NFL Mock Draft: Dynasty Rookies in the Top 100 Picks

Today, we’re looking at Matt Miller’s seven-round mock draft at ESPN to break down landing spots for rookies. We’ve spent most of the last few months analyzing player talent, but with the NFL draft just over two weeks away, it’s time to look at some skill-position players inside the top 100 and determine how their dynasty value would be impacted with these particular landing spots.

I do want to preface this article with the warning that this mock draft is from March 27th, so some of the takes and picks may be lagging behind some of the new information that’s surfaced since then and I’ll make note of a few selections that are extremely far off of the current market.

Quarterbacks

1.01: Cam Ward, Titans

It seems like a foregone conclusion that Ward will be selected first overall and slot in as the immediate day-one starter in Tennessee. It might not be the most appealing landing spot for a rookie quarterback, but we learned last year with Caleb Williams that appearances aren’t everything.

The Titans have enough weapons to support Ward in year one, and the draft capital will lock him in as the starter for at least the next three seasons. I’m not sure he has elite upside with his lack of rushing, but Ward should be a viable QB2 for a while in superflex leagues with spike week upside.

1.03: Shedeur Sanders, Giants

Everything we’ve learned over the last two weeks indicates that the Giants won’t be taking a quarterback in this spot, but since we’re operating under this mock draft, let’s roll with it.

If Shedeur gets top-three draft capital, it’s hard to rank him that much lower than Cam Ward. The one negative for Sanders is that he most likely won’t start the season under center for the Giants after their signings of Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson. With almost zero rushing upside, Sanders profiles as a low-end QB2 in dynasty similar to guys like Geno Smith and Tua Tagovailoa.

1.26: Jaxson Dart, Rams

All the buzz surrounding the draft states that Dart will be selected in the first round. Will he flip Sanders? That much I’m not sure about. I really like this selection for the Rams because they need to prepare for a life after Matt Stafford, and this selection would give Dart the opportunity to sit and learn for a year under Stafford and Sean McVay.

Dart has the rushing upside that neither of the top two guys possesses, and this offense would be wonderful for a guy who’s used to operating a QB-friendly system. He would be essentially a zero in year one, but if Dart got this combination of draft capital and landing spot, he’d be a priority of mine at the end of the first round and the beginning of the second round in rookie drafts.

2.33: Tyler Shough, Browns

I’m a Browns fan and would be absolutely disgusted by this selection. Every year some random quarterback rockets up draft boards because the NFL media circles get tired of talking about the two or three QBs at the top of the draft and refuse to talk about defensive ends. Instead, guys like Shough get first-round buzz.

This decision would frustrate me as a Cleveland fan because this draft capital forces the Browns to play Shough for an extended period of time to find out if he’s good. However, that exact situation is gold for dynasty managers. In this scenario, Shough will be given the opportunity to start over the second half of the season, which makes him a worthwhile dart throw in rookie drafts even if the odds of him hitting are extremely low.

2.40: Quinn Ewers, Saints

We’ve spent two years saying, “If only Xavier Worthy, AD Mitchell, Jordan Whittington, Matthew Golden, and Isaiah Bond had a better quarterback, they’d have good production profiles.” Now we’re going to draft that quarterback with the 40th overall pick?

I don’t agree with this selection, but I think the Saints are very likely to take a quarterback early this season. Hint, I think it’s Shedeur Sanders at ninth overall. Either way, whatever quarterback New Orleans picks will probably sit behind Derek Carr until week 11 or so (assuming his shoulder injury is resolved) and then be handed the keys to the future after the Saints start 4-7. Carr will not be on the roster in 2026, and it looks like New Orleans is finally heading towards a mini-rebuild. Whatever quarterback they take will be a big part of their future.

3.83: Jalen Milroe, Steelers

We recently got news that Milroe received and accepted an invitation to sit in the green room for the NFL Draft. This came as a shock because it all but confirms he’s going to be selected in the first round because the NFL does not want another Will Levis situation, and I’d suspect neither does Milroe himself.

