What will the future of the NFL look like? Which young players will rise to stardom as the next generation of household NFL names? Will this year’s rookie class be full of studs, or duds? And what current college players are set to burst through this fall and hear their names called early on in the next few NFL Drafts?
That’s exactly what we dive into today. I (Travis May, Devy and College Football Lead at RotoViz) was joined by two great college football and NFL Draft experts Shane Hallam and Dwight Peebles to hold a three-round mixed devy and 2021 rookie draft. Shane is the host of the Devy Marketplace podcast and is a long-time writer for Fake Pigskin and Steel City Insider. Dwight has done work with Dynasty Nerds, Campus2Canton, the Devy Manual podcast, and several other places cranking out solid college football and NFL Draft work over the years as well.
In this three-round mixed mock draft the three of us select all the players we believe have the best chance at NFL success and bring the most value to fantasy football rosters now and in the future! The drafted pool includes several 2021 rookies, some incredible returning college talent (some of whom I covered this spring), and even one young player just starting his college football career this fall.
So without further ado, I hope this helps you sift through some current college and rookie player values in all your devy and dynasty fantasy leagues! Enjoy the draft!
Round 1
1.01 (Dwight) – Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
They select no surprise here as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft first. Trevor Lawrence posted three consecutive seasons with a passing efficiency profile above the 90th percentile. And his rushing ability is quite underrated, averaging over 30 yards and nearly a touchdown per game in his final two seasons for the Clemson Tigers!
1.02 (Shane) – Justin Fields, QB Chicago Bears
Speaking of efficient passers, Justin Fields has just one fewer season of 90th percentile passing efficiency with even greater mobility to go along with that. His sub-4.5 forty-yard dash paired with otherworldly arm strength and a near perfect passing profile outside of two games in a COVID season make him an easy selection in the two-slot.
1.03 (Travis) – D.J. Uiagalelei, QB Clemson (2023 Eligible)
For those unfamiliar with college football this may seem like a reach, but at 6 feet 4 inches and 250 pounds DJ Uiagalelei profiles like a perfect pocket passer with the build and mobility of Cam Newton. A five-star recruit coming out of high school, Uiagalelei averaged 18 yards per completion and over six yards per carry against the toughest competition in the nation, wrapping up his high school resume with a national championship. He then posted near 90th percentile passing efficiency numbers as a true freshman against a College Football Playoff team in Notre Dame and an above-average defense in Boston College. First-round pick in 2023 with the highest ceiling of any player in this draft.
