The DFF Army banded together once again for the 2022 DFF Superflex Rookie Mock 4.0. We are again post-Combine and Pro Day, but now just hours out from the NFL Draft. Check out every final-round selection below and each writer’s reasoning behind their pick.
4.01 – Kevin Austin Jr., WR Notre Dame
MG – @AlwaysBBuilding
Before I dig into this pick, let’s do a quick review. Thus far I’ve nabbed Breece Hall, David Bell, and Kyren Williams. I dare say that’s not too shabby drafting out of the 1.01. Obviously, I’m biased, and we all know that everyone thinks they drafted the best crop of players. So, perhaps I have my biased blinders securely fashioned. Nevertheless, I’m digging the value. Okay, onto the next.
The 4th round of your rookie drafts is very likely filled with players that may not last all that long on your rosters for one reason or another. Yet, it’s still an important selection. This is the stage of the draft where you have one goal, and one goal only… “GET YOUR GUY”!
This is typically the last chance you have to secure who you want before they go into waivers. If that happens you risk losing out on “YOUR GUY”. Considering this is a Superflex, TEP format draft I could have considered another QB, or perhaps a TE. However, I wanted to grab someone I valued more than simply “insulating”.
Enter Golden Domer WR Kevin Austin Jr.
After enjoying a breakout 2021 season at Notre Dame, a head-turning Combine performance, along with a solid Pro Day, KAJ has draftniks buzzing. In the event KAJ is overlooked during the NFL draft he will undoubtedly become a priority Free Agent. Although, I don’t see that happening. Whichever team lands KAJ (I am guessing between rounds 4-5) is going to get a steal.
Austin is a long 6’2″ 200lbs. with a massive 79.5 wingspan and an impressive all-important 3-cone time of 6.71. An extremely athletic playmaker with speed for days (4.43/40) who looks even faster when watching his tape. Oh, and leaving the Combine with a 9.93/10 RAS score leaves little doubt that he is NFL ready from an athletic standpoint.
KAJ is not without his faults, and yes, he does require some refinement. However, this is the stage of the draft where you “GET YOUR GUY”. Kevin Austin Jr. offers a unique blend of size, speed, athleticism, and growth potential which is why he’s “MY GUY” in the 4th round. Be sure to get yours!
4.02 – Tyler Allgeier, RB BYU
Chris Miles – @ChrisMiles1017
In our last two mocks, I selected Allgeier at 3.02, but for some reason, his market value has continued to fall. So, I knew I could get him at 4.02 now. Allgeier is a guy that I was drafting early in the 2nd round back in February rookie mocks and loving it. He smashes every analytical checkmark, he did not go to a small school, and he has workhorse size. The only flags on his profile are going to be speed and draft capital. But, once you hit the 3rd round of most rookie drafts every player will have one of those concerns plus even more. Allgeier is currently my RB5 and I would have gladly taken him 3.02 if I was not confident I could get him here.
4.03 – Isaiah Likely, TE Coastal Carolina
Chris Museezer – @force_fantasy
I love the value of getting Likely in the fourth round. Receiving yards per team pass attempt is a highly predictive metric to forecast future fantasy success. Likely posted a 2.83 RYPTPA which was a top ten score since 2004.
Likely was a major part of leading Coastal Carolina to 22 wins the last two years. His testing wasn’t elite which “likely” dropped him a few spots lower for those in this mock draft. He projects as a “move” tight end in the NFL. This means he will primarily be placed in a receiving role at the next level, which makes his fantasy value more important than tight ends of similar draft capital.
Here are some of his highlights from the 2021 season.
4.04 – Calvin Austin, WR Memphis
Conan Grune – @1stat1day
Coming in at 5’8” and 170 lbs., Austin is much more one-dimensional than the two receivers I picked earlier in this mock draft, Wilson, and Watson. That being said, he has otherworldly speed as evidenced by his 99th percentile 40-yard dash time of 4.32. He has quick feet, both at the line of scrimmage and throughout his route, allowing him to create separation with ease.
