2019 Rookie Mock Draft part II

By John Laub
John Laub

 

 

    Rookie Dynasty Mock Draft

                Part II

                   February 16-18, 2019

 

 

 

Second-Round Recap and Analysis

2.01: RB Justice Hill, Oklahoma State 
“This pick is very team-dependent. I like Justice Hill as a player, but if he goes to a team with a moderate offensive line, he’s not going to wiggle for those extra yards like in college. This might sound a little crazy, but when he turns the corner, he looks a lot like Terrell Davis. He plays bigger than he is and the speed is there. Very curious to see where he goes in the Draft and how he looks in the pros. Going to keep an eye on this player.” 
Jan McKissack, @TheRealPatriot1

2.02: RB Miles Sanders, Penn State
“Sanders is a 5-foot-11 and 215-pound runner, who entered the draft after only being a one-year starter at Penn State. For his first two seasons, he was the backup running back to Saquon Barkely, so there was no chance he was going to over take one of the greatest game breakers to ever come out of college…there was a valid reason for not breaking out sooner. However, in his lone season, he posted a 1,274-yard and nine-touchdown crusade with 24 receptions. He showed enough to possibly be a three-down back in the NFL. Sanders is quite athletic and should test well at the Combine. He is also incredibly elusive and will force missed tackles. With a very thin RB class, he is one of the few that can potentially become an NFL starter and to get that in the second round of a rookie draft is just stealing.”
Miguel Chapeton, @DynastyGuruFF

2.03: WR Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
"A wide receiver with a running back build (5-foot-11 and 216 pounds), Samuel is fiercely competitive and has great hands. After playing only three games as a junior due to a broken leg, Samuel bounced back with a strong senior season averaging 14.2 yards per catch and scoring 11 touchdowns. A skilled receiver who should find playing time early.”
Dennis Bennett, @Culture_Coach

 

Pick Owner Player Pos. School
1 (13) Jan McKissack Justice Hill RB Oklahoma St.
 2 (14) Miguel Chapeton Miles Sanders RB Penn State
3 (15) Dennis Bennett Deebo Samuel WR South Carolina
4 (16) Chris Carlson Noah Fant TE Iowa
5 (17) Garret Price Benny Snell, Jr. RB Kentucky
6 (18) Geoff Lambert TJ Hockenson TE Iowa
7 (19) Michael Forster Andy Isabella WR UMass
8 (20) Chris Nelson Parris Campbell WR Ohio State
9 (21) John Laub Anthony Johnson WR Buffalo
10 (22) Ryan Stern Elijah Holyfield RB Georgia
11 (23) Jeff DiMatteo Kyler Murray QB Oklahoma
12 (24) Matt Walker Riley Ridley WR Georgia


2.04: TE Noah Fant, Iowa
“With Miles Sanders and Deebo Samuel going off the board the two picks ahead of me, I decided to pivot and take my #1 Dynasty tight end year. Fant is basically a large wide receiver. He ran routes all over the field at Iowa and has excellent speed, hands, and jump ball skills. Fant can flex out in the slot position and thrive against under-sized corners and/or slower linebackers. If Patriots coach Bill Belichick has a shot at Fant, that could mean fantasy gold. Fant’s Iowa teammate, T.J. Hockenson, has gained a lot of steam lately, and could be the better ‘complete’ TE between the two, but Fant receiving abilities are second to none in this class.”
Mookie Carlson, @MookieBlayloc11 

 

2.05: RB Benny Snell, Jr., Kentucky
“Benny Snell seemed like another player that fell into my lap. I have seen his value all over the map, but I fully expected him to be taken in the late first round in Dynasty drafts. I currently have Snell as my fifth-rated runner. He isn’t going to blow you away when you watch tape, but he is always making good plays and falling forward. Benny Snell was the only real offensive option on a team that went up against SEC clubs every week and still put up over 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns in his junior campaign.”

