In this series for the Dynasty Nerds, the staff will take a rookie draft pick-by-pick and evaluate who they would select. Each pick will take into account other players on the board, how the team build can affect the impact and possibly change the pick, and also the trade value of the pick.
We are operating under the assumption that the league is a Superflex league with a tight end premium scoring format.
| 1.01 | Caleb Williams | QB | USC | Bears |
| 1.02 | Marvin Harrison Jr. | WR | Ohio State | Cardinals |
| 1.03 | Jayden Daniels | QB | LSU | Commanders |
| 1.04 | Malik Nabers | WR | LSU | Giants |
| 1.05 | J.J. McCarthy | QB | Michigan | Vikings |
| 1.06 | Brock Bowers | TE | Georgia | Raiders |
| 1.07 | Rome Odunze | WR | Washington | Bears |
| 1.08 | Drake Maye | QB | UNC | Patriots |
| 1.09 | Brian Thomas Jr. | WR | LSU | Jaguars |
| 1.10 | Xavier Worthy | WR | Texas | Chiefs |
| 1.11 | Jonathon Brooks | RB | Texas | Panthers |
| 1.12 | Trey Benson | RB | Florida St | Cardinals |
| 2.01 | Ladd McConkey | WR | Georgia | Chargers |
| 2.02 | Bo Nix | QB | Oregon | Broncos |
| 2.03 | Michael Penix | QB | Washington | Falcons |
| 2.04 | Xavier Legette | WR | South Carolina | Panthers |
| 2.05 | Ricky Pearsall | WR | Florida | 49ers |
| 2.06 | Keon Coleman | WR | Florida St | Bills |
The 2.07 Pick
All six quarterbacks are taken, along with the top tight end. The top two running backs are gone, and every wide receiver taken in the 1st round of the NFL Draft is gone.
I selected Adonai Mitchell with this pick, the electric and polarizing prospect from Texas. Mitchell possesses some of the best hands and ball-tracking skills in the entire draft, which says a lot. However, the Colts drafted him in the middle of the second round of the NFL Draft. There were character concerns that caused him to fall to the 11th wide receiver drafted. There is clearly smoke around this issue, causing many teams to go in a different direction at the position, even though Mitchell possesses elite talent and potential.
However, he has the fourth-highest NerdScore of the 2024 class at 77.74. I don’t remember a draft year where I was able to draft a player of this caliber in the middle of the second round. Even though there is a risk of him flaming out or his issues catching, I can’t pass up the potential at this point in the draft. He possesses some of the highest upside in the entire draft and should be valued more near WR5-7 range in this class instead of the 11th.
Mitchell will slot in as the WR2 for the Colts behind Michael Pittman (who just got a BIG extension). Additionally, the Colts have Josh Downs, who filled the WR2 role last season admirably as a rookie (68 catches for 771 yards and two TDs). However, Downs is not the same prospect as Mitchell. Mitchell should be able to flourish in the WR2 role going forward and help Anthony Richardson continue to improve. This bumps Josh Downs’s stock a bit.
Who Else to Consider?
If any player previously taken in this mock is still available, I would prioritize that player over Mitchell. With the current state of this mock, MarShawn Lloyd and Roman Wilson are the only remaining players I would consider. Wilson should have a healthy share of targets now that one of the perennial target leaders (Diontae Johnson) has been shipped to Carolina. However, Arthur Smith landed in Pittsburgh as the offensive coordinator, and we all lament his usage of the passing game. I hope it doesn’t deviate too much, but I’m not optimistic.
Lloyd will back up Josh Jacobs this year. Jacobs’ contract is easy to move on from after this year, so I anticipate Lloyd to be the Packers’ back of the future. Both options are riskier to me than Mitchell, but I wouldn’t fault you for going with them.
Would You Trade the 2.07?
This is a tough one for me. In the DynastyGM, the 2.07 is 275 value points, while Mitchell is 1,689 value points. This is a huge discrepancy. The difference in value between the two could net you the following players:
Almost all of these players are starting players in a 12-team league. The difference is also slightly more than a random 2025 first. If Mitchell is available, I would make the selection at 2.07 and then worry about trading Mitchell after the draft for a player you’re eyeing. I would trade the pick if someone can offer you a return equal to Mitchell for the 2.07. Mitchell represents a significant disparity between his value and the pick you would roughly need to draft him.
The Final Word
Mitchell represents tremendous value in the middle of the second round of rookie drafts. He has the big frame and hands to be a dominant threat in the Colts passing game. He has more risk attached due to character concerns; however, at this stage of the draft, the potential upside of him is too much to pass up. Mitchell has the potential to be a WR2 on your squad, and for the acquisition cost of 2.07, you cannot beat it. Draft him!