Though he broke out at an older age than most, that was largely due to his being a two-sport athlete (silver medalist in 4×400 at the 2019 American Athletic Conference). After stepping away from the track, Austin put up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons causing all sorts of problems for open-field tacklers: a true nightmare angle destroyer.
According to PlayerProfiler, his best NFL comparable is Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. With a slightly smaller frame, Austin will have to work hard to earn a spot in an offense. He will likely contribute mostly on special teams to start his career. He returned 20 punts during his breakout redshirt junior season, racking up 188 yards and a score. Like Watson, Austin is a player that may not see immediate work in the passing game. But whether it be through special teams or the run game, he will eventually earn more looks as any offense will want to utilize Austin beyond just a field-stretcher.
4.05 – Jerome Ford, RB Cincinnati
Scott Osterloh – @FF_EvilEmpire
Jerome Ford originally committed to Alabama out of high school, but after two years of riding the pine, the four-star recruit transferred out of Alabama to the Cincinnati Bearcats, where he dominated in his final two seasons of collegiate football. In 2022, Ford produced 1,315 yards on 215 carries along with 220 more yards on 21 receptions, all while recording 20 total touchdowns to lead Cincinnati to the CFB playoffs.
Ford may be an older prospect, but with his production, pedigree, and measurables (5’11″, 210lbs., 4.48 speed), I had to take a flyer on him at this stage in this mock draft.
Overall, I’m happy with my draft. I procured two solid RBs, a QB, and a tight end with my four picks. I was surprised that I didn’t come away with any WRs during the draft, but I saw value at other positions and took the best player available.
4.06 – Greg Dulcich, TE UCLA
Paul Patterson – @fantasyfreezer
Okay, I lied about the RB-only approach. In my defense, I didn’t expect my TE2 to be available in the fourth round of a TEP rookie mock draft. Greg Dulcich has a solid floor of production with 500+ yards in back-to-back seasons, above-average athleticism, and projected Day 2 draft capital. He’s the type of player you don’t need to overthink, especially this late in a rookie draft.
4.07 – Jelani Woods, TE Virginia
Carl – @RookieWhisper
Similar to Round 3, I’m looking for upside once again, and I think I nailed this one! I can’t confirm this, but I think Jelani Woods’s middle name is “Upside”! I was familiar with Woods before the combine due to his production (93rd percentile for a TE) and massive frame, coming in at 6’7” 252 lbs. However, since the combine, it seems everyone has been talking about him thanks to his unreal testing. His size-adjusted athleticism is the best ever for a TE:
Woods is a huge target and a freak athlete, which I believe will lead to him being drafted on Day 2 of the NFL Draft. Taking debatably the most athletic TE ever in the 4th round of a rookie draft feels like a no-brainer!
4.08 – Kyle Phillips, WR UCLA
Billy Beaman – @WillieBeamanDFF
The UCLA standout profiles as a dynamic slot receiver who can have an immediate impact in the right situation. We’ve seen the NFL recently turn towards smaller, quicker athletes over the traditional 6’4″ “true number one wide receiver”. Phillips certainly fits the mold of the former. He’s a refined route runner who exhibits great burst and run after the catch ability. However, he was used as a gadget player much of his time in college before 2021 so he lacks the expected level of experience most receivers have by this point in their careers. I’d imagine there will be a learning curve of sorts for him, but this is a dynasty draft so we can demonstrate some patience here.
4.09 – Jeremy Ruckert, TE Ohio State
DocFFFN – @DocFFFN
When you can get your TE2 of the draft as the sixth TE off the board and this late in a four-round draft, it is a good day. This being a TE premium league your author was not leaving the draft without at least one TE.
One of the only true-Y and dual-use TEs in this draft, Ruckert can be relied on to block and to catch passes. This will keep him on the field for more snaps with his future NFL team.
The former four-star recruit doesn’t have impressive numbers. However, keep in mind he played in an offense with two first-round picks at WR in this draft and most likely another who is a first-round pick in 2023. Add in TreVeyon Henderson as a potential target and you can see why Ruckert’s stats don’t jump off the page. As a prospect, Ruckert has soft, reliable hands and is a smoother route runner than he gets credit for. He also possesses strong football IQ and can easily find the openings against zone coverage.
