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Mock Draft – Round 1

Who Rebuilders Should Draft at Each Spot – Round 1

By: Jay Pounds (@jaypoundsnfl)

Dynasty Owners, we are now officially halfway through the free agency period and while it is not time to rush just yet, it is time to make sure you have a plan in place for your roster. I usually spend this time talking about fun things related to dynasty fantasy football, but outside of Ezekiel Elliott ($15,000,000) going to the Eagles, we don’t have a ton to talk about. Come mid-April when free agency ends, we will shift into draft mode here on the platform and with that being said, I am going to do a three-part article (one article per round) highlighting what rebuilding Dynasty Owners should do with every pick in their Dynasty Owner rookie drafts.

Remember this is a mock draft geared towards rebuilding Dynasty Owners who are somewhat early in the process.

  1. Bijan Robinson (RB – Texas)

Look I fully understand taking a quarterback here, but I believe you should trade back a spot or two if that is your plan as many fantasy football players will be chomping at the bit to get Bijan Robinson on their roster. If I were rebuilding and picking in this spot, I would take Robinson as running backs this talented rarely fail and he will bring back tremendous value in a trade. Robinson has been a stud since stepping onto the field in his college debut and I see it ending up the same at the next level. In 2022, Robinson finished with a stat line of 258 carries, 1,580 yards rushing, 314 yards receiving and 20 total touchdowns. Rebuilding or not, you’ve got to draft Bijan at 1!

2. C.J. Stroud (QB – Ohio State)

Were you expecting anyone else in this spot? I know my Ohio State bias always shows through, but I firmly believe I would feel the same way had Stroud played elsewhere in college (except Michigan) because he has all of the tools to become a superstar in the NFL. Stroud may be the best pocket passer in the NFL Draft, is by far the most accurate, and has very underrated athleticism. He will utilize that athleticism much more than he did in college during the first few years of his NFL career while he figures things out. Stroud put up video game numbers in almost every game he played in throughout his time at Ohio State finishing with a total of 8,123 passing yards while tossing 85 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions during his two full seasons in Columbus. If you couldn’t tell already, I have Stroud as my clear-cut number 1 QB in the 2023 NFL Draft and I don’t see that changing.

3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR – Ohio State)

Surprise, surprise, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is my top receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft class as of right now. I know Smith-Njigba had a disappointing 2022 season at Ohio State, missing most of the year due to injury, but he has the talent to become an absolute stud at the next level. Smith-Njigba does have a lot of competition and it will be tough for him to stay ahead of the two guys behind him in my draft rankings, but Ohio State receivers tend to excel in the NFL, and I feel Smith-Njigba will be no different. If you want to see how dominant Smith-Njigba can be on a football field watch the Rose Bowl game against Utah!

4. Bryce Young (QB – Alabama)

In all fairness I would not fault you a bit for taking Bryce Young at 3 and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the 4 spot but I love my Buckeyes so this is how it must be! Young has done nothing but ball out at the college level and has the skillset to thrive at the next level. Similar to Tua Tagovailoa ($7,568,859), I have concerns about Young’s durability and size. We have seen smaller quarterbacks thrive in the NFL recently and I am not betting against Young, I just can’t put him ahead of some of the other players in this class. Young finished his career at Alabama throwing for 8,356 yards, 80 touchdowns and 12 interceptions en route to a Heisman trophy and an appearance in the National Championship game against Georgia.

5. Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – Alabama)

I believe this is the spot that really shows the difference in strategy for a rebuilder early in the process versus a contending team. A contending team would likely take Gibbs with the second pick and not think twice about it, but a rebuilder must consider position longevity, especially in this format. In four years when my rebuilding roster is at its peak, I would much rather be paying a wide receiver heading into his prime over a running back who is about to start fading when drafting as high as number 2. At pick number 5 though, Gibbs is far too talented to pass up should he still be there and I would likely use him as trade bait depending on the outlook of your roster come Week 5 or 6. In 2022, Gibbs finished the season with 926 yards rushing, 444 yards receiving, while scoring 10 total touchdowns.

6. Quentin Johnston (WR – TCU)

Quentin Johnson is another player who could realistically be drafted four players before this spot, but he could also drop another three spots. Johnson has all the talent in the world and is a player I expect to do well at the next level, but he does come with concerns. Johnson is a massive receiver who has a ton of speed and playmaking ability, but he does have some drops and the lack of touchdowns in 2022 are a big concern for me (only 6 in 14 games). The other big negative I have heard a lot when researching Johnston is the lack of high-end receivers who have come out of the Big 12. Outside of Tyler Lockett ($17,250,000) and CeeDee Lamb ($3,502,503), Big 12 wide receivers aren’t making much of an impact in the NFL. Johnston is one of, if not the best receiver in terms of pure talent in this class, but landing spot will play a big factor in his final draft ranking.

