After six of the first 12 picks of the 2024 NFL Draft involved quarterback prospects, the dynasty fantasy football rookie rankings board in Superflex formats changed quite a bit, with more than a handful of signal-callers commanding exceptional draft capital that makes it highly likely they will all be their team’s starting QB at some point in the near future.
Here’s a closer look at our Superflex dynasty rookie mock draft after the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Superflex Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft
1.01) Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
After countless mentions of the Bears not having a true franchise quarterback since the days of Sid Luckman, the city of Chicago finally appears to have its true blue-chip QB prospect in Caleb Williams.
Whether you agree with how Ryan Poles handled the situation this offseason regarding Justin Fields, the organization has done an excellent job retooling the offensive roster to give their new young QB the best possible chance to succeed in 2024 and beyond.
First, Chicago signed versatile running back D’Andre Swift, then traded for veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen, and subsequently managed to hit another home run by adding Rome Odunze at No. 9 overall in the NFL Draft.
The overwhelming amount of elite talent at WR may prevent these pass catchers from becoming elite fantasy producers in 2024, but this does nothing but significantly boost Williams’ fantasy ceiling in the immediate future.
Williams has the arm talent and elite off-script playmaking ability to take new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s offensive scheme to a new level with the embarrassment of riches at his disposal in 2024.
As promising as some of the top names are at the receiver position in this class, it’s nearly impossible to have too many quarterbacks on your roster in Superflex formats. Williams isn’t a perfect quarterback prospect by any means, but the pros far outweigh the cons.
1.02) Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals
There may be a debate as to who the actual top pick should be, even in a Superflex league, but former Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. feels like the clear 1.02 in this format.
Last year, it was TE Trey McBride who led Arizona in targets (106), receptions (81), and receiving yards (825) after injuries to both Hollywood Brown and Zach Ertz. No disrespect to the breakout TE from 2023, but expect that change with Harrison in town entering the 2024 NFL season.
Harrison falls into a great situation where he immediately steps into a receiver room in which he’s likely to see north of 130 targets as a rookie and has competent QB play with Kyler Murray under center.
Marvin Harrison Jr. has a chance to be SPECIAL at the next level.
If you have the 1.01 selection in a dynasty rookie draft, are you taking him? pic.twitter.com/PiOpg0DjQz
— PFN Fantasy (@PFNFantasy) January 22, 2024
Harrison’s rare blend of size, speed, exceptional route-running nuance, and body control are some of the common traits that you see from the elite pass catchers who have entered the NFL recently. He can beat you with vertical speed, after the catch, or outright just bully you at the catchpoint in contested-catch situations. A player like that will demand a huge target share in his rookie year and beyond.
If you want to draft Harrison at 1.01 in Superflex, you won’t hear a very big argument from me. But, ultimately, the positional value and extended shelf life of a top QB prospect slightly outshines even the best of receiver prospects.
1.03) Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
The 1.03 in Superflex rookie drafts can get a bit spicy depending on your league-mates and how they view the other top receivers in this class. The case can certainly be made for several players at this spot, but adding a dynamic dual-threat weapon who showcased an excellent amount of growth as a passer during his final year in college is hard to pass up.
The Washington Commanders brought a new face of the franchise to the nation’s capital when they selected Jayden Daniels at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. There’s plenty to dissect about his fantasy outlook, but being paired with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson is far from a terrible situation to step into as a rookie.
Even if you have concerns about Daniels’ passing production translating to the NFL, there’s a long track record of dynamic dual-threat QBs who weren’t a finished product as a passer early on.
Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Fields are all quarterbacks who registered top-eight fantasy QB finishes within their first two years in the league, with inconsistent production through the air over the last five years. If you expand that list by going back to 2010, then you could add Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III to that group, who both finished as top-five fantasy QBs in their rookie seasons.
The rushing production these playmakers provide simply gives them a higher weekly floor. Now, Daniels may have taken a bit longer than most to finally hit his stride as a passer in college, but his development and production during his two seasons at LSU shouldn’t be overlooked.
