I love the Rookie draft that we do every year. You wouldn’t know it based on how terrible I am at it, but it’s a lot of fun trading up and down and trying to guess who is going to be the next superstar (or even just who might be a regular contributor). Now that the year is over, its easy to use hindsight to evaluate what we all did right and wrong. Rather than doing draft grades, which have already been done (and maybe those guys will do their own version of regrading…we hope!), lets redo the draft, knowing what we know now.
1.01—Oregon Dream Team
Original Pick: Josh Jacobs, RB, OAK (142 points)
New Pick: Josh Jacobs, RB, OAK (1.01, 142 points)
Rationale: No reason to change picks here, Jacobs looks to have a bright future in Oakland. Despite playing injured most of the year and ultimately missing the final 3 games, he finished in the top 10 in rushing and I don’t quite remember all the metrics mentioned about him, but let’s just say he was very good.
1.02—Batavia Colliders
Original Pick: David Montgomery, RB, CHI (130.4 points)
New Pick: Miles Sanders, RB, PHI (1.03, 150.53 points)
Rationale: Montgomery didn’t turn out to be a bad pick, but to me, Sanders clearly has a brighter future, due to his exceptional receiving game and explosiveness. Philly will probably always use two backs from some sort, but Kamara was able to thrive in such a situation and I think Sanders will also.
1.03—Fransburg (r)EvoLUtion
Original Pick: Miles Sanders, RB, PHI (150.53 points)
New Pick: AJ Brown, WR, TEN (1.07, 146.25 points)
Rationale: With Sanders gone, I think Fransburg goes a different direction here and takes AJ Brown. To be honest, I thought this guys career was pretty over being drafted by Tennessee with Corey Davis having already busted in this situation with Mariota at QB … and then a funny thing happened. Tannehill took over, became a good quarterback and everything changed. In the process, Brown became something like a top 10 WR (again, I don’t remember all the metrics backing this up). I’m not sure he’s QB proof yet and it remains to be seen what happens in Tennessee, but he looks to have a really bright future.
1.04—Madtown Marauders
Original Pick: N’Keal Harry, WR, NEP (28.6 points)
New Pick: Nick Bosa, DE, SFO (1.12, 143.1 points)
Rationale: With the top three picks off the board, Matt follows in his previous DE loving ways and selects Nick Bosa with this pick. The timing works out perfectly with Watt falling apart in a Gronk-like manner, Bosa can come in and fill that DE spot that Madtown has dominated as long as I can remember.
1.05—Holley Hawks
Original Pick: DK Metcalf, WR, SEA (124.35 points)
New Pick: David Montgomery, RB, Chi (1.02, 130.4 points)
Rationale: Metcalf is still on the board here, but Holley loves snagging RBs with cheap contracts and does so again. Both of these guys have promising futures, but its always a better bet to go with the RB this early.
1.06—Tooz Town GIMB
Original Pick: Kyler Murray, QB, ARI (214.41 points)
New Pick: Kyler Murray, QB, ARI (1.06, 214.41 points)
Rationale: Given Tooz Town has three picks in a row, the order doesn’t really matter. With only Brady on the roster, I have no qualms taking a stab at a QB this early, and frankly I think it paid off pretty nicely. Murray finished as QB8 as a rookie and presumably will only get better.
1.07—Tooz Town GIMB
Original Pick: AJ Brown, WR, TEN (146.25 points)
New Pick: DK Metcalf, WR, SEA (1.05, 124.35 points)
Rationale: Brown turned out to be a really great pick for Tooz in the original draft, and needing playmakers, he takes the best one available in Metcalf.
1.08—Tooz Town GIMB
Original Pick: TJ Hockenson, TE, DET (52.75 points)
New Pick: Devin Singletary, RB, BUF (2.07, 98.05 points)
Rationale: Tooz still had a huge glaring hole at RB and is able to snag the last promising starting RB with this pick in Singletary.
1.09—Marshfield Pirates
Original Pick: Darrell Henderson (17.26 points)
New Pick: Devin White, LB, TBB (1.10, 142.05 points)
Rationale: What a turd of a pick in Henderson. With many of the sure-fire offensive playmakers off the board, the Pirates do what they planned to do in the original draft and snag a LB. Despite saying they’d take Bush, they now feel that White has a better future, given that the Steelers began taking Bush off the field for 3rd downs for some reason.
1.10—Batavia Colliders
Original Pick: Devin White, LB, TBB (142.05 points)
New Pick: Devin Bush, LB, PIT (1.11, 149.8 points)
Rationale: Batavia would still be in the market for a LB here beings as how they are pretty thin there and Bush would be the obvious choice.
1.11—Culver City Krakens
Original Pick: Devin Bush, LB, PIT (149.8 points)
New Pick: Mercole Hardman, WR, KCC (2.11, 106.11 points)
Rationale: I’m honestly unsure what the Krakens would do here, but without a glaring need it seems they would shoot for an explosive playmaker on offense. Since the RBs are gone and he has Mahomes on his roster (and Watkins future is uncertain), this pick just feels right.
