The Underwear Olympics did not disappoint from an entertainment perspective but it helped some prospects more than others regarding their draft stock. I’ll hit on my biggest eye-openers from Indianapolis, highlighting some major risers and fallers inside the rookie and dynasty draft rankings. Note, I am limiting this to just 10 across the four positions for fantasy. Players like MarShawn Lloyd (RB – USC), Dillon Johnson (RB – Washington), Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – LSU) and Roman Wilson (WR – Michigan) won’t get their sections as they more or less confirmed their pre-draft rankings. Lloyd, Thomas Jr. (cemented WR4 status) and Wilson all delivered while Johnson underwhelmed and is buried in my rookie RB rankings.
- How to Prepare for Your Dynasty Rookie Draft
- Dynasty Rookie Draft Pick Trade Strategy & Advice
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 NFL Draft Guide
2024 NFL Combine Takeaways & Surprises
Trey Benson (RB – Florida State)
During the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, Trey Benson ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at 216 pounds. His vertical jump was in the 37th percentile but his broad jump was above the 70th percentile. Overall, the sub-4.4 testing is the main highlight, given it’s at the same time at a similar weight (speed score) to former RB stud combine performers like Breece Hall and Adrian Peterson. Given Jonathan Brooks’ injury status and a one-year sample of production, Benson’s strong outing moves him to my rookie RB1 overall in the class. His 1.52 10-yard split ranked in the 90th percentile.
Notable Speed Scores for RBs selected on Day One and Two since 2020, compared to some of the Top 2024 RBs
Jonathan Taylor 121.7 (2020)
AJ Dillon 117.31 (2020)
Breece Hall 116.85 (2022)
Trey Benson 116.3 ??
Ken Walker 114.66 (2022)
Jaylen Wright 114.1 ??
Marshawn Lloyd…— TheOGfantasyfootball (@TheOGfantasy) March 3, 2024
Jaylen Wright (RB -Tennessee)
Jaylen Wright never took over a backfield at the college level, settling for an 11% career dominator rating. But his efficiency was off the charts during his final season at Tennessee. He finished first in the class in yards per carry (7.4), averaging the second-most yards after contact per attempt (4.35) with the fifth-highest breakaway run rate. However, it still resulted in just a 14% dominator rating. Wright may struggle to carve out a massive role at the NFL level.
Nevertheless, he has elite athleticism to be productive even in a smaller role. He blew the doors off the NFL Scouting Combine with a 40-yard dash of 4.38 seconds.
He also jumped 38″ in the vertical (87th percentile) and 134″ in the broad jump (first in the class and inside the 98th percentile). No doubt he will rise across draft boards after strong testing at 5-foot-10 1/2 while weighing 210 pounds.
Isaac Guerendo (RB – Louisville)
An underrated addition/invitee to the NFL Combine, Isaac Guerendo was way off the radar until he blazed a 4.33 40-yard dash and jumped a 41.5″ vertical/ 129″ broad jump. His workout-warrior NFL Combine performance alone will get the 6-foot, 221-pounder easily drafted with his size/speed profile.
Diving deeper into Guerendo’s profile, it’s not surprising he was so under the radar even though he was invited to test at the combine.
He never got the opportunity to break out at Wisconsin, sitting behind fellow draft-eligible running back Braelon Allen. His 9% career dominator rating pales in comparison to almost every other RB in the class. His final and lone season at Louisville, however, paints the picture of an RB who might be able to make some noise. He posted a 19% dominator rating with 11 TDs while catching 22 of his 24 targets for 234 yards (10.6 yards per reception). He split touches with incumbent starter Jawhar Jordan at Louisville. But Guerendo was more efficient on fewer carries forcing nearly the same amount of missed tackles despite 50 fewer carries than Jordan. His yards after contact per attempt ranked inside the top 20 in the nation in 2023 and the seventh-best in the class.
Dynasty Rookie Mock Drafts
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Two Rounds (10-Team, 1QB)
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Two Rounds (12-Team, 1QB)
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Superflex, 5-Round
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: 10-Team, Superflex
- Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Superflex
Dynasty Rookie Draft Advice
- 2024 Dynasty Superflex Rookie Draft Rankings: Fitz’s Top 40 Pick
- Erickson’s Top Dynasty Rookie Wide Receivers
- Erickson’s Top Dynasty Rookie Running Backs
- Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings & Tiers: Wide Receivers
- How to Prepare for Your Dynasty Rookie Draft: Feb |
- 3 Overvalued Dynasty Rookie Draft Picks to Avoid
- 3 Undervalued Dynasty Rookie Draft Picks to Target
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