7. Anthony Richardson (QB – Florida)

Anthony Richardson is a raw prospect but, in my opinion, he has the highest ceiling in the entire 2023 draft class. If you were to build a Frankenstein quarterback and you had Josh Allen’s arm strength, Lamar Jackson’s speed, and Cam Newton’s size and strength, you would get Anthony Richardson. I know we all heard similar things about Malik Willis ($1,290,025) last season, but I assure you Richardson is much further along in terms of development than Willis was at this stage. If Richardson reaches his ceiling, he will be the biggest steal in the entire draft!

8. Jordan Addison (WR – USC)

I am honestly shocked to find a player as talented as Jordan Addison all the way down in the 8 spot. I think it speaks volumes about the high-end talent this draft class has to offer. Addison may be the safest position player in the draft, but I do not see him ending up as a high-end wide receiver 1 throughout his career. However, he is the type of player who should finish in the top 20 most seasons. Addison thrived at both stops during his college career which should only help his transition to the next level. In my opinion the biggest positive for Addison is the fact he should be a plug and play type of player who should be starting in the NFL on Day 1.

9. Will Levis (QB – Kentucky)

Depending on who you talk to Will Levis could be as high as the number 1 quarterback in the class or fall all the way down to fourth where I currently have him. It wouldn’t surprise me if I were wrong as finding quality quarterbacks in the NFL Draft is an absolute crapshoot. Levis has the size and physical tools to be a stud quickly in the NFL and I believe the experience of playing in the SEC for two seasons will only help his transition. Levis’ stats were nothing to brag about in 2022 but neither were Josh Allen’s ($43,005,667) coming out of college and that is who I see Levis compared to the most. At number 9, I believe he will be by far the best value of all players remaining should he perform well, which makes him an easy selection here.

10. Michael Mayer (TE – Notre Dame)

In the 10 spot, we have the clear-cut number 1 tight end of the draft, Notre Dame product Michael Mayer. Mayer is by far the most talented and accomplished tight end in the NFL draft and could easily rise up a few spots in Dynasty Owner rookie drafts depending on his landing spot. Mayer will have zero issues getting on the field early in his career as he is an excellent blocker who has the strength to hold his own against interior defensive lineman a few times a game. Mayer should be an instant matchup nightmare and could finish as a top 5 tight end in 2023 if paired with the right quarterback. If Mayer reaches his full potential, we will have another high-end tight end that the dynasty fantasy football world desperately needs.

11. Tank Bigsby (RB – Auburn)

Finally, we have another running back! I know I say it all of the time but running backs early in the rebuilding process tend to be bad investments and even when they produce, they are close to being on the decline by the time you are ready to win. I believe Bigsby is the best pure runner in this draft class, outside of Robinson and Gibbs (the two RBs ahead of him), and can develop into a top 12 running back should he improve his pass catching skills. Bigsby should thrive in goal line situations early in his career and has the ability to earn 10-15 carries a game by the end of 2023. If Bigsby ends up behind a clear-cut starter, he will likely fall out of the first round of my mock draft.

12. Zach Evans (RB – Ole Miss)

I will admit that I have not looked a ton into Zach Evans just yet and he may be a player who rises up my board rather quickly without the help of a landing spot. Evans was a beast in college averaging a whopping 6.9 yards per carry for his entire career for two different teams (TCU and Ole Miss). The fact Evans was able to maintain his elite production despite moving to a much tougher conference is a great sign for his transition to the NFL. The main negatives for Evans that I have found thus far are durability concerns and a lack of work in the passing game. Should Evans reach his full potential and stay healthy, he could end up as a top 12 running back in a year or two.

13. Kayshon Boutte (WR – LSU)

It’s time for the world-famous Dynasty Owner rookie bonus pick! In the 13th spot, I have a player who many had listed as their top receiver heading into 2022, Kayshon Boutte. Despite struggling in 2022, Boutte has the potential to be the top receiver in the NFL draft but he also comes with a ton of question marks. During Boutte’s freshman season at LSU, he established himself as a high-end prospect and played very well in 2021 before suffering a season ending injury. Boutte had high expectations placed on him heading into 2022, but he failed to live up to those expectations while playing for new head coach Brian Kelly. If Boutte’s 2022 was a fluke, he will be a huge steal at the end of the first round of Dynasty Owner rookie drafts.

Thank you all for reading and be sure to check out all of the upcoming Dynasty Owner content. We have the Dynasty Owner podcast, the Dynasty Owner Livestream, and articles to help with your Dynasty Owner teams. Good luck on your 2023 Chase for the Ring!

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