The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books. With the NFL Draft comes dynasty rookie draft season! We have you covered with our dynasty rookie draft coverage, and of course, you can complete fast and FREE dynasty rookie mock drafts using our mock draft simulator. While you take that simulator for a spin to prepare for your dynasty rookie mock drafts, check out our latest dynasty rookie mock and analysis from our analysts.
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Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft
1.04 – Bryce Young (QB – CAR)
Bryce Young has the arm strength to make all the NFL-level throws, but he’ll never be confused as a quarterback with a rifle for an arm. When he fails to set his feet in the pocket and attempts to put zip on the ball, he can get erratic with low throws or sailing the ball. His accuracy on the run is surprisingly good and fluid, though, as he throws with touch with enough juice. Young can lace some balls into tight windows and deep to the boundaries when he’s in rhythm and feeling it (Georgia SEC Championship 2021).
He can also be erratic, especially past 25-30 yards downfield. Young’s pocket presence is solid as he displays escapability and playmaking ability outside of structure. He can utilize multiple arm angles in the pocket and on the move to facilitate accurate passes. His rushing upside is real at the NFL level. He rarely takes big hits, protecting himself well by sliding. His open-field agility and burst are nice.
Young has all the tools to succeed in the NFL, but some areas of his game still need to be polished. He is sometimes slow on the trigger, looking a second behind on some progressions and throws. Young will lock onto his first read and attempt some head-scratching passes into tight coverage when open receivers are running crossers over the middle of the field. This is more evident in his 2022 film, with a downgraded cast of characters surrounding him. It still popped up in 2021, but he played with more confidence in this season with Jameson Williams and John Metchie at his side.
Young reminds me of watching Trevor Lawrence‘s final season film in that regard. Young plays with tempered aggression, but he’s still learning. He has no issues fitting the ball into a tight window in the short and intermediate regions or taking the check down when nothing is open. In 2022, he opted for check downs or to take off running more which can be a reflection of his surrounding cast, but it’s also a reflection of him. There are moments during that season where he bailed clean pockets or missed open wide receivers when he failed to come off his first read. Young is still trying to find the perfect balance between aggression and taking what the defense gives him.
Dynasty Outlook: The Carolina Panthers held to their word and selected Bryce Young first overall in the NFL Draft. Young is in good hands under Frank Reich and Josh McCown, who should create a stable environment for the talented rookie to grow. Young will have a solid offensive line to sit behind and toss darts. Last year Carolina was the 10th-highest-graded offensive line per PFF, allowing the fourth-lowest pressure rate. Young has a decent set of pass catchers to throw to, with D.J. Chark, Adam Thielen, Jonathan Mingo, Terrace Marshall and Hayden Hurst leading the way. Young should be helped by Reich’s love for incorporating screens in his passing game. In two of his last three seasons directing an NFL offense, his starting quarterback finished top-10 (fifth, ninth) in screen attempts (per PFF). Young’s fantasy ceiling remains in question, but his floor should be high as a strong QB2 in fantasy as soon as 2023. Young is a top-four pick in superflex dynasty rookie drafts.
2.o4 – De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
De’Von Achane’s compact build allows him to be slippery in close quarters. He sets up his blocks well as a patient runner with the bend to destroy pursuit angles. I was expecting more lateral agility in his game with jump cuts and jitterbug action, but he’s more downhill than I anticipated. Achane’s size shows up in a few different areas. His smaller frame isn’t as big of a problem in the second level or with a head of steam built up, but when he is contacted in the backfield, he can be wrapped up easier. He can shed arm tackles when weaving through traffic, but he also goes down on too many shoestring tackles, especially early in runs.
He has the lower-half strength to engage pass rushers at times when blocking, but he doesn’t anchor well, and on many snaps, he gets blown out of his cleats. Achane’s acceleration and big-play ability are evident immediately. His usage at Texas A&M was head-scratching. Over his final two collegiate seasons, he was utilized on “A” gap runs on 29.4% of his carries, with 5.0 yards per carry and 3.29 yards after contact per attempt. While Achane displays good vision on interior runs and he runs hard, this will never be his calling card because of his size. That’s not how any team should utilize him and expect him to be an interior pile pusher. He saw 29.1% of his carries on the edge over the last two years, which results in eye-popping numbers. He had 7.5 yards per carry and 4.6 yards after contact per attempt.
Achane is also a pass-game weapon. His explosiveness in space is on display here. In 2021, he saw an 18% snap rate in the slot or out wide. That number dropped to 6.7% in 2022. His yards per route run saw a huge hit dropping from 1.85 to 0.66. Achane could see his pass-game usage increase in the NFL. He has good ball tracking with some nifty over-the-shoulder catches on film. He has the speed and route chops to pull away from linebackers in coverage and after the catch.
