The DFF Army got together again after the NFL Scouting Combine for its second analyst-only rookie mock draft of the 2023 off-season. Here we randomly selected spots and then ran the draft in a linear order; the settings are Superflex and PPR. Hopefully, this can help give you an earlier sense of the players you should be considering at the top of your draft and the gems you will want to target later. Check out every third-round selection below and each writer’s reasoning behind their pick!
4.01 – Rakim Jarrett, WR, Maryland
Matt Ward – @PsychWardFF
Rakim Jarrett has all of the necessary raw ingredients to cook up a quality NFL career but lacks the utensils necessary to prep the product. Jarrett’s fundamentals, or lack thereof, have kept him from matching the hype of his undeniable potential. The former Maryland standout has an enticing blend of athleticism and open-field moves after the catch with incredibly quick feet and shifty body control. There is an undeniable inherent risk in Jarrett’s profile but the potential upside should he put all the pieces together is well above the fourth-round entry cost.
4.02 – DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB
Doug Harrelson – @DougHarrelson
I thought I was going to be taking Rakim Jarrett for a 3rd mock draft this draft season but alas, Matt Ward sniped him right out from under my nose. So we had to scramble here to make another pick. At this stage of the draft, there are no wrong answers. McBride looks like an NFL running back when he has the ball in his hands. With a ton of experience and volume at the college level, it feels like he could easily be plugged in as a backup in the NFL and give us a few solid weeks of fantasy production. From the limited tape, I could get my hands on I did have some concerns in pass protection, catching the ball out of the backfield, and a bit of ball security. I love the value of a handcuff RB in the 4th round of a rookie draft though so I’ll take a shot here on McBride.
4.03 – Parker Washington, WR, Penn State
Ben Winkler – @bwinknfl
I was between a few other receivers here, namely Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Trey Palmer, but ultimately landed on Washington for a couple of reasons. Washington is sort of a weird player to me, as you don’t really see a lot of sub-6’0 contested catch artists. But, that’s exactly what Washginton is – and he’s damn good at it. Washington is a densely built receiver, with a BMI so high that falls into the running back sweet spot. Similarly to my last pick, he checks all the basic indicators (early declare, breakout age) for NFL success. Washington also might have the best hands in this entire class and looks eerily similar to Adam Theilen on tape. He’s not quite a burner but is definitely solid after the catch. I like the odds of Washington being able to carve out a role as a good reliable piece in a receiver room, which could lead to him being a respectable contributor to a fantasy roster.
4.04 – Nathaniel Dell, WR, Houston
Chris Museezer – @force_fantasy
Let’s rip the band-aid off and just come out with it. Dell is skinny. He makes DeVonta Smith look like D.K. Metcalf. Ok, that is perhaps a stretch but you get my point. But the aforementioned Devonta Smith along with players like Chris Olave seem to be paving the way for Dell in the NFL. Tank is having a great Senior Bowl in Mobile gaining consistent separation from aspiring NFL cornerbacks. He also produced at a high level in college. He led all receiving prospects in college PPR PPG while positing a stellar 2.90 RYPTPA (Receiving yards per team pass attempt).
4.05 – Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion
Chris Miles – @ChrisMiles1017
Zack Kuntz is a tight-end prospect that I was not familiar with until he blew up the combine. At 6’7” and 255 pounds he earned a 123.0 speed score along with a 134.0 burst score and a 10.99 agility score. All of these marks are 97th percentile or better and athleticism is predictive of tight-end fantasy points. Kuntz earned a 120.1 overall athleticism score from Player Profiler which is good for #1 among TEs in this class, #2 among all positions in this class, #1 among all TEs in their database (536 TEs), and #20 out of all positions, all time (6,620 players). This guy is an athletic freak and that is worth taking a shot at this late in the draft.
4.06 – Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia
Drew Pettiford – @puma_drew
Deep shot here in the fourth round on Stetson Bennett. He has all of the hardware to prove he’s a good QB, but projected draft capital right now, and the league’s QB landscape, shows Bennett to be nothing more than a backup, unfortunately. I do think he’s a great stash in Superflex, especially if he gets out in a situation where the team’s QB situation is shaky, to begin with.
4.07 – Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa St.
Jagger May – @FantasyBluechip
If you haven’t seen Sam LaPorta speak at the podium you are missing out. He just seems like he has a really good head on his shoulders and he’s a damn good athlete to add to it. He probably won’t ever be the strongest blocker but definitely has some receiving upside with LaPorta who put on a good workout at the NFL Combine.
4.08 – Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia
Paul Patterson – @FantasyFreezer
Kenny McIntosh is probably bad. He’s an older prospect with a low BMI and uninspiring college production. However, my late-round rookie picks are reserved for RBs with very few exceptions and he looked like the best RB on the board. The NFL Draft will provide more clarity on which RBs are the best targets in this range, but the key takeaway here is that I don’t trust late-round QBs, RBs, and TEs.
4.09 – Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
Doc – @DocFFFN
The junior TE for the FCS Champion Jackrabbits is a big, physical, and athletic TE that has been primarily overlooked during this pre-draft season. He’s made acrobatic catches and he always fights hard for extra yardage after each reception. Along with Cameron Latu, Kraft is your author’s favorite under-the-radar TE from this year’s draft class. Don’t be surprised if both are drafted within the top-6 TEs that come off the board (thinking Day 2 draft capital).
4.10 – Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WR, West Virginia
Billy Beaman – @WillieBeamanDFF
Ford-Wheaton ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at 6’4” 221 lbs. Why not take another shot on an athletic freak at the end of the draft? He didn’t have the college production but not many of the players at the end of the fourth round do anyway.
4.11 – Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford
Joe Memmolo – @DFF_JoeMem
There isn’t much left at this point in the draft so taking a flier on a quarterback who could rise. He has excellent size and a great arm. Definitely, a long shot but aren’t they all this late in the game?
4.12 – Trey Palmer, WR, Nebraska
MG – @AlwaysBBuilding
You can’t teach speed and this kid has plenty of it. NFL teams (cough Raiders cough) always gravitate toward players who can bust the bubble. I dare say Palmer’s value at the 4.12 far outweighs his speedy contemporary in Jalin Hyatt. Value add.
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