1QB ROOKIE MOCK DRAFT

The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone. As always, the Draft provided plenty of surprises. Some players gained value by landing in great situations with higher than expected draft capital, others landed in less than optimal situations. Overall this rookie class may have lost a bit of it’s luster, but there are still plenty of players who can provide value and have a positive impact on your fantasy rosters.

For this post NFL rookie mock draft, we gathered a panel of seasoned DLF contributors to complete a quick mock draft for one quarterback leagues.

Here is a round-by-round look at the results, highlighting things that stood out, along with some comments from all of those involved. We will also point out the risers and fallers from the pre-draft mock that was done just before the NFL Draft in Kansas City. 

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Round Three Recap

We have officially entered the dart-throw stage of the mock. CJ Stroud is an outstanding value here and jumps off the page. Addison Hayes recognized this and had this to say about it, “I get that its 1QB, but this is a half-round discount on Young and almost a two-round discount on Richardson for a QB who has top-10 upside as well. It might be rough early on, but if Stroud turns into a Cousins/Carr type, you’re ecstatic about that with a 3rd round pick.”

The “Tanks” went back to back, and we are fond of both for various reasons. It was recently reported that Tank Dell and CJ Stroud hit it off swimmingly at the NFL Combine, and Stroud went as far as telling the Texans to draft Dell. Sold!

Tank Bigsby could play sooner rather than later with the fragility of Travis Etienne. Justin Taylor agrees and notes, “Travis Etienne hasn’t always been able to stay healthy, so I want Tank to back him, where an injury could boost him into the fantasy spotlight.”

Perhaps the most intriguing pick of the bunch was Sean Tucker at 3.08. The UDFA picked an excellent place to go in Tampa, with only Rachaad White of note on the roster at the position. Both are bigger backs, each weighing in at 210 pounds. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out in camp.

We also saw three more tight ends get drafted, amplifying how scarce the position is. Folks are desperate for anything with a pulse at the position. Time will tell if the gambles pay off. 

The Big Board

Here is a look at how the draft shook out by round and by participant. 

A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated with medium confidence

All in all, you could say this was a pretty typical post-draft rookie mock draft result. Landing spots shifted the values of several players, both up and down. We see this happen in every draft. There was a lot of variation in later rounds, which serves to highlight how player values in rounds two and three of rookie drafts are darts throws which can lead to some unpredictable results. This year, it seems as if that is the case more than ever.

The big takeaway from this exercise is this – in your rookie draft, be ready for the unexpected. Find those later rounds targets who you really value and don’t be afraid to reach for them.