Tue Jun 3rd 2025

Ten Rookies I Wish I Drafted

I'm traveling this weekend for my niece's wedding, so I had a little less time than usual to write an article and record a podcast, but I had time for a few short thoughts about the rookies I wish I had a chance to draft, but I did not. We all know that unless you can trade up during rookie drafts to get a player you want, you're stuck picking in your original draft position, which means you miss out on players you would have liked to add to at least one of your rosters.

I've completed six rookie drafts and have three more to go, but they will take place later in the summer. After my first six rookie drafts, these are the players I was unable to draft but sure wish I could have.

Tetarioa McMillian and Travis Hunter

• I lump McMillan and Hunter together because they both went in the top four of all six of my drafts. They went back to back and third and fourth in all six drafts. Twice, Hunter was picked first, and four times, T-Mac was picked first.  I had the first pick in one draft and picked Ashton Jeanty, and I had the second pick in one draft and picked Omarion Hampton. Other than that, the highest pick I had was the 1.6, so I never drafted either of the top two receivers in this class. I'm confident that neither will bust. They will both start immediately and make impacts on their NFL and dynasty teams. Hunter has bigger question marks, given his ability to play defense and the fact that Brian Thomas Jr. is the established WR-1 in Jacksonville, even after just one year of play. Still, I think he has a higher upside. He could be a monster in Liam Coen's offense like Chris Godwin was last year before getting injured, even while Mike Evans was competing for targets and touchdowns. T-Mac has a lower ceiling, but he'll be a steady top target in Carolina and very effective in the red zone with his size. I build my dynasty teams around wide receivers, so most of my teams, even those rebuilding with top first-round picks, needed running backs since my wide receiver depth is strong. When I had an early pick, I drafted a running back and never traded up to get these two studs.

TreyVeon Henderson

• With several 1.6 draft picks, I hoped Henderson would fall to me, especially in my PPR leagues, but he only did in one. Henderson was drafted between 3rd and 5th in all but two of my leagues. In one league, Quinshon Judkins was drafted ahead of him at 1.5, so he fell to 1.6, but I had the 1.10 in that draft. In the other case, he fell to me at 1.6 because, in a superflex league, Cam Ward went with the 1.4 pick. I wrote about it last week, but in that league, I wanted to get my first share of Henderson but chose to trade the pick for Chase Brown and Justin Fields. As much as I love Henderson, I'm pleased with the trade I made. Henderson is a big play waiting to happen and will be a central part of the Patriots offense, which will improve significantly with the new coaching staff and is set up with new young stars for Drake Maye to grow with. Coach Vrable has indicated, however, that Rhamondre Stevenson will still be a big part of the offense.  Even so, I do not think that will last long. Henderson is the future for New England and a great dynasty running back to draft early this year. I just missed out and traded the one chance I had to get him.

Kaleb Johnson

• In a few of my superflex and tight-end premium leagues, I hoped that Johnson would fall to me at the end of the first round, but he never did. I was especially interested in him because Jaylen Warren is one of my most rostered players. I would have loved to have the Steelers' backfield locked up. Now I am rooting hardcore against Johnson. Ha! I have to. He'll share the role this season, even more than Henderson or some of the other top running backs in this class.  His future will open up after this season, but he'll be worth the wait.  If Warren does well this season, he could earn a new contract and make things tougher for Johnson, but I expect Johnson to do well enough to be the lead back in a committee, even if Warren re-signs after this season. 

Luther Burden

• I dropped Burden lower than most dynasty managers and analysts after Chicago drafted him, given their crowded depth chart. That caused enough concern for me to lose enough confidence in him, and I was unwilling to draft him in the first round. I had very few early second-round picks, which is where he went in all my rookie drafts. I had the 1.12, 2.1, and 2.3 in one league and considered drafting him there.  I took Tyler Warren and Matthew Golden at 1.12 and 2.1, but then Burden was drafted at 2.2, and I drafted Cam Skattebo at  2.3.  I passed on him with my one opportunity, but I still wish I had a share. While he has D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze to pass on the depth chart, he was the first receiver the new coaching staff selected. The only problem is that they also drafted another pass catcher, Colston Loveland, in the first round before drafting Burden. As I said, the murky situation caused me to drop him, but I still wish I had a share because he's such an intriguing prospect and was once thought to be the top devy receiver before having a disappointing final year in college. If he climbs the depth chart in Chicago and becomes a focal point of Ben Johnson's offense, I'll regret not drafting him the one time I had a chance. I'll follow him and Golden for years to see if I made the right choice.

Jayden Higgins

• Like Burden, Higgins was drafted early in the second round, where I only had a draft pick in one league, the one I mentioned above. Thus, I never had a chance to select him because my earliest second-round picks were 2.6. I planned on drafting him in the most strange draft I mentioned last week. In that draft, Bhashul Tuten was drafted at 2.5, causing Colston Loveland to fall to me at 2.6. Higgins will be one of my top trade targets before the season starts. I really want a share of Higgins. He's an immediate starter in Houston opposite Nico Collins, and the Texans have been desperate for a reliable WR-2. They have found one in the same mold and type of Collins. The two will make an excellent one-two punch, and Higgins will get plenty of looks while the defenses focus on stopping Collins. I see no way that he will be a bust in Houston. 