Dynasty Outlook: The diminutive Achane landed in one of the best possible spots, considering his skill set and size. If any coaching tree or organizational philosophy has been willing to toss size concerns to the side, it’s been Kyle Shanahan and his disciples. Mike McDaniel could deploy a three-headed committee, with Achane splitting work with Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson. That’s the risk of drafting Achane, but there’s also hope here.
Yes, Mostert and Wilson were retained this offseason on two-year deals, but each deal is essentially a puffed-up one-year deal. This backfield could evolve into a two-way split as early as this season or 2024 if the team keeps all three players on the roster. Achane’s speed and vision will suit Miami’s outside zone scheme well. Achane is a second-round rookie draft pick.
3.04 – Rashee Rice (WR – KC)
Rashee Rice ranked ninth in yards per route run and seventh in PFF receiving grade last season (minimum 50 targets per PFF). He saw 64.2% of his target volume against zone, where he ranked first in yards per route run and PFF receiving grade (minimum 25 zone targets per PFF). Rice adjusts well to back shoulder balls and displays solid body control. He does have some concentration drops in traffic on film. His speed is more the build-up variety. Rice displays some inconsistencies gearing down on comebacks or curls, needing too many steps at times, or losing his balance. His short area separation is better on slants where he can use a good first step of the line and his size. Rice, far too often, lets cornerbacks get into his body and jam him up at the top of his stem.
Dynasty Outlook: Rice was among the few pleasant surprises of the Day 2 NFL Draft action. Yes, I remember my Skyy Moore love, a cautionary tale for fantasy gamers before they get too attached to Rice. However, Rice could fill the void that JuJu Smith-Schuster left in year one. Smith-Schuster’s calling card these days is his ability to beat zone coverage. This also is a strength of Rice as he ranked first in PFF’s receiving grade against zone and third in yards per route run against the coverage type last year (minimum 20 zone targets per PFF). We’ll see how his playing time shakes out in 2023, but he could be their starting slot receiver in Week 1. Marquez Valdes-Scantling will continue orchestrating his best Demarcus Robinson impression as a starter in Kansas City with his weekly cardio routes. After Valdes-Scantling, though, the two other starting spots are up for grabs, with Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, Rice, and likely Justin Watson all vying for snaps. Rice should be an early to mid-second-round rookie draft pick.
4.04: Evan Hull (RB – IND)
Evan Hull is a tough runner with a compact build. He’s more quick than fast, but Hull also displays good burst as soon as the ball is in his hands. He has excellent lateral agility and can jump cut on a dime. Hull has a strong leg drive to finish runs with impressive contact balance. He’s rarely dropped by the first defender he encounters. Watching Hull weave through traffic with jump cuts and impressive vision is a treat. Hull is also a plus-pass catcher. Hull is fluid in the passing game and has soft hands. He’s not a nuanced route runner, as he was utilized on dump-offs and simple stop routes. This part of his game could grow further in the NFL with a creative play-caller.
Dynasty Outlook: I’m an Evan Hull fanboy, and I don’t care who knows it. Hull has a three-down workhorse build and skillset. Zack Moss and Deon Jackson are scrubs to which new head coach Shane Steichen has no previous ties. The fifth-round pick could quickly ascend to RB2 on the Colts’ depth chart and factor in on passing downs. Jonathan Taylor is an unrestricted free agent after this season. I’m not saying that Hull is the heir apparent because the team could easily sign Taylor to an extension at any moment, but I also won’t rule out that Hull could take over for Taylor if the team moves on. Hull will slip to the fourth or maybe fifth round in many rookie dynasty drafts. I have no issues with anyone drafting him as early as the late-third round. This class becomes a grab bag of “get your guys” after round two.
5.04 – Trey Palmer (WR – TB)
Trey Palmer is a former five-star recruit who clocked at 10.42 in the 100m in high school. Nebraska utilized him deep and on short crossers to take advantage of his blazing wheels. Palmer enjoyed zone coverage in college, with most of his usage coming from the slot. I didn’t find many instances on film where he was pressed at the line, so an NFL team could be in for an adventure if they instantly convert him to an outside Z role. This isn’t to say he can’t win in this role, but it’s a projection at best. Palmer’s route tree wasn’t immensely diverse in college, so an NFL team would ask him to learn new skills on the fly if a full route tree player is expected from the jump. For most of his snaps, Palmer was used on deep posts, flies, shallow crossers and screens.
Dynasty Outlook: The former five-star recruit will join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after they picked him up in the sixth round. Palmer isn’t likely to crack the starting lineup with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage ahead of him. He was likely brought in to serve as the team’s new part-time field stretcher, a role that Scotty Miller had until he moved on in free agency. Palmer is a taxi squad candidate.
Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft Results & Board
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