Daniels was a true dual-threat weapon throughout his collegiate career and was exceptionally productive through the air and on the ground in 2023. He piled up 3,812 passing yards and 1,134 rushing yards, resulting in 50 total touchdowns in his fifth-year, Heisman-winning senior campaign.
Keep in mind that sacks count against rushing yardage totals in college, which means Daniels’ rushing production was even better than his gaudy 2023 total suggests.
Helping his cause is the addition of two more playmakers from the 2024 NFL Draft that will join Dotson and McLaurin in the form of TE Ben Sinnott and WR Luke McCaffrey. Furthermore, the offseason signings of Ertz and Austin Ekeler should give Daniels two more veteran playmakers to rely on in the passing game to start his career.
1.04) J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings
This ranking may seem a bit aggressive considering the amount of talent at other positions available on the board, but a strong scheme fit and promising talent make J.J. McCarthy difficult to pass up at the most important position in Superflex formats.
McCarthy has skyrocketed up rookie dynasty boards throughout the draft process, and he got one more big boost with the Minnesota Vikings trading up to 10th overall to select him.
It’s not a guarantee McCarthy will be the starting signal-caller for Minnesota’s 2024 season opener, but he’ll eventually be the man under center in an incredibly favorable long-term fantasy situation.
The weapons at McCarthy’s disposal — Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson — are among the best in the league, and he’s paired with a very talented offensive mind in Kevin O’Connell.
These same weapons helped Kirk Cousins finish as a top-10 QB in five of his seven full games from last year. In addition, Joshua Dobbs had a QB3 and QB5 finish after joining the team midseason.
This feels like a very fantasy-friendly QB situation if McCarthy can produce anything close to what we’ve seen from Cousins during his entire Minnesota tenure.
It doesn’t hurt that McCarthy has plenty of experience running pro-style passing concepts during his days at Michigan, which should help ease his transition into a play-action-heavy Minnesota offensive scheme — who led the league by a wide margin with 191 play-action passing attempts in 2023.
McCarthy has the arm to make any throw in the NFL, is a criminally underrated athlete (he was utilized in QB run concepts as a Wolverine), and flashed the ability to operate within structure and throw with anticipation over the middle of the field.
Sure, he may not be the sure thing that some of these top prospects project to be, but McCarthy’s ceiling and long-term outlook in this offense push him up the board significantly in this format.
1.05) Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
As a pure NFL QB prospect, I believe Drake Maye has the highest ceiling of any signal-caller in this class. That’s a bold statement considering some of the company he keeps with this crop of talented passers, but Maye’s exceptional athletic profile and “wow” flashes give us glimpses of a very high ceiling.
To further expand on his measurables, Maye’s prototypical height (6’4”), weight (223 pounds), and arm strength check all the boxes. He also possesses plenty of fantasy upside as a ball carrier.
However, Maye’s overall lack of weapons in New England cloud his immediate fantasy ceiling and present some developmental risk early in his career.
The situation is what can be a bit concerning for Maye’s outlook heading into the league.
Are we certain that the wide receiver trio of Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, and DeMario Douglas will help provide Maye with enough quality production and separation to make life easier for him in 2024 and beyond?
Are we certain we can trust offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and the rest of New England’s staff to put Maye in the best position to succeed and accelerate his development under center early in his career?
Sure, Maye’s potential alone is still well worth a top-five dynasty rookie pick, but he comes with a bit more risk than some of the other receiver prospects in the 1.05 conversation. His upside and positional value in this format make me give him the nod here, but I don’t blame you one bit if you decide to go in a different direction at this pick.
1.06) Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
Malik Nabers proved he was as explosive as many NFL pundits were claiming when he ran an unofficial 4.35 40-yard dash in front of scouts in March. Nabers’ equally impressive Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.67 came after factoring in his vertical jump and broad jump results, which helped check all of the boxes NFL personnel evaluators were hoping for when watching him tear up SEC defenses in 2023.
Malik Nabers runs a 4.35 40-yard dash at LSU’s Pro Day. 💨
Jayden Daniels gasses him up at the end. 🔥#GeauxTigers | #NFLDraft
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) March 27, 2024
I mention all of that to say this: The Giants landed themselves an incredible receiver, one who gives quarterback Daniel Jones the best perimeter weapon of his career.
