Dynasty Rookie Draft – Living in the Future

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Bonjour, Mesdames et Messieurs! I love this portion of Dynasty Fantasy Football. Player Evaluation Season. This is where I shine with living in the future; mainly when one of my leagues conducts its Dynasty Rookie Draft before the actual NFL draft.

In past drafts, I’ve done a great job of selecting players in later rounds (3rd round & after) that would be 1st round or 2nd round picks in rookie drafts after the NFL draft. I’m writing this article to identify some late-round players based on the current Average Draft Position (ADP) that should have their value increase after the NFL Draft.

Stetson Bennett, Georgia, QB (Current ADP – Undrafted – According to DynastyNerds)

Stetson is on the list for the Superflex or 2-QB leagues. I hope my love for Stetson Bennett isn’t affecting my judgment. I want to convince you it is more about me identifying the human factor than my love. I’ll list several reasons I believe Bennett’s fantasy football value will increase after the NFL Draft.

  • Brock Purdy
  • Stetson Bennett’s dominant Combine
  • Will Levis’s up and down Combine (mostly down)
  • Entered NFL Lying Season (more on this later)
Stetson Could be Purdy Good

Brock Purdy’s rookie season success has opened the door for the under-sized Day 3 prospects. His play has increased the value of future QB prospects. Under-sized QB prospects valued as a 2nd or 3rd-day prospect are being compared to Brock Purdy now; Jake Haener and Stetson Bennett are the primary beneficiaries of Brock’s success.

I can’t entirely agree with comparing Stetson to Brock, however. My stylistic comparison for Stetson is Dak Prescott, another 3rd-day prospect. Nevertheless, the Brock Purdy comparison is changing how GMs view Stetson. I’m expecting Stetson’s college success and Brock’s NFL success will make GMs think they can draft their starting QB later in the draft.

The central aspect of Brock’s game that was overlooked was his ability to extend plays with his elite short-area agility and acceleration. Brock’s 10-yard split is evidence of his excellent mobility skills. He ran a 1.61 10-yard split – the 91st percentile among NFL QBs.

Stetson’s Bennett beat Brock’s 10-yard split time and dominated the NFL Scouting Combine. His performance was arguably the best among the QB participants.

Stetson’s Combine Numbers (RAS Score) 
  • 40-yard dash – 4.67 (85th Percentile)
  • 10-yard split – 1.59 (94th Percentile)
  • Vertical – 33.5″ (83rd Percentile)
  • Broad Jump – 9’10” (88th Percentile)
  • Short Shuttle – 4.20 (86th Percentile)
  • QB Velocity Throw – 59 MPH (Same as Will Levis & CJ Stroud)

Levis Down, Stetson Up

Will Levis’s subpar performance makes Stetson’s performance look twice as good. Both QBs were in the same group at the Combine. The Combine was the first time a majority of coaches and GMs’ saw Will Levis in person. He failed in the 1st impression game.

Levis’ Combine throws were inconsistent, to say the least; which causes coaches and GMs second guess why they considered him a 1st round prospect, especially when you consider someone like Stetson, in the same QB group, is killing it with his throws. Will Levis didn’t participate in the majority of athletic testing. In the interviews with the media, he expressed supreme confidence in his abilities, but he didn’t match his Combine performance. Humans equate your confidence as disingenuous (fake) or arrogant when that happens.

Mr. Levis’ overall performance will force GMs and coaches to reconsider their approach at the QB position in the draft. That could lower Levis’ value and increase the value of Stetson – to somewhere in the 2nd or 3rd round of the NFL Draft.

NFL Lying Season

We must constantly remind ourselves to be careful what we believe during the NFL off-season. Most members of the NFL refer to this portion of the year as NFL Lying Season. The way I view the offseason is if there are primarily crickets on a particular player, the NFL community likes/loves the prospect. For example, we’ve heard a lot of praise of Anthony Richardson and Will Levis, but limited media coverage on CJ Stroud; but the Carolina Panthers – likely – gave up a lot to move up to draft CJ Stroud. Silence = Love.

