Tue May 27th 2025

My Most Boring and Most Strange Rookie Drafts

I wanted to end my rookie draft analysis by sharing about what I consider to be my most boring draft and my most strange draft. I've had six of nine rookie drafts so far, and these two were the most boring and strange. The boring one was boring because I only had three picks, though I traded up for two of them, and the strange one was wild because rookies were drafted far earlier or later than they were in my other five drafts. Still, both were a blast, and I'd love to tell you about them and analyze my teams after the drafts.

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My Most Boring Draft

This draft was boring for a couple of reasons. First, I won the championship in this league last year. I dominated this league last year, going 17-2, and my two losses were by a total of 17 points, and I scored 300 more points than the second-highest-scoring team. Naturally, I have the tenth pick in each round of this ten-team league. Secondly, teams trade less in this league than in my other leagues, so the draft order was almost the same every round. That said, there was a lot of trading during the draft, so that was fun. The third reason it was a little boring was that I traded up for two of my three picks, so I sat and watched most of the rookie draft as a result. Even so, I love what I came away with in this draft, and I made my team stronger for the future as I aim to defend my title.

RJ Harvey (1.7)

• It's hard to complain when you win the league and regularly finish at the top of the league, but it isn't easy to draft a top-tier rookie running back in the first round when you constantly draft at the end of the first round. I knew none of the top-tier running backs would fall to me at 1.10, so I moved to trade up, and the manager accepted my offer. I gave 1.10 and 2.10 to trade up to 1.7 to select RJ Harvey. I could not be more thrilled about it. Having several rookie drafts behind me during this draft, I also knew that there was another tier break around the middle of the second round, so I was far more willing to give up the 2.10 pick to get a rookie running back, which my team needed. My running backs are excellent, but growing older, and my wide receivers are deep and young, so I aimed to draft running backs if they fell to me or if I could move up to draft them, which is what I did again in the third round. RJ Harvey is the back I drafted that I am confident will win a starting role and contribute to my team this year and in the many years to come. The others I added for depth, and one has intriguing upside to win a starting role sooner than later.

Devin Neal (3.9)

• As I waited for my pick at 3.10, there were three running backs I ranked highly.  I wanted to find a way to add two of them to my team because I was sure none of them would fall to me at 4.10. I offered the manager with the 3.9 pick my 4.10 and 5.10 and next year's 3rd round pick to move up. He accepted. He already added several 2026 picks to trade back, so I offered him one more, a third, which should be picked 27-30 next year, assuming my team remains dominant.  I was pleased to draft Neal, a player I have ranked higher than most dynasty managers or analysts. His college production, character, and running style make me believe he can become the future starter for New Orleans after Alvin Kamara ages out.  I'm confident he will win the RB-2 role and be an active part of the offense early in his career, even while Kamara is there. In this league, where I almost always draft at the end of each round, I need a late-round running back to break out and become a starter. I put my bets on Neal. 

DJ. Giddens (3.10)

• When it came to the next pick, my original pick at 3.10, I was torn between Jarquez Hunter (ranked 31st in my rankings) and Giddens (ranked 30th). As with Devin Neal, I wanted a player who could surprisingly become a starter. When thinking that way, I wanted Hunter here. At the same time, I wanted a solid backup for Jonathan Taylor, who is on my roster. I decided to go with the more conservative pick of Giddens to give me Taylor's handcuff.  Many dynasty analysts think this is a losing strategy, but I do not. If I believe an RB-2 on a team has enough talent to produce even 75% of the starter output, I'm pleased to have them on my roster and often insert them in my lineup when the starter is injured. I'm confident Giddens will win the RB-2 job behind Taylor, whereas I am less confident that Hunter will move ahead of Blake Corum in the Rams' lineup to backup Kyren Williams. That was another factor leading me to draft Giddens. I'm glad to get my first and only share of Giddens, who, like Neal, was consistently productive every season in college and is an all-around back in the running and passing game. Hunter was selected four picks later.

So that was it. I made only three player selections in my boring draft, but I love what they added to my team, which is poised to make another Super Bowl run next season. Here is how stacked my team is.

