Tue Feb 18th 2025

Rookies I Like More Than Other Analysts

Last week, I completed step one of my rookie scouting process and posted my early superflex rankings. This week, I began step two in my process by comparing my rankings to those of dynasty analysts, reading NFL scouting reports on the players, and diving deep into all the mock drafts. I'll continue this process and tweak my rankings until the NFL Combine when I finalize my pre-Combine rankings.

After studying more this week, I made changes to many of my early rankings, and at the end of the week, I decided to compare my rankings to the pros at Dynasty League Football (DLF). I like to compare my rankings with theirs every year because they are a composite of five analysts, so I'm comparing my rankings with five pros at once. I like to notice who I have ranked five or more spots higher or lower than them and then study those players further.

This week, I will write about seven rookies I have ranked five or more spots higher than DLF, and next week, I will write about five players I have ranked lower than DLF. 

Footnote: These were based on their rankings on February 14th, the day I first compared my rankings with theirs.

Cam Skattebo

• Skattebo is my 13th-ranked rookie, while he is DLF's 31st.
• Skattebo is my 6th-ranked running back while he's DLF's 8th.
• Before I explain my higher ranking, I'll reiterate what I wrote last week in his class, especially the running back class. Draft capital will determine how they will rank before rookie drafts. There are so many talented backs, but those with the draft capital will get bumped up rookie rankings after the NFL draft. That said, a team will fall in love with Skattebo. While he was not highly recruited and started his collegiate career at Sacramento State, he averaged nine yards per carry as a freshman and seven yards per carry as a sophomore when he ran for 1372 yards. That made him a target in the transfer portal for Arizona State, where he played his last two seasons. His senior season stats are ridiculous, with 1711 yards on the ground and 21 touchdowns and 338 yards in the passing game with 45 catches and three touchdowns. What's more impressive than the stats is his tape. He's a monster on the field. It always takes three or four guys to get him to the ground. He has tremendous balance and power. He does everything well but will likely get discounted because he was not a top recruit, and he's white. I don't care about those things with him. He is a leader, he is a fighter, and he's proved people wrong time and time again. He'll bring that same leadership and fight to an NFL team, too. I expect I will be higher on Skattebo than consensus, no matter what happens at the Combine or NFL draft. The pros at DLF have Dylan Sampson, Devin Neal, and Ollie Gordan ranked ahead of Skattebo but really close at 26th, 28th, and 30th, so they may change their mind along the way, too. I have Skattebo ranked quite far ahead of Neal, Gordon, and Sampson, who I rank 19th, 20th, and 26th. He tore up my Longhorns in the college playoffs. I did not like him that day, but I love him now.

Ollie Gordon

• Gordon is my 20th-ranked rookie, while he is DLF's 30th.
• Gordon is my 8th-ranked rookie running back, and he is also DLF's 8th.
• So, we both have Gordon ranked as our 8th-ranked running back in this class, but we have them ranked 10 spots apart in their overall rankings. The difference is that DLF has many wide receivers and tight ends ranked ahead of Gordon, and I do not. I trust this class's second and third-tier running backs far more than the second and third-tier wide receivers and tight ends. Gordon had a disappointing senior season, and he's getting dinged for it too much. He tried to put on weight last season, which was a factor in his decreased productivity. The other factor is that Oklahoma State was terrible last year. They were the oldest team in the NCAA last year and were predicted to have a great season, but they ended the season 3-9 and lost all nine of their conference games. Keep that in mind when evaluating Gordon's play in 2024. Instead, consider his play in 2023 when he led the NCAA in rushing yards and total yards. After that season, he was presumed to be one of the top running backs in the country and in devy leagues. That year, he had 1732 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns (almost identical to Skattebo's season last year). Plus, he had 29 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown. From a production profile, I love Gordon. His film is less likable. He runs very upright and does not have the best vision. What he does have is speed and power, and an NFL team will like that. I recommend remembering his 2023 season when ranking Gordon.

Jaxson Dart

• Dart is my 15th-ranked rookie, while he is DLF's 22nd.
• Dart is my 3rd ranked quarterback, while he is DLF's 5th.
• Dart was one of my favorite players to watch on film. He reminded me of Justin Herbert. He stands tall in the pocket and delivers darts (pun intended) all over the fields. He throws a great deep ball, and he's an excellent runner. He's a prototypical NFL quarterback with his height and weight at 6'2" and 215 pounds. He was a four-star recruit who spent one year at Southern California before transferring to Ole Miss, where he became an instant star. His senior season was his best, with 4279 yards passing (third in the nation) and 29 touchdowns. The knock on Dart is that he played in Ole Miss's offensive system, known for creating easy targets by getting guys wide open. Many analysts are concerned about that and think the offense inflates his production. It might be, but I care more about what I see him do with his arm and legs. He has a big arm, and he's accurate. He's sneaky good as a runner, too. He ran for 1500 yards and 12 touchdowns during his three years at Ole Miss. I'd be surprised if he is not the third quarterback drafted, and I believe he will get drafted in the first round. If I am right, he will move much further up my rankings. DLF has Jalen Milroe and Quinn Ewers ranked ahead of Dart at 17 and 20, respectively. They are not even close to Dart, in my opinion. I have Milroe and Ewers ranked 34th and 36th because they are career backup quarterbacks, according to my evaluation, but more on them in next week's article. Dart is one of "my guys" this year. 