Nabers has light-speed-type suddenness and possesses the formation versatility, size, and separation ability to give him multiple pathways to excel in almost any role and offensive system you could imagine. There are glimpses of the elite movement skills we saw from Odell Beckham Jr. during his days with the Giants.
Speaking of Beckham, the Giants haven’t had a receiver top 70 receptions or 800 yards receiving in a season since OBJ back in 2018 … when Eli Manning was still the quarterback.
Those numbers aren’t exactly encouraging from a fantasy perspective, but I believe that to be an indictment more so on Jones and the collection of middling receivers — namely Wan’Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, and Darius Slayton — than a certainty that a Giants receiver can’t be fantasy relevant.
Nabers is flat-out electric after the catch. His weak target competition should make him an instant target funnel in his rookie year.
1.07) Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears
I still find it nearly impossible to believe Chicago has never had a 4,000-yard passer in the entire lengthy history of the franchise. Yet, here we are in 2024, and the Bears are still in search of an elite passing offense to call their own.
Well, if adding Rome Odunze and Allen to join DJ Moore in this passing offense isn’t enough to get the job done… then I don’t what is.
The Bears may have found themselves the next great QB-WR combination, but Odunze’s immediate fantasy production may require dynasty managers to be a bit more patient than they would like to admit.
I love the long-term pairing with Williams under center, but competing with Moore and Allen — who have both been very productive when given a healthy share of targets — could cap Odunze’s fantasy ceiling in 2024.
To further that point, Moore and Allen combined for 204 receptions, 2,607 yards, and 15 TDs in 2023. Additionally, they both finished as top-10 fantasy WRs last year, which makes it difficult to envision either of them not having a significant role in 2024.
Not to mention, Williams is a rookie who needs some time to adjust to the pro game. The track record of signal-callers in their first year not seeing elite fantasy success is pretty lengthy. Expecting him to make three receivers reliable fantasy producers is a big ask.
Odunze is still exceptionally athletic. He regularly dominates at the catch point and can move all over the formation, which gives him an extremely high long-term ceiling. Yet, tempering fantasy expectations early in his career is the proper course of action.
1.08) Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
If there’s one top player who didn’t land in an ideal situation, it was the immensely talented TE Brock Bowers going to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Bowers still possesses exceptional RAC ability and has the elite athleticism to be a mismatch against the vast majority of linebackers and safeties trying to check him in man coverage. That gives him a long-term ceiling of TE1 overall in dynasty formats.
Still, he’ll be competing with target-hog Davante Adams and the underrated Jakobi Meyers for looks from uninspiring QB options — either Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew — in 2024, while trying to keep second-year TE Michael Mayer off the football field completely.
It’s worth mentioning that Mayer caught 27 passes for 304 yards and two scores over 14 games as a rookie, with O’Connell under center for the majority of the year. If new Raiders offensive coordinator Luke Getsy prefers to have Mayer on the field in 11-personnel sets with an inline TE (only one tight end on the field), then it could further cap Bowers’ immediate fantasy ceiling in 2024.
I still believe in Bowers’ elite talent, but his immediate fantasy outlook drops him below both Nabers and Odunze in this mock.
1.09) Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
One could make an argument that outside of Williams in Chicago, no player fell in a better landing spot for fantasy opportunity than Ladd McConkey going to the Los Angeles Chargers to catch passes from Justin Herbert.
The departures of Allen, Mike Williams, Gerald Everett, and Ekeler mean that 320 targets, 229 receptions, and 2,339 yards worth of opportunities and production are suddenly vacant.
McConkey’s current competition for targets includes Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston, and Hayden Hurst. None of them can hold a candle to the elite separation abilities, formation versatility, or McConkey’s run-after-catch ability. Not to mention, he adds additional value in the manufactured touches department, which he saw plenty of use in during his collegiate days at Georgia.
McConkey’s exceptional route-running nuance and explosiveness as a ball carrier after the catch make him a real threat to lead all rookie receivers in receptions and receiving yards in 2024. His long-term outlook with Herbert from the moment he steps on the field this season and beyond gives him an exciting amount of upside.
