2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: Post-Combine Edition, Round Three

As always, the DLF Slack channels have been filled with healthy debates and discussions on this year’s rookie class. Most of us have our pre-draft rookie rankings but some minds have been changed based on the results of this year’s NFL Draft Scouting Combine. Before you know it, many rookie drafts will kick off across the globe, so we wanted to see where we might expect the players in this rookie class to be selected after this year’s edition of the Underwear Olympics. As a result, we conducted a three-round rookie mock draft, post-combine edition. Some details are below.

This was a 1QB draft

Once someone made a selection, they were instructed to wait at least two more picks to make an additional selection in order to let others chime in

I asked for commentary on each pick but I’ll add my own thoughts on each selection as well

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at how this thing panned out, starting with round one.

1.01 = Marvin Harrison, Jr., WR OSU
1.02 = Malik Nabers. WR LSU
1.03 = Rome Odunze. WR WASH
1.04 = Brian Thomas Jr., WR LSU
1.05 – Brock Bowers, TE Georgia
1.06 = Xavier Worthy, WR TEX
1.07  = Caleb Williams, QB USC
1.08 = Trey Benson, RB FSU
1.09 = Troy Franklin, WR ORE
1.10 = Jonathon Brooks, RB Texas
1.11 =  Ladd McConkey, WR Georgia
1.12 = Xavier Legette, WR South Carolina

…and round two.

2.01 = Adonai Mitchell, WR TEX
2.02 = Jaylen Wright, RB TEN
2.03 = Keon Coleman, WR FSU
2.04 = Jayden Daniels, QB LSU
2.05 = JJ McCarthy, QB MICH
2.06 = Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE TEX
2.07 = Drake Maye, QB UNC
2.08 = Braelon Allen, RB WIS
2.09 = MarShawn Lloyd RB, USC
2.10 = Roman Wilson WR, MICH
2.11 = Blake Corum MICH
2.12 = Ray Davis RB UK

Without further delay, let’s go to the final round!

3.01 = Ricky Pearsall, WR Florida

Commentary given: if Pearsall is going to be available at 3.01, I’ll have him on a lot of dynasty teams this year. I love his game, he’s a tough, PPR possession receiver who can go deep, too. He has some of the best hands in the draft. I had a chance to chat with him for a bit at the Combine and I was very impressed.

My thoughts: Pearsall was ranked eighth overall at the combine in terms of athleticism according to NFL Next Gen Stats. His stats were also solid (65/965/4 in the SEC) but I’m concerned about how his game translates a bit. He has a knack for getting open but also doesn’t play overly quick or fast. At this point in the draft, nobody is perfect, though. I like the pick but I’m just not sure how his game looks one level up.

3.02 = Jalen McMillan, WR Washington

Commentary given: The offense was really humming when he was in the lineup. In the middle of the field he is tough to cover. He has the speed and hand to be a problem in the slot.

My thoughts: McMillan has been overshadowed in the draft process by his teammate Rome Odunze but that’s to be expected. Still, anyone who looks just at his last season (45/559/5) and not his dominant 2022 campaign (79/1,098/9) is going to be missing out. I also like targeting PPR slot receivers in the third round, so this one works beautifully for me.

3.03 = Devontez Walker, WR North Carolina

Commentary given: He sure looks like an NFL receiver to me. His time with Drake Maye as a Tar Heel bore fruit and he looks likely to see his name called in the late second or early third round of the NFL Draft. His route tree may be limited, but showed good intelligence in finding weak spots in the coverage to exploit, as well as being sure-handed on the perimeter. That 4.36 speed will no doubt keep NFL defensive backs honest.

My thoughts: I’ll just get it out there. Walker is my middle round target in dynasty leagues this season. His stats don’t tell the whole story and I really like how his game translates to the next level. He’s far from perfect and not in the elite of this class but you could do a lot worse with a third round dart throw. If there’s a receiver who is going to outplay his draft position next year, my money is on Tez.

3.04 = Ja’Lynn Polk, WR Washington

Commentary given: It took a long time for Polk to break through at the college level, but he was a key piece in Washington’s run to the National Championship game this past season. Good size and decent burst off of the line. He’s a playmaker and at this point in the draft, he could be a steal. It’s crazy to see the amount of quality wide receivers that are still available here as we get to the middle of the third round.

My thoughts: This really is a wide receiver heavy draft. Anyone in a PPR league should be doing whatever they can to collect some of these mid-round selections. Polk may not be the quickest or fastest receiver in this class but I’d put his ball skills and competitiveness up against anybody. He seems like a receiver with a pretty high floor who you can possibly get in round three.

