Pre-Draft Rookie Mock: Round Two

Jacob Feldman

The dark, barren football off-season is finally approaching an end. The light at the end of the tunnel is almost here. With the NFL draft in just a few days, all of our dynasty leagues are getting ready to kick into gear. I think the majority of rookie drafts will be held over the next month, which makes it time to really get to work in your rookie evaluations if you haven’t been doing so already. Don’t worry, we have been killing it here at DLF with articles on the top 50 rookies, strategy pieces and everything else!

I’m also back with another mock draft to help you get acquainted with this draft class. This will actually be one of two mock drafts you’ll be seeing in the next week or two, but we are going to do a pre-NFL draft mock as well as a post-NFL draft mock. Hopefully, between the two of them, it will help to paint a picture of each and every prospect to help jump start your draft process or help you refine your own rankings as you prepare for your draft.

For this mock, we did three rounds with twelve teams. We assumed PPR scoring and traditional lineups (so not a 2QB or superflex league). All of the drafters were asked to give a brief intro to their selection, and I’ll be providing some additional thoughts on each one as well. At this point in the process, we are still focusing on the player’s traits. With the NFL draft still to play out, there will of course be changes. Some players will leap up the board and others will tumble down, which is why we’ll be back in a few days with another mock. A lot has changed from the first mock a few months ago, and things will continue to change as we move forward. There will of course be misses and disagreements, but that is a part of the fun! Enjoy!

If you missed the first round, you can take a look at it here.

2.01 – Samaje Perine, RB Oklahoma

Adam T’s thoughts:   Slightly falling to the sidelines as the fellow Sooner running back Joe Mixon gets both the good and bad spotlights, Perine has all the tools I like to see in a no-nonsense tough runner. He can step right in and take over early down and goal line work with his impressive power and punishing hits he lays on defenders. He may be destined for the thunder to another player’s lightning, but he can be a workhorse back when needed.    

My thoughts:  After the top four, the running back ranks show a lot of variety so there are any number of options who could have gone next. I like Perine, but I feel he is a bit of a one dimensional player. He is pretty much a downhill rusher in my opinion. He isn’t going to make a lot of NFL defenders miss, and he doesn’t bring a lot to the table in the passing game. As Adam mentioned, I think he’s doomed to a committee role, but he could be miscast as a bellcow for a limited period of time, depending on the situation.

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2.02 –  Curtis Samuel, RB/WR Ohio State

Ryan’s thoughts:  There has been a great debate for much of the off-season about exactly which position former Buckeye Samuel will actually play in the NFL. For Ohio State, he routinely started the offensive play in the backfield, but also lined up in the slot and out wide, being used all over the field. This is reminiscent of Tyreek Hill last season, who had been labeled as both a wide receiver and a running back during his collegiate career, although he wasn’t as highly thought of as Samuel at this point, so fantasy owners mostly didn’t care. With Samuel, we’ll have to wait to see who drafts him and exactly how they use him in the offense to know for sure, but he is a major talent and is obviously versatile. Personally, I’m comfortable taking him in the mid-late first round, so he feels like a steal at this point.

My thoughts:   Samuel is a player I’m going to be watching carefully during the NFL draft. If he ends up on a team with a creative playcaller who tends to get the most of his players, I think I’m comfortable with Samuel several spots higher than this. However, if he ends up on a more traditional team, I’m siding him down about half a round from this point. He has a ton of athletic ability, but his technique as both a receiver and as a rusher is lacking. So if a team is going to try and make him one or the other it might not go well. The other question about Samuel is if he’ll be consistent enough to produce from a fantasy standpoint. Only time will tell!

2.03 – Chris Godwin, WR Penn St.

Matt P’s thoughts:  I was hoping for Evan Engram or David Njoku to fall here but it seems they are all in the late first-round discussion now whereas Godwin had been going there. Godwin is a quick, fast, and physical receiver who gets off the line well and seems to create separation with ease using all three of those traits against press man corner. His ability to win on targets in tight spaces that aren’t right on the money makes him a player that can be useful on any team, even ones with poor talent at quarterback. If he ends up in a place devoid of receiving talent, Godwin has the ability to earn significant playing time in his first season as a pro. A place like San Francisco in the second round feels like a nice landing spot.

My thoughts:  Godwin is one of my favorite targets at this point in the draft for all of the reasons Matt mentioned. While I don’t think Godwin could be a top target on an NFL offense, I think he could be a very good second options along the lines of Eric Decker or Michael Crabtree type of production as a solid WR2. He has a great mix of size, athletic ability, and skills in the receiving game. His landing place is definitely something to watch, because he could be a bit of a steal.

