It’s that time again. Dynasty rookie draft fever SZN is here. The 2025 NFL Draft will be here before we know it, and rookie drafts will start flying daily. Before you dive head-first into our fantasy football mock draft simulator and run 3,000 rookie drafts in preparation, please read up on this talented prospect class as I roll through my quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end dynasty rookie draft positional primers. Below you can find snippets of my primers along with my dynasty rookie draft rankings and tiers.
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Dynasty Rookie Draft Primer
Let’s dive into my dynasty rookie draft content to help you prepare for your drafts!
Dynasty Rookie Draft Quarterbacks
Stats:
- 2024 (minimum 150 dropbacks)
- PFF passing grade: 2nd
- Adjusted completion rate: 16th
- Yards per attempt: 4th
- Big-time throw rate: 12th
- Deep passing (minimum 20 deep passing attempts)
- Adjusted completion rate: 15th
- Deep throw rate: 48th
- Pressured passing (minimum 50 pressured dropbacks)
- Pressured adjusted completion rate: 22nd
- Clean pocket adjusted completion rate: 32nd
- Clean pocket passer rating: 2nd
Scouting Report:
- When Cam Ward is locked in, he looks like a Pro Bowl-level/difference-making quarterback. He has a rocket arm with easy velocity. He can reach back and chuck it through a brick wall. Ward likely enters the NFL immediately knocking on the door of the top 12 ranks for strongest arm in the league.
- When Ward is on, he is lacing well-timed ropes to every level of a defense. He has some of the prettiest layered second-level and deep throws you’ll see. His high-end flashes are exquisite, with on-the-money ball placement and the velocity to fit it in any tight window. Ward has a quick release and can access multiple arm angles.
- The problem is his accuracy can be erratic. There are plenty of times when he needs to take something off the fastball in the short and intermediate areas of the field. Ward’s ball placement can be erratic. There are plenty of throws where he tosses it at a receiver’s back shoulder when he should have led them further down the field or a crosser or out route will be out of the reach of his receiver. Ward will also sail throws at times as he tries to fastball it to a receiver. He has to improve his down-to-down consistency and accuracy to reach his ceiling.
- Ward is also inconsistent with moving through his progressions. There are plenty of reps where he moves seamlessly to his third option or check down. He also has several plays where he feels a tick behind and misses an open receiver running across the field. Some of this is tied to his aggressive nature. Ward will take what a defense gives him with underneath routes, but he is also always a big-play hunter. This aggression is nice when he is dialed in, but it can also get him into trouble and impact his field vision. Ward plays with a swagger and has obvious confidence he can fit throws into any small window.
- He is a creative player who can craft some off-script wizardry. Ward will stand tall, cool and collected in the face of pressure. When he is locked in, he never looks rattled against pressure. When he is off and missing throws, things can pile up for him. This all goes back to the need for his play-to-play consistency floor, which needs to be raised.
- Ward has short-area agility that allows him to move well in the pocket. He will primarily be a pocket passer in the NFL, but he can take off and gain some yards with his legs if needed. Ward shouldn’t be considered a rushing quarterback or hyper mobile.
Player Comp: Jordan Love
Check out my complete Dynasty Rookie Draft Quarterback Primer
Dynasty Rookie Draft Quarterback Rankings
Dynasty Rookie Draft Running Backs
Omarion Hampton (RB – North Carolina)
Stats:
- 2024 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
- Yards after contact per attempt: 12th
- Breakaway rate: 30th
- PFF elusive rating: 16th
- PFF receiving grade: 49th
- Yards per route run: 32nd
- 2023 (minimum 100 carries & 20 targets)
- Yards after contact per attempt: 11th
- Breakaway rate: 82nd
- PFF elusive rating: 26th
- PFF receiving grade: 28th
- Yards per route run: 85th
Scouting Report:
- Omarion Hampton is a north/south, upright and linear runner. Hampton has quick acceleration as he gets to top gear quickly. He doesn’t have a high-level second gear or elite long speed. He’ll get caught from behind on long runs, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a chunk play artist in the NFL. He has only one year in college where his breakaway percentage eclipsed 40%.
- Hampton isn’t the most fluid runner when changing direction in the open field. He’ll utilize jump cuts at the line to get to a free lane, but in the open field, he is a straight-line runner. His footsteps get choppy and he loses speed in the second level when attempting to change course. His hips look stiff at times.