1.12—Fransburg (r)EvoLUtion
Original Pick: Nick Bosa, DE, SFO (143.1 points)
New Pick: Terry McLaurin, WR, WAS (4.03, 130.55 points)
Rationale: Fransburg doesn’t really have a need for a WR, and I considered putting maybe DE Crosby/Allen here to replace the Bosa pick, but I think in the end he just takes the best player available, which I think the McLaurin.
2.01—Oregon Dream Team
Original Pick: Deebo Samuel, WR, SFO (125.35 points)
New Pick: Deebo Samuel, WR, SFO (2.01)
Rationale: Even with some of the guys left available, I think the Dream Team would pick Deebo again. I originally thought this was a bit high with guys like Marquise Brown still available (who he still got later) and the uncertainty at WR for the 49ers, but Deebo has been a great pick and made Pettis completely irrelevant. The Dream Team may be turning things around with the success of their draft.
2.02—Linn County Lumberjacks
Original Pick: Parris Campbell, WR, IND (26.55 points)
New Pick: Marquise Brown, WR, BAL (2.09, 103.4 points)
Rationale: The Lumberjacks select WR Brown here to get the playmaker they thought they were getting in Campbell.
2.03—Linn County Lumberjacks
Original Pick: Clelin Ferrell, DE, OAK (91.25 points)
New Pick: Maxx Crosby, DE, OAK (undrafted, 139.75 points)
Rationale: Linn County strengthens their defense through DE again, snagging surprise Crosby, who turned out to be the better OAK DE.
2.04—Bestine Banthas
Original Pick: Dwayne Haskins, QB, WAS (50.7 points)
New Pick: Dwyane Haskins (2.04, 50.7 points) or Gardner Minshew (undrafted, 163.91 points)
Rationale: Ryan again is moving up here for a QB that he likes. Given how this season turned out, I’m not sure who he favors more.
2.05—Fransburg (r)EvoLUtion
Original Pick: Damien Harris, RB, NEP (1 point)
New Pick: Josh Allen, DE, JAC (3.04, 116.5 points)
Rationale: After losing out on Sanders and Bosa in this redraft, Fransburg ends up with 2x WRs and looks to replace Bosa with DE Allen, who had a pretty decent year of his own.
2.06—Tooz Town GIMB
Original Pick: Justice Hill, RB, BAL (42.09 points)
New Pick: Noah Fant, TE, DEN (3.01, 73.8 points)
Rationale: At this point, Tooz’s biggest hole appears to be TE and Fant looks to be the better fantasy choice than Hockenson.
2.07—Marshfield Pirates
Original Pick: Devin Singletary, RB, BUF (98.05 points)
New Pick: N’Keal Harry, WR, NEP (1.04, 28.6 points)
Rationale: Rather than snagging one of the WRs that had a better year, the Pirates decide to roll the dice on the Patriots knowing what they are doing with Harry and their otherwise lack of other receiving options moving forward. Marshfield is no stranger to busts so this feels right.
2.08—Madtown Marauders
Original Pick: Alexander Mattison, RB, MIN (47.2 points)
New Pick: Diontae Johnson, WR, PIT (4.04, 117.67 points)
Rationale: Madtown continues their magic ability to pick decent Pittsburgh WRs and get their guy two rounds early. Johnson looks to improve upon a decent rookie season with Big Ben back at the helm and has the added bonus of his special teams contributions.
2.09—Oregon Dream Team
Original Pick: Marquise Brown, WR, BAL (103.4 points)
New Pick: Darius Slayton, WR, NYG (undrafted, 125.38 points)
Rationale: The Dream Team continue their decent draft and adding another surprising playmaker in Slayton, who got his chance once Shepard got hurt and produced pretty well. Assuming everyone stays healthy next year (Shepard, Engram, Barkley) there will be a lot of mouths to feed in NY, but Slayton has surely paved his way.
2.10—Fransburg (r)EvoLUtion
Original Pick: JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR, PHI (24.45 points)
New Pick: Daniel Jones, QB, NYG (5.07, 161.27 points)
Rationale: With Aaron Rodgers as the only real QB on his roster, Fransburg takes a stab at the future with Daniel Jones, who looked pretty good and should only get better.
2.11—Culver City Krakens
Original Pick: Mercole Hardman, WR, KCC (106.11 points)
New Pick: Bryce Love, RB, WAS (undrafted, 0 points) or Justice Hill, RB, BAL (2.06, 42.09 points)
Rationale: Honestly, I have no idea who to put here. I figure with taking a stab at a RB with a decent shot to be a starter next season is as good a strategy as any.
2.12—Cleveland Battery
Original Pick: Andy Isabella, WR, ARI (27 points)
New Pick: Mack Wilson, LB, CLE (undrafted, 96.05 points)
Rationale: Because, you know … best Cleveland rookie available.
© 2020, Jason Enright. All rights reserved.
Love it!
I’m glad Devin White turned out to be almost as good as Devin Bush so I don’t look like a damn fool.
Also, nice little surprise in Daniel Jones there.