Matthew Golden

• Golden is my 16th-ranked rookie, while he is DLF's 25th.
• Golden is my 6th-ranked wide receiver while he is DLF's 12th.
• Since starting step two in my rookie rankings process, Golden has moved up my rankings more than almost any player. The most significant factor in his rise up my rankings is that many NFL scouts and analysts have listed him in the first round of their mock drafts. These analysts are some of the most plugged-in scouts in the country. Daniel Jeremiah mocked Golden to the Steelers at pick 21, and the consensus rankings on the NFL Mock Draft Database have Golden as the 29th best prospect and projected to the Chargers in the first round. As I started earlier, draft capital will mean a lot to this class, and any receiver drafted in the first round will move significantly up in rookie rankings. As a Texas fan, I watched Golden all year and saw him as a good player but not great. He was a four-star recruit who chose to stay in his hometown to play for Houston, though many more competitive programs wanted him. He transferred to Texas as a junior and had his most productive year with 987 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. I figured he'd stick around for his senior season and build upon it, so I was surprised when he announced that he was going pro. What I should have thought then was that his decision is a prime indicator that he knows he will get drafted highly, which is yet another reason to rank him where I have, higher than the pros at DLF.

Devin Neal

• Neal is my 19th-ranked rookie, while he is DLF's 28th.
• He's my 7th-ranked running back, and he's also DLF's 7th.
• As with Ollie Gordon, DLF's higher ranking of wide receivers and tight ends is why we have a ranking difference. I much prefer to take shots at running backs in this class than at receiver. So, while we both have him as our 7th-ranked running back, I'd be willing to draft him nine spots ahead of where the DLF pros would. What I love most about Neal is his consistency. He was the number one recruit in Kansas in his class, and he stayed in his home state to play for the Jayhawks. He was trusted with 158 carries as a freshman, and his total yards from scrimmage improved every year of his career with 764, 1273, 1497, and 1520 yards each year. His touchdowns improved from 9 to 10 to 17, and 17 again his senior year. He had two seasons averaging more than six yards per carry, which is a marker I look for in running backs, and last year, he almost did with 5.8 yards per carry. His best traits are his vision and quickness. He sees creases and is quick to burst through them. I don't know how many times I saw him get to the open field and then make a defensive back whiff on a tackle. He's also a smooth receiver. Though Kansas did not use him in the passing game as much as I liked, he was smooth and effective whenever they did. It's high praise, but his running style reminds me of Alvin Kamara. He will be a steal in this draft, especially if he lands with a team with a weak running-back depth chart. I like him a lot more than the guys at DLF.

Ja'Corey Brooks

• Brooks is my 30th-ranked rookie, while he is DLF's 39th.
• Brooks is my 12th-ranked wide receiver, while he's DLF's 16th.
• As I learned more about Brooks over the last week of study, he's risen up my rankings. He was a five-star recruit and the second-ranked wide receiver in the country in his recruiting class. He signed with Alabama to compete with the best and had a productive sophomore season with 674 yards receiving and eight touchdowns when Bryce Young was his quarterback. When Jalen Milroe took over the next year, the passing game suffered, and Brooks hardly played. He was wise to transfer to Louisville for his senior season, where he became the team's WR-1 and had an excellent final season. His Louisville tape is fun to watch. He has excellent hands and made several circus catches and catches in traffic. He catches the ball with his hands, meaning he does not let the ball get into his body, and I love seeing that in a wide receiver. He's taller than most receivers in this class at 6'3". He's thin, at 195 pounds, but his frame does not hinder him from the film I watched. Travis May, from Campus to Canton, has Brooks as one of his sleepers in this class. His comments about Brooks on a recent podcast caused me to study Brooks again, and I liked what I saw more the second time I saw him. Five-star recruits get a bump in my rankings. Seeing that the quarterback change in Alabama was part of the reason his junior season was so bad also made me think twice about Brooks and see his senior year at Louisville in a different light. He's rightfully moved up my rankings since I first posted them on Super Bowl Sunday.

Jack Bech

• Bech is my 31st-ranked rookie, while he is DLF's 38th.
• Bech is my 13th-ranked wide receiver, while he is DLF's 15th.
• I'll admit it. I've fallen for the feel-good story of the Senior Bowl. That's part of why Bech has moved up my rankings. Though you surely know if you're a Dynasty Freek, I'll tell the story. Bech's brother, Tiger, who was also a receiver at Princeton University, was murdered in the recent terrorist attack in New Orleans. The Senior Bowl was played in his honor, and Jack Bech wore his brother's number. He caught the game-winning catch and was named the MVP of the game. The plays he made earlier in the game were more impressive than the touchdown. I was more impressed with how his teammates reacted to him and how he responded to the media afterward. He struck me as a man of great character and leadership. I have no doubt he will work his butt off to be successful in the NFL. The fact that Louisiana State recruited him means he was a solid prospect, even though he was only a three-star. It took him a year to make an impact after transferring to Texas Christian, but he made a mark in his senior year with 1034 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. He punctuated his senior season at the Senior Bowl. He has to work hard to become a fantasy-relevant player in the NFL, but he's not the kind of player to doubt. I'd love to take a chance on a player with his work ethic in the third round of rookie drafts instead of waiting until the fourth round, where DLF ranks him.

Leave your comment using the form below

Name
Comment
Enter the code