With our handy-dandy Draft Wizard tool – which lets you customize aspects of the draft and is easy to use – I went ahead and completed a five-round mock draft of the incoming rookies. The draft I completed was a half-PPR superflex league with 12 teams, and I held the No. 3 overall selection after randomizing the draft order.
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1.03: Justin Fields (QB)
When it comes to superflex leagues, having multiple viable options at the quarterback position is vital to having success. And when you are in a dynasty league, it can be worthwhile to have young quarterbacks that can give you comfortability at the position for years to come. Before I was on the clock with the third-overall pick, Trevor Lawrence and Najee Harris were already selected. Therefore, I chose to take Justin Fields with my first-round pick, giving me one of the premier quarterback prospects in this year’s draft.
Fields is a better passer than people give him credit for, and he has rushing upside, which raises his ceiling in fantasy football. Being able to snag a rookie quarterback that will likely be relied upon as a starter in Week 1 seemed like a wise move. In his final two seasons at Ohio State, Fields accrued 5,373 passing yards, 63 passing touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also tacked on 867 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in that span, making him my QB2 among rookie quarterbacks. With this year’s group of quarterbacks not being a deep class – at least on the surface – grabbing a quarterback early could be beneficial.
2.10: Trey Sermon (RB)
Every year, fans and analysts alike compile their own personal list of prospects that they would go to bat for. One of those players for me is Trey Sermon, who was teammates with Fields during the 2020 season. Sermon, after transferring from Oklahoma to Ohio State, would get off to a slow start to the 2020 campaign. However, following his slow start, Sermon showed in the final stretch of games why he could be an intriguing prospect for many teams.
In Ohio State’s three games leading to the National Championship bout with Alabama, Sermon scampered for a whopping 636 yards and four touchdowns on 70 attempts, including a 331-yard explosion in the Big-Ten Championship against Northwestern. What makes Sermon a coveted prospect is his ability to maintain balance through contact, and he isn’t afraid of getting physical either.
Trey Sermon is another back with greatest contact balance, he just pinballs off guys. His athleticism shows when he makes magic happen in small areas pic.twitter.com/Pbg8ZlciYW
— #BounceBeatBaby (@NFLMaliik) February 18, 2021
While there were talented wide receivers still on the board, grabbing a running back that hasn’t exceeded 200 carries in any of his collegiate seasons seemed like a smart long-term investment. Plus, the wide receiver I was able to grab in the third round made me more comfortable with the Sermon selection.
3.03: Kadarius Toney (WR)
Similar to last year’s historic group of wide receivers, this year’s group seems poised to be a deep ensemble of pass-catchers as well. Of course, you want to target guys like Ja’Marr Chase, Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and Rashod Bateman if you don’t need or have an opportunity to take one of the top quarterbacks. But after grabbing a quarterback and running back, I was able to grab one of the more interesting wide receiver prospects in Kadarius Toney in the third round.
Toney wasn’t given a chance to stick to playing wide receiver until his senior season at Florida in 2020. He would respond by hauling in 70 receptions for 984 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. Due to his ability to wiggle his way for extra yards, the Gators utilized him as a runner as well, where he scurried for another 161 yards and a touchdown. After his productive senior season, Toney’s stock has risen since his performance in Senior Bowl practices.
There just aren’t many people in the world that can move the way Kadarius Toney can. He can do too much at times, but when he’s pairing extra moves and changes of speed/direction, cornerbacks can’t help but be uncomfortable. So dangerous #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/lfIh9yKaqD
— Brad Kelly (@BradKelly17) January 27, 2021
When taking part in one-on-ones, Toney showed off his ability to create separation with ease as he is a very quick wide receiver. The way he can get in-and-out of breaks in his routes – and in the open field – makes you realize that if Derrick Rose had Toney’s strong knees, he’d likely be an MVP-level player in the NBA still. If he can polish the rest of his skills as a wideout, Toney could be a steal in the third round.
4.10: Sage Surratt (WR)
Once again, I felt somewhat comfortable passing on wide receivers early on – as much as I wanted one of Chase, Smith, Waddle, or Bateman – due to the depth in this year’s class. A name to watch in the later rounds of rookie drafts is Sage Surratt out of Wake Forest. Surratt opted out of his junior season due to concerns with COVID-19, setting his focus on the NFL Draft in 2021.
While Surratt wasn’t able to add to his highlight tape in 2020, he gave plenty of highlights during his 2019 campaign. As a sophomore in 2019, Surratt caught 66 passes for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns. The 6-foot-3 wideout would show off his big-play ability in his sophomore season, making him a prospect that could catch the attention of teams in the NFL. There is undoubtedly room for Surratt to improve, and his landing spot could determine the success he has at the next level. I took Surratt in the fourth round solely off of the potential he brings at the wide receiver position.
5.10: Jamie Newman (QB)
To begin the rookie mock draft, I took Fields, giving me one of the marquee quarterback prospects in this year’s draft. In the later rounds of rookie drafts – if you haven’t traded your later-round picks for proven players already – you are typically searching for high-ceiling prospects to take a chance on. With it being a superflex league, taking another quarterback to close out the draft seemed to be the right decision.
Jamie Newman was still on the board, and while he’s a developmental quarterback, I took him with the chance he lands somewhere that can net him a chance to start at some point. Newman, who was throwing passes to Surratt in 2019 at Wake Forest, chose to transfer to Georgia for the 2020 season. However, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he opted out and decided to prepare himself for the NFL.
Make no mistake, Newman is a gifted athlete and can excel in an offense that maximizes his rushing ability. As a passer, though, Newman still has plenty to work on when it comes to his decision-making, accuracy, and ability to read a defense. Despite being a developmental project, the chance to draft a dual-threat quarterback in the fifth round was tough to pass up. Even if Newman doesn’t get much run as a rookie, he could be used as a trade piece in the future.
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Skyler Carlin is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Skyler, check out his archive and follow him @skyler_carlin.
