DLF Staff 1QB 2023 Rookie Mock Draft

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Ryan McDowell Posted On March 15, 2023

With the 2023 NFL Combine complete and all of the related data and information fully analyzed, it is time to get some of the DLF team together for a mock draft.

In this mock, I asked each staffer to include some short commentary about their picks, and that is included with each selection.

The participants, in draft order, are:

By the way, you might notice some new names there. We’ve recently added several new writers to our team. If you’re active on Twitter, be sure to give them a follow and look for their work to show up here soon.

ROUND ONE

1.01 Bijan Robinson, RB

Marcus says: Robinson has the size and athleticism to make an impact on day one for most teams.

1.02 Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR

Jeff says: If I can’t have the RB1, then give me the WR1.

1.03 Jahmyr Gibbs, RB

Brandon says: I am thrilled to get Gibbs at three. I think his speed and vision make him the clear number two running back and he could be a better fantasy option with his receiving upside.

1.04 Jordan Addison, WR

Adam says: While the combine was a bit underwhelming for Addison, where he wins on the field is in his route running ability. Separation is the name of the game in the NFL these days and Addison is a wizard at getting open.

1.05 Quentin Johnston, WR

Aaron says: Getting my WR1 at fifth overall was a nice surprise. Johnston is by far the biggest boom or bust out of all the receivers in this class and his range of outcomes is wide, but his size and speed make him the prototypical alpha WR who could easily develop into a top-five receiver for fantasy.

1.06 Zay Flowers, WR

Tim says: I love Flowers and I’m psyched to get him at six overall, but the size is a major concern. He measured in at the combine at just 5′ 9″ and lacks the wingspan you’d like to see from elite wide receivers. An NFL team is going to invest in Flowers because of his drive and dedication on top of his ability to run routes and get open. Flowers excelled on a minor league college team in Boston College, I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do on an NFL team.

1.07 Zach Charbonnet, RB

Jake says: I can’t imagine Charbonnet falling this far in most 1QB drafts. He’s a big back with pass-catching skills who had a terrific combine. It’s not often you’re able to get a potential workhorse in the back half of the first round, which speaks to the depth of this class.

1.08 Josh Downs, WR

Ryan says: One of the most productive receivers over the past two seasons, Downs has been called this year’s Jahan Dotson, an undersized but well-rounded receiver who could end up as a first-round pick in the NFL Draft. At 5’9” and just 171 pounds, if Downs doesn’t make it in the league, it will likely be due to his size.

1.09 Zach Evans, RB

John A. says: I am pretty happy to get Evans here at 1.09. His prospect profile isn’t perfect, but he is elite when he’s on the field, and his 11.5% Big Time Run Rate leads the Power-Five players in the class.

1.10 Jalin Hyatt, WR

John H. says: Hyatt has decent size despite being sub-180 pounds and has good speed. With his upside play-making ability, I like the pick in this spot.

1.11 Kendre Miller, RB

Dave says: He is a young RB who shared the backfield with an elite RB prospect but still earned significant workload as a freshman and sophomore. As a junior, he had the backfield to himself and dominated TCUs share of attempts, rushing yards, and touchdowns. He was incredibly efficient with his workload and despite catching under 20 balls as a junior, he was efficient as a receiver. He is still underrated in fantasy football because he didn’t participate in the combine. He’s the biggest value in mocks among any player in this class.

1.12 Michael Mayer, TE

Russ says: With most of the solid RBs and WRs off the board, it’s time to take a stab at a positional advantage. Mayer has the best shot of all TEs of being on the field for every down, giving him the edge in being my TE1.

ROUND TWO

2.01 Devon Achane, RB

Marcus says: Getting a player with the explosiveness and speed that Achane has at 2.01 is great value. He has the pass-catching ability to be a real weapon at the next level.

2.02 Sean Tucker, RB

Jeff says: Tucker could be a first-round pick in rookie drafts when all is said and done. He is undervalued at the moment.

2.03 Israel Abanikanda, RB

Brandon says: Abanikanda is an underrated prospect coming out of Pittsburgh. They deployed a shared backfield, so his numbers weren’t as high. He has good vision and is a good receiver out of the backfield.

2.04 Tank Bigsby, RB

Adam says: He is a former devy darling whose production fell off into his final college years. Bigsby has the prototypical NFL size and pairs it with an excellent blend of burst and power. He is probably not going to be a three-down workhorse but could see time as an early-down expert and a late-game grinder.

