DLF Writers Rookie Mock Draft, Round One

A very long, odd summer in so many ways is finally behind us and now we get to head into what might be an equally long, odd fall. The good news is that at least for now, the NFL is back! Hopefully, they can have the same success that some of the other leagues have had and are able to keep everyone safe while still providing a little respite and entertainment for us at home.

The week before the season kicked off, I was joined by eleven of DLF’s finest to conduct one more rookie mock draft. We didn’t have the normal NFL summer programs to help us evaluate all of the rookies as well as helping them earn bigger roles to open the season. However, there have been a few significant occurrences recently so a value check is definitely in order.

The rules for the mock draft were pretty simple. We drafted as if the league was PPR scoring and only one quarterback in starting lineups. No trades were allowed and the draft order was randomly generated. Even though we drafted with one starting quarterback in mind, I’ll provide some of our thoughts on where the quarterbacks might be valued in a superflex league.

Note: Remember that this mock was conducted before week one kicked off, and the first two rounds of the write-up were finished before then as well.

Top Dogs:

1.01 – Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB KC
1.02 – Jonathan Taylor, RB IND

In virtually every rookie draft since the NFL draft, these two have been at the top. Immediately following the NFL draft, there was still some debate about which player should be the 1.01 and there was a solid argument to be made for each of them. CEH had the better draft capital, the more explosive offense, and a better short term outlook. Taylor had more college production, better measurables, and arguably more overall talent. However, after Damien Williams opted out of the year, CEH was essentially handed the every down role.

This means that even the biggest Taylor supporters, like me, are forced to admit that CEH is the best choice at 1.01. With that said, I still believe the Taylor has superstar upside and is much better at catching the ball than most people realize.

The Next Tier: