“Carolina’s weapons include WRs Adam Thielen and DJ Chark, along with RB Miles Sanders, which makes the offense more fantasy fruitful in the short term.” - Comparing Carolina to Houston as QB landing spots.
“But if we set aside the fantasy lens and look at this from the perspective of an NFL front office, we realize that Levis appears to be the safer prospect.” - Predicting Will Levis to be drafted ahead of Anthony Richardson.
“I believe he will be a first-round pick, but the prediction here is that he is not top five, top ten, or even top 15.” - Predicting a slide to the middle of the first round for Richardson.
Some of last year’s predictions in this same article were… questionable. The reality is, all it takes is one NFL front office disagreeing with my evaluations to prove me wrong.
I bring it up because, as you’ll soon find out, this year I’m predicting that six quarterbacks are drafted in the first round. It would be unprecedented, and it is a bold prediction. Here’s the thing though… I could definitely be wrong about the six. Maybe it’s seven. Maybe even eight. Who knows?
It’s an interesting time in the NFL, when suddenly, roughly half of the league is unsettled at QB, either short-term, long-term, or both. The Bears, Washington Football Team (Commanders, whatever. They had it right the first time. WFT FTW!), Patriots, Vikings, Raiders, and Broncos all NEED a quarterback, without a true starter on roster. The Giants, Saints, Seahawks, and possibly the 49ers could all use an upgrade. The Rams, Jets, Falcons, and possibly the Lions could use a long term contingency plan. And the Titans, Steelers, Browns, Panthers, and maybe even the Cowboys and Jaguars are anxiously holding their breath, hoping they have the answer on roster, but secretly wondering if they need a break-the-glass emergency option.
While the prediction of six in the first round seems aggressive, we may find out that it wasn’t aggressive enough. Last season was a reminder that the NFL Draft is unpredictable, and that was in a more defined class with fewer teams flirting with desperation.
The one thing that doesn’t change and isn’t hard to predict, is the way we can use the information we’re given in the draft for our dynasty superflex leagues. Draft capital trumps landing spot, talent rises, and the rule that “QB drives superflex” applies, but has its limits.
In an especially unpredictable year, let’s be prepared for anything… and react accordingly.
Here are the incoming rookie QBs headed for the first round, in the order I’m guessing they will be drafted, and the dynasty superflex impact they would have.
Strengths
- Pure playmaker. Thrives at extending plays and turning broken plays into positive outcomes.
- Athletic, with scrambling abilities to extend plays and make accurate throws on the run. Keeps his eyes downfield when on the move, looking for an opportunity to throw first.
- Good velocity, good touch. Even on the run and when changing arm slot.
- Intelligent and efficient. Goes through his reads and makes good decisions; protects the ball, particularly in the red zone.
Weaknesses
