We’ll have you covered as you prepare for your dynasty rookie drafts. In order to dominate your dynasty rookie draft, check out our expert consensus dynasty rookie draft rankings. And sync your league to practice with fast and free dynasty rookie mock drafts. Below, I provide my top-12 dynasty rookie draft rankings and notes to help you prepare for your leagues.

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Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Rankings

12. MarShawn Lloyd (RB – USC): ECR 23 Overall | RB6

Lloyd runs like a Tasmanian devil. He has an every-down tenacity and a mean streak to him. He has the requisite functional strength and temperament to become a strong pass protector. He just needs to improve his pass-pro technique and gain consistency there. He’ll have one rep where he stands up a free rushing blitzer and then gets blown back on the next. The leg drive he exhibits on rushing plays combined with some strong reps in pass pro lead me to believe that if he gains more consistency in this area, he can develop into a trusted passing down back in the NFL. Lloyd is a functional receiver. He was utilized mainly as a check-down specialist. He did motion out to the occasional snap as an outside receiver, but rarely was he asked to run routes from this alignment. He did have the occasional stop or curl route. Lloyd does have soft hands, and he is a QB-friendly target adjusting to space when his quarterback is in scramble mode. Lloyd is a scheme versatile rusher. He has the lateral agility, vision, and speed to operate in stretch zone as well as inside zone. Lloyd’s burst is above average but not elite, so you wouldn’t want him operating in a heavy outside zone scheme, but that’s not to say that he doesn’t have the speed to gain the edge. He runs with a profound mean streak. Lloyd isn’t seeking out contact, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t drop the hammer when needed. Rarely does the first defender bring him down, and it’s nothing for him to body bag a corner with a stiff arm. Lloyd also has plenty of plays on film where he’s asked to create yards on his own. He has more than a handful of runs I watched on film where he had to reverse course when the gap was clogged and create a play on his own, and he did marvelously. Lloyd is a more physical rusher than his size would lead many to believe. He has strong legs to finish runs well and push the pile. Lloyd can be a tone-setting back.

11. Jonathon Brooks (RB – Texas): ECR 12 Overall | RB1

Workhorse back. In six of his ten full games played last season, he had at least 20 carries. Brooks has a muscular, thick frame to handle the 15-20 touches per game at the next level. Brooks is a tough assignment for defenders. He combines fluid movements with strong contact balance and can get skinny through the hole. If it’s him versus one defender in the second level, he’s likely making that person miss. Shoestring tackles aren’t going to bring him down. He bounces off defenders and keeps his legs driving with the ability to pick up 5-10 yards after first contact religiously. Brooks has the raw speed to hit dingers if he can get into the second level, but his second isn’t elite. He’ll probably run in the 4.5s in the 40-yard dash with strong short-area agility testing. His lateral movements at the line and in traffic are silky smooth, as he can teleport two feet sideways in a blink of an eye. Brooks was only tasked with being a check-down option in the passing game in 2023. He has soft hands but does have the occasional concentration drop. He transitions well, though, from receiver to rusher. His footwork in space and vision in traffic allows him to turn dump-offs into nice gains.

10. Xavier Worthy (WR – Texas): ECR 11 Overall | WR7

Worthy is a speed merchant that can win at all three levels. He has some textbook reps on film of stacking corners on go balls with good deep ball tracking. If he had better quarterback play in 2023 with the deep ball, his full-season stat line would have been beefier. There are plenty of reps where he burnt a corner deep only to get underthrown by his quarterback. Many of these resulted in incompletions or would be walk-in touchdowns only counting as long gains in the box score. His speed will steal the show when the real conversation starter for Worthy is his route running. Worthy has crisp gear downs on a dime on comebacks while also flashing easy change of direction on slants and outs. He varies his pacing in routes while also tossing in jab steps mid-route to invite indecision into a corner’s skull. He has a good understanding of leverage. His short-area quickness shows up in conjunction with his blinding straight-line speed. It makes him tough to guard in close quarters as he’ll break off a whip route and leave a corner looking silly. Worthy’s size shows up at times, as corners can give him issues at the catch point. He can be pushed off his routes at times, but it’s not consistent, as corners have to hang with him to do so.

