Maybe it’s a tad early to dub this “Mock Draft SZN” but we’re rolling with it nonetheless. I ran a 12-team, .5PPR draft using FantasyPros Mock Draft Wizard. In terms of NFL rosters, I’m assuming they’re staying the same as 2021, minus retirees (which may be flawed logic, but I don’t mix my mock drafts with draft, trade, and free agency speculation yet).
Here’s how it went.
Practice mock drafts with our FREE Dynasty Draft Simulator 
Selections
- 1.01: Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND)
- 2.12: CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL)
- 3.01: Keenan Allen (WR – LAC)
- 4.12: Josh Jacobs (RB – LV)
- 5.01: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB – KC)
- 6.12: Cordarrelle Patterson (RB – FA)
- 7.01: Pat Freiermuth (TE – PIT)
- 8.12: Kadarius Toney (WR – NYG)
- 9.01: Michael Gallup (WR – DAL)
- 10.12: Trey Lance (QB – SF)
- 11.01: Nyheim Hines (RB – IND)
- 12.12: Dalton Schultz (TE – FA)
- 13.01: Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN)
- 14.12: Younghoe Koo (K – ATL)
- 15.01: Los Angeles Rams D/ST
Takeaways
My first tough choice came with my second and third picks. I had to choose two of CeeDee Lamb, Keenan Allen, and Saquon Barkley. I would’ve been happy with any combination, but I decided to go with the WRs. Before selecting Allen at 3.01, I had also considered Saquon Barkley, Josh Allen (QB – BUF), Aaron Jones (RB – GB), and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Barkley’s health is a significant question mark, but there’s no reason to believe he won’t be fully healthy come week one. His draft stock will undoubtedly rise by September if signs point to that. In the meantime, I am more than happy with two receivers who check all the boxes. They’re exceptionally talented, in the prime of their careers, and on high-powered offenses with good quarterbacks.
I took Josh Jacobs and Edwards-Helaire at the round four/five swing. I wasn’t expecting three of my first five picks to be running backs, but this goes to show you have to play the cards you’re dealt. Two bellcow running backs were still on the board in rounds four and five, and I couldn’t resist. Edwards-Helaire is less of a bellcow, but I still think he’s the best running back out of Kansas City’s ensemble, and they certainly paid for it, drafting him in the first round in 2020. Assuming he’s healthy, he’s Kansas City’s RB1 until further notice.
I am always shocked at how buried Cordarrelle Patterson is. Sure, he’ll be 31, but last season was the first time he’s received more than 85 touches in his NFL career. That price will rise exponentially if he returns to Atlanta. He’s got plenty of juice left. Other players I considered in this range and ultimately passed over include Darren Waller (TE – LV), Michael Carter (RB – NYJ), Brandin Cooks (WR – HOU), Justin Herbert (QB – LAC), Kyler Murray (QB – ARI), DJ Moore (WR – CAR).
My next pick, 7.01, is one I wish I could take back. I went with Pat Freiermuth because he and Goedert represented the end of a TE tier (before Gronkowski, Fant, Gesicki, etc.). 22 picks later, Dallas Goedert (TE – PHI) was still there. I could’ve had Travis Etienne (RB – JAC) or Darnell Mooney (WR – CHI) in the spot I went, Freiermuth.
Michael Gallup and Kadarius Toney are two of my favorite late-round wide receivers this year. Gallup will surely land on a new team where he’ll be less buried on the depth chart. Toney looked fantastic in 2020 but was saddled by injuries and the general malaise of the New York Giants. While he can’t shake the latter, I think his skill set is enough to warrant an infusion of touches in 2022.
My strategy around quarterbacks is always to take two, and one of them must have a rushing baseline if I’m going to wait on taking them. I executed that to perfection here, taking Trey Lance for an exciting ceiling and Kirk Cousins as a fallback option.
Need more advice? Get access to our Draft Kit and Draft Wizard tools
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