Garret Price, @GMP_33

 

 

2.06: TE TJ Hockenson, Iowa
“This year’s crop of tight ends is one of the deepest classes in recent years, and while Hockenson was the second TE off the board in this draft, he is the most complete prospect. Noah Fant will likely go higher in Dynasty drafts, but Hockenson’s skill set will lead to more early opportunities to see the field. It is well documented that the TE position is one of the hardest to transition into the NFL, but a guy like Hockenson, an elite blocker as well as an elite receiver, should have no shortage of snaps early on. He may only be asked to block at first, but getting on the field is the first step for a rookie, and blocking might be the best way to do it.” 
Geoff Lambert, @GeoffLambert77

2.07: WR Andy Isabella, Massachusetts
“Wildly productive—102-1,698-11 (2018) and 65-1,020-10 (2017)—at UMass, Andy Isabella projects as a specialist slot receiver at the NFL level. Extremely quick and shifty with sticky hands, he has the makings of a ppr-maven in the right landing spot. His size is the only real concern. With lots of RBs and TEs going off the board in the early second round, this pick felt like a chance to get ahead of another run on receivers.” 
Michael Forster, @ForsterMichael9

2.08: WR Parris Campbell, Ohio State
"When it comes to receivers, I’m like SpongeBob, I find myself screaming, TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE! Parris Campbell has his down to a science, and it reminds me of Antonio Brown’s. Not saying he’s AB, but the way the two run routes is beautiful. He also has great speed to boot and it makes me feel like he’s the whole package in that next tier of receivers. I feel like a team will utilize him a lot better than he was at Ohio State. I love this pick."
Chris Nelson, @THEffVigilante 

2.09: WR Anthony Johnson, Buffalo
“I anticipated that WR Andy Isabella or TE T.J. Hockenson would fall to me in the second round. When neither player remained on the board, I had to pivot and look deeper into my rankings. I am clearly higher on Anthony Johnson than many others and decided to grab one of my sleepers here. The former Buffalo standout is a tenacious and savvy competitor with good body control and strong hands. Landing spot in the Draft will determine long-term value for Johnson; nevertheless, I’ll embrace the risk with the potential extraordinary reward in the second round of a Dynasty draft.”
John Laub, @GridironSchol91

2.10: RB Elijah Holyfield, Georgia 
“I took a boom/bust player in the first round with “Hollywood” Brown, so I took someone a little safer. In a down year for running backs compared to the past couple years, I took the guy from the school that has churned out three NFL starting ball carriers in the last four drafts.” 
Ryan Stern, @rstern33

2.11: QB Kyler Murray, Oklahoma
“At the end of the second round, I was surprised by the number of players on the board that I liked. Although I was tempted by TE Irv Smith Jr., Murray was higher on my board. Despite his stature, he shows a plus deep ball with nice touch and anticipation on intermediate routes. Pepper in his ability to create with his feet and you have an instant fantasy dynamo. Feels like a steal.”
Jeff DiMatteo, @NFL_DiMatteo

2.12: WR Riley Ridley, Georgia
Full disclosure: I was hoping that his teammate, Elijah Holyfield, was going to fall to me at pick #24 but alas. Riley is definitely the WR Riddler in this draft class (let the tape vs metrics debate commence). In his favor: NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah calls Ridley the best route runner in the 2019 NFL Draft. Going against him: Ridley only caught 43 passes across 14 games, which would make him a statistical outlier if he were to be a productive NFL player. End result: Well worth the risk at 24th overall.”
Matt Walker, @DFF_Walk


Third-Round Recap and Analysis

3.01: QB Drew Lock, Missouri
“I entered the QB lottery with Drew Lock. I could watch this kid’s highlights all day. He makes it look easy hitting guys in stride. He’s big enough to take a hit when he runs, but hopefully, he doesn’t make a habit out of that in the pros. Curious as to where he lands as he could benefit from learning for a year or two. I really feel he’s got potential, but then how many has that been said before about rookie quarterbacks?”
Jan McKissack, @TheRealPatriot1

3.02: WR KeeSean Johnson, Fresno State
“With my third pick, I was surprised to see KeeSean Johnson fall this far. In my book, he is the most well-rounded receiver in this class. The former Bulldog had three straight seasons of +30% MS Yds and Dominator Rating: One of only two receivers to be able to say that in this class. He is also one of the best, if not the best, route runner in this class. KeeSean Johnson is already a complete prospect, which means he could hit right away in the NFL. He has a higher floor than Chris Godwin and a low ceiling like Mohamed Sanu for me. In the third round, where hit rates are very small, this feels like the safest pick I could make with the possibility for decent upside.”
Miguel Chapeton, @DynastyGuruFF 

 

3.03: WR Preston Williams, Colorado State
"Sat out a year after transferring from Tennessee to Colorado State. Blasted onto the scene in 2018 with a 96-1,345-14 stat line. A strong receiver with decent speed that catches the ball with great technique. Will need to refine his route running. An off-field issue will likely cause him to fall in the Draft. Could be a steal if he drops to late day two or early day three in April.”
Dennis Bennett, @Culture_Coach