9. Troy Franklin (WR – Oregon): ECR 9 Overall | WR5

Franklin is a double-move demon. He has no issues snatching a corner’s soul with a double move and then pressing the accelerator to the metal as he blows past them for a long gain. His easy and immediate ability to hit the gas shows up all over his film in his routes and after the catch. He transitions from receiver to rusher, seamlessly dodging defenders immediately after the ball is in his hands. He has a fluid change of direction ability, which shows up on his short area routes as he can cut on a dime on stop routes and comebacks. His special burst allows him to deploy a varied release package. He’ll offer corners a change up at times, with his first step or two being exaggerated before exploding into his route. Franklin was utilized in line at times and caught his fair share of screens with some gimmicky usage, but don’t let his route-running prowess get lost in that Oregon sauce. He has a route tree with plenty of branches. He has teach tape on stacking corners on deep routes. Franklin’s upper body strength and hand fighting serve him well against physical corners. Concerns about Franklin’s drop issues are warranted but will likely be overstated in the process. His nine drops in 2023 are nothing to ignore, but some of those were on poorly thrown balls by Bo Nix or in highly contested situations. He does have a few costly drops related to ball tracking and technique that can’t be overlooked, but he also has some tough grabs made in the end zone and in traffic that lead me to believe that this is a correctable issue at the next level.

8. Drake Maye (QB – North Carolina): ECR 5 Overall | QB3

Maye is a deep-ball sniper. His arm strength consistently shows up in his film. His downfield prowess is one of his shining attributes, as he has ranked in the top 12 in deep ball-adjusted completion rate in each of the last two seasons. The deep ball velocity is palpable and easy as the ball jumps out of his hand. Maye also displays good touch and the ability to toss a precise change up in the short and intermediate when it’s called for. Maye has a pretty good pocket presence. Maye moves through progressions well overall, but he does seem a tick-late on some reps. It’s not a constant problem as he gets through reads one and two with regularity, but it’s more rare to see him progress to his third option or a check-down unless they are earlier in the progression. He will stand tall against pressure to deliver strikes. Maye offers some off-script play-making ability, but he can get out over his skis in this realm at times. It’s not a consistent theme, but he will bail the occasional clean pocket. He does offer the ability to be utilized on bootlegs and on the move, whether scripted or if he’s working through a broken play. Once he’s in scramble mode, he tends to lock onto one option while maneuvering through the noise. He needs to improve at keeping his eyes downfield in improv mode and continue to utilize the entire field as his canvas. Maye can get the ball out quickly for quick hitters, but his delivery can get long at times. He’ll need to clean that up more in the NFL, with the game speeding up.

7. Brock Bowers (TE – Georgia): ECR 7 Overall | TE1

Bowers is an agile steamroller. He’s incredibly hard to bring down. Georgia utilized him in motion with screens a ton, and for good reason. It was free yards essentially each play as the first defender usually tasked with bringing down Bowers failed at their assignment. He was second among all tight ends in missed tackles forced in 2023. He sheds defenders with ease in the open field with a combination of strong legs and upper body strength. Bowers was utilized all over the formation. Out wide (running go routes). In-line or in the slot where he was too quick for linebackers to hang with him and too physical for nickels to have a chance at shutting him down. In motion where, he mauled opponents with screen targets. Bowers flashes good body control with solid adjustments to back-shoulder throws and targets outside of his frame. He has exceptional change of direction and bend. He can beat zone coverage sitting down in between defenders or excel against man coverage. Since 2021, among all tight ends with at least 25 man coverage targets, he ranks 12th in yards per route run, immediately ahead of Michael Mayer. His hands are as good as they come, with only a 4.4% drop rate in college (eight drops across three seasons). As a blocker, Bowers is able to hold his patch of grass in pass protection. His functional play strength translates. He has a good initial punch with strong hands. He wasn’t tasked with being isolated on blitzing linebackers, corners, or edges. On many plays, Bowers was asked to help seal the edge. He is a tenacious run blocker that can clear a path. He’s not an elite blocker, but he should be able to play every down in the NFL with the ability to become one of the best blockers in the league if it all gels.

