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.o7 – Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
Jahmyr Gibbs is a slasher back that has 0-to-60 speed. He wins with foot quickness and raw speed that can string together lightning-fast lateral movements. Gibbs can take any touch to the house with a small crease in the second level. He has average contact balance. Gibbs will never be a pile-pushing running back. This could leave his red zone usage more in the form of pass-game targets than two-yard goal-line dives.
Gibbs has been an elite receiving option out of the backfield for the last three seasons. Since 2020, he’s never ranked lower than ninth in yards per route run or sixth in PFF receiving grade among running backs (minimum 20 targets). He’s an angle route master that will destroy the soft underbelly of zone coverage. In limited pass pro reps seen on film, Gibbs has the ability to turn into a solid pass protector. His first punch is solid, and he had the leg drive to stand up defenders. Gibbs has a high motor. He’s sprinting out in front of his scrambling quarterback to try and set a block or fighting for extra yards at every turn. Coaches will love his energy.
Dynasty Outlook: The Detroit Lions apparently agree with my comp. Gibbs replaces Swift in Detroit, as the former passing-down specialist was shipped off to Philadelphia after the Lions selected Gibbs 12th overall. My post-Draft ranking of Gibbs at 10th overall in Superflex drafts might not sit well with everyone, and that’s fine. Frame it however you’d like, but Gibbs is my RB2 of this class now, with Zach Charbonnet getting torpedoed by the Seattle Seahawks. You can make a case to take Gibbs as high as the 1.05 in Superflex drafts, but I prefer the four wide receivers and Dalton Kincaid, that were also selected in round one of the NFL Draft. Gibbs should have a productive rookie season, there’s no doubt about that, but David Montgomery will remain a big part of this offense. Last year, Jamaal Williams led the NFL in red zone rushing attempts and inside-the-five-yard line carries. Montgomery should soak up most of this work, but that doesn’t mean Gibbs won’t have a red zone role. Last season Swift ranked second on the team in red zone targets, despite missing time and being marginalized some weeks. Gibbs could eclipse that mark in his rookie season.
2.o7 – Sam LaPorta (TE – DET)
Sam Laporta will make his mark as a receiver in the NFL. Blocking will be a skill he must continue honing in the NFL. If Laporta hits his ceiling in the NFL, it will be because of his pass-game abilities and not his run-blocking chops. Laporta runs routes like a wide receiver. He’s smooth in and out of his breaks with surprising foot quickness. Laporta played 20.2% of his snaps as a boundary receiver in 2022. He proved up to the task by leading all FBS tight ends in man coverage targets. He was also second in PFF receiving grade and third in yards per route run against man coverage (minimum 10 man coverage targets). He’s also adept at finding the soft spots in zone coverage. He puts some impressive work after the catch on film. His start/stop ability and change-of-direction skills are noticeable. He has good acceleration after the catch with jukes, spin moves, and stiff arms to make a defensive back’s job of getting him to the ground tough. He ranked second in missed tackles forced and third in YAC among tight ends last year.
Dynasty Outlook: “Sammy Ballgame,” baby! Laporta lands in Detroit and should be immediately installed as the Dday-one starter for the Lions. With only Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra, James Mitchell and Derrick Deese behind him on the depth chart, he should have no trouble carving out a full-time role. Laporta will earn his NFL paychecks by catching passes and breaking tackles weekly. In each of the last two seasons, he has ranked inside the top 20 in PFF receiving grade and yards per route run among FBS tight ends (minimum 20 targets per PFF). Last season, Laporta played 20.2% of his snaps as a perimeter receiver. Laporta should be the No. 3 option in the passing game this season, soaking up targets from Jared Goff. He has risen to the ranking of TE2 in this class in my books. LaPorta is a borderline first-round pick in Superflex. He’ll be gone inside the top-15 picks in any draft I’m in.
3.07 – Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
Chase Brown has good vision on zone runs and finding cut-back lanes. Brown does hesitate at the line when he should explode through the hole. He ran with more conviction as the 2022 season progressed. Brown is a runway back. He doesn’t display the ability to make the first tackler miss in the hole, but once he’s into the second level, he displays a good second gear and the ability to set up his blocks. Brown isn’t blessed with overwhelming lateral agility. He gets himself in trouble when he hesitates at the line or tries to bounce some runs outside. Brown doesn’t have the raw athleticism to get away with this. Brown displays soft hands in the passing game. He was mostly utilized as a check-down option or on the occasional rail route.