If Milroe gets first-round capital, then it’s wheels up for his dynasty stock with his combination of rushing and deep-ball proficiency. Pittsburgh would also be a great landing spot for him because Arthur Smith will utilize his legs and he’ll have two receivers on the outside that can win downfield.

If it ends up being Pittsburgh in round one, then he’ll be locked into a top-eight pick in rookie drafts.

Running Backs

1.10: Ashton Jeanty, Bears

There’s not much to say about Jeanty that hasn’t already been said. He seems like a lock to be a top-ten pick, and the Bears might be the best spot of the bunch with Ben Johnson coming to town. Jeanty is the clear 1.01 in rookie drafts and will enter the league as a top-five overall RB in dynasty.

1.22: Omarion Hampton, Chargers

The other running back that seems to be a lock for the first round is Hampton. He dominated the combine thanks to his size and speed. He’ll most likely go in the Broncos, Steelers, and Chargers range of the draft since all three teams have needs at RB. Any of those three landing spots should secure him as a top-three rookie pick and a top-ten dynasty RB moving forward.

2.37: TreVeyon Henderson, Raiders

If the Raiders don’t take Jeanty at sixth overall, I don’t see how they pass on one of the guys in the next tier at 37th. Henderson might never be a 20-touch guy at the NFL level, but he demonstrated that he can make the most of his touches when given the opportunity. I envision a Jahmyr Gibbs-like workload where he handles the high-value touches while a teammate of his grinds yards on first down.

Henderson is a bit more of a volatile player, but I do think people are forgetting just how good he was at Ohio State because he didn’t dominate the combine like some of his colleagues. This landing spot in Las Vegas with his old offensive coordinator Chip Kelly could be a match made in heaven.

2.44: Kaleb Johnson, Cowboys

Another team destined to take a running back in this draft is Dallas, and they fulfill that need by selecting Johnson in the middle of the second round. Johnson was once viewed as the RB2 in this class behind Jeanty, but a lackluster combine performance set him back a bit.

Dallas’s offense can be incredible when everyone is healthy, and the RB should be in line for a lot of touches and scoring opportunities. The only competition for Johnson would be Javonte Williams which is essentially no competition at all. This combination of landing spot and capital would cement Johnson as a late first-round rookie pick.

2.51: Quinshon Judkins, Broncos

A lot of people forgot about Judkins this season after transferring to Ohio State and having a mediocre regular season. However, he exploded in the national championship game against Notre Dame and then dominated the combine, and now he’s catapulted himself up to the RB2 in some people’s rankings.

Denver is another team that seems incredibly likely to take a running back on the first two days of the NFL draft. Judkins is a massive winner with this selection by heading to a team with a great play-caller and offensive line. Judkins would be my RB3 in the class if this happened.

3.67: Dylan Sampson, Browns

I’ll be honest, I don’t really see it with Sampson. He’s supposed to be this burner, speed-back but then didn’t run the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. That raised a lot of red flags for me. He then ran at his pro day and logged a 4.42, which would have only been seventh in the class. If you think pro days are usually more generous than the combine and we round that down to a 4.45, then he’d be tied for 11th in the class. Throw in the fact that he played at Tennessee, which is famous for fake RB production, and you get an odd profile.

The Browns are not bringing Nick Chubb back, but they still have Jerome Ford on the roster, who’s been decent for stretches the last two seasons. He’ll be taken at the beginning of the second round in rookie drafts, but I’m going to prefer a lot of the guys in the next tier over him at cost.

Wide Receivers

1.04: Travis Hunter, Patriots

It seems more and more likely that Hunter will not only play both sides in the NFL, but that he’ll play a majority of his snaps on offense. Most of the teams at the top of the NFL draft have indicated that they view Hunter as a WR and the best one in this class.

Hunter is an incredibly interesting prospect; he flashed high-end WR traits in college and is easily the best pure football player in this draft class. If he heads to New England, he immediately becomes the WR1 for Drake Maye for the next five years.

1.06: Tetairoa McMillan, Raiders

The Raiders need weapons, and McMillan will slot in nicely as the WR1 next to Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers. Throw in their TreVeyon Henderson selection, and all of a sudden this offense looks pretty nice with Geno Smith under center.

