The DFF Army banded together for another 12-team full PPR Superflex rookie mock draft! This time we are post-Combine and Pro Day, but pre-NFL Draft. Check out every second-round selection below and each writer’s reasoning behind their pick. Stay tuned for rounds three and four dropping over the next few days.
2.01 – George Pickens, WR Georgia
JC – @JCJDynasty
I have a man-crush on George Pickens. I do, it’s as simple as that.
The former five-star WR burst onto the scene as a true freshman at Georgia immediately becoming the best WR on the team. He capped off that freshman campaign with 12 receptions for 175 yards and a TD performance against Baylor in a winning effort during bowl season. This put the Pickens hype at an all-time high. The following season was the Covid-19 shortened year where the Georgia offense never hit its full stride with a carousel of QBs after the departure of Jake Fromm.
Even still in eight games he scored six touchdowns and led the team in receiving yards with 513. The hype was still looming large around Pickens coming into spring ball his junior year because of how good this eventual National Champion Bulldogs roster was, in no small part due to Pickens. He tore his ACL in spring ball and the proverbial flame on his torch was put out Jeff Probst style around the dynasty community and talent evaluators alike. He rehabbed continuously and made it back in time to play against Georgia Tech in late November which, let’s just say he’s had his fair share of run-ins with.
It took him 8 1/4 months to rehab and come back and play in a college football game again. He looked pretty healthy coming into the College Football Playoff with these two plays that show what Pickens is capable of doing as not only a WR but a guy willing to be physical on the perimeter.
Yeah, that’s consensus Day 2 pick Daxton Hill – CB – Michigan he just rag-dolled off the line of scrimmage (LOS).
Not a fan of blocking, ok here’s another clip.
That’s against the #1 corner in the 2021 recruiting class Kool-Aid McKinstry on college football’s biggest stage.
I love the way Pickens plays the game with an edge, attitude, and superior athleticism. I was drooling when I saw him available at 2.01. He checks the boxes visually when you watch him play and he showed out at the combine less than a year after tearing that ACL:
Putting up a 9.33/10 on his RAS. For a comparison of what a 9.33 looks like, just take a look at fellow UGA alum A.J. Green’s RAS from his Combine workout.
They are essentially identical. I think people are far too low on George Pickens and it’s going to become extremely evident when he hits an NFL training camp. In the 2nd round? I’ll take him all day long.
Alright here are a few more fun ones:
You would be correct if you’re wondering, did he get two feet down on those? Yes, yes he did.
2.02 – Kenny Pickett, QB Pitt
Chris Miles – @ChrisMiles1017
I am not the biggest Kenny Pickett fan, and I have been fading him in every mock I have participated in. But at 2.02 I simply cannot turn down a player that will most likely be the second QB drafted in the NFL draft. I recommend avoiding Pickett in the mid-first, but even I think you need to take him at this value. NFL evaluators are sometimes wrong, but draft capital is still a fantastic indicator of success. So, even if I do not like someone’s profile, their draft capital and market value can make them draftable. Do not let Kenny Pickett fall to the mid-second round in any Superflex drafts. However, if Pickett is not drafted in the first round, we should be letting him fall further, to maybe the late second but no farther than the early third.
2.03 – Sam Howell, QB North Carolina
MG – @AlwaysBBuilding
Well geez. Sniped again! Pickett was going to be my selection here, but I have zero hesitation grabbing Howell as a consolation prize. It’s a Superflex mock after all, so I’m good with this selection as an impact pick versus the remaining field.
Admittingly, I was not a Howell backer in 2021. His QB rating took a nose-dive compared to the shortened 2020 season, and for some reason, he just didn’t pop for me. Whether it was apathy, the loss of players departing for the NFL draft, or diversified defensive alignments I simply couldn’t rally my excitement for him. But during your rookie draft, especially Superflex draft, it’s important not to overthink things and when a potential gift horse is staring at you you don’t pull a “Will Smith”.