3.05 = Malachi Corley, WR Western Kentucky

Commentary given: Small school stature but big-time production. He’s lost in a receiver class that’s as loaded as any in history. At this point in the draft, you take shots at players with high upside and while his floor is low, you have to like his potential.

My thoughts: He plays liek a running back trapped in a wide receiver’s body. He also needs a lot of work to refine his game. Still, he’s a player with a high ceiling and you have to like that this late in a draft.

3.06 = Audric Estime, RB Notre Dame

Commentary given: The underwhelming 4.71 40 time at the Combine is going to be a knock against Estime, but I’m still taking a swing here in the middle of the third round. He is rocked up at 220 pounds and runs with power and explosiveness that allows him to fit in a man or zone scheme. Estime is a case of trusting what I see. He’s gonna get an opportunity to compete for a significant role wherever he lands.

My thoughts: The combine is going to kill his draft stock because people will see him as a player who is just too slow to be successful. It could be true or it could be overblown. At this point in a draft, you take your shots. Sign me up.

3.07 = Jacob Cowing, WR Arizona

Commentary given: Cowing is a pure slot receiver who could shine in the right system. He blew many people away with his 4.38 40-yard dash time at the combine, showing he has a lot more burst than previously expected. Cowing was a devy darling two seasons ago before transferring to Arizona, where he had a ridiculous high target share.

My thoughts: If I don’t get Walker in the third round of my rookie drafts, I’ll be looking hard at Cowing. His drop rate is a concern, as his refinement on the entire route tree. However, he translates as a pretty solid slot prospect and that’s a solid get this late.

3.08 = Bucky Irving, RB Oregon

Commentary given: Irving was one of the biggest losers of the NFL Combine. He posted the worst RAS score of the class and is very undersized. Analytically, this is a bad pick, but he looked better in the drills than he did in the testing. The stock is down on him, but this is a gamble on the film, which looks pretty good.

My thoughts: We’re getting to the point in a draft where it’s hard to criticize any picks. Quite honestly, history has shown us very few of these players taken this late will pan out. With that being said, I actually like the Irving pick here. He’s been productive and if he lands in a desirable spot, I like his chances to stick around the NFL.

3.09 = Frank Gore Jr, RB Southern Miss

Commentary given: Gore has some interesting analytical numbers that show he could be successful at the next level. He played for some pretty bad teams in college and was still able to produce some very good numbers. Gore is one of the third or fourth round running backs I’m targeting in this draft.

My thoughts: If he’s anything like his Dad, he’ll play for ar0und 64 years in the NFL. If he’s not, this is going to be a quick burn in the NFL. I really think someone is going to give him a shot but his landing spot is going to be critical.

3.10 = Malik Washington, WR Virginia

Commentary given: It’s incredible to me that Washington has fallen to the late third round. I currently have him as a top-10 WR in this class ahead of Ladd McConkey, Roman Wilson, the other Washington WRs, Tez Walker, and Ricky Pearsall. He’s an incredible route runner who was wasted in the Northwestern offense for four years before having a monster 2023 season at Virginia with a massive 47% dominator rating. He is an older prospect at 23 years old and he will be limited to a slot role in the NFL given his size and lack of elite speed, but he’s a very underrated prospect that I would not be surprised to see get drafted in the 2nd round. To me, he’s this year’s Zay Flowers with other close analytical comps to Skyy Moore (rip), Sterling Shepard, and Randall Cobb.

My thoughts: People are going to have their favorite deep receivers and I think this commentary says it all.

3.11 = Isaac Guerendo, RB Louisville

Commentary given: Couldn’t get on the field consistently at Wisconsin in four seasons, but the transfer to Louisville helped him put up some production in his fifth season. His production profile is a huge red flag but he was arguably the biggest winner at the running back position at the NFL Combine. His athletic profile at 221 pounds is impressive, especially his 99th percentile speed score, which puts him in dart throw territory in the third round all on its own. We could see an offseason hype cycle similar to the one that propelled Isaiah Pacheco to fantasy success.

My thoughts: He wasn’t even on the radar much before the combine but he showed he could be a serious diamond in the rough. If he lands on a team with a path to playing time, he won’t last until this pick come April.

3.12 = Will Shipley, RB Clemson

Commentay given: Feels like he is becoming the forgotten man in this running back class. He has some flaws and question will remain about whether he can be more than a situational player but a great receiving profile and natural route running ability give him the chance to be fantasy relevant even in a limited role.

My thoughts: I think he profiles as a change-of-pace back and I have a bunch of running backs ranked a smidge higher. However, he really is being undervalued at this point.