2.05 Bryce Young, QB

Aaron says: At this point in a 1QB draft, I am gravitating towards my QB1 in the class. At this point, Young is that quarterback. That ranking is unlikely to hold past the NFL Draft and at that point, my top four would likely be re-ordered based on some combination of talent, draft capital and landing spot. At 2.05 I am set on taking my QB1. Who that quarterback is will be a matter of personal preference.

2.06 Anthony Richardson, QB

Tim says: In 1QB leagues, I want upside if I’m taking a quarterback in the rookie draft, and oh boy does Richardson have limitless upside. The expectations were massive for him coming into the combine, and somehow, he exceeded them. He’s a bigger, faster Cam Newton who can throw the ball better than Newton ever could. He needs to land on a team with a great offensive coaching staff, one that can take all of that raw talent and help him become an NFL quarterback. If this were 2QB or superflex, I’d prefer a safer pick at quarterback, but since it’s 1QB, and a swing-and-miss pick at the position is less painful, I’ll take Richardson over the pack!

2.07 Chase Brown, RB

Jake says: Brown led the B1G in all-purpose yards last season. He put any questions about his athleticism to rest after an impressive combine performance. He’s one of my favorite targets in the second round.

2.08 Marvin Mims, WR

Ryan says: Mims blew me away at the combine, selling himself well during the interview portion of the weekend and then faring very well during the on-field drills as well. He was mature and well-spoken, pointing to his consistency and production throughout his college career despite multiple changes around him. I expect Mims to end up with higher-than-expected draft capital, which would be an even larger boost to his dynasty value.

2.09 Dalton Kincaid, TE

John A. says: The mid to late second round has become my favorite spot to start looking at the tight end position, over the past few years. I have Mayer and Kincaid in the same tier, so I love taking the value at 2.09.

2.10 CJ Stroud, QB

John H. says: Stroud seems like a value at the back of the second round. Even in a single-quarterback league, Stroud should have the draft capital and the opportunity to contribute immediately.

2.11 Kayshon Boutte, WR

Dave says: In a room full of sharp drafters, the board is barren. That being said this feels like the time to throw the dart on Boutte. He had early dominant college production, was a big-time high school prospect, and played in the SEC. Poor sophomore and junior season production, reported character concerns, and flopping the combine have let this devy darling plummet. He is a solid gamble at this point in rookie drafts.

2.12 Roschon Johnson, RB

Russ says: Jet McKinnon 2.0 time!

ROUND THREE

3.01 Darnell Washington, TE

Marcus says: Washington had a really good combine and is a certified freak. At this point in the draft, these are the guys I like targeting.

3.02 Will Levis, QB

Jeff says: He could end up being the best quarterback of the bunch. I don’t mind the gamble here.

3.03 Tank Dell, WR

Brandon says: Dell is on the smaller side but with the NFL moving into more spread offenses, smaller receivers are starting to thrive. I think he could have a surprise first-year impact in the right system.

3.04 Deuce Vaughn, RB

Adam says: One of the shortest players ever at the combine, Vaughn has had an uphill climb his entire career. However, he has been a champion of short kings everywhere, being extremely productive at Kansas State, and rarely missing time. Vaughn has been able to capitalize on his size with elusiveness and excellent contact balance.

3.05 Tyjae Spears, RB

Aaron says: Spears was electric at Tulane and figures to adapt well to the NFL game. His size is nothing to write home about and he isn’t going to be the RB1 in this class but with the right landing spot and draft capital, he should find his way into being a solid running back for fantasy managers.

3.06 Rashee Rice, WR

Tim says: I’m heartbroken that Spears went one pick ahead of me! Once I recover from this disaster, I’ll write up something about Rice… He has a good blend of size and speed and seems to have the physical traits to make it at the NFL level, but shows plenty of inconsistency on tape. He had a solid Senior Bowl and combine. He’ll need to be coached up at the NFL level to become a solid fantasy player.

3.07 Evan Hull, RB

Jake says: Hull was a star at Northwestern. He averaged nearly five receptions per game last season. Then, he displayed above-average athleticism at the combine, while weighing in at 209 pounds. His exceptional skills as a receiver all but guarantee him a role in an NFL offense.

3.08 Luke Musgrave, TE

Ryan says: 2022 was a rough season for Musgrave, who missed all but two games due to injuries. He still has a chance to be a first-round NFL Draft pick and maybe even the first tight end selected. He is a beast at 6’6” and over 250 pounds. As an expected top-50 pick, Musgrave would be a value this late in the third round of rookie drafts.

3.09 Trey Palmer, WR

John A. says: At this point, I’m looking for upside with a realistic shot at draft capital. That leads me to Palmer. After running a 4.33-second 40 at the combine, I am expecting him to be drafted earlier than his original fourth-round projection. Took him four years to truly break out, but he did it in a big way, in his senior season.