For Day 2 prospects, you hear a lot of praise for Hendon Hooker. This could mean GMs want to increase Hooker’s value so they can draft their guy. Who’s the guy? Stetson Bennett, I’m hoping.

DeWayne McBride, UAB, RB (Current ADP – 32.75 – According to DynastyNerds)

My value of DeWayne McBride will fluctuate. I’m not a huge fan of Mr. McBride’s skillset. The only reason I’m drafting McBride in the 3rd round of a rookie draft is the NFL community’s love for a 2-Down thumper RB. For some reason, the NFL loves to feature an RB with limited receiving skills and a lack of straight-line speed but has a tremendous ability to break tackles. Part of “Living in the Future” is understanding that most people are “Living a re-run,” but I digress. DeWayne McBride fits the description to a T. I gave him the comparison of Jamal Anderson, RB for the Falcons back in the 90s.

NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks, ESPN’s Mel Kiper, and Pro Football Focus (PFF) have Mr. McBride ranked in the Top 5 among the rookie RBs. All three are well-respected and well-sourced in NFL circles.

Mind you, Mr. McBride is no slouch. He has some skills. That’s why the NFL community loves him. McBride finished his career with a 36% forced missed tackle rate, trailing only Bijan Robinson and Javonte Williams among FBS running backs since PFF began charting college football in 2014. Furthermore, according to PFF grading, Dewayne finished 7th in pass-blocking among 2023 RB prospects. We all know how much coaches value pass-blocking skills among RBs.

I’m drafting DeWayne in the 3rd round before the NFL draft and trading him after the NFL draft. If my Dynasty league is drafting after the NFL draft, most likely, I’m passing on him for another prospect.

“So, certainly, this kid deserves to be in, I think, the second-round discussion with DeWayne McBride from UAB and others,” Kiper said.

Kenny McIntosh, Georgia, RB (Current ADP – 34.63 – According to DynastyNerds)

Now, I like Kenny McIntosh. If I’m fortunate enough to draft Mr. McIntosh, I will keep him on my roster. Kenny has the skillset to be a 2-Down thumper as DeWayne McBride, but there’s one glaring difference between the two prospects; receiving ability. Below are his statistics:

McIntosh numbers (ranks among NCAA RBs) According to PFF
  • Receiving Grade – 89.6 (2nd)
  • Yards Per Reception – 12.1 (16th)
  • Receiving Yards – 509 (2nd)
  • Yards After Catch – 515 (1st)
  • Yards per Route Run – 2.21 (10th)
  • Missed Tackles Forced after a Reception – 15 (T-7th)

Kenny McIntosh has the pass protection ability that NFL teams rave about. He would be considered a 2nd round prospect and the 2nd ranked RB in this draft if he had the breakaway speed. Everything else in his game is close to elite.

I expect McIntosh to be viewed the same way the NFL viewed Brian Robinson, Alabama’s RB and now Washington Commander’s starting RB. The thing that NFL coaches value the most is trust, and coaches can trust McIntosh to perform well in all aspects of the RB position.

Nathaniel Dell, Houston, WR (Current ADP – 29.50 – According to DynastyNerds)

I have an affinity for quick, agile, small WRs. I rely on respected people in the NFL to ensure I value players like Nathaniel Dell.

Nathaniel “Tank” Dell showed his unique traits at the Senior Bowl. He was viewed as one of the best players at the Senior Bowl, not just one of the best WRs.

Most dynasty managers are shying away from Dell because of his Combine athletic testing numbers, specifically his 40-time – he ran a 4.49. Additionally, his size was smaller than expected, where his height was 5’8″ (5th percentile NFL WRs), and he weighed in at 168 (3rd percentile NFL WRs). Understandably, those numbers scared off the majority of managers – but not me.

