Everyone loves a good mock draft. For NFL purposes, it allows fanbases to get familiar with players who their favorite team could select. Or, in some cases, it allows fan bases to prepare for nothing but disappointment. For fantasy football players, it allows them to get ready for their rookie drafts in their dynasty leagues.
Unlike re-draft leagues, which do an entirely new draft each year, dynasty leagues just have one big draft at the start, and nothing but rookie drafts in the following years. So, for dynasty managers, their rookie drafts are the most exciting part of the off-season, even if it is only 3-4 rounds.
This year’s draft isn’t full of star power like past years’, but there are still good players at the top, and a lot of interesting names in the middle rounds. This dynasty rookie mock draft will focus on the names who are likely to go in the first round of rookie drafts, as well as a quick mention of players who could go in the second round. This mock draft is not based on projected landing spots, but just pure talent and draft capital expectation.
For all the questions regarding this year’s draft class, there aren’t any surrounding Jeremiyah Love. He has been essentially locked in as the number one pick in rookie drafts since last year. He is a true three-down back who can do it all. He has the burst of a home run threat, the power and contact balance to pick up tough yards, and the receiving ability to be a dynamic pass catcher. Love is up there with the likes of Ashton Jeanty, Saquon Barkley, and Bijan Robinson as far as prospects go, and he is a no-brainer as the 1.01 in rookie drafts.
2025 Stats- 199 Carries, 1,372 Yards, 18 Touchdowns(27 Receptions, 280 Yards, 3 Touchdowns)
For more on Jeremiyah Love, check out this article on Stadium Rant.
While there does not seem to be any sort of consensus on the rankings of the big three receivers, Makai Lemon appears to be the fan favorite. He profiles best as a slot receiver, but he does offer the ability to play on the outside in two-receiver sets. He isn’t a special playmaker with the ball in his hands like the elite receivers in the league, but he knows how to get open, and his ability to track the ball is truly special. The Amon-Ra St.Brown comparison may be a bit much, but it is easy to understand why that is the most popular comparison, as Lemon plays extremely hard, and he is a willing blocker.
2025 Stats- 79 Receptions, 1,156 Yards, 11 Touchdowns
Lemon seems to be the fan favorite out of the receivers at the top, but Carnell Tate feels like the best bet to go earliest in the NFL Draft. Playing at Ohio State, he was never the focal point of the team’s passing game due to the other talent, but that allowed him to showcase the ability to play a clear role in the NFL. He is a perfect fit as a field stretcher for any team, as he has great tracking skills and long speed. He is also a very good route runner who knows how to get to his spots.
Tate isn’t a flashy player by any means, but he should be at worst a very good number two receiver in the NFL.
2025 Stats- 51 Receptions, 875 Yards, 9 Touchdowns
Lemon is the fan favorite, Tate seems like the safest pick, but no wide receiver in this class profiles to be a star as much as Jordyn Tyson does.
Between his ideal size, his ability to play every single receiver position, his ability to win at all three levels, and the overall way in which he moves, it is hard not to love Tyson as a prospect. He simply does everything a team wants their number one wide receiver to do. The only concern surrounding him during the entire draft process has been injuries, as he has missed time during every season of his college career, and he is currently dealing with a lingering hamstring injury. If not for the injuries, Tyson would likely be locked in as the number one receiver in this class, so getting him at the 1.04 is a steal.
2025 Stats(9 Games)- 61 Receptions, 711 Yards, 8 Touchdowns
Some people will want to take Fernando Mendozza earlier in their rookie drafts, specifically in superflex leagues, but the 1.05 feels like the perfect spot for him. While he should be a solid contributor for fantasy, who has some big seasons, Mendezza profiles much more as a Jared Goff-type quarterback for fantasy. He offers more upside as a rusher, but he isn’t the likes of Jayden Daniels, Lamar Jackson, or any of the elite rushing quarterbacks in fantasy. He is going to be the number one pick in the NFL draft, and he has all the tools that a team wants in a franchise quarterback, but for fantasy, he profiles as a quarterback two, instead of an elite-level piece.
2025 Stats- 3,535 Yards, 41 Touchdowns, 6 Interceptions, 72% Completion Percentage(90 Carries, 276 Yards, 3 Touchdowns)
While no one will ever be quite like Deebo Samuel, Omar Cooper Jr. feels like the closest thing to him in recent memory. He is great with the ball in his hands as he is extremely tough to take down in the open field, just like Samuel. To some, they may think he is just a gadget, but he is much more than that. He has been a touchdown scoring machine over the past two seasons, as he has reached the endzone 20 times. Additionally, he is a good enough athlete to play more than just the slot at the NFL level.
2025 Stats- 69 Receptions, 937 Yards, 13 Touchdowns(3 Carries, 74 Yards, 1 Touchdown)
From a pure athletic standpoint, Kenyon Sadiq is up there with prospects like Brock Bowers and Colston Loveland, and all of the other elite athletes at tight end. From a production standpoint, he is a little disappointing. Saqid showcased his talent all year and showed that he can be a dominant player at times, but he was never consistent enough. In the middle of rookie drafts, this is the player worth taking a shot on, because he does have the upside to become one of the elite fantasy tight ends.
2025 Stats- 51 Receptions, 560 Yards, 8 Touchdowns
KC Concepcion is just electric. He is a highlight play just waiting to happen. He is one of the quickest separators in this year’s draft, and it makes him an absolute nightmare to cover in one-on-one situations. He isn’t a blazer down the field, but he wins off the line of scrimmage so quickly that he makes up for a lack of elite deep speed. He is on the smaller size, so his role could be limited, but he showcased the ability to make plays both inside and out in college, and he should do the same at the next level.