3.10 Mohamed Ibrahim, RB

John H. says: At this point in a draft dominated by sharp dynasty minds, I’m looking for players who passed the eye test and those who performed well. Ibrahim plays bigger than his 5’8″ frame. Weighing in at 203 pounds, he is compact and fights for extra yardage. He finished last season with 10 of his 12 games going over 100 rushing yards. I like the dart throw in this range of rookie drafts.

3.11 Travis Dye, RB

Dave says: Dye is an older running back who produced a lot in the receiving game at two major PAC-12 teams. He is over 200 pounds and was efficient rushing the ball and converting touchdowns in college despite only have one season with over 200 carries. Unless I’ve identified significant talent at WR/TE this late in drafts, I’ll always target RBs.

3.12 Hendon Hooker, QB

Russ says: Once healthy, his ceiling could be as high as the rest of the QBs in this class. He could be a steal at this pick. Also, there is no risk because of how late the pick is.

ROUND FOUR

4.01 Cedric Tillman, WR

Marcus says: Cedric Tillman looks the part from a physical standpoint. He’s likely still hanging around here in the fourth round because he is nearly 23. I feel very comfortable grabbing him at this point in the draft.

4.02 Tucker Kraft, TE

Jeff says: Kraft is perhaps a little bit unheralded because he played for an FCS school. An all-around athlete, Kraft played QB/RB/LB and punted in high school while earning second-team all-state honors in basketball, to boot.

4.03 Parker Washington, WR

Brandon says: Washington didn’t have the year I thought he would but I think he could surprise people. He has great hands and is very quick in and out of breaks

4.04 Jadon Haselwood, WR

Adam says: Never really playing up to his five-star recruit expected level of production, Haselwood will have an uphill battle in the NFL. I like his size for the position but his testing left a lot to be desired. Arkansas was able to utilize him in the slot to create mismatches at the college level but that might not fly in the NFL.

4.05 Keaton Mitchell, RB

Aaron says: At this point in the draft the options are limited, so why not go with one of the stars of the 2023 NFL Combine? Mitchell doesn’t profile as a true three-down workhorse but he has speed and pass-catching ability for days and could be more than adequate at the NFL level.

4.06 Kenny McIntosh, RB

Tim says: After a solid Senior Bowl, McIntosh is in the fantasy gutter thanks to a 4.62 40 at the combine. Combine that with his struggles to grind it out between the tackles and there are plenty of red flags with McIntosh. The saving grace for the former Bulldog is his production in the passing game. Look for him to start getting in the mix on third down in the NFL with the potential to develop into a team’s second or 1B back.

4.07 Charlie Jones, WR

Jake says: Jones is an older prospect out of Purdue who dominated targets for the Boilermakers. He led the nation in receptions and was second in receiving yards. Jones profiles as a slot receiver at the next level. He’s an interesting sleeper, especially in PPR.

4.08 Sam LaPorta, TE

Ryan says: We’ve heard for weeks how deep and impressive this tight end class could be, and LaPorta is an example of that fact. Hoping to continue the tradition of Iowa Hawkeye tight ends coming into the league, LaPorta is a likely day two pick and worth stashing in dynasty leagues.

4.09 Jayden Reed, WR

John A. says: I fell in love with Reed, after his junior season. Unfortunately, he struggled to stay healthy last year, which is why I’m fine waiting until now to take him. His special teams usage could help him get decent draft capital, as well.

4.10 Zack Kuntz, TE

John H. says: This is such a good tight end group and with my final pick, I wanted to get in on the action. Kuntz tasted as the fastest tight end at the combine and tied for the most bench press reps. He also had the highest vertical. So, taking him with my final pick is putting very little risk into a player who tested so well at the combine.

4.11 Eric Gray, RB

Dave says: Gray has the production profile of a running back capable of handling double-digit carries in the NFL and has three seasons of over 20 receptions in college. He is over 200 pounds and played for two big-time collegiate programs. At this point in the draft, you’re hoping to fall into some opportunity during his rookie season.

4.12 Puka Nacua, WR

Russ says: I am a sucker for the prototypical X-type WR and at 6’2, 210 pounds, Nacua fits the bill. He is also great with the ball in his hands so grabbing him as a last dart throw is the perfect pick in my book.

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Ryan McDowell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

In addition to his senior leadership role here at DLF, Ryan is also a husband, father of three and PE teacher. Ryan is the commissioner of multiple dynasty leagues, most notably the Kitchen Sink Dynasty Leagues. Here at DLF, Ryan’s focus is on identifying, monitoring and analyzing player value.