Tue May 12th 2026

Rookie-Draft Grades #2

Ja'Kobi Lane (2.10) and Elijah Sarratt (3.10)

• I’ve written enough about Lane in recent weeks, so I will be brief here. Last week, I even wrote about how Sarratt was drafted ahead of Lane in one league and behind him in another. I’ve seen the same trend this week in my drafts. In this one, I drafted them both myself! In a league like this, I can hedge my bets and see which becomes the most productive season this year and keep one while dropping the other, even though in-season rosters are just 20 players. I need one to break out quickly, since the rosters are so narrow, and I hope that one will make it clear for me. To give you an idea of how weird leagues like this are compared to true dynasty leagues, five veterans were drafted before I drafted Lane, and five more were drafted before I drafted Sarratt. I had Chiig Okonkwo queued up to be my first pick in a tight-end premium league like this, but he was selected the pick before I drafted Lane.

Isaiah Pacheco for 4.10

• For my next two picks, I traded for veterans instead of drafting rookies. I received Pacheco in a trade for my 4.10 pick. I have Jahmyr Gibbs on my roster, so I was pleased to add his handcuff instead of selecting a rookie at 4.10. In a league this thin, I am less willing to roster handcuffs, but I have Patrick Mahomes and Zach Charbonnet on my roster and expect them both to start the season on PUP or IR, which will make it more feasible for me to carry Pacheco for a good bit of the season if not all of it. I offered this trade to a team and was so pleased that they accepted it. They drafted Eli Rairdon with their pick. I’d be pleased to add Rairidon this late in the fourth round in normal dynasty leagues, but in a league like this, he’ll take too long to surpass Hunter Henry on the depth chart, and I am pleased to have Henrey on my roster in this league.

Christian Watson for Jayden Reed and 5.10

• This was an offer I was very surprised and thrilled to receive, so I quickly hit the accept button. Watson and Reed’s dynasty values bumped up this offseason after Romeo Doubs (also on this roster of mine) and Dontayvion Wicks landed on new teams. Still, Watson is a much better dynasty prospect since he’s a constant in Green Bay’s two-receiver sets. He’s also a better big-play weapon. Giving up 5.10 to cover the distance between them in my rankings was an easy decision, especially after seeing the other manager drafted Caleb Douglas with the pick. I feel like I protected my running back room with the first trade and improved my wide receiver room with the second one.

Justin Fields (6.10)

• My last pick was in the 6th round of this draft, since I traded away my 7th-round pick a few months ago for Jack Bech. In this one-quarterback league, I added Fields to provide depth behind my starter, Dak Prescott, while I likely wait for Mahomes to return from PUP or IR at the start of the season. Dak’s bye week is not until week ten, so I could have gone into a league like this with just Dak and Mahomes, but I thought it would be safer to add Fields. Before the season starts, teams must reduce their rosters to 20 players. I only have 21 players on my roster. If Mahomes and Charbonnet are placed on PUP or IR, I may not need to drop a play or may even be able to add one.

Chris Bell (2.8)

• This league is moving to superflex next season, so this year’s rookie draft mirrored superflex drafts, which is one of the reasons Bell fell to me with the 20th pick of the draft. This is the furthest I have seen Bell fall in all my drafts. He’s my 13th-ranked rookie in superflex and was drafted 15th, 10th, 17th, and 12th in my other drafts. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see him fall to me so late. I don’t need any production from him this season on this roster. I can wait for him to return healthy and become Miami’s leading receiver in the years to come after they draft a top-tier rookie quarterback next year. For some reason unknown to me, the following players were drafted ahead of Bell in this draft: Nicholas Singleton, Zachariah Branch, Oscar Delp, Emmett Johnson, and Kaelon Black. The reaches for running back continue in this draft, and I continue to be surprised by it.

Bryce Lance (4.8)

• I had to wait two rounds before my next pick, but I was excited to draft Lance, my 26th-ranked rookie, and pick 44. Lance will never surpass Chris Olave or Jordyn Tyson on the depth chart, but he can become a weapon in a Kellen Moore-coached offense that makes some plays and earns a starting role in the three-receiver sets. Plus, Olave and Tyson often battle injuries, giving Lance more opportunities to play in the seasons ahead. This late in the draft, taking a stab at a small-school rookie who dominated the competition at the NFL Combine on an offense I trust seemed well worth the risk.

Tanner Koziol (5.8)

• I debated between Koziol and Michael Trigg for this pick, but I believe Koziol has an easier path to climb the depth chart in Jacksonville. Every fifth-round pick in rookie drafts is a long shot, but Koziol’s elite college production makes him a perfect player to draft in the fifth round. At Ball State and Houston, he scored a combined 24 touchdowns, and 2234 yards receiving, and caught 237 passes. That’s elite tight-end production. Brenton Strange now has competition in the passing game. Koziol need not worry about Nate Boerkricher, the blocking tight end the Jaguars drafted in the second round. He was drafted three rounds later as a pass catcher. He’ll sit behind Tucker Kraft and Tyler Warren on my squad, while I wait a year or two to see if he can climb the Jaguars’ depth chart.

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Leftovers League

Ja'Kobi Lane (2.11)

• I’ve written about Lane too much lately, but at least I show I am a man of my word and conviction. He’s my most drafted player so far. My pick was sandwiched between two quarterbacks, which is about where the second-tier quarterbacks have been falling in superflex leagues. Drew Allar was drafted before my pick, and Carson Beck was the pick after. This is the first time I have seen Allar drafted ahead of Beck. I had Allar ranked ahead of Beck all offseason, but I moved Beck ahead of Allar in my final rookie rankings, given his opportunity to see the field before Allar. It was interesting to see Allar drafted ahead of Beck, while in my other superflex drafts, he was selected 4 and 18 picks after Beck.

Malachi Fields (3.11)

• I was conflicted with this pick because this is a tight-end premium league, and this is just the spot in the draft to select a tight end who can sit on a taxi squad and develop. Eli Raridon and Max Klare were selected just before me, and Oscar Delp was immediately after me. While my guy, Justin Joly, was picked four picks later. I decided, instead, to select a player that the Giants were willing to trade up for in the third round. He has an easier depth chart to climb in New York compared to Bryce Lance, whom I also considered drafting with this pick. He’s a very different type of receiver than the variety of receivers the Giants added in free agency this year, which causes me to believe they have a specific role for him in mind when they traded up to get him. I’m glad to have my first share of Fields and am eager to see if he can earn a role in the new Giants’ offense.

Cade Klubnik (4.11)

• In this superflex league, my starters are Bo Nix and Brock Purdy, and I have their handcuffs, Jared Stidham and Mac Jones, on my roster too. My third quarterback back is Geno Smith, so at this point of the draft, I decided to add his handcuff, Klubnik, who, if the Jets struggle this season, will surely get playing time. I know it is very likely that he will get replaced by a quarterback the Jets draft in the first round next season, but at this point in the draft, I liked the security I have at quarterback this season with all my backups, and I can wait to see if he can emerge as this year’s Tyler Shough. What if he performs well and the Jets keep him as their starter and add weapons around him with all their draft picks next season? It’s a long shot, but one worth taking with the second-to-last pick in the four-round rookie draft. I was confident that the other player I wanted to draft here would not be selected by the champion with the last pick of the draft, but I thought he could have drafted Klubnik with his last pick. I’ll make an aggressive waiver wire bid on the other player I considered here and will write about him next week, as I plan to share which players I’ve targeted off the waiver wire after rookie drafts.

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