1.10) Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars lost Calvin Ridley this offseason, but they may have landed a receiver with an even higher ceiling by selecting Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round.
The Jags added Gabe Davis to the WR room this offseason to help bolster the weapons around Trevor Lawrence but couldn’t resist splurging on the dynamic deep threat from LSU.
The universal praise Thomas received for his 4.33 40-yard dash time at 6’3” and 209 pounds validated my previous claim that men this size aren’t supposed to move like he does. Thomas’ top-shelf suddenness, foot quickness, and body control are all pretty uncommon for a guy with his prototypical measurables for an outside receiver.
Another encouraging sign for Thomas was the team’s decision to part ways with Zay Jones this offseason, which should make Thomas a staple in three-receiver sets alongside Davis and Christian Kirk as a baseline, but he’s a threat to see the most snaps of any Jags WR in 2024.
Ridley’s departure vacates 136 targets, 76 receptions, 1,016 receiving yards, and eight TDs heading into 2024. Thomas may not have the route-running bag of tricks that Ridley possesses yet, but his elite vertical speed and underrated ability to churn out yards after the catch give him a nice fantasy ceiling this season, paired with a great long-term outlook.
1.11) Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Superflex enthusiasts who swear by investing in quarterbacks with first-round draft capital may scoff at this ranking of a smaller WR, but the fantasy ceiling is simply too high to ignore.
Xavier Worthy easily gives Patrick Mahomes the best deep threat he’s had since Tyreek Hill was on the roster.
We saw the fantasy football magic those two produced during their time together. In that same light, don’t expect Worthy to just be catching 50-yard bombs from Mahomes this year. He added plenty of value in the screen game during his days with the Texas Longhorns.
Worthy’s elite speed (4.21 40-time), savvy route-running ability, and production as a run-after-catch (RAC) threat make him a moveable weapon that could make this a fantasy match made in heaven for years to come.
Just gorgeous.#NFLCombine | @XavierWorthy https://t.co/SV71YkmawP
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) March 3, 2024
Yes, Worthy is tiny by all NFL standards at 5’11”, 165 pounds, but depending on how the Rashee Rice situation plays out this offseason and with an aging Travis Kelce waning, don’t think this is just a long-term dynasty play.
Worthy has plenty of Flex value upside in 2024.
1.12) Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
Well, well, well… Bo Nix saw his dynasty Superflex value jump significantly after the Denver Broncos made him the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Nix showcased some promising processing skills and played on time when getting to his primary read. Sean Payton values that type of skill set and believes he can be the future face of his franchise.
At the moment, Nix doesn’t have a ton of great weapons at his disposal, with Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr. projected as Denver’s top two options heading into next season. Yet, the addition of Nix’s favorite receiver at Oregon, Troy Franklin, instantly gives him a familiar and explosive playmaker to feed the ball to early on.
With Adam Trautman and Greg Dulcich, Denver doesn’t have many exciting options at tight end, either. Dulcich showed some nice signs during his rookie year, but he hasn’t exactly secured the leading TE role in Payton’s offense at this moment.
Nix’s draft capital and a potential path to playing time in 2024 make him a worthwhile investment in the back half of the first round in Superflex dynasty rookie drafts, but the collection of weapons and the holes in his prospect profile push him down the board a bit.
2.01) Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Ricky Pearsall was a surprise pick in terms of landing spot during the 2024 NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers, who already had a strong offense, added him as a third receiver toward the end of the first round. This move is definitely worth keeping an eye on from a fantasy perspective, especially since he’ll be joining forces with Brock Purdy.
The target competition early in Pearsall’s career is going to be fairly brutal if we’re being truly honest with ourselves. Predicting a huge fantasy campaign in his rookie season with a limited target share working behind Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey as the fifth option in the passing game would be pretty unreasonable. Yet, Pearsall’s fit in Kyle Shanahan’s system certainly makes for a great long-term outlook.
If Samuel or Aiyuk get traded ahead of the 2024 NFL season, then Pearsall probably jumps ahead of Nix in the rankings, but his immediate fantasy expectations should be tempered.