2.04 – Jamaal Williams, RB BYU

Matt F’s thoughts:   I was targeting a wideout here, Chris Godwin to be more specific, but he went one pick before my turn. I couldn’t pass up the chance to secure a talented sleeper like Jamaal Williams here. Like Dalvin Cook, Williams athletic testing his is biggest weakness in terms of draft day value, but his tape tells the story of a mature, experienced and talented NFL-ready running back. I like Williams as a sleeper in this draft class that I’ve officially put the “my guy” tag on him. So I can’t complain about drafting him here.

My thoughts:  I’m not really a big Jamaal Williams fan. When I look at him I see a guy who will get what is blocked, but that’s about it. He seems to lack any kind of elusiveness and chooses to run into defenders instead of trying to make them miss. The issue is at 6’0” and 212 pounds, he doesn’t have the size to run over most NFL defenders. So when you’re not big enough to run them over and not skilled enough to make them miss, I’m not sure where you fit in an NFL backfield.

2.05 – D’Onta Foreman, RB Texas

Joseph’s thoughts:   Foreman is a massive running back with terrific speed for his size. He isn’t a perfect prospect – he’s not the best receiver, has a tendency to run upright, and has had ball security issues – but his upside is exciting. Because of his build and strengths on the field, Foreman looks likely to be a runner who sees plenty of opportunities near the goal line. As a likely day two pick in the NFL Draft, I’m excited to have Foreman fall in my lap at the 2.05, even in PPR formats.

My thoughts:  I like Foreman more than most of the last few running backs who have gone off the board. There are of course concerns about him as Joseph mentioned. In addition to the fumbles and the lack of experience in the passing game, I also worry about the one year of production he had in college. On the other side of the coin he has great size to go with great athleticism for a 230+ pound rusher. Sometimes he tries to make defenders miss when he should just run them over, but I think that is something he can be coached up on. In the middle of the second round, I think he’s a very solid pick. 

2.06 – KD Cannon, WR Baylor

Dan’s thoughts: KD Cannon is a personal favorite of mine. #TeamBigWR is a dying breed, just don’t tell the truthers that. I see a lot of TY Hilton and DeSean Jackson in Cannon’s game, which should excite more people. He is an explosive athlete and has the breakaway speed to stretch the field, but he can absolutely win in short areas as well as 50/50 balls. He has good enough hands, but does like to rely on body catches to ensure the catch is made. It would be nice to see him bulk up a little bit, but I don’t think it’s necessary. In the end, I think Cannon is pretty underrated and has the potential to be a playmaker at the next level.

My thoughts:   Cannon is one of those receivers who seems to be rising a lot recently. It will be interesting to see if that has been driven by the NFL community or if it is just those of us on the outside. Cannon has a ton of athletic ability, but his technique needs a lot of work. That lack of technique is very evident in his routes. He needs a lot of coaching in that area. It also shows up right where Dan mentioned in the actual catching of the ball. If he lands on a team with some quality coaching, either from coaches themselves or in the form of veteran receivers, he could definitely be someone to watch. It might take some time though.

2.07 – Zay Jones, WR East Carolina

Scott’s thoughts:  I was happy to get Jones at pick 2.07. Jones will have to prove his college production can translate to the NFL. Had a nice PPR performance in 2016 but might be more system-based. Single-digit touchdowns each year at ECU. If he gets drafted by the right team, he could be solid in PPR formats. Great hands. Competitive. Football family brings experience that others lack. Combine was excellent (4.45 40 yard dash, 36.5 in vertical, 133 inch broad jump, 6.79 shuttle, 4.08 3-cone third best overall). Not a high ceiling but could be a solid WR2 in PPR.

My thoughts:  I’ve seen people with Jones as high as the third receiver in this draft class and advocating for him to go at the 1.07 rookie pick. So on one hand you have that, on the other you have him slipping to the back half of the second round in this mock. That’s quite the range! His fans are very quick to point out the astronomical production to go along with great measurables at the combine. His detractors are quick to point out the system might have inflated his numbers and that he doesn’t seem to play as fast as his combine numbers might suggest. Personally, I think he’s a steal at this point in the draft. I don’t expect him to be here in many rookie drafts.

2.08 – Kareem Hunt, RB Toledo

Mike’s thoughts:  I chose Kareem Hunt, RB, Toledo as my second pick in the DLF rookie draft, for the combination of his size, speed, and power. You are going to love the heart he plays with if you haven’t seen his film. He never settles, and is relentless for that extra half-yard. Hunt has good vision and will exploit cut-back lanes with a nice one-step juke. A good receiver out of the backfield, Hunt understands how to turn it upfield, and has the size to be an established blocker. He stands at 6’0” and weighs 200 pounds, and doesn’t offer much cutting ability or wiggle. He will need to learn to avoid contact and develop better hands for the passing game.