McMillan is easily my WR1, excluding any WRs who might be a cornerback. He was incredibly productive at Arizona, and a top-six pick locks in his dynasty value for the duration of his rookie deal. McMillan seems like a very safe pick at the top of rookie drafts if this happens.

1.18: Matthew Golden, Seahawks

Golden is shooting up draft boards, but this seems like a reasonable place for him to settle. His combine performance was impressive, but his production and tape don’t match the athleticism. I’m a little bit worried about Golden’s floor at the NFL level and will most likely pass on him in the first round of rookie drafts to focus on the RBs and TEs.

1.20: Luther Burden, Broncos

The opinion of Burden is all over the place among respected NFL prognosticators. Some view him as an explosive, early-breakout, and electrifying receiver. Others view him as a gadgety guy who was awful in 2024. Both are true!

Burden will probably slide further than this in the NFL draft, but if Denver takes him with the 20th pick, then he’s a lock to go in the first round of rookie drafts and will immediately become Bo Nix’s WR2 for 2025 with upside after Courtland Sutton’s departure.

2.34: Emeka Egbuka, Giants

The combination of Emeka Egbuka and Malik Nabers is exciting. Both guys can play inside and out while winning at all three levels of the field. A lot of people are calling Egbuka a high-floor, low-ceiling guy, but I think that sells him short. He’s used to earning targets against other elite receivers, and the name of the game is earning targets. Egbuka is an underrated prospect, but this landing spot will cap his upside just a bit with no path to WR1 status.

2.47: Jaylin Noel, Cardinals

Noel is one half of the Iowa State duo who dominated to combine. Noel is an interesting player who is small, super athletic, and wins all over the field. He would complement Marvin Harrison and Trey McBride nicely in this offense, but he’d have a limited upside. The third receiving option for a run-heavy team isn’t the most appealing fantasy asset.

2.55: Tre Harris, Chargers

Harris is one of the most polarizing prospects in this draft. Some of his advanced metrics are insane while others are concerning. He looks like a superstar in some clips and looks like he only moves in 90-degree angles in others.

However, the Chargers need to upgrade their receiver room outside of Ladd McConkey, and Harris could be an ideal fit doing all the stuff 20+ yards downfield. Harris is the receiver at the end of the second round of rookie drafts. I’m going to try and target to lean into that upside.

2.62: Jayden Higgins, Bills

The second half of the Iowa State duo is Higgins, who lands in Buffalo in this mock draft. Higgins can seamlessly fill in for Mack Hollins as the outside X, or he can slide in and play the power-slot role. Either way, the combination of Higgins and Keon Coleman gives Josh Allen an athletic combo on the outside.

Similar to Tre Harris, Higgins is one of the few wide receivers I’m targeting in this rookie class in the second round of rookie drafts.

3.69: Elic Ayomanor, Patriots

Some places have Ayomanor as a second-round pick, while others have him sliding to day three. This mock is splitting the difference with him going to the Patriots in the third round. New England needs pass catchers, but they already drafted Travis Hunter fourth overall in this mock and also signed Stefon Diggs.

That WR all of a sudden got a little crowded, and I’m not sure where Ayomanor would fit in there. Plus, I have concerns about his ability to create separation. I have a feeling Ayomanor might be a better real-life football player than fantasy asset thanks to his vertical ability and blocking.

3.70: Savion Williams, Jaguars

I’ll be honest, I don’t view Williams as an NFL-caliber WR whatsoever. The Jaguars definitely need to add pass catchers, but I think this is not the right direction. Third-round draft capital will skyrocket Williams’s fantasy value, but I’ll be happy to fade that rise and take RBs and other WRs instead.

3.74: Isaiah Bond, Panthers

Since this mock draft was released, there have been some reports concerning off-the-field issues for Isaiah Bond, such as his work ethic and character. I obviously have no idea whether that’s true, but usually where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Plus, Bond just isn’t very good. Just like Savion Williams, I’d be willing to fade this draft capital for Bond and look elsewhere.