Pearsall is among the best route runners in the class — plenty of nuance with his tempo variation and technique — with some of the best hands and ball skills. That will give him a role early in his career with the Niners, but one that is unlikely to make him a reliable fantasy option in your standard leagues.
The lack of overall passing volume from San Francisco’s offense, paired with exceptionally tough target competition, could make for a slow fantasy start. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of room for Pearsall to develop into greatness later in his career.
2.02) Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills
Former FSU WR Keon Coleman has turned into a social-media gold mine for the Buffalo Bills, which makes him a dynasty asset I want to see succeed in the NFL.
The situation Coleman is stepping into is certainly one that could lead to a large target share to start his career. The exodus of starting wide receivers from the Bills’ roster — Stefon Diggs and Davis — vacates 241 targets from last year, which momentarily left Allen Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel as his top two receivers entering the 2024 NFL Draft.
Coleman has the size (6’3”, 215 pounds) and strength to win in contested-catch situations on the outside, which could be his projected role in Buffalo’s offense, with Shakir, Samuel, and TE Dalton Kincaid all expected to see a significant amount of work in the slot next season.
Coleman’s profile certainly has some potential red flags, most notably his ability to create consistent separation against man coverage and a lack of top-end vertical speed. The ability to threaten defenders vertically and then sink his hips effectively at the breakpoint needs some serious work.
Yet, Coleman’s contested-catch ability gives Allen an elite red-zone threat for a team that consistently struggled to cash in last season when they got inside the 20.
If Coleman plays primarily outside, then you’ll have to expect some growing pains early in his career. But he does possess an elite ceiling if he can improve his release package and route-running consistency to win at a higher rate on the perimeter.
2.03) Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals
It still doesn’t feel quite right not mocking a running back like Trey Benson in Round 1. But the stacked nature of the QB and WR positions paired with unfavorable landing spots for the top RBs has made this a very unique board.
Benson was the best running back on my board heading into the draft process and fell into the Cardinals’ laps in the third round. He could see plenty of run as a rookie, but he’s far from guaranteed a feature role in 2024.
Optimistically though, Benson still projects favorably as the RB of the future behind James Conner. Conner was very effective last year — 1,040 rushing yards and seven touchdowns — despite a lot of movement and injuries on the offensive side of the ball.
The two will likely work in tandem this year, but Benson’s big-play ability should make him a potential Flex option with RB2 upside if Arizona decides to feature the rookie during the back half of the year.
2.04) Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
Despite tearing his ACL during his one season as the full-time starter, Jonathon Brooks still became the first running back selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Brooks is not a lock to be available for the start of the season, which does cloud his immediate fantasy outlook. Yet, Chuba Hubbard is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the selection of Brooks certainly suggests Carolina believes he has the potential to be a featured RB under new head coach Dave Canales.
Canales featured Rachaad White last season in Tampa Bay, which led to White finishing as the RB4 overall despite averaging just 3.6 yards per carry behind a pretty average offensive line.
The range of outcomes is pretty wide for Brooks heading into his rookie year. But if you can accept the injury risk and a potential redshirt-type year for Brooks as a rookie, then you could have a very valuable prospect for 2025 and beyond.
2.05) Adonai Mitchell, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Entering the 2024 NFL Draft, there was some buzz that Adonai Mitchell could sneak into the back end of Day 1. Yet, he slid a bit to the Colts at No. 52 overall.
Whether it was character or medical concerns that saw Mitchell slide during the draft, Indianapolis got itself a very intriguing receiver to add to this improving offense.
Mitchell’s pairing with young franchise QB Anthony Richardson provides an intriguing long-term outlook, but he’ll be competing with alpha target earner Michael Pittman Jr. and dynamic slot specialist Josh Downs for looks early in his career.
The role Mitchell will likely assume from the jump is that of Alec Pierce, who produced just 32 receptions for 514 yards on 65 targets despite playing over 90% of the offensive snaps in all but one game last year.
To give you an idea of how disappointing Pierce’s production was compared to his ample opportunity, he ranked 91st amongst wide receivers with just 0.87 yards per route run.
Not to mention, if Shane Steichen sees Mitchell as a potential option to fill a DeVonta Smith-type role in his offensive scheme, the fantasy upside can certainly flirt with high-end WR2 territory.
