker will come off the board in the early second round.
Cooper DeJean is the other case that is unlikely to be consensus. He will typically go 3-4 picks later, but I preferred him over the next tier of linemen so I pulled the trigger a tad early. Had this been a real draft, I likely would have waited until 1.06 to select him, he could be available even later than that.
The lone safety of the round is Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin, who is likely to be taken on the 1-2 turn in many instances. Kamren Kinchens could have also been the pick there if you needed a safety, it will likely go down to draft capital and landing spot for the two.
Round 2
Embed from Getty Images2.01- Jeremiah Trotter Jr, OLB (Clemson)
2.02- Junior Colson, ILB (Michigan)
2.03- Kamren Kinchens, S (Miami-FL)
2.04- Byron Murphy, DT (Texas)
2.05- Terrion Arnold, CB (Alabama)
2.06- Leonard Taylor, DT (Miami-FL)
2.07- Calen Bullock, S (USC)
2.08- Javon Bullard, S (Georgia)
2.09- Cedric Gray, ILB (UNC)
2.10- T’Vondre Sweat, DT (Texas)
2.11- Tommy Eichenberg, ILB (Ohio State)
2.12- Quinyon Mitchell, CB (Toledo)
Round 2 Recap
We saw only three linemen go off the board in Round 2 as most of the elite ones were already selected. Instead, we have a run on both linebacker and defensive back with the linebackers going at the start of the round and the defensive backs being selected towards the back end.
I expect most leagues to see the defensive backs go earlier than this. There were so many left on the board that it was more prudent to mine the end of that linebacker tier and wait on defensive back. The mid-second-round defensive backs will likely go much closer to the top safeties.
There were nowhere near as many linemen taken in this round. Despite the position being heavily depleted, three more were still selected before the round ended. This should further illustrate how deep the position is in this year’s draft.
Round 3
Embed from Getty Images3.01- Kris Jenkins, DT (Michigan)
3.02- Nate Wiggins, CB (Clemson)
3.03- Jonah Elliss, DE (Utah)
3.04- Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB (Alabama)
3.05- Jaden Hicks, S (Washington State)
3.06- Ennis Rakestraw Jr, CB (Missouri)
3.07- Tyron Hooper, OLB (Missouri)
3.08- Kamari Lassiter, CB (Georgia)
3.09- Jaylan Ford, OLB (Texas)
3.10- TJ Tampa, CB (Iowa St)
3.11- Sione Vaki, S (Utah)
3.12- Marist Liufau, ILB (Notre Dame)
Round 3 Recap
The final two draftworthy linemen were selected to start the third round as the well had completely dried up. Jenkins and Elliss were easy choices before we saw a run on the rather deep pool of cornerbacks remaining.
We have five cornerbacks chosen in this round, more than the first two rounds combined as we both opted to mine the other position first. Once the first domino fell, the other cornerbacks were quick to follow with some elite talent still left at this point in the draft.
This IDP class may not be the best as far as high-end talent goes, but it has plenty of depth as you have solid options for approximately 30 picks. Once the middle of the third round comes around though, it’s dart-throwing time and you simply have to start hoping you choose the right diamond in the rough.
This draft was held on Friday, February 23/2024 at 9:00 PM EST. If you would like to watch the entire draft live, check it out on The Fantasy Football Universe YouTube channel. Don’t forget to Like & Subscribe!