Ruckert rounds out an excellent draft class (Jameson Williams, John Metchie III, Jalen Tolbert, and Ruckert) from the 1.09 slot.
4.10 – Romeo Doubs, WR Nevada
Jared Hines – @Ship_Chaser
6’2” 201 lbs.
Birthday: unknown but referred to as 21 years old
He did not participate in the Combine due to a knee injury but is widely considered to be highly athletic, with words like “twitchy”, “suddenness”, “explosive” and “slippery” being used to describe his game. He had over 1000 yards receiving in both his junior and senior seasons, with 138 receptions and 20 TDs during that time. There are questions about the consistency of his hands but that appears to be the biggest red flag, aside from playing at a smaller school. I don’t consider those to be very big negatives. Doubs could be seriously undervalued right now.
You could do a lot worse with a 4th round rookie upside dart throw here. WRs in the 3rd and 4th rounds of rookie drafts that have hit recently include Amon-Ra St. Brown, Terry McLaurin, Gabriel Davis, Chase Claypool, Kenny Golladay, and I feel that the jury is out on Kadarius Toney, Joshua Palmer, and Nico Collins but the signals are positive in my opinion and all three would yield far more on the trade market today than they would when they were drafted in our rookie draft(s) last year. Doubs could be one of those examples this year.
4.11 – Julius Chestnut, RB Sacred Heart
Charles – @Heady_Football
At this point in the draft, it’s time to go after those elite playmakers from the FCS subdivision that don’t get all the hype like those boys from the Missouri Valley Conference. Enter Julius Chestnut. Who, you ask? He simply garnered multiple First Team All-American nods, was third in the Walter Payton Award voting, and led FCS with 205 all-purpose yards per game with 171 on the ground in the 2021 spring season. Here’s a quick highlight reel put together by the Hula Bowl because before seeing this, I had no clue who he was. Now I’m glad I did and I’m hopeful for his future.
He showcases a great physicality to his game, finishing his runs with authority but also has that quick twitch home run capability you don’t typically expect to see from such a large running back. He was limited in the passing game but that was more than likely due to the fact there was no need to when you have such a beast at running back. While Sacred Heart didn’t have a Pro Day, he attended UConn’s Pro Day and was a head-turner. He ran the 40-yard dash at 4.47 & 4.49 to go along with some other explosive numbers for someone of his size.
End of the day, I’m not expecting to hear his name called in the draft but the smart teams out there will make him a priority UDFA. He won’t just be battling for a roster spot but for playing time. Consider yourself warned. If you don’t know who to take at the end of your draft, you should consider this player as he could end up being a bigger, faster version of James Robinson, another UDFA from the FCS Division.
4.12 – Keaontay Ingram, RB USC
The 4.12 in rookie drafts merely holds the value of choice and little more. You may be able to entice a manager with rookie fever to buy into one last dopamine rush, but there will be no major value return in this area.
Some of your favorite rookie sleepers will inevitably go undrafted and wind up on waivers. Don’t be afraid to throw your darts and flip the coins with the final selection. This whole process is supposed to be about learning how to evaluate incoming talent while enjoying the game of fantasy football.
With the final pick of DFF Rookie Mock 4.0, I elected to select Keaontay Ingram out of USC. Ingram began his collegiate career as a secondary option at Texas, putting up respectable first-year numbers, albeit in a limited role. He would increase his workload and production as a sophomore, rushing for 853 yards and ten total touchdowns. The arrival of soon-to-be NFL superstar Bijan Robinson forced Ingram to hit the transfer portal to USC for his final year.
Ingram’s change of scenery wouldn’t do much to increase his draft stock as USC’s offense waded through waves of inconsistency. He failed to crack the 1000-yard threshold at any point throughout his career but showed flashes of excellence when given the opportunity in a three-down role. He is a competent pass blocker with good hands in the receiving game.
There is little risk attached to drafting and stashing Ingram in hopes that he achieves the potential we once saw from his days in Texas.
