Final Rookie Mock Draft: Round Two
The NFL pre-season has begun and the games that matter are less than a month away! For those of you that haven’t had your rookie drafts quite yet they should be rapidly approaching. In order to help you get an up to date view on rookie values we conducted one last rookie-only mock draft with our writers.
This particular draft features three rounds and was conducted just as the first week of pre-season games were kicking off. That means that our writers weren’t privy to any news that has come out since the pre-season games. Things can happen quickly this time of year, but this should help give you a little extra information as you take your final steps towards planning your draft.
For this mock draft, we assumed it was a standard scoring PPR league with normal lineup requirements, meaning no IDP, super flex, or 2 quarterback leagues. Trades were not allowed. Draft order was randomly assigned and each drafter was asked to make a brief comment about why they made the pick they did. I’ll follow up each pick with some brief thoughts of my own. I’m not a draft expert, and like many of you, my rookie analysis is far from complete. I’m just sharing my thoughts so you get two opinions on each pick. In cases of disagreement, I’ll be the first to admit that I might be the one that is wrong.
If you want to take a look at previous mock drafts that we have done to get a sense of the risers and fallers, here you go:
Pre-combine: Round 1 and Round 2
Post-combine: Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3
Pre-draft: Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3
Post draft: Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3
June Mock: Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3
August Mock: Round 1
2.01 – Aaron Dobson, WR NE
(Post Draft 2.12, June 2.06)
Chad’s thoughts: He has looked good in training camps and can be the deep threat the Pats have been looking for since the Randy Moss era. He hasn’t been the best rookie in camp thus far, but has the ability to be a much better dynasty asset in the coming years for however long Tom Brady is taking snaps there.
My thoughts: Believe it or not, Dobson is the first of four New England pass catchers taken in this rookie mock draft. That’s right, four rookies. Tom Brady is an all-time great and someone needs to catch the ball when he throws for 4,000+ yards and 30+ touchdowns. The problem is we don’t really know who it will be. Dobson is the highest drafted and has had a nice camp, flashing highlight reel catches from time to time. He needs to make sure that he gives consistent focus and effort on each and every play. If he does, he could turn into a steal.
2.02 – Robert Woods, WR BUF
(Post Draft 1.11, June 2.08)
Jeff B’s thoughts: Woods excels in the short and intermediate routes, which is perfect whichever quarterback ends up starting for the Buffalo Bills this season.  His sharp route-running and reliable hands should make him a valuable PPR commodity right away.  As the Bills GM Doug Whaley puts it, Woods “looks like a ten year veteran…polished.” He might never be a WR1 for fantasy purposes, but WR2s still have a lot of value.
My thoughts: I’ve been down on Woods because I just don’t see him as a special player. I see someone with limited upside because he is merely an average NFL level talent in my eyes. If he went somewhere other than USC, I don’t think people would view him the same way. He is NFL ready though and given a weak receiver group in Buffalo should make an immediate impact. I just don’t think he will ever be more than a low end fantasy WR2 or WR3.
2.03 – Johnathan Franklin, RB GB
(Post Draft 2.03, June 2.02)
Chris’s thoughts: I think this is a good spot for Franklin to be drafted. He might be the later drafted rookie back on the Packers, but he’s still a top end talent. Eddie Lacy will be given opportunity for early down carries, but Franklin can undoubtedly still secure a role in the offense. Franklin’s running style seems to be a perfect complement to Lacy’s power. While this may seem to limit his upside, he will have opportunities. If he proves to be a playmaker don’t bet against the Packers’ willingness to get him the ball more.
My thoughts: Like most of the other players who are being drafted in the middle of the second round this year, Franklin is a talent stuck behind someone else. What is unique about Franklin is that he’s stuck behind another rookie. Franklin needs to work hard on his pass protection and earn the third down role. If he does that, then he might play himself into more of an even split with Lacy. Ultimately, I think he is the more complete player, but it is going to take time before he can earn the full time role.
