The NFL Draft is just four days away. If you are anything like this group of dynasty managers, you have been running mock draft after mock draft trying to develop your strategy for when the dynasty rookie drafts kick off. This is our 8th mock and first to go four rounds. We will release a round per day leading up to the draft.
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Let’s see how this shakes out.
1QB Rookie Mock Draft 8.0 – Round 1
1.01 Bijan Robinson, RB, 5’11” 215
Texas
Bijan Robinson had 113 tackles avoided last season, the most by any FBS player in the last five seasons.
— Doug Clawson (@doug_clawson) April 14, 2023
That certainly seems first-round worthy.pic.twitter.com/M6EHpEvADm
I’ll make the easiest pick of the draft. Bijan boasts ideal size, excellent vision and patience, elite explosiveness power, and elusiveness, plus a top-notch third-down skillset on top of everything else. Add on expected 1st round draft capital, which should lead to a large workload from day one. He has no weaknesses and is as safe a prospect as I can remember in a long time, with a massive upside to boot. – @devy2dynastyfr
1.02 Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, 6’1″ 196
Ohio State University
JSN will be the first wide receiver off the board. Even with the limited playing time in college, what we saw was amazing. He is one of the few receivers over 6 feet tall, so he will have a role on an NFL team. He is fluid in his routes and can get open on almost all the route tree. His quick, tight movements, as highlighted in his record three-cone drill, will translate to allowing him to beat defenders early off the line. – @theDunit13
1.03 Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, 5’9″ 199
Alabama
As an explosive pass-catching back, Gibbs will be a fantasy asset and one of the top players in the class. His role will be different than a typical back, but his fantasy production will make this draft spot worth it. Gibbs will see 100 targets and produce like Christian McCaffrey in that role. His rushing upside will be more limited as he’s not built for that role, nor has he shown the ability to run inside well. – @ffpeebleschamp
1.04 Zach Charbonnet, RB, 6’0″ 214
UCLA
Charbonnet is a safe pick here at the 1.04, as I expect top 3-round capital for him. He has a three-down workload that an NFL team would love to have. He has the size and strength to blend with great vision and instinct as a ball carrier. There is room to grow as a pass catcher that wasn’t unlocked at UCLA. He is a hard runner that can impact fantasy early on in a 1QB league. – @coachstevenp
1.05 Jordan Addison, WR, 5’11” 173
USC
Jordan Addison is my WR2 and there are a lot of people that are too low on him. pic.twitter.com/mVhPj1iAGU
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) April 22, 2023
Addison is in a tier by himself for me behind JSN. The one knock on him is his weight, which is significantly countered by his impressive metrics, the Biletnikoff award in 2021, and expected good draft capital. He can play both in the slot and outside, which is exactly the kind of wide receiver you want to draft. – @johnnybgoodeDFF
1.06 Zay Flowers, WR, 5’9″ 182
Boston College
Zay Flowers is a certified baller, and it’s rumored that more than one NFL team has him as the WR1 in this class. Despite his diminutive size, he played on the perimeter more often than not in college with great success, which puts him ahead of Josh Downs for me. His routes are already effective, but there’s room for improvement there. He wins with his burst and raw agility more often than technical ability at this point- which only makes me more excited for his upside as he develops into a true pro. – @ekballer
1.07 Tyjae Spears, RB, 5’9″ 201
Tulane
Tyjae Spears would be such an awesome fit with Sean Payton in Denver. pic.twitter.com/dHGWVxDon9
— Adam Pfeifer (@APfeifer24) April 18, 2023
This is the area where the obvious top picks break off. In an actual draft, I would look to move back a few picks and let someone take a wide receiver that I don’t really want. But if I can’t, I’m going with one of the class’s most well-rounded and highest-potential backs. Spears has the build, profile, and skill to be a difference-maker. 1.07 may seem high, but owners will be jealous in a few months when he has a bigger role than any other back in this class, not named Bijan or Jahmyr. – @timbmartens
1.08 Tank Bigsby, RB, 6’0″ 210
Auburn
I really like Tank. He has some elite upside to him and should be ranked higher than he is. Bigsby played on a bad Auburn team but dominated the SEC. He can pass-catch, run routes, handle some blocking, and is fantastic with the ball in his hands. To get his upside here in 1QB makes me happy. – @darthdbacks
1.09 Quentin Johnston, WR, 6’3″ 208
TCU
In my humble opinion, there are four elite wide receiver prospects in this draft class. To that end, I am going to select Johnston, the last of them here at 1.09. Big and physical with athleticism to burn, he is a prototypical X wide receiver who should, more importantly, provide tons of dynasty value. – @ReflipeWThenuz
1.10 Roschon Johnson, RB, 6’0″ 219
Texas
I didn't realize Texas RB Roschon Johnson was nice with it like THAT. pic.twitter.com/Ef7JGhEH0w
— Tyler Brooke (@TylerDBrooke) April 16, 2023
It’s our final pre-NFL draft mock draft, and it is time to plant our flags. I have been trying to find ways to fade Roschon Johnson near the top of my running back rankings, but I cannot. He has true prototypical bell-cow back size and is a “professional” running back. By that, I mean he does everything that coaches want to see; pass protection, helping his quarterback, receiving, and moving the sticks. I am confident that the NFL is higher on him than this community, and the draft capital will reflect that. – @DanT_NFL
1.11 Devon Achane, RB, 5’8.5″ 188
Texas A&M
Devon Achane is an outlier. He’s a dynamic runner with great speed. Achane is not afraid to run inside and uses his blockers to his advantage to hide from defenders. He ahs plus receiving ability. If Achane lands with a creative offensive coordinator who gets him free in space, he will be able to make chunk plays and minimize the wear and tear. – @culture_coach
1.12 Josh Downs, WR, 5’9″ 171
North Carolina
While not necessarily elite in any category, Downs has very few weaknesses. A polished route runner and separator, he performs better in contested catch situations than his diminutive size would indicate. With soft hands and the ability to operate from the perimeter or slot, Downs will make an excellent complementary receiver at the next level. A high-floor prospect with a 100-catch seasonal upside, Downs makes sense here at 12. The hay is finally in the barn. With few inputs left before the draft, Downs will check in for me at WR2 until we have his landing spot and draft capital. – @DynastyOasis
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