• Quarterbacks: Jayden Daniels, Justin Herbert, Sam Darnold
• Runing Backs: Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Joe Mixon, RJ Harvey, Zach Charbonnet, Jaylen Warren, Ray Davis, Miles Sanders, Devin Neal, DJ Giddens, Jacory Croskey-Merrit
• Wide Receivers: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Nico Collins, Tee Higgins, Mike Evans, Chris Olave, Stefon Diggs, Josh Downs, Demario Douglas, Jaeln McMillan, Tank Dell
• Tight Ends: Trey McBride, Dallas Goedert, Chig Okonkwo

My starting lineup includes my 2nd-ranked dynasty quarterback (Daniels), 5th and 13th-ranked running backs (Taylor and Barkley), 3rd, 8th, 12th, and 28th-ranked wide receivers (St. Brown, Collins, Higgins, and Evans), and my 2nd ranked tight end (McBride). I have depth at each position, too. One or two injuries cannot derail this team. It's a contender again. After losing the 2023 Super Bowl by two points, I took home the championship in 2024 and intend to do so again this season. Drafts can be boring, but it's okay when you're the defending champ!

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My Strangest Draft

This draft was strange because so many trades were made during the draft. Seven trades were made during the draft, and three were made immediately after the draft. Managers were moving up and down the boards and collecting future picks along the way. There was even a trade later in the draft of a player drafted in the first round after a manager had buyer's remorse. It was also strange because some players were drafted way higher than in my previous five drafts, and many fell further in this draft than others. This draft was anything but chalk!  Managers' opinions on players were all over the place, making this a very strange draft. Here is how I faired in the chaos.

Omarion Hampton (1.2)

• In this ten-team superflex league, I am solid at quarterback and wide receiver but very weak at running back, so I was pleased to draft Hampton with the second pick of this draft. I'll be disappointed this season, as he likely splits time with Najee Harris, but he's the future for the Chargers, and I will see his role increase throughout the season. I traded Keenan Allen two years ago for a 2025 first-round pick, which resulted in this pick of Hampton. While I had to wait two years for the trade to pay off, it certainly has. I'm thrilled to have Hampton as my running back centerpiece for this team for years to come. There's no way he will be a bust.

Chase Brown and Justin Fields (1.6)

• When it came to my original pick at 1.6, I struck the first trade of many in this draft. Another manager and I had been exchanging trade offers for the 1.6 before the draft, but I told him I'd like to wait until I was on the clock to talk. I desperately wanted to draft my first share of Treyveon Henderson here, but the other manager desperately wanted this pick, so I asked him for Brown and Fields, and he accepted. Brown is three years older than Henderson, but his role is secure, and his offense is one of the top offenses in the NFL. Plus, the Bengals did not bring in significant competition for Brown during free agency or the draft. I would have considered the trade straight up. Adding Fields to the deal puts it over the top. This is a ten-team superflex league, so starting quarterbacks are not as vital as in a twelve-team league. Still, adding Fields, who can easily be a top-ten quarterback because of his running, was a highly valuable piece to add in this trade, and he and Chase will both be in my starting lineup on week one. I love this trade for me.
• As for the strange part of this draft, the manager drafted Henderson at 1.6 but later got major buyer's remorse and made a wild trade, giving away Henderson for Isiah Pacheco and a 2nd and 4th-round pick, which turned into  Kyle Williams and Terrance Ferguson. It's not a terrible three-for-one deal, but it was a wild trade to make after drafting Henderson. I wish I would have got back in on the trade offers!

Colston Loveland (2.6)

• While running back is my greatest need, and I was tempted to draft Cam Skattebo here, I had to draft Loveland because he fell so far in this draft. Loveland is my 9th-ranked rookie, while Skattebo is my 15th. Loveland was drafted 11th, 7th, 9th, 9th, and 12th in my other five rookie drafts, yet he fell to me at 16th in this draft. I already have Trey McBride on this team, but Loveland was still too valuable to pass by. If he's as productive as I expect, he and McBride can both start on my team this season, or I can get something big for one of them in a trade, particularly since I am slowly rebuilding in this league. Over the last few years, I have learned to value draft capital far more than I did before. The odds are far better for first-round draft picks to hit over later-round draft picks, especially fourth-round draft picks like Skattebo. As much as I love him, I love Loveland more and had to pick him here. I'm excited to see him in Ben Johnson's offense.
• As for the strange part of this draft, Loveland fell to me partly because the manager ahead of me with pick 2.5, though he's a Chicago Bears fan, selected Bhayshul Tuten ahead of Loveland. I've witnessed managers reach on Tuten in all my rookie drafts, but never this high. He was drafted 19th, 18th, 19th, 23rd, and 17th in my previous drafts but was drafted 15th in this one. Tre Harris and Luther Burden were drafted ahead of Loveland in this class, too. As I said, it was a strange draft, which allowed me to draft the Bears' first pick with the 16th pick.