2.06) Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, New England Patriots
The Patriots quickly went from one of the worst collections of offensive skill-position players in the league to having an intriguing long-term QB-WR fantasy stack by selecting Ja’Lynn Polk in the second round after selecting Maye in the first.
Polk enters a WR room with just Douglas currently locked into a starting role, which could make him a candidate to return top-25 WR production as a rookie and potentially become Maye’s go-to guy for years to come.
Polk’s exceptional ball skills, sticky hands, and ideal formation versatility make him one of the biggest draft winners at the position from a fantasy perspective. Sure, there could be some limitations to Polk’s effectiveness to threaten defenses vertically without elite top speed, but he should provide plenty of production working the short-to-intermediate portion of the field.
2.07) Michael Penix Jr., QB, Atlanta Falcons
Allow me to be brutally honest about this landing spot for a second. I’m having a really hard time figuring out exactly what to do with Michael Penix Jr. after the Atlanta Falcons created a fantasy disaster cake of a situation by picking him No. 8 overall less than two months after signing Cousins to a four-year deal worth up to $180 million.
From a long-term perspective, Penix’s upside playing with talents like Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson is certainly ideal. Yet, we have absolutely no guarantee whatsoever what his short-term value is with Cousins on the roster.
Can we confidently say Penix will even be the starter in Atlanta heading into 2025? I don’t believe we can. How about in 2026? Maybe… but not a certainty either. Not to mention, he’ll turn 24 years old before the start of his rookie year, meaning there’s a real possibility Penix doesn’t see legitimate playing time until he’s… 26 years old!
Penix is a talented prospect. His production at Washington over the final two years of his college career was outstanding. Still, his medical red flags and competent QB competition make him a very risky investment in the first round and make me feel much more comfortable drafting him if he falls to Round 2.
2.08) Malachi Corley, WR, New York Jets
Malachi Corley may not be a complete prospect like some receivers below him on this list, but he should be an exceptional complement to what top receiver Garrett Wilson does at a high level.
Corley is a RAC monster who could be a great safety valve and manufactured-touch option for Aaron Rodgers in a Jets offense that could vastly outperform last season’s production across the board. Pitfalls in his profile do exist, though.
Rodgers isn’t exactly renowned for his track record of peppering younger wide receivers with targets early in their career. And Corley doesn’t necessarily have the most expansive route tree in the world, nor does he possess a great catch radius (5’11”, 215 pounds with just 32 1/8” arms). That makes him a bit of a question mark as to what else he can do other than be a dominant RAC threat.
The opportunity to emerge as a great second option to Wilson is there. But we’ll have to see how quickly Corley gets up to speed with Rodgers and if the team views him more as a manufactured-touches threat in personnel packages or if they consider him a full-blown WR2 in this offense.
2.09) Xavier Legette, WR, Carolina Panthers
After Bryce Young threw for just 11 touchdowns through his first 16 NFL games, it was very clear Carolina needed to add some dynamic playmakers on the perimeter to help him get back on track.
Well, the team did exactly that by trading up for an exceptionally athletic outside receiver in Xavier Legette.
Legette possesses exceptional vertical speed (4.39 40-time) and explosiveness (40” vertical) for a 6’1”, 221-pound receiver. His impressive play strength makes him a bully at the catch point, a consistent yards-after-catch (YAC) threat with great contact balance, and difficult to rough up at the line of scrimmage against press coverage.
Legette’s one year of great production over his five-year career in college is a bit head-scratching with his elite athletic profile. But the context of some things he was going through in his personal life definitely explains some of the inconsistent production and his late breakout at South Carolina.
Legette should make for a great complement to the effortless separator Diontae Johnson and reliable but aging Adam Thielen in the passing attack. If Carolina makes it a point to get him manufactured touches and Thielen is quickly phased out, then Legette could be an outstanding value at this point in the second round.
2.10) Roman Wilson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers may have waited a while to address wide receiver in the draft, but they managed to find a pretty intriguing candidate to replace Johnson by selecting Michigan’s Roman Wilson in Round 3.