6. Rome Odunze (WR – Washington): ECR 6 Overall | WR3

Odunze makes special plays look easy so often that you have to remind yourself of the difficulties of some of the plays. He adjusted to an underthrown ball against Cal while splitting two incoming defenders like it was just another pitch and catch crosser. His film is littered with back-shoulder supremes and basket catches. He has special start/stop ability at his size, which helps him earn quick separation with ease. Odunze doesn’t have the most fluid hips, but he has extremely quick feet, which do the heavy lifting when he needs to decelerate. His skillset accesses another level when we discuss his body control and ball tracking. Odunze has an enormous catch radius with the ability to high point as well as easily adjust to poorly thrown balls behind him. There are numerous fade routes where he had to adjust to the ball in the air, and he did so marvelously without losing speed using his effortless change of direction. Odunze’s run after the catch skills are a treat as he gets up to top speed QUICKLY. He also shows off his power from time to time, weaving through the interior with the vision and physical presence of a running back. In 2023, he was tied for 25th in missed tackles forced tied with Malachi Corley. Odunze should be the immediate WR1 for whatever offense he lands with. He has alpha upside with the ability to threaten a defense at all three levels.

5. Malik Nabers (WR – LSU): ECR 4 Overall | WR2

It’s not the LSU jersey. I swear. As soon as I turned on the film, I felt like I was watching Chase as a prospect all over again. Nabers plays with a special blend of power, twitch, and blinding speed. His imposing physical strength at 6’0″ reminds me the most of Chase. Nabers can break tackles and churn out YAC. He can win versus zone as he has strong pacing in his routes and sits down in the soft spots. Nabers can also hand fight, get physical, and defeat press and man coverage. Last year, he was the second-highest graded wide receiver per PFF against man while also ranking 20th in yards per route run against the coverage type (min 25 man coverage targets). Nabers can go toe to toe with Marvin Harrison Jr. for the title of “THE best route runner” in this class. He weaves together a ton of high-end nuance in his routes, from dropping his head to sell a vertical push, varying the tempo in his routes, and the raw physical power of his hand fighting and at the catch point. He can snap off a double move in a heartbeat. Against Arkansas, he tossed the corner a double move, and when the defensive back didn’t bite, Nabers just ran past him anyway with his blinding speed. Nabers snatches targets with arrogant hands away from his body. He’s a beast at the catch point and adjusts easily to lowly thrown balls. Nabers had only a 5.3% drop rate in each of the past two seasons.

4. Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR – Ohio State): ECR 2 Overall | WR1

Harrison Jr. has the entire tool belt to pull contraptions from to make corners’ lives a living hell on the football field. He has superb route nuance and sneaky afterburners (legit 4.4 speed). If a corner plays off him, he can quickly drop it into fourth and beat them deep or run away from them on a drag route. His route tree isn’t missing any branches. Harrison Jr. has plenty of field stretching reps where he exhibits strong ball tracking. He made a few basket catches at Ohio State that’ll leave your jaw on the floor. He has the skill set to be an elite WR in the NFL for a long time. He can threaten a defense at every level. Harrison can get open off the line with any combination of speed, physicality, or footwork. Harrison Jr. is strong at the catch point with high point skills to be a yearly 8-10 touchdown guy. The only small knock on Harrison’s game is that he isn’t a huge YAC threat. He amassed only 14 missed tackles at Ohio State and 5.1 yards after the catch per reception. This depressing number can partially be attributed to quarterback play in 2023, which, funny enough, is the best season he had in YAC per reception (6.4). He has the size and speed to produce some YAC, but it likely will never be the biggest selling point of his skillset.

3. Caleb Williams (QB – USC): ECR 1 Overall | QB1

Williams has the gunslinger mentality cranked up to 11 at all times. While I won’t fault him for that because I would rather the aggression than more passiveness when playing, it can get him into trouble at times. Williams will force throws into strapped coverage where he should have taken what the defense gave him with an easy underneath route or check down. This could come back to bite him in the pros if he doesn’t reel it in at times. His highwire act played up better in 2022 than in 2023, when his supporting cast wasn’t as adept at getting open. At times, when you watch his 2023 tape, it’s evident that every receiving option is covered up quickly, and Williams was forced into a backyard scramble ball. In 2023, on some reps, he looked frantic as he was pressing to play hero ball, whereas in 2022, on similar reps, he was a seasoned explorer sprinting in the dark with a playmaking compass pointing him toward home. He needs to play with more controlled aggression, like in 2022, and less, like in 2023. Williams has easy velocity at all levels of the field, which allows him to fit in strikes into some precariously tight windows. His flick of the wrist plus velo helps him out when he’s on the run, as it’s nothing for him to toss it 40 yards downfield while on the move and make it look easy. Williams has a quick release and can alter arm angles at the drop of a hat. He’s a strong processor on the field, but he can rush through progressions at times. He’ll flip from his 1st to his second read or his second to his third without allowing the play to flesh itself out. Williams developed some bad habits in 2023 as he would bail some clean/workable pockets at the first sign of pressure instead of stepping up in a workable pocket to avoid the rush. He needs to get back to the 2022 version of himself, where he balanced his Superman tendencies with a tad more Clark Kent. Williams will offer some rushing upside in the NFL; although he’s probably unlikely to be a consistent 500-yard rusher like in college, he could kick in 300-400 in some seasons. Williams has a decent change of direction ability, but his start/stop isn’t lightning fast, as he’s equipped with more build-up speed. He will probably run a 4.5 40-yard dash, so I don’t want to shade his wheels too much. His escapability in the pocket would lead many to believe that, as a rusher, he would be twitchier. He can chew up yards when it’s called for but don’t look for him to be a heavy-designed rush attempt quarterback in the NFL.