Jack Bech (3.3)

• Another strange part of this draft was that Bech fell to the third round. Seeing his fall, I had to trade up to select him, which is the second time I have done so this year. Tre Harris and Kyle Williams, along with Bech, are at the end of the third tier of rookie players in this draft, and the drop is significant, in my opinion, so I was eager to trade up to get the last player in my third tier of this class. I traded my 3.6 and 4.6 to move up three spots to get Bech. I'm confident that he will be an immediate starter in the Raiders' lineup and will produce for them right away. He's another young wide receiver that I was pleased to add to my team to strengthen my strong wide receiver room, even if it meant I had to wait for several rounds before my next pick.
• Another strange pick in this draft was that Tyler Shough was drafted one pick ahead of Jaxson Dart. Shough went 3.1 and Dart 3.2, just before I traded up to get Bech. I've never seen Shough drafted ahead of Dart, even in drafts that took place after Carr's retirement. There's no reason a quarterback drafted in the second round of the NFL draft should get selected ahead of a first-round draft pick, but it happened in this strange draft.

Tahj Brooks (5.6)

• I had the opportunity to draft my favorite sleeper, Jacory Crockey-Merrit, here, but I decided it would be wiser to draft the player with higher draft capital, Brooks, especially since he could become the handcuff to Chase Brown, whom I traded for in the first round of this draft. He has a challenging depth chart to climb, but Zach Moss and Samaje Perine are past their prime, so Brooks will have every chance to pass them. He's a player I was pleased to add this late in the draft, hoping to have Brown's backup for a few years.
• I tried my best to trade back up to draft Jarquez Hunter, who fell further than he has in any of my drafts. I could not believe that he fell so far. He was drafted with the first pick of the 5th round, pick 41. In my other drafts, he was drafted 27th, 30th, 34th, and 24th in my other drafts. Like I said, this draft was strange.

Arian Smith (6.6)

• Honestly, I was not a fan of Smith. He is my 52nd-ranked rookie. Still, with six rounds in this draft, I simply drafted the player with the highest NFL draft capital. He was the only player left who was drafted in the third round. He's likely not to make the cut on my team, but the Jets' wide receiver depth chart is weak, and he will have a chance to prove himself in training camp and preseason games. He'll have to do something on the field to cause me to keep him past this league's cut date before the season starts.

In this ten-team league, I like that only four teams make the playoffs. That said, it hurt a team like mine that could make the playoffs if six teams made it. My team is not yet strong enough to compete with the top four teams in the league, but if Omarion Hampton is a star, Chase Brown improves upon last season, and Justin Fields becomes a top-eight quarterback in scoring, I'll be more competitive than last season for sure. If those three things do not happen, I'll aim to make some late-season trades to competitive teams to add a few more first and second-round picks to make for the last piece in my rebuilding efforts.

• Quarterbacks: Bo Nix, Baker Mayfield, Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence
• Running Backs: Omarian Hampton, Chase Brown, Aaron Jones, Ray Davis, Blake Corum, Audric Estime, Will Shipley, Tahj Brooks
• Wide Receivers: Puka Nacua, Drake London, Marvin Harrison, Xavier Worthy, Jordan Addison, Chris Olave, George Pickens, Jack Bech, Cedric Tillman, Arian Smith
• Tight Ends: Trey McBride, Colston Loveland, Dallas Goedert, Mike Gesick

I'm strong and young at quarterback with four starters in a superflex league. One of my quarterbacks could be a prime trade target for a team that loses a quarterback to injury. My running backs are still the weakness of my roster, though Hampton and Brown can improve my production a lot. My wide receivers and tight ends are deep, strong, and young. If Marvin Harrison breaks out in his second season, Nacua, London, and Harrison could make my wide receivers starters among the best in the league, and McBride and tight end make me among the best teams in the league at tight end. I'm not far from being top-tier competitive if things break right for me this season, or I can make some trades to add rookies in 2026 and find myself among the top competitors next season.

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