Wilson has all of the explosive athletic tools to be a great vertical complement to George Pickens, but he’ll have to beat out players like Quez Watkins and Van Jefferson to get on the field early in his career. Doesn’t sound all that difficult, right?
Yet, the target competition isn’t my biggest concern for Wilson’s dynasty outlook. I’m actually far more indifferent about his QB situation — with both Russell Wilson and Fields set to be free agents next offseason — and the uninspiring offensive scheme of Arthur Smith for wide receivers.
The fantasy ceiling for WR2s in Smith’s offensive scheme hasn’t exactly been very exciting. In fact, you have to go back to his OC days with the Tennessee Titans during the 2020 NFL season to find a year where two receivers in his offense finished inside the top 30 at the position in the same season, with A.J. Brown and Corey Davis finishing as the WR12 and WR30, respectively. That’s not encouraging.
The uncertainty at quarterback doesn’t exactly do Roman’s immediate or long-term outlook any favors, either. Still, he has the explosive playmaking ability and ideal playing time opportunity to warrant this ranking.
2.11) Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos
The pre-draft process was nothing short of brutal for Oregon WR Troy Franklin, who swiftly went from a potential late first-round pick to a fourth-round selection.
Franklin fell so far down the 2024 NFL Draft board he almost needed a parachute to deploy for safety purposes. Fortunately, he eventually landed in a very fantasy-friendly spot with the Broncos, who just so happened to select his college teammate (Nix) earlier in the process.
Despite a set of disappointing testing numbers and physical measurements at the NFL Combine, Franklin is still an exceptional vertical threat with plenty of juice as an underneath separator and RAC threat, and could eventually become the top pass-catching producer in Denver.
In order to reach his true potential, I’d love to see Franklin get hit with the NFL peanut butter program and add about 10 pounds of muscle. That could help him become a more effective winner against press coverage, fighting through contact at the top of his route, and win contested-catch situations at a higher rate.
If Franklin can replicate the chemistry and production he enjoyed with Nix over the last two seasons, then he could be a great value at this point in the rookie draft.
2.12) Jaylen Wright, RB, Miami Dolphins
We don’t have to pour one out for dynasty shareholders of De’Von Achane quite yet, but the Dolphins’ selection of Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright could have an impact on the former’s fantasy ceiling down the road.
One gripe about Wright’s prospect profile was the level of frequency of light boxes he ran into during his days as a Volunteer. Yet, he fell into the one NFL offense that could regularly afford him opportunities to face soft seven-man fronts, with both Hill and Jaylen Waddle consistently threatening opposing defenses vertically.
Sure, Wright may not be guaranteed a huge volume of work in 2024 working in tandem with Achane. Wright doesn’t possess elite pass-catching skills to definitely keep Achane or Raheem Mostert off the field immediately. Yet, just as Achane proved last year, it doesn’t take many touches from an explosive runner to make a big fantasy impact in Miami’s wide-open offense.
All that stands in the way of Wright and split duties in this backfield is the 32-year-old Mostert, who has played a full NFL season just once in his nine-year career.
Rookie Mock Draft | Rounds 3-4
3.01) Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, New York Giants
3.02) Jalen McMillan, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3.03) Jermaine Burton, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
3.04) Javon Baker, WR, New England Patriots
3.05) Devontez Walker, WR, Baltimore Ravens
3.06) Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams
3.07) Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo Bills
3.08) Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3.09) Ben Sinnott, TE, Washington Commanders
3.10) Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
3.11) Malik Washington, WR, Miami Dolphins
3.12) Luke McCaffrey, WR, Washington Commanders
4.01) Rasheen Ali, RB, Baltimore Ravens
4.02) Isaac Guerendo, RB, San Francisco 49ers
4.03) Dylan Laube, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
4.04) MarShawn Lloyd, RB, Green Bay Packers
4.05) Audric Estimé, RB, Denver Broncos
4.06) Johnny Wilson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
4.07) Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers
4.08) Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Carolina Panthers
4.09) Jaheim Bell, TE, New England Patriots
4.10) Blake Watson, RB, Denver Broncos
4.11) Will Shipley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
4.12) Tahj Washington, WR, Miami Dolphins