3.76: Jack Bech, Cowboys

Bech was the MVP of the Senior Bowl after he endured an emotional week and caught the game-winning touchdown. At that moment, he was framed as a lock to go in the second round. However, the public opinion of him has cooled since then, and he’s settled in as a round-three pick which seems more appropriate.

Bech profiles as a power slot at the next level and could complement CeeDee Lamb nicely on the outside. Dak Prescott needs more weapons, and Bech provides an interesting target earner in the middle of the field. I like Bech a lot, and this landing spot is intriguing enough to get me to take him at the beginning of the third round of rookie drafts.

3.87: Tory Horton, Packers

The final receiver taken in the top 100 of this mock draft is Horton. All off-season, the Packers have talked about adding a true WR,1 and I’m not sure a day-three receiver from Colorado State is the answer they’re looking for.

I like Horton a lot and loved watching him play college football, but I fear he’ll just become another replacement-level player in this Green Bay receiver room. I find it hard to believe he’ll be able to separate from the likes of Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Bo Melton, who have all been there for multiple years. Horton will most likely never be a viable fantasy asset in Green Bay.

Tight Ends

1.12: Tyler Warren, Cowboys

Warren is such an interesting player because he really didn’t break out until his fifth college season, but he did so in a big way. I have a hint of skepticism about how he’ll translate to the NFL level, but every person smarter than me seems to love him, so I won’t overthink him.

As far as landing spot and capital, it’s hard to envision a better situation. Dak Prescott throws the ball a ton, and they need a second receiving threat behind Ceedee Lamb. If he lands in Dallas, then I’d be hard-pressed to rank Warren outside my top-five tight ends in dynasty.

1.14: Colston Loveland, Colts

I actually think Loveland is a slightly better prospect than Warren, but the two are very close and I fully expect both to be drafted in the first round. Unfortunately for Loveland, he lost the draft capital lottery and ended up in Indianapolis. He immediately becomes the best TE on the roster by a wide margin, but Shane Steichen has shown a propensity to rotate tight ends as evidenced by his platoon of Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory, and Jelani Woods.

Add in the fact that Indianapolis is currently undergoing the most depressing quarterback battle in NFL history, besides the Giants, and this doesn’t profile as a very intriguing landing spot for Loveland. However, it’s difficult to ignore top-15 draft capital, and Loveland is talented enough to dust the rest of the room.

2.36: Mason Taylor, Jaguars

A lot of people like Taylor because he’s a stable, reliable, traditional tight end. He doesn’t do anything exceptionally well, but he does a lot pretty good. I don’t really see the upside with him in the NFL or in fantasy, so I’d be fine fading him in rookie drafts based on talent.

His landing spot is decent; the Jaguars released Evan Engram, so there are TE targets to be had, but it seems like the front office likes Brenton Strange. There are plenty of opportunities for Taylor in Jacksonville, but I wouldn’t take him before the third round of rookie drafts because I don’t think he’ll ever develop into a difference-maker in fantasy.

2.64: Elijah Arroyo, Eagles

This is a classic Eagles pick. They love taking a big, athletic, high-upside player a year before they need him. They can let him sit and rotate in for a year while they learn the NFL game. This is exactly what they’d be doing with Arroyo here.

The Eagles are openly shopping Dallas Goedert, but it seems like he might just return to Philadelphia in 2025 to play out the last year of his deal. However, there’s no world where he’s on the roster in 2026, and that would open things up for Arroyo after he sits for a season. He has a much wider range of outcomes than Taylor, but I’d rather swing for the upside at the tight end position in this range of rookie drafts.

3.79: Terrance Ferguson, Texans

The only other tight end selected in the top-100 picks of this draft is Ferguson, who really made a name for himself following a combine performance that saw him earn a 9.84 RAS. Combine that athleticism with a fairly productive college career and you get an interesting profile.

This selection is very similar to the Eagles with Arroyo; the Texans have Dalton Schultz under contract for the 2025 season, but would save nearly $14 million by cutting him before 2026. A year of sitting for Ferguson could allow him to blossom into a more complete tight end while mixing in as a pass-catching option in year one. He’s another upside swing to take in the third or fourth round of rookie drafts.