2020 DLF Staff Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Round One

Jacob Feldman

Dynasty Christmas (aka NFL Draft) is finally here and just because no one likes having just one present (rookie mock drafts) under the tree, your friends at DLF are here with a second present just for you!

A few hours after day three of the NFL Draft started, I gathered up 11 of DLF’s finest and started in on a rookie mock draft, just to give you another take on how all of this might shake out! Keep in mind that things are changing quickly right now and the next phase of our rookie evaluations are just beginning. After further evaluation, thoughts and opinions may shift. However, this is what we are thinking right this moment as the draft has concluded.

The rules for this mock were pretty simple:

  1. No trades
  2. Standard PPR scoring without any positional bias
  3. One quarterback allowed in your starting lineup

With that, let’s get on with the show!

1. 01 – Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB KC

I believe that the top pick in the draft is currently a two-horse race. Some might feel there are a few others who deserve consideration, but I feel there is a very small tier drop after these first two players. Our drafter ultimately went with CEH due to the high powered offense he is joining and the clear path to full-time starter role. The fact that Andy Reid is the head coach and has a very long history of producing fantasy RB1s definitely doesn’t hurt! CEH might not be the most talented back in this class, but his complete skill set mixed with the situation definitely earns him a top two spot!

1.02 – Jonathan Taylor, RB IND

The pre-draft 1.01 on a lot of boards, Taylor gets selected second in this mock draft. Several people, including me, still have him as the top player on our boards but the gap is very small between him and CEH. I believe Taylor is the best rusher in this draft class. He has prototypical physical traits and size with instincts to match. The biggest knocks on him are ball security issues and lack of experience in the passing game. The former can be fixed and the latter is just because of how Wisconsin plays. He showed me enough last year to make me think he can develop in the passing game as well.

1.03 – D’Andre Swift, RB DET

In what might have been one of the largest of the fantasy surprises in this draft, the Lions grabbed Swift very early in round two. I have him as the third player on my draft board and that is right where he went in this mock draft. The Lions haven’t had a stud fantasy running back in decades, but Swift definitely has the talent to change all of that. He possesses one of the most complete profiles at the position this year and should give Matthew Stafford the weapon out of the backfield he has been desperately missing.

1.04 – Cam Akers, RB LAR

After the top three running backs, I feel like this is where the options start to open up a little bit more. You might start seeing some receivers sneak in here, but I think a lot of people are going to keep the running back train rolling. In this mock, Akers gets the nod. He is another complete running back drafted into a great situation. Sean McVay’s offense is most effective when he has a complete back who can do everything. I think Akers fits this mold and while he isn’t as talented as Todd Gurley was, Akers can still be super productive with RB1 upside.

1.05 – JK Dobbins, RB BAL

Rounding out the “Running Back Five”, you have Dobbins coming in as the fifth pick. There is a very real possibility that out of the five running backs, Dobbins sees the least usage this year. Between the presence of Mark Ingram and the fact that the Ravens like to spread the ball around a lot, Dobbins might not help your fantasy squad much this year. However, Ingram will likely be cut after this season if Dobbins shows enough promise, and Dobbins will be the starter in 2021. My only concern is that having a prolific rushing quarterback as well as a few other backs to help carry the load, the ceiling might not be as high as some of the others.

1.06 – Jalen Reagor, WR PHI

The draft is still going on as I type this, and I’ve seen four different receivers on the top of people’s rankings so far. A lot of the top receivers pre-draft landed in crowded situations while a lot of the next tier of receivers landed in great situations as Reagor did. This makes for some very crowded rankings with lots of variabilities. I have a few others ahead of Reagor in my own rankings, but what he does have is a great situation combined with a lot of talent. The biggest concerns and why others are higher on my board are that he is a little raw with his routes, has some drop issues, and that he might be more of an NFL WR2 than a true alpha receiver.

1.07 – Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB TB

One of if not the biggest riser as a result of the NFL draft, Vaughn is the new hot name in a lot of draft circles. I’m much more cautious about him though. He has decent size and speed but is lacking in terms of wiggle and agility. He isn’t going to make many defenders miss, which is why I had him around RB10 and just barely inside my top 25 overall pre-draft. Seeing him here at 1.07 brings back memories of Bishop Sankey among others. With that said, I think the situation alone will make him a fairly common selection in the back half of round one, but I’m looking receiver with those picks.

1.08 – CeeDee Lamb, WR DAL

I think this is a great pick and that Lamb is definitely in the running several picks before this point. I keep going back and forth between Lamb and Jerry Jeudy at the top of my WR rankings. Lamb might not be the go-to guy in Dallas, but that offense can definitely support more than one top-20 WR. If Amari Cooper sticks around, he and Lamb can form one of the best receiver duos for years to come! If Cooper leaves, Lamb has the talent to push for WR1 status in that offense.

1.09 – Jerry Jeudy, WR DEN

Getting a supreme talent like Jeudy with the ninth pick in a draft is almost unheard of in the past few years. Jeudy and Courtland Sutton could make one of the best duos in the NFL, and there is a chance that Jeudy might even be the better one of the two. He gets a ton of praise for his route running, but he is more of a complete receiver than a lot of people realize. I had him as the top receiver in this draft a week ago. The only concern I have for him is the unproven quarterback – Drew Lock – who is going to be in charge of throwing him the ball.

1.10 – Tee Higgins, WR CIN

When you draft what is hopefully a franchise quarterback with the first overall pick, the next thing you do is get him some weapons he can grow with. That is exactly where Higgins comes in to play. I didn’t have Higgins as a first-round pick prior to the draft, but the situation with Joe Burrow has pushed him a bit higher. While he probably won’t do a whole lot this year in terms of fantasy numbers, AJ Green has hit the point where his health and overall play are only going to go one direction. That leaves the door wide open for Higgins to develop into one of Burrow’s top two targets as soon as next year.

1.11 – Justin Jefferson, WR MIN

As a Bears fan, it pains me a bit to see one of my favorite receivers in this draft going to the purple and gold. It is better than green and gold, but I digress. Jefferson walks into a situation where he will have a chance to see a massive number of snaps from day one. He should be able to walk into the starting lineup immediately and make an impact. He isn’t quite as talented as some of the other receivers, but he is pretty close! If he is still there in the late first, take him with confidence!

1.12 – Henry Ruggs, WR LV

The first receiver in the NFL draft is the last pick in our first round. It is almost like the ghost of Al Davis came back and made this pick, because the Raiders went with speed once again. This brings back memories of all of the other super-fast receivers who have been drafted as the first receiver, by the Raiders and many others. Unfortunately, most of them haven’t worked out very well. I’m guessing that Ruggs will break that trend, assuming the Raiders use him as more than just a deep-ball receiver. Nonetheless, the fact that he is still here this late in the draft speaks volumes to the quality and depth of this year.

That’s it for the first round! The other two rounds will be coming soon!

jacob feldman