Dynasty Outlook: Brown’s draft capital (fifth round) isn’t much to sniff at, but the landing spot is interesting. Brown should be considered the favorite to grab the RB2 spot on the Bengals’ depth chart behind Joe Mixon. The team also added UDFAs Calvin Tyler and Jacob Saylors to the running back room, which gives us a small inclination that they haven’t been wowed by the performance of Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans in previous seasons. While Brown’s game doesn’t blow me away, and he shows little upside in the passing game, he’s still worth sprinkling into your rookie draft exposures across your leagues. The Bengals have shown no issue giving one running back all the work in any games Mixon has missed over the last few seasons. Brown is a good mid-round dynasty rookie pick that could pop off with some RB2 weeks in-season should Mixon miss any time. If that scenario played out, he would also be a good player to trade away in-season for a small equity gain for your dynasty squad. While the Bengals didn’t invest substantial capital into the running back position in this NFL Draft cycle, I would be shocked if they didn’t address the position with a high pick in 2023.
4.07 – Tucker Kraft (TE – GB)
Tucker Kraft is built like a Marvel superhero. With a strong set of tree trunk legs married to a powerful upper body, Kraft imposes his will in multiple phases of the game. In the run game, he was a solid to above-average blocker during his entire collegiate career. Kraft has the anchor and leg drive to set the edge, wall off runs or clear a path for his back. In 2022, Kraft was 28th in gap run-blocking grade among 504 FBS and FCS tight ends with at least 100 run-blocking snaps. Kraft is a bulldozer in the open field.
He has the raw speed to threaten down the seam with the ability to house a deep pass due to his tackle-breaking. Kraft, with momentum built up, is a scary situation. He blows through arm tackles and pushes around corners attempting to wrap him up. Kraft also has a little shimmy to his game, as he can juke linebackers after the catch and leave them in the dust. Kraft has the quick hips and explosion off the line to get both early and late separation on routes. He also has exceptional body control in the air, adding to his 73rd-percentile catch radius. His arrogant hands-on film is reflected in his 58.8% contested target catch rate in college. Kraft flashes impressive back-shoulder catches regularly on film.
Dynasty Outlook: The Packers doubled up on tight ends in the NFL Draft by selecting Luke Musgrave in the second round before sending in the card for Kraft in the third round. Kraft might hail from a small school, but he has big-time talent. Outside of him and Musgrave, the Packers only have Josiah Deguara, Tyler Davis, Nick Guggemos, Austin Allen and Camren McDonald in the tight end room. Kraft arguably has this bunch’s most complete skill set with scintillating receiving ability. It wouldn’t shock me to see Kraft dominating snaps from the outset. He’s a top-four player in this class in my rankings. I’ll draft him near the end of the second round, even in non-tight-end premium formats.
5.07 – Brenton Strange (TE – JAX)
Immediately on film, Brenton Strange pops as a nasty blocker with a mean streak. He utilizes a strong lower half well with the leg drive to push defenders around. He anchors well and has solid hand technique engaging defenders. Despite having 34th percentile hand size, his mitts never lose a defensive player once he’s locked onto them. Strange is an athletic linear player. His athleticism shows up during blocking and when he’s moving in a straight line. His explosive metrics (broad and vertical jumps) are off the charts, but his 3-cone and 20-yard shuttle are 32nd percentile (per Mockdraftable.com) or lower. This struggle with short-area footwork shows up in his routes. He rounds off routes and doesn’t have an explosive transition once moving from receiver to rusher after the catch. Strange’s route running is still evolving. He was utilized on screens and chip plays heavily. If he doesn’t continue to hone his footwork and overall route running game, he will be a weapon against zone and poor tackling teams, but you will be pressed to see him win against man coverage. His lack of route nuance and footwork could severely limit his upside. With his plus run blocking already in tow, he could be typecast early as an inline 12 personnel type who is never a featured weapon in an NFL offense. Strange isn’t a high-end target earner. He never commanded more than a 9.7% target share in any collegiate season. He profiles as a tertiary option in an NFL passing attack who might have to live off his red zone usage to be fantasy relevant.
Dynasty Outlook: Strange’s dynasty stock will be impacted by not only his talent and ability but also what the team decides to do with Evan Engram. If Engram gets locked up with a long-term deal, Strange will undoubtedly be the second fiddle to Engram. Strange won’t be drafted high, so he’s worth the dice roll. The risk is baked into his ADP, but the upside as possibly the starter in 2024 on a Trevor Lawrence-led team isn’t. Doug Pederson can scheme up Strange to best utilize his straight-line explosiveness on crossers. Strange likely will never be a top-five-seven dynasty tight end drawing a 20% or higher target share, but he could become a low-end TE1 in dynasty at some point if Engram moves on.
Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft Results & Board
More Dynasty Rookie Mock Drafts
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- 12-Team, PPR, 2 Rounds
- Superflex, 5 Rounds (Early Pick | Middle | Late)
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