2.04 – Marcus Lattimore, RB SF
(Post Draft 1.12, June 2.05)
Brian’s thoughts: I was also considering Zac Stacy here, but I feel that Lattimore was the most talented running back in this class prior to his injury. He is a gamble due to the significance of his knee injury, but running backs have returned before from such an injury and had solid careers. Even though he may not return until 2014, I look at it as an investment for my team to use or possible trade bait leading into next season for a running back hungry team.
My thoughts: Opinions on Lattimore vary widely. I’m in the camp that believe his multiple serious knee injuries will have a permanent impact on his agility. While he will probably come back in 2014, I don’t think he will have the lateral movement that he had in college. The straight line speed and power will still be there though making him a valuable compliment to Kendall Hunter next season. If you’re drafting Lattimore, make sure that you are prepared for no return on your investment for at least a year.
2.05 – Kenbrell Thompkins, WR NE
(Post Draft Undrafted, June Undrafted)
Eric O’s thoughts: This is the first draft of any sort where I’ve selected Kenbrell Thompkins, but the hype coming out of New England is deafening. With opportunities galore in New England and one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game slinging the rock, Thompkins has capitalized by starring in training camp alongside fellow rookie Aaron Dobson. He could pan out or flame out, but you roll the dice when Tom Brady is involved.
My thoughts: Patriots rookie two of four for our mock draft. This is the first of our mock drafts that Thompkins has been selected in and it is a definitely response to the hype coming out of New England. He seems to be doing everything right. While I like Thompkins, I think the hype is getting to be too much right now given all of the uncertainty. He wouldn’t have been my pick at this point in the draft, but he is a big lottery ticket and could pay off if the chips fall right.
2.06 – Zac Stacy, RB STL
(Post Draft 2.06, June 2.01)
Karl’s thoughts: Stacy is one of those ‘jack of all trades’ guys. I understand he will start the season as third on the depth chart, but I can’t bring myself to trust the guys in front of him. I’m a huge fan of what Jeff Fisher can do with his running backs which makes him a bit more valuable in my eyes. I considered E.J. Manuel here as well.
My thoughts: At one point in time, Stacy was going in the middle or late first round. I like middle of the second round much better for him. He is a solid NFL talent but he has almost no chance of being the primary ball carrier in St. Louis in the near future. He is going to split carries and be more of the goal line and short yardage specialist for the Rams which will put a strong cap on his upside. I really like the player, the opportunity just isn’t there.
2.07 – Travis Kelce, TE KC
(Post draft 2.07, June 2.04)
Derek’s thoughts: Kelce is one of my favorite players in this year’s rookie class. From all reports, he’s on his way to securing the starting tight end spot in Kansas City. While it’s true that many tight ends take a few years to pick up the NFL game, I think Kelce is a guy that should start paying dividends for his owners this season. The only other player that I considered at this spot was EJ Manuel.
My thoughts: Kelce wasn’t far behind Tyler Eifert in my pre-draft rankings and post draft he was pushing hard for the top spot. I really like the talent and his skill set reminds me a bit of Jason Witten. With that said, tight end is one of the hardest positions to learn in the NFL. If you’re drafting any tight end, including Kelce, be prepared to wait for a year or two before they are startable. He is a great pick at this point in the draft.
2.08 – EJ Manuel, QB BUF
(Post Draft 2.02, June 2.07)
Mark’s thoughts: I was sniped by one pick. By all reports Kelce is winning the starting the TE job in KC and has future stud TE written all over him.  Moving on to my pick though, the second half of the second round is filled with high upside low floor players this year like Da’Rick Rogers, Latavius Murray and Terrance Williams.  I went with a safer pick this round.  Camp reports have been largely positive with a growing belief that E.J Manuel will be starting by week 1.  Even if that doesn’t happen, he has an intriguing skill set an offense filled with talented young players.
My thoughts: Our own Jeff Haverlack has long been touting the fact the first quarterback taken in the NFL draft almost always ends up succeeding. Outside of a bumpy patch in the mid-2000s with the likes of Jamarcus Russell and Vince Young, it seems to fit. Manuel is athletic and does have the talent to run a read option style of offense, but he has several things that he needs to work on to be an effective pro. He’s a bit of a project which is why he’s still around in the late second round.
