After completing a couple of start-up mocks, and with the Combine just finishing up at the time of writing, I thought it was time to look at a post-Combine rookie mock draft.

For this, I selected a league I play in with a bunch of my podcast listeners and used our Mock Draft Simulator, which you can use for your rookie drafts if you are an MVP or HOF subscriber. To subscribe, just follow this link.

As this is an active league, you will see some trades in the results where picks have been traded prior to the draft.

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Q: What did you learn from this draft?

That unlike rookie drafts from previous years, this one is very light at running back and quarterback, meaning we will probably see more wide receivers go in the opening round than ever before. That is where the quality is.

What that also means is that by around pick 20, the quality of this draft really starts to drop off. However, I will issue the caveat that once landing spots and draft capital are determined, this range could be lengthened by as many as 10 additional players. While a player might not have the best profile, he could land into a situation that makes him immediately fantasy-viable with targets and opportunities. Amon-Ra St. Brown in 2021 springs to mind as a player who was taken outside of pick 20 in rookie drafts. St. Brown represented incredible value due to the opportunity he eventually saw with the Lions. And there are some names in this draft who could represent the same sort of value, such as Skyy Moore, Christian Watson, and Tyler Allgeier.

The key to rookie drafts this year is to rank and tier your guys and be prepared to reach in that second or third round for guys you like, even if the ADP is out of line with your rankings. Because this class is weaker than previous classes, you will need to be brave and take risks in order to see positive outcomes from this rookie draft.

Q: What area(s) of your draft are you happy with?

I am delighted to get my top-ranked wide receiver and tight end. To get them picking from the 1.07 spot is a dream come true. It does mean I walk away without a premier running back or any quarterback. However, I decided to hammer the strengths of this class and take some risks. My wide receiver room gets a lot better with Drake London, Skyy Moore, and Calvin Austin III. Master Teague is someone who I think, if he lands in the right place, could be a very useful option and become a value in the fifth round. The other player I would have taken here is Mike Woods II, the wide receiver from Oklahoma, who I think, with the right capital and landing spot, could be a steal in most rookie drafts in round five.

Trey McBride in round two is a steal. I’m not sure if he survives until pick 19 in most drafts. But a lot of that will depend on where he goes in the 2022 NFL Draft.

I am very happy to walk away with these five selections in this draft.

Q: What area(s) of your draft would you have liked to improve?

The only quarterbacks I would feel comfortable taking are Malik Willis and Desmond Ridder at this stage. This might change with landing spots. However, I would only be interested in those two players for this mock draft. However, I felt there was better value at the picks in which I could have selected either Willis or Ridder.

As for the running back situation, once Allgeier went off the board, I saw a massive tier drop at the position. Allgeier would have been my pick at the 3.07 had he fallen one pick further. I think he will provide exceptional value in round three, provided he lands in a good spot.

Other than that, there are very few things I would have done differently.

Q: What lesson did you learn from today’s mock that you will apply to future drafts you partake in?

Just be brave. Take your shots on your team’s needs, even if you have to reach. There appear to be few exceptionally talented players in this draft, which means that no draft pick is a reach if you get your guy and he fills a hole in your roster. Remember, rookie drafts are very rarely going to pay off instantly unless you have a great player and a massive hole. Therefore, make sure you look at the stability of the role for the player you are drafting. How stable is the franchise? How long has the head coach been there? Is he on the hot seat? Will he likely leave soon? What about the offensive coordinator? Is he likely to be there two years from now? Is player x filing a hole for 2022 or beyond?

This is where draft capital and depth chart will make a huge difference. Just be brave, follow your tiers and rankings, go get your guys and execute your draft plan.

If not, trade out of the pick and either move back or acquire future picks. I think most people will prefer what the 2023 draft class is likely to do for fantasy football. So, if you can’t get your guys, move back or move out for future assets.

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Adam Murfet is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Murf, check out his archive and follow him @Murf_NFL.