So, regardless of initial assessment, it’s still important to recognize the player as a whole, while not merely focusing on your scouting report holes. Howell was undoubtedly the BPA at this stage of the draft. To his credit, Howell possesses solid arm strength, accuracy, and the ever-so-desirable trait of good leadership. In a QB class minus a truly locked-in, elite prospect combined with a multitude of QB needy franchises, Howell will surely have his name called in Round One.
I am not sold on any QB in this class being ready for a Year 1 starting gig. Including my personal crush Malik Willis. So, sitting behind a bridge vet like Cousins, Wentz, Ryan, etc. might serve him well. After all, when you consider how the “elite” QB prospects from 2021 performed, sitting Howell a season makes even more sense so the landing spot will be well worth tracking.
2.04 – Skyy Moore, WR Western Michigan
Chris Museezer – @force_fantasy
When @DocFFFN was on the clock at 1.12, I prepared my next four players for my upcoming pick at 2.04. Those players in order were Jameson Williams, Kenny Pickett, Sam Howell, and George Pickens. I figured one would fall. Those ended up being the next four picks. This tells me the first 16 players in this rookie mock draft are likely to be consistent with the general ADP. If you want one of them you need to get yourself in position.
Skyy Moore has been rising up draft boards over the past month and is a player I have liked a lot through the entire evaluation process. Moore is a G5 player declaring for the draft as a junior. That in and of itself should tell you how good Moore is. The metrics and eye test back it up. As you can see below he excels against press coverage.
Moore also led all prospects in the predictive metric of yards per route run.
Moore posted the third-best college dominator in this class at 44.8%. He also posted the fourth-best receiving yards per team pass attempt of 3.48.
2.05 – Christian Watson, WR North Dakota State
Jared Hines – @Ship_Chaser
6’4” 208 lbs. Birthday: 5/12/1999
40-yard dash: 4.36 seconds
38.5” vertical 11’4” broad jump
I did not care for any of the more chalk WR names on the board at this point, and so I am going for maximum upside here. This is surely a boom or bust pick. He played at a small school and didn’t put up gaudy numbers. Watson played well in the Senior Bowl and destroyed the combine, however, and there is talk of him going as high as the first round, possibly to the Chiefs, who have a need now. A day two selection is more likely.
Watson is noted as not being the most versatile route runner, but that he has elite change of direction agility and not just straight-line speed. Representatives from the Giants, Eagles, Saints, and Texans were all present at his Pro Day last week. There are a couple of running backs I like on the board, but I am guessing they will be available in the third round.
2.06 – Jahan Dotson, WR Penn State
Matt Ward @PsychWardFF
Jahan Dotson brings an elegant finesse to the wide receiver position coupled with plus athleticism and game-breaking big-play ability. He can win at all three levels of the field, separating at ease with his complex route packages. In his final season at Penn State, he recorded a ridiculous 42.7 dominator rating and 50.0% of the teams receiving touchdowns while maintaining a respectable 30.0% target share. Dotson is a crafty wideout with similar comparisons to Steelers’ superstar wideout Diontae Johnson. Dotson possesses all the tools and intangibles to become a plus starter at the NFL level.
2.07 – David Bell, WR Purdue
Carl – @RookieWhisper
I had my eyes set on three players here, Sam Howell, Skyy Moore, and David Bell, so with Howell and Moore off the board, Bell was an easy selection for me. I have been high on David Bell since his freshman year when went for 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns. David Bell checks all of the boxes you look for from an analytics standpoint. He broke out as an 18-year-old, has a dominator rating of 43.5%, is an early declare, and has a sturdy build at 6’1” 212 lbs. The only knock there is on David Bell is his athleticism.