2.09 – Latavius Murray, RB OAK
(Post Draft Undrafted, June 2.03)
Doug’s thoughts: At 2.09, this is just a good value pick. I believe Murray can be the lead dog in Oakland as soon as 2014 if Darren McFadden leaves town. I also think Murray could be in line for 2-4 starts this season if the fragile McFadden goes down, which is highly probable.
My thoughts: One of several over-hyped players this offseason, Murray is slowly starting to come back to Earth. This is still way too early in my opinion though, especially given that he has spent almost his entire professional career thus far in the trainer’s room. Expecting him to take over for McFadden when he gets injured is a bit ironic given Murray’s own massive injury history. Murray is more of a late third or early fourth round flier in my opinion given the injury issues he has had.
2.10 – Geno Smith, QB NYJ
(Post Draft 2.08, June 3.09)
Eric H’s thoughts: I have Smith ranked as my top quarterback in the 2013 class, so I wanted to nab him while I have the chance. If I picked again in the early third round I might’ve tempted fate, but with all the positive reports from Jets camp I don’t think there’s any chance he’ll be there at 3.10. Selecting Smith requires a long-term approach, which is what we dynasty footballers should be using regardless. The Jets will struggle until new GM John Idzik clears the bad contracts from the books, but there’s some good young talent on that offense. When they right the ship, I expect Smith to achieve high-end QB2 status, with the potential to play even better. I think he’s the most polished QB in this class, and the best bet for long-term success.
My thoughts: Eric is much more optimistic about the Jets being able to right the ship than I am. I think that we are several years away from the Jets being on the path to being a successful NFL team and by that point in time the damage to Smith’s psyche is probably already done. There really aren’t a ton of other options late in the second round, but I probably would have taken a flier on someone else at this point. Smith is an okay talent that I think will be swallowed up by the New York media and a poorly run team.
2.11 – Terrance Williams, WR DAL
(Post Draft 2.05, June 2.09)
My thoughts: Like a few of the other rookies, Williams has been having a rough offseason. While he did make some noise with some nice catches, his pre-season was detailed for a while by a concussion. This has probably put him behind Dwayne Harris in the battle for the third receiver spot. If he ends up losing the battle, we aren’t going to hear much from him this year unless there is an injury. That shouldn’t deter people though because expecting rookies to produce year one isn’t realistic.
Williams has nice size and very good physical tools. He needs to refine some of his skills a bit but he has the ability to end up being Dez Bryant’s wingman a few years down the road. I don’t think Miles Austin is going to be a Cowboy much longer, so people need to keep an eye on the young players like Williams the Cowboys have.
2.12 – Stedman Bailey, WR STL
(Post Draft 2.09, June 3.05)
Scott’s thoughts: I think Bailey’s value is severely depressed from the crowded receiver group on the Rams. Bailey had Madden-like numbers at WVU, and could really surprise. I think he could be the WR3 on the Rams, and Chris Givens has a history of two ACL tears, it wouldn’t surprise me if Bailey rises up faster than his current value suggests. Bailey could get his shot. I believe in his talent and production.
My thoughts: Bailey’s stock has definitely taken a hit with the crowded receiver group. He hasn’t received a whole lot of attention in camp while players like Givens and Jared Cook have been lighting it up. He has talent, but it does seem like he is still buried behind Brian Quick and Austin Pettis. In the end, I think that his talent will win out in the end though and he should end up seeing the field. It was between him and Williams at 2.11 for me. Bailey should be the third receiver by the start of 2014. The question is how much value does that role have?
Stay tuned for third round of picks tomorrow!
- Final 2021 Pre-Draft Rookie Mock: Round Three - April 28, 2021
- Final 2021 Pre-Draft Rookie Mock: Round Two - April 26, 2021
- Final 2021 Pre-Draft Rookie Mock: Round One - April 25, 2021