3.04: RB Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M
“This pick was tough as lots of good names were on the board still (Dwayne Haskins and Irv Smith). At 5-foot-9, Williams is shorter, but he has plenty of power and burst to make up for it. Tons of production at Texas A&M, finished this season with 1,760 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. Williams was good (not great) when asked to run intermediate to deeper routes both out of the backfield and split out wide. The pass-catching ability is there if asked to do it in the NFL. Many have said, myself included, that Williams is the best pass-blocking RB in this class. I think this trait allows him to see the field early and often in the NFL. Williams shows that he has that ‘next level’ speed to break long plays. The hope is that he lands in a favorable spot and becomes a gem.”
Mookie Carlson, @MookieBlayloc11 

 

3.05 RB Bryce Love, Stanford
“I’m a little surprised to see how far the hate on Bryce Love has gone. He was a player that many were excited about before last season, but a down year and injury really hurt his stock in his final season. Once you get to the third round, its mostly trying to find a player with upside, and I believe that Love has more potential than many players in this tier.”
Garret Price, @GMP_33

3.06: QB Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
“Haskins, to my surprise, was the third quarterback taken in this draft. The former Buckeyes’ star is by far my top fantasy field general, and while the QB position has taken a lot of scrutiny this year, the fact remains, signal callers still rule in the NFL making him a potential first-round draft pick for a QB needy team. He may go to a team with a ‘bridge’ veteran already in place, but as we have seen in the NFL, those bridges get burned down pretty quick when you’re a bad team losing games. If Haskins isn’t starting Week 1, I wouldn’t expect him to sit long, and though he may not pay dividends right away for your fantasy team, opportunity is king in fantasy, and he will get his opportunity earlier than most rookies in this draft.”
Geoff Lambert, @GeoffLambert77

3.07: TE Irv Smith Jr., Alabama
“I love this value. After considering selecting Irv Smith Jr. in the second round, I’m astounded he’s still available here. The Alabama product is a versatile weapon who projects as a complete tight end. His size and speed make him a matchup nightmare in the slot, but has shown himself to be a capable in-line player as well. At just 20-years old, Smith promises to be a productive Dynasty asset over the next decade.”  
Michael Forster, @ForsterMichael9

3.08: WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Texas
"I took three receivers because this is definitely the year to build your stable and the guys I like (that weren’t already gone) at running back could easily be picked in free agency. The Longhorns’ product is another untapped receiver I love, and it’s awesome that I got him here in the third. He was very good on third downs and great on jump balls when rarely used on the outside due to Colin Johnson being there.”
Chris Nelson, @THEffVigilante  

 

 

 

3.09: RB James Williams, Washington State

“Who is James Williams? Possibly, the best pass catcher among the rookie runners. Over three seasons as a Cougar, he recorded 202 catches, totaled over 2,900 yards from scrimmage and scored 27 times. I am not a conservative Dynasty drafter and want to hit a grand slam in the third round. I’ll take the vibrant playmaker and enjoy watching Williams flourish into a fantasy starter in ppr-scoring formats during the next few years.”

John Laub, @GridironSchol91 

 

3.10: WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Stanford 

“Arcega-Whiteside will not ‘wow’ anyone at the on-field portion of the Combine, but he excels at contested catches and raking in those touchdowns. If he gets in the right scheme with the right pieces around him, he can produce early on in his career.” 

Ryan Stern, @rstern33

 

3.11: WR Damarkus Lodge, Mississippi

“I watched JJ Arcega-Whiteside free fall through the third and hoped to land him here alas, he was gone at 3.10. Lodge has been an up-and-down player during his time at Mississippi, but his upside lured me in. He didn’t run a full-route tree in college, but showed enough speed to take the top off a defense and the ability to vary speeds enough to keep defensive backs off balance. I’ll take him as project player here.”

Jeff DiMatteo, @NFL_DiMatteo

 

3.12: WR Greg Dortch, Wake Forest

“I really thought that James Williams had fallen into my lap, but unbeknownst to me, John Laub was kind enough to take him three picks earlier. I had to settle for the Human Dortch because this kid is pure fire with the football. I don’t exactly target 5-foot-9 and 170-pound pass catchers in Dynasty, but this fella was certainly worth the risk at the end of the third round, hoping that a creative offensive coordinator gets their hands on him.”

Matt Walker, @DFF_Walk