I did not expect Bell to blow us away at the combine, but I did expect him to at least average. Unfortunately, he was well below average at every event and ended up with a RAS (Relative Athletic Score) of 3.99 out of 10. The lack of strong athletic testing is not a huge problem in my opinion, as players of similar size, the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, and Hakeem Nicks all went on to have strong NFL seasons after not testing well as athletes. However, one thing all of these players have is strong draft capital. All but Boldin and Allen were selected in the first round. According to grindingthemocks.com David Bell has an expected draft position of 72.9, this would put him in the 3rd round, which is good, but not great. There is still a chance, he falls to day 3, and that would be a disaster for his value.
So as my Twitter Handle says:
2.08 – Zamir White, RB Georgia
Paul Patterson – @fantasyfreezer
By the metrics, Zamir White is nothing special as an RB prospect. He wasn’t especially dominant at Georgia, nor did he command an impressive target share. However, context is needed here. White dealt with injuries throughout his college career and competed with other quality RBs such as D’Andre Swift and James Cook. The missing piece here is draft capital, which is the most important factor for evaluating rookie RBs. According to grindingthemocks.com, Zamir White has an expected draft position of 92nd overall. If he is indeed a third-round pick, his chance to hit at the next level will rise dramatically, as will his ADP.
2.09 – Wan’Dale Robinson, WR Kentucky
Julio – @mistermartinez9
I know he is small, VERY small. But let’s ignore that for a second and see his stats. The rankings are among all drafted WRs since 2011.
He was AMAZING in college, a very productive WR even with his size. I wish he was two inches taller but it is what it is. If the NFL is willing to take a shot, I am going to take the shot. Look at this @GrindingMocks graph. Robinson is trending down BUT if you look closely you will see that the data points pulling him down are fans’ data points, experts still have him in the 2nd round. If he stays day 2, I’m ranking him as a top 10 WR.
2.10 – Trey McBride, TE Colorado State
Charles – @Heady_Football
It was a toss-up here for me between Justyn Ross and Trey McBride. I had lost out on any QB worth drafting and I have my target already for FA dependent upon where he goes in Bailey Zappe. This is where understanding league scoring is important. This league is a TE Premium league so, being able to obtain the Mackey award winner this late was my tipping point. While I think Ross has the potential to be a solid producer at the next level, getting the best TE in the draft was the better choice.
In addition, with already having Dalton Schultz at the TE position, if McBride shows promise, I can potentially flip Dalton and a 2023 first-round pick for a QB.
2.11 – Justyn Ross, WR Clemson
Billy Beaman – @WillieBeamanDFF
Not only do I believe in Clemson’s ability to develop highly recruited wide receivers but I also believe in Ross’s talent. He broke out as a true freshman with 46 receptions for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018.
Unfortunately, Ross missed the entire 2020 season due to a congenital fusion condition in his neck and spine that required surgery. He returned in 2021 as a redshirt junior but certainly didn’t put up the same kind of production. That said, we see this all the time with players returning from major injuries. It can take up to a year to see full recovery and confidence on the field. Ross comes in at 6’4” 205 lbs., the kind of size the NFL just ignores.
I’m a bit bullish on Ross based on his past production, size, and talent and the best part is his injury history is depressing his value in drafts. Grab Ross late in the 2nd and be on your merry way!
2.12 – John Metchie III, WR Alabama
DocFFFN – @DocFFFN
Oddly enough, again, your author was able to get the same selection from the last mock draft in Round Two, two spots later than six weeks ago. And again, the selection is an early-declare WR that just dominated the SEC and is coming off of injury. John Metchie III was good enough to start alongside fellow Alabama alumni and first-round picks Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith in 2020. This past season, Metchie was relied upon to be Bryce Young’s go-to receiver, a role he was effective in until teammate Jameson Williams began to blossom and he shared the load. Like Williams, Metchie also went down with an unfortunate ACL injury at the end of the season, just two games before Jameson did.
As a prospect, Metchie combines high football IQ with exceptional route running and releases. While he doesn’t possess exceptional hands or Williams’ athleticism, he understands the game and is a gritty competitor both with and without the ball in his hands. As such, we could see him drafted early in round two of the NFL Draft this spring, despite his injury.
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