Tre Harris

• I had Jayden Higgins, Tre Harris, Jack Bech, and Kyle Williams at the end of my third tier of rookies as players ranked 17-20. I drafted Williams once at 18 after the other guys were all drafted in the three picks before him. I traded up to get Bech twice, once after Harris was drafted and once instead of Harris, because I was more confident in his immediate production on the Raiders. In every draft but that one, Harris was drafted ahead of Bech, sometimes by as many as ten picks.  He was drafted closer to Higgins than to Bech in my rookie drafts, so Bech was the player I targeted in trades. Still, I wish I had a share of Harris and hope to get him in one of my three upcoming drafts. His future is bright with the Chargers, though Ladd McConkey has the WR-1 role locked down, and he has considerable competition with Quentin Johnston and Mike Williams, who are of similar sizes and skill sets on the team. Plus, the team added a stud rookie running back in Hampton, and they are willing to be a run-first team if they can. Still, his college production and second-round draft capital make me want at least one share of Harris. He has a higher floor than Jack Bech, but I think his ceiling is lower, so when push came to shove, and I was on the clock, I traded for Bech over Harris the one chance I had to get him. I'll watch the two of them for the rest of their careers and hope I am right.

Mason Taylor

• I went into several of my tight-end-needy drafts, intending to draft Taylor at the end of the second or early in the third round. He was my 21st-ranked rookie, and I thought I had him ranked higher than most managers. Instead, I drafted Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland in three of my six rookie drafts, eliminating the need to pick Mason. In other leagues, I did not need a tight end or he was drafted a few posts ahead of me. He was drafted and picked ahead of me at the end of the second round in one league where I needed a tight end. I was able to draft Terrance Ferguson in the next round. Taylor will be an immediate starter for the Jets, and the Jets do not have a clear #2 pass catcher behind Garrett Wilson. I expect the Jets to be a run-first team, especially with Justin Fields's legs, so Taylor's targets will be limited even if he becomes the second-most targeted player. Still, his future is bright as he has years to develop, and he's the most complete traditional tight end in this class. I wish I had at least one share, especially in leagues with taxi squads.

Pat Bryant

• Bryant was one of the middle-of-the-pack guys I hoped to at least get one share of in this class, but I never drafted him. My trading up in three drafts to get my third-tier guys caused me to trade away many third-round draft picks, where Bryant was drafted most often. That's the primary reason I did not draft him. Jalin Noel fell to me in two other leagues, so I selected him instead of Bryant and would do that again any time. Still, Bryant is intriguing, and I would like to see if he can climb the depth chart in Denver.  He had a stellar senior season in college despite having a modest start to his college career. In press conferences, coach Payon spoke glowingly about him, though he is prone to pump up his draft picks. He has more of a Courtland Sutton-like build than the smaller receivers they have drafted in the last two seasons. Maybe coach Payton realizes he needs a bigger receiver. He had that in Devaugh Vele, who passed by the smaller receivers last year as a 7th-round draft pick. I don't see why he would not trust his new third-round draft pick more.

Jalen Milroe

• Milroe was one of the players I wanted to draft the most. Other managers must have wanted him, too, because he always got selected before I was willing to draft him, sometimes way before I would. He was my 26th-ranked rookie in superflex leagues. All but one of my early drafts were in one quarterback league, so he was drafted much later than the 26th in those leagues. I still hoped to play a waiting game and grab him late, but someone always drafted him before me.  The only time I was ready to pull the trigger on him was the second to last pick of the fourth round when Jaxson Dart was still available, so I had to select Dart ahead of Milroe. Then Milroe was selected with the very next pick. The case for Milroe is simple. If he can improve his passing, he could become one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the league. I want a piece of that, especially since Sam Darnold is among my most rostered players. It was not meant to be for me, and I was once again lower on athletic quarterbacks with questionable accuracy issues. I'm always lower on that type of quarterback and have been proven right thus far. Still, it would be nice to have a share, just in case I am wrong.

Woody Marks

• In two leagues with Joe Mixon on my rosters, I was especially eager to draft Marks, but I was unable to draft him in those leagues or any other leagues for that matter. I saw him drafted by another Joe Mixon manager who had the same idea, and he was drafted ahead of me in other leagues.  I would have had more shares of Marks, but three times, I traded up into the second or third rounds, giving up third, fourth, and fifth-round picks to do so. That's the primary reason I never had a chance to draft him. Marks grew on me in scouting after seeing how effective he was in the passing game, leading the NCAA in catches by a running back last year. I'm confident that he will be involved in the passing game ahead of Mixon next year and will have opportunities to prove that he can do more than that and succeed Mixon if he does. He's an older prospect at 24 years old, but that also means he has a lot of experience. He played four years at Mississippi State before a final fifth season at Southern California. I think his role will be limited, but he was a player I'd like to take a chance on to see, but I never got to draft him.

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