The NFL Combine is just around the corner. The franchise tag window has opened and will close on March 5th. Free agency tampering begins on March 11th. Can you feel the excitement building for your rookie drafts? The Dynasty Nerds team is back with Superflex Rookie Mock 3.0.
Let’s dig into Round 1.
Superflex Rookie Mock Draft 3.0 – Round 1
1.01 Caleb Williams, QB, 6’1″ 218lbs
USC
Caleb Williams when kept clean in 2023:
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) February 22, 2024
93.4 PFF passing grade (Best in CFB)
220/292 – 75.3 COM%
2,908 passing yards – 10.0 YPA
22 TD/1 INT
BTT – 17
BTT% – 5.4
TWP – 2
TWP% – 0.6
ADOT – 8.6
ADJ% – 81.9
DB% kept clean – 66.8
Sacks – 2 pic.twitter.com/tG498x5P4p
We are entering microscope season. Everything Caleb Williams has done over the last three seasons will be picked apart. Williams had a 67% completion rate with a 93/14 TD/int ratio. Ultimately, he has the tools to be a top NFL quarterback.
1.02 Drake Maye, QB, 6’5″ 220lbs
North Carolina
I echo the same thing that Dennis said: we are overanalyzing everything at this point. Maye is a phenomenal quarterback prospect and will be a successful NFL quarterback. I think he’s got a pretty safe floor and a high ceiling. He could be a guy that hangs around in the top 10 QBs for many years. Don’t get cute—draft Drake Maye.
1.03 Jayden Daniels, QB, 6’3″ 185lbs
LSU
This is the easiest pick of the 1st round. Sure, Marvin Harrison Jr is tempting, but in Superflex, quarterback is king. The current Heisman Trophy winner brings a tantalizing skill set that combines deep ball accuracy and rushing upside. Daniels will be a top-10 pick and has the upside to be this class’s #1 fantasy asset. Scoop him up here at 1.03 and watch the points roll in.
1.04 Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, 6’3″ 202lbs
OSU
If a league mate has a good quarterback situation and a top 3 pick, he might be seriously tempted to take Marvin Harrison Jr. earlier than this. I think MHJ is the best player in the draft, regardless of position. He’s the best receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson. When you draft Marvin Harrison Jr., you’re getting a future Hall of Fame receiver.
1.05 Malik Nabers, WR, 6’1″ 188lbs
LSU
If MHJ wasn’t in the same class, we would be talking about Malik Nabers being the best WR to enter the draft in several years. He’s the guy at 5. For about 5 different reasons, he’s the guy at 5. IDK how anybody can watch any film & tell me otherwise. pic.twitter.com/4z5qHMOC3c
— Ryan DePaul (@RyanDePaul) February 17, 2024
The gap between Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers isn’t big. If one at all. Nabers parlayed true freshman production into a 1000-yard sophomore season and topped it off with a massive junior year, accounting for 89/1569/14. He is an explosive talent with superstar potential that can cause headaches at every level of the football field. Nabers should be a locked-in top-10 pick this April and getting him at 1.05 in Superflex feels like stealing.
1.06 Brock Bowers, TE, 6’4″ 230lbs
Georgia
Brock Bowers is a rare prospect for his position. He has the talent to act like a receiver but is a tight end. He is going to be a playmaker at the NFL level. He has the blend of elite ball skills, and his yards after catch were the best in the nation last year. He will likely be a top-ten pick in the NFL draft, so his draft capital will be secured. We’ve seen the recent trend of young tight ends doing well as rookies in the last few seasons. Bowers should be able to impact immediately and be a feature weapon in an
1.07 Rome Odunze, WR, 6’3″ 200lbs
Washington
It’s hard not to fall in love with Rome Odunze’s game. He does pretty much everything well and wins in a variety of ways. This is just from the first Oregon game.#NFLDrafthttps://t.co/NcF21nMxPO pic.twitter.com/TjVrKPa9qe
— Jaime Eisner (@JaimeEisner) February 23, 2024
Rome is my WR3 in this draft, and I don’t see that changing after the combine or the actual NFL Draft. Many felt Rome’s 2022 season was an outlier, and he proved all the doubters wrong, finishing with a stat line of 92/1640/13. I feel there is a wide receiver tier break after Rome Odunze. Odunze has excellent ball tracking, great hands, and finds holes in zone coverage. My player comparison for Rome Odunze is Keenan Allen.
1.08 Brian Thomas Jr., WR, 6’5″ 198lbs
LSU
Thomas has a perfect blend of elite size and speed. He is tough in the red zone, which will allow him to become an early contributor in the NFL. Thomas earned targets as a true freshman among some top college talents such as Nabers, Boutte, and Tre Palmer. Once the depth chart cleared a little in 2023, Thomas was able to show his true potential, even with Nabers dominating on the other side. Brian Thomas Jr. projects as an alpha in the NFL and is more than just speed. In any other draft class, Thomas probably goes higher, which speaks to how loaded this WR class is.
1.09 Troy Franklin, WR, 6’2″ 170lbs
Oregon
Franklin brings to the draft a unique combination of pedigree, a solid analytical profile, and real speed, combined with savvy routes to uncover easily downfield. While he’s not a flawless prospect (physicality is the primary concern), he’s a lock for top 50 capital and has many of the traits the modern NFL covets in wide receivers. He’s going to make a lot of my rosters.
1.10 Michael Penix Jr. *6’2″ 211lbs
Washington
Michael Penix arm talent is actually insane pic.twitter.com/HAAWqFxm47
— Bawk Bawk Seahawks (@BawkSeahawks) February 16, 2024
In a mock draft with no landing spots, I’ll take my highest-ranked player, Michael Penix Jr, at the 1.10. Even though many are low on Penix, I expect him to get late first to early second-round draft capital, causing him to land in a great situation. It’s not an overreaction to say Penix may be the best pure passer in this class, especially with his deep ball. After the tier break at the 1.07, I want to take some upside swings. In a Superflex format, I will always bet on the quarterback with a ton of upside.
1.11 JJ McCarthy, QB, 6’3″ 197lbs
Michigan
I wanted to grab a wide receiver here, but JJ McCarthy made too much sense. He’s at the top of the Tier 2 quarterbacks, and a lot of momentum suggests he will be a top 10 pick. He’s proven he can play within the structure of an offense, has a plus arm, and is more athletic than people give him credit for. I don’t think his ceiling is as high as some of the other QBs in this draft, but he might have the highest floor. Given the draft capital potentially invested in him, he should see early playing time, and I would predict his dynasty value will continue to climb between now and draft day.
1.12 Bo Nix, QB, *6’2″ 218lbs
Oregon
As with last month’s mock, this pick is entirely contingent on Bo Nix being drafted in the first round. If he’s a first-round NFL quarterback, he’s a first-round dynasty rookie draft pick. If he falls into the second round (or later) of the NFL draft, I’d pass and instead take a position player like Keon Coleman.
- denotes Senior Bowl measurements