2025 Stats- 61 Receptions, 919 Yards, 9 Touchdowns(10 Carries, 75 Yards 1 Touchdown)
Career Rushing Stats(3 Seasons)- 70 Carries, 431 Yards, 3 Touchdowns
After Love, there is a major drop off in this year’s running back class, but as of now, his teammate, Jadarian Price, appears to be the favorite to be the second running back off the board. He doesn’t profile as a 3-down back, but as he showed at Notre Dame, he doesn’t need to be to be effective. He scored 11 touchdowns in a backup role and added another two touchdowns as a kick returner on just 12 returns. Despite not running a blazing 40-time, Price showed the ability to hit his top speed as soon as he hits the hole. He should be a great compliment with big play ability, but not an every-down back.
2025 Stats- 113 Carries, 674 Yards, 11 Touchdowns(6 Receptions, 87 Yards, 2 Touchdowns)
Denzel Boston profiles as a classic “X” receiver, but he did showcase the ability to play all over the field at Washington, as he played in the slot at times, and he even returned punts. He is a fluid route runner with great hands, and as expected, he thrives in the red zone. Boston may never be a dominant receiver at the next level, but he should be a good number two receiver, and a major redzone threat due to his size, and for fantasy football, the ability to score touchdowns matters.
2025 Stats- 62 Receptions, 881 Yards, 11 Touchdowns
Some people have concerns that Jonah Coleman could slip to day three, but that would honestly be surprising. The Washington running back entered the year viewed by many as a top-three back in this class, and he didn’t do anything to change that.
While he finished the season with a career-low in rushing yards as a starter, he scored a career-high 15 touchdowns. However, Coleman was rolled up on and dealt with an injury towards the end of the season, and while he only missed one game, it led to discomfort for the rest of the season. When he was healthy, Coleman was still the same player he has always been, and that is a tough, hard-nosed runner who can play all three downs.
2025 Stats- 156 Carries, 758 Yards, 15 Touchdowns(31 Receptions, 354 Yards, 2 Touchdowns)
Eli Stowers is the exact type of player who fantasy football players gravitate towards. He is an athletic freak who profiles as a Mathcup nightmare for linebackers and safeties. However, playing tight end isn’t just about being able to catch the ball, as blocking is just as big a piece, and he has a lot of work to do in that area.
If he lands in the right situation with the right draft capital, Stowers will have a chance to be a difference maker for fantasy football due to his athleticism. If the NFL doesn’t view his strengths as a pass catcher as enough to outweigh his weaknesses as a blocker, he could land in a spot that fantasy managers don’t love. Stowers will be one of the biggest fantasy storylines throughout the NFL draft.
2025 Stats- 62 Receptions, 769 Yards, 4 Touchdowns
2.01- Ty Simpson: 2025 Stats- 3,567 Yards, 28 Touchdowns, 5 Interceptions, 64.5% Completion Percentage
2.02 – Chris Bell: 2025 Stats- 72 Receptions, 917 Yards, 6 Touchdowns
2.03- Germie Bernard: 2025 Stats- 64 Receptions, 862 Yards, 7 Touchdowns(18 Carries, 101 Yards, 2 Touchdowns)
2.04- Chris Brazzell: 2025 Stats- 62 Receptions, 1,1017 Yards, 9 Touchdowns
2.05- Emmett Johnson: 2025 Stats- 251 Carries, 1,451 Yards, 12 Touchdowns(46 Receptions, 370 Yards, 3 Touchdowns)
2.06- Nicholas Singleton: 2025 Stats- 123 Carries, 549 Yards, 13 Touchdowns(24 Receptions, 219 Yards, 1 Touchdown)
2.07- Elijah Sarratt: 2025 Stats- 65 Receptions, 830 Yards, 15 Touchdowns
2.08- Zachariah Branch: 2025 Stats- 81 Receptions, 811 Yards, 6 Touchdowns
2.09- Mike Washington Jr.: 2025 Stats- 167 Carries, 1,070 Yards, 8 Touchdowns(28 Receptions, 226 Yards, 1 Touchdown)
2.10- Kaytron Allen: 2025 Stats- 210 Carries, 1,303 Yards, 15 Touchdowns(18 Receptions, 68 Yards)
2.11- Ted Hurst: 2025 Stats- 71 Receptions, 1,004 Yards, 6 Touchdowns
2.12- Antonio Williams: 2025 Stats- 55 Receptions, 604 Yards, 4 Touchdowns(13 Carries, 78 Yards, 1 Touchdown)
This draft isn’t viewed as strong by many, but there will be players who outperform their draft slot, because there always are. In the second round of this mock, multiple running backs have a chance to be a part of a committee, either as a lead back or change of pace back. There are a lot of wide receivers with different skill sets who could be fantasy contributors depending on where they land. Then there’s Ty Simpson, who could very well go in the first round of the NFL Draft, and that would push him up the board in rookie drafts.
After the first round of rookie drafts, draft capital and landing spots matter much more. Regardless of where Tyson, Tate, and Lemon go, they will be early rookie picks. For players like Germie Bernard, Emmett Johnson, Chris Bell, and others, the team and draft capital will determine where they go in rookie drafts.
Rookie Drafts are by and far and away the most exciting part of the off-season for dynasty leagues, and they are so close to beginning. This draft doesn’t have the same level of buzz as past drafts, but there will still be a lot of excitement around rookie drafts for everyone involved. With so much uncertainty in this draft, managers will get to call their shots more than ever in their rookie drafts, and it should lead to a lot of chaos across leagues.
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