- Hampton is a volume-gobbling machine. In his final collegiate season, he had 20+ carries in 67% of his games. His physical running style can wear down a defense throughout a game. Hampton will lower the boom plenty throughout a game, serving as a tone-setter. This physical running style doesn’t do much in the realm of gaining him extra yards as he doesn’t fall forward many times when lowering his shoulder and instead gets stood up. However, the physicality still isn’t something defenders want to deal with 20-25 times during a game. He can soften up a defense with these repeated body blows.
- Hampton’s upright running style can get him into trouble at times. His lower half is strong enough to run through weak wraps and defenders diving at his ankles, but if a defender can wrap him up decently, he can get chopped down.
- Hampton is a check-down option only in the passing game. He is reliable in this realm, with only two drops and a 90% catch rate in college, but I don’t see him growing into a pass-game weapon in the NFL. His stiff hips, short-area agility and raw speed limitations will limit his route-running upside.
- He isn’t a skilled pass protector at this juncture. Hampton has a decent punch but doesn’t engage or anchor in pass protection well right now. He can chip and slow defenders down, but his pass-protection technique is lacking. He drops his eyes and lunges at defenders too often.
Player Comp: Zach Charbonnet
Check out my complete Dynasty Rookie Draft Running Backs Primer
Dynasty Rookie Draft Running Backs Rankings
Dynasty Rookie Draft Wide Receivers
Stats:
- 2024 (FBS WRs, minimum 50 targets)
- Yards per route run: 29th
- PFF receiving grade: 26th
- 2023 (FBS WRs, minimum 50 targets)
- Yards per route run: 36th
- PFF receiving grade: 84th
- YAC: 32nd
Scouting Report:
- Jaylin Noel is an impressive route runner. He adds subtle jab steps, pacing shakeups, and head fakes to his routes. Noel was primarily a slot receiver in college (72.7% slot), but he also has the skills to win from the perimeter. Noel can also win downfield and has solid ball tracking.
- Noel attacks defenders with a varied release package. He has smooth, easy acceleration with the raw speed to nail big plays downfield. He can pull away from corners in routes and the open field.
- Noel plays through contact well. He has the upper body strength and the route skills to beat physical corners and press coverage. Noel flashed an increasingly dependable set of hands in college, with a 4.8% drop rate in his final season and a 52% contested catch rate.
- His play strength shows up at the catch point as he has more than a few snags with multiple defenders competing with him for the ball. He attacks the ball outside of his frame with aggressive hands.
Player Comp: Khalil Shakir
Check out my complete Dynasty Rookie Draft Wide Receivers Primer
Dynasty Rookie Draft Wide Receivers Rankings
Dynasty Rookie Draft Tight Ends
Stats:
- 2024 (FBS TEs, minimum 20 targets)
- Yards per route run: 23rd
- PFF receiving grade: 21st
- YAC per reception: 2nd
- Career
- 2024: 56.1% of his snaps from the slot or the perimeter
- ACL tear in 2022
Scouting Report:
- Elijah Arroyo is an athletic move tight end who can be a mismatch for any pass defense. Arroyo was utilized in motion, up the seam and on screens a ton in 2024. This was done to maximize his after-the-catch abilities, give him free releases off the line and hide some of the route-running growth he still needs to achieve.
- Arroyo is an upright runner and long strider who can chew up space quickly in the open field. He has 4.5/4.6 40-yard speed. He has surprisingly good deceleration and nice footwork for his size. He doesn’t use his plus feet enough in his route running or off the line to this point. Linebackers that are physical and can run with him don’t have a hard time staying with him. Arroyo’s routes lack that added nuance that can allow him to separate early and late, and his release package is limited. Arroyo can succeed against zone coverage with a decent feel for finding the holes in the coverage, but he’ll need to grow his game if he hopes to become a true mismatch weapon that can match with man coverage and good coverage linebackers.
- Arroyo uses his speed well after the catch, but he needs his play strength to show up more consistently. He forced only five missed tackles in college. He has the athleticism and upper body strength (as exhibited in his blocking) to improve in this area. I’d love to see Arroyo stiff-arm defenders in the NFL.
- Arroyo is a functional blocker. He has a decent anchor, can set the edge in run blocking and can operate as a puller. He displaces defenders but isn’t an overwhelming people mover.
Player Comp: Evan Engram
Check out my complete Dynasty Rookie Draft Tight Ends Primer
Dynasty Rookie Draft Tight Ends Rankings
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