My thoughts:  There are a lot of people who really like Hunt, to the point of having him as their fifth running back overall. One of the biggest reasons people love him is that effort and heart he displays. He also seems to have good instincts and vision, which allows him to be in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, his physical ability isn’t quite what it needs to be to be an elite back at the NFL level. I think he is most likely going to be a valuable backup for an NFL team, but he won’t be very fantasy relevant. Should he be drafted to a team with need, he could push for RB2 numbers, but I think that would take an ideal situation.

2.09 – Ishmael Zamora, WR Baylor

My thoughts:  Even though this is just a mock draft, I was getting pretty excited around the 2.05 pick when I was setting my draft list. With guys like Foreman, Cannon, and especially Jones still on the board I was pretty optimistic about my chances of landing a player who represented great value. Instead, everyone in that tier was taken leaving me with some decisions I didn’t want to make. There really isn’t a clear option at this point in the draft. If this was after the draft, I likely would draft the first quarterback at this point in time. Unfortunately, the last few weeks have made even the name of the first quarterback drafted difficult to forecast. So, I decided to shoot for upside with this selection.

Zamora is one of the best size/speed combos in this year’s draft class. Outside of that size (6’4”, 215 pounds) and track star speed, Zamora is long on potential and short on refined ability. At moments, he flashes WR1 ability as he runs past corners or leaps over them to haul in a pass. But at other moments, he can barely run a simple route or drops a pass which hits him right in the hands. He is going to need a lot of coaching if he’s going to turn into an NFL receiver, but there is enough physical ability that he might be worth a homerun swing late in the second round.

2.10 – Carlos Henderson, WR Louisiana Tech

Travis’s thoughts:  Carlos seemed to develop his draft stock overnight here recently.  Why’s that?  It’s mainly because he’s a small school wide receiver (Louisiana Tech) who had never had more than 36 catches in a season until this past year.  But wow, once Paul Turner and Kenneth Dixon left for the NFL it was Carlos’ time to shine.  He tied Corey Davis for most receiving touchdowns in all of college football at 19.  Carlos brings just about everything to the table.  He has great top-end speed, solid route-running, eludes defenders in space and can even return kicks.  He’ll be a solid wide receiver two for his NFL team very soon.

My thoughts:   There are two types of dynasty owners, those who love Carlos Henderson and those who don’t. I fall into the latter camp. When I look at Henderson, I see someone who is a very good athlete but lacks any kind of instincts for the position. Not only does he lack the instincts, which often lead to him being in the wrong place at the wrong time, he survived by being a better athlete than everyone else. At the NFL level, when all of the defenders are bigger and faster than what he faced in college, that athleticism isn’t going to be nearly enough. I think he’s going to struggle trying to make it at the next level.

2.11 – Bucky Hodges, TE Virginia Tech

Eric’s thoughts:  If I’m picking from the bottom of the first, I will be very happy in most drafts if I come away with two of the top four tight ends in one of the best TE classes we have seen in some time. Like Engram, Hodges is more a pass catching specialist but he has the frame to handle more blocking duties. He also could handle more weight on his frame and might allow him to hold up inline in spot duty. As @TheFFGhost points on in the Orange Report his calling cards are speed, strong hands, and dominance at the catch point.  I prefer this type of upside at the late second round instead of future committee running backs or wide receivers with size concerns.

My thoughts:   Hodges was one of the players I considered a few picks ago at the 2.09 selection. While I don’t know if I would go as far as Eric did of lumping Hodges in with the big three tight ends in this draft class, I do like his prospects. At 6’6” and 257 pounds, Hodges has great size. He also has fantastic speed, especially for someone of his size. The issue with Hodges is that he’s extremely raw. He was a high school quarterback who didn’t play tight end until he came to Virginia Tech, so things like running routes and blocking are very foreign to him. If he can make the transition to the NFL, he has the size/speed mix to be one of the best tight ends in the league. It is going to be a struggle for him though.

2.12 – Malachi Dupre, WR LSU

Zach’s thoughts:  This pick came down to Dupre, ArDarius Stewart and Cooper Kupp. Dupre won out due to his combination of red zone ability and explosive ability to be a homerun threat. As The FFGhost points out in The ORANGE Report, Dupre tends to get pushed off his routes from time to time, and that’s one of the reasons he’s lasted until the end of the second. If he works on his strength and blocking techniques, he will get some serious playing time early in his career. There’s still a chance he becomes the player we all hoped he would.

My thoughts: Dupre is going to be a huge project for an NFL team. His frame is a little thin, but he has the height NFL teams desire. He also has enough athletic ability and hands to turn into a serviceable receiver at the next level. The issue is that he’s extremely raw due to lack of quality time at LSU. The passing offense he played in during his time at LSU didn’t do anything to help him develop, so an NFL team is going to need to be patient with him.

That makes 24 picks down and only 12 more to go! A lot of these players will either fly up draft boards or tumble down depending on their landing spots. Just make sure you keep talent in mind and don’t put too much stock into situation. Round three is just around the corner!

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jacob feldman