2. J.J. McCarthy (QB – Michigan): ECR 16 Overall | QB4

McCarthy is a playmaker from the pocket. He’s adept at buying time with his legs when it’s called for and isn’t scared to go off-script. While on the move, he keeps his eyes downfield as he surveys the field. McCarthy has a top-shelf pocket presence. He has quiet feet and will climb the pocket and hang tough in the face of pressure. McCarthy will roll out when it’s required and can fire bullets on the move. I won’t be surprised to see him utilized on the move with boots more in the NFL. He has the arm talent to change his arm angle when it’s needed and still fire rockets. McCarthy paces well through his reads, consistently getting to his second and third options. He has no problems letting a play develop and hitting a receiver with a second-window throw versus zone coverage. The former Wolverine has all the arm strength needed for the NFL. His film is littered with second-level darts to the boundary and into tight windows. His accuracy and ball placement need to improve some on deep tosses, especially on go balls on the boundary, but it’s nothing to see him hit a receiver in stride on a post downfield. He won’t be confused as a true dual-threat quarterback, but he can add some value as a rusher. McCarthy is a linear runner who displays some open-field maneuverability with good bend and change of direction skills and a well-placed jab step. He’s no statue and could see a handful of designed runs weekly in the NFL.

1. Jayden Daniels (QB – LSU): ECR 3 Overall | QB2

Daniels’ quarterback play is refreshing. With a sizable contingent of quarterbacks in this year’s class operating in quick passing and screen-heavy offenses, to watch Daniels go through progressions is a treat. He has quiet feet in the pocket. He’s a quick processor who has no issues getting to even his third read on some plays. He managed to get to his “next read” on 14.8% of his dropbacks in 2023. You won’t find Daniels with tunnel vision for his first option. Daniels has easy flick of the wrist velocity, and while he doesn’t have a cannon, he can chuck it an easy 50 yards with plenty of mustard to push it farther. His deep ball is exquisite, with him hitting receivers in stride on plenty of boundary throws, but he can shorten some deep balls at times, which I attribute to his random hiccups in the short and intermediate areas of the field. His base can be inconsistent at times, and while it might only happen a handful of times in a game, it’s still an area of improvement for this stellar prospect. Daniels is a fantastic anticipatory passer. He’ll cut loose passes before the receiver has reached the top of his stem and hit them on the money on a comeback. He has no issues pushing the ball into tight windows, but he is also quite happy to take layup completions if they are available to him. Daniels has no problems putting up a 50/50 ball and asking his guy to go win. He plays with tempered aggression. Daniels had the fourth-lowest turnover-worthy play rate while also ranking third in big-time throw rate. His ball placement continuously offers YAC opportunities as he hits his receivers in stride. That is important, especially in today’s NFL, where zone and two high are all the rage. Daniels has no problems playing from the pocket. He doesn’t look to take off, and anytime he’s moved off his mark, he keeps his eyes downfield the entire time, looking for an open receiver. That’s not to say that Daniels isn’t a dynamic game-changing rusher. Daniels has hit 21 mph at LSU’s practices, so I have no worries about his 40 time (probably 4.4/4.5). Daniels changes direction with no issues in the open field and has the acceleration to gain the edge. His biggest issue is that he needs to slide more. He’ll duck out of bounds easily on the perimeter, but in the interior, he has taken some huge shots.

Dynasty Rookie Mock Drafts

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• Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Superflex

Dynasty Rookie Draft Advice

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