The one thing the Combine is unable to do is to quantify explosion, quickness, and agility within 1 yard or half of a second. That’s where Tank is elite, and the Combine can’t showcase his specific gifts. Even though Combine has its limitations in testing, Tank still tested in the elite category in the 10-yard split; 1.49 (98th percentile).

As far as size, I’m not worried. He handles physical play well at the Senior Bowl. Also, as an offensive coach, I can easily scheme Tank to avoid physical at the line of scrimmage. Too easy.

I will draft him in the 3rd round in a rookie draft and won’t look back. Furthermore, once his value increases after the NFL Draft, I will draft him late 1st and after.

Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss, WR (Current ADP – Undrafted – According to DynastyNerds)

Jonathan Mingo is the antithesis of Tank Dell. Mingo’s success relies on being physical and isn’t the route running specialist as Mr. Dell. This is why Mingo has yet to generate much buzz during the NFL Lying…I mean the NFL Draft season. Separation is the essential WR skill to dominate in the NFL, so I get it. I’m betting on him being the exception to the norm, meaning he will create enough separation to be a practical NFL WR.

When watching Mingo’s tape, I kept saying he moves like another Ole Miss WR – AJ Brown. I’m not saying he is AJ Brown. He moves similarly to AJB; he plays through contact, runs routes, and catches. Those attributes look like AJ Brown. This is why I use the word “Stylistic” when comparing players. Greg Cosell is the one that made this wording famous.

Speaking of Greg Cosell, he mentioned the NFL circles had moved Mingo up their draft boards. He had these conversations during the Combine, which makes perfect sense because he crushed the Combine athletic testing.

Mingo’s Combine Numbers (RAS Score) 
  • 40-yard dash – 4.46 (83rd Percentile)
  • 10-yard split – 1.54 (87th Percentile)
  • Vertical – 39.5″ (94th Percentile)
  • Bench Press – 22 Reps (97th Percentile)

The speed numbers are elite when he weighed in at 220 pounds. Mr. Mingo can generate a lot of force when CBs try to press him at the line of the scrimmage.

Mingo is another player I’m going to hold onto if lucky enough to draft him in my rookie draft, and I will draft him once his value increases.

Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State, TE (Current ADP – 50.38 – According to DynastyNerds)

I’m drafting Tucker Kraft for the same reason I’m drafting DeWayne McBride; NFL Media’s affinity to Tucker Kraft. Most NFL draft experts have Tucker Kraft ranked as the top TE. Additionally, it will be hard for GMs not to perform Helmet Scouting. Dallas Goedert is arguably a Top 5 TE in the NFL and went to South Dakota State.

We can expect several GMs to fall in love with Tucker Kraft because they confuse him with his South Dakota State brother. The “Living in the Future” team can easily see this happening.

The central aspect I look at in a TE prospect is how fluid they move after the catch. Tucker’s after-the-catch is limited; he’s mostly a straight-line mover. You will see a lot of stiffness, and he takes several choppy steps to slow down or stop. Despite having similar Combine athletic numbers, he differs from the fluid mover like Dallas Goedert. This proves that Combine has some blind spots regarding its testing.

I’m drafting Tucker Kraft in my rookie draft until his value becomes mid-2nd round. Draft him and trade him after the NFL draft. NFL coaches will be disappointed with Tucker’s performance of their Dallas Goedert expectations, translating to limited playing time.

Conclusion

In Fantasy Football Dynasty, we try our best to be part of the Keen Observer Posse #KOP and put us in the best position in our fantasy leagues. Drafting before the NFL draft allows you to practice “Living in the Future”. It is a litmus test of your KOP skills.

I hope I was helpful and provided some significant insight. I’m always seeking to get it right rather than being right.

If you have any questions regarding my comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me on Twitter. Stay with us at The League Winners for more fantasy news, or find us on Twitter. Thank you for your time and support, and have a good day.

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