Written by: William Heiges II
I had the 7th overall pick in this draft, which was in a 2QB, standard scoring format. This mock was conducted using FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Wizard, with the roster settings being: 2QB, 2RB, 3WR, 1TE, 1Flex (RB/WR/TE), D/ST (team defense/special teams) and K. Be sure to follow Blitzalytics across all your favorite social media platforms for previous and upcoming mock drafts with different picks, rosters, and scorings!
Final Roster:
QB Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)
QB Dak Prescott (DAL)
RB Jordan Howard (CHI)
RB Alex Collins (BAL)
WR Antonio Brown (PIT)
WR Julio Jones (ATL)
WR Chris Hogan (NE)
TE Delanie Walker (TEN)
FLX Devante Parker (MIA)
DST Minnesota Vikings
K Stephen Gostkowski (NE)
Bench:
RB C.J. Anderson (CAR)
TE Trey Burton (CHI)
QB Andy Dalton (CIN)
WR Michael Gallup (DAL)
DST New England Patriots
K Dan Bailey (DAL)
Overview: This draft was very peculiar, as I was able to snag arguably the two best receivers in the league in Antonio Brown and Julio Jones with my first two picks. Even with selecting two wideouts with my first couple of picks, there were quite a few QBs taken in the first two rounds which made me feel comfortable in getting a decent RB1 in round three. Sure enough, I was able to get Jordan Howard, who is a very underrated back in this league considering his production the past two years. As a whole my overall team is solid, especially in the receiving corps, with some the guys that I selected being poised for a breakout season. Running back may be a little weak for me but the amount of volume and touches my starters have should translate into points. Also, it might not be wise to have a QB and WR from the same team in your lineup, but when it comes to Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown they are among the few exceptions to this situation.
For a breakdown of each pick of the draft, read below!
Round 1:
1) Todd Gurley, RB — LAR
2) Le’veon Bell, RB — PIT
3) Tom Brady, QB — NE
4) Ezekiel Elliott, RB — DAL
5) Aaron Rodgers, QB — GB
6) David Johnson, RB — ARI
7) Antonio Brown, WR — PIT
8) Deshaun Watson, QB — HOU
9) Alvin Kamara, RB — NO
10) Saquon Barkley, RB — NYG
11) Cam Newton, QB — CAR
12) Melvin Gordon, RB — LAC
Analysis: Usually in the first round I would consider targeting a top tier running back, but when a player like Antonio Brown falls to you at # 7 you just can’t pass up the best player at the wide receiver position. I was a little surprised to see four QBs go off the board in the first round given the talent that was available, but hey, anything can happen in fantasy mocks.
Round 2:
13) Kareem Hunt, RB — KC
14) DeAndre Hopkins, WR — HOU
15) Odell Beckham Jr., WR — HYG
16) Dalvin Cook, RB — MIN
17) Leonard Fournette, RB — JAC
18) Julio Jones, WR — ATL
19) Russell Wilson, QB — SEA
20) Michael Thomas, WR — NO
21) Keenan Allen, WR — LAC
22) Andrew Luck, QB — IND
23) Devonta Freeman, RB — ATL
24) Christian Mccaffrey, RB — CAR
Analysis: After choosing a receiver in the first round, conventional wisdom and typical fantasy strategy would say to go with a running back in the second. But in this case, I couldn’t let Julio Jones go after falling to me at 18. Now I can say I would arguably have the top “one — two” punch at receiver in the entire league. If Cook or Fournette had fallen to me there might have been a tougher decision to make, but Julio still makes the most sense given his talent and volume when healthy.
Round 3:
25) A.J. Green, WR — CIN
26) Carson Wentz, QB — PHI
27) LeSean McCoy, RB — BUF
28) Davante Adams, WR — GB
29) Drew Brees, QB — NO
30) Rob Gronkowski, TE — NE
31) Jordan Howard, RB — CHI
32) Mike Evans, WR — TB
33) T.Y. Hilton, WR — IND
34) Joe Mixon, RB — CIN
35) Matthew Stafford, QB — DET
36) Adam Thielen, WR — MIN
Analysis: Two rounds, two wideouts. Here is where you would hope that a top tier, if not decent, running back happens to fall to your slot. Sure enough, Jordan Howard was gift-wrapped right there for me at 31. This is a guy that can flat out play and his production has been outstanding despite being on a team that everyone knew was going to run the ball most of the time the past two seasons. With the Bears now adding more pass weapons and a new offensive scheme, Jordan may not get as many touches, but teams will be hesitant to stack the box for fear of the air attack. If this is the case, then look for him to be just as productive as he was before.
Round 4:
37) Kirk Cousins, QB — MIN
38) Marvin Jones, WR — DET
39) Stefon Diggs, WR — MIN
40) Jerick McKinnon, RB — SF
41) Tyreek Hill, WR — KC
42) Ben Roethlisberger, QB — PIT
43) Doug Baldwin, WR — SEA
44) Josh Gordon, WR — CLE
45) Travis Kelce, TE — KC
46) Demaryius Thomas, WR — DEN
47) Derrick Henry, RB — TEN
48) Zach Ertz, TE — PHI
Analysis: Seeing as this draft format is a 2 QB, the fourth round would be a good time to look for a quality starter at the position. Kirk Cousins was the initial target but Ben Roethlisberger is not a bad consolation. This works out for me in some ways, as having Big Ben’s favorite target, Antonio Brown, on my roster means that every time the two connect for a big gain or touchdown I will essentially be rewarded double the points. I would not do this for all QBs and their top receiver, but the numbers these two have put up in recent years are out of this world.
Round 5:
49) Jimmy Garoppolo, QB — SF
50) Amari Cooper, WR — OAK
51) JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR — PIT
52) Jared Goff, QB — LAR
53) Kenyan Drake, RB — MIA
54) Allen Robinson, WR — CHI
55) Alex Collins, RB — BAL
56) Jay Ajayi, RB — PHI
57) Philip Rivers, QB — LAC
58) Patrick Mahomes, QB — KC
59) Rashaad Penny, RB — SEA
60) Larry Fitzgerald, WR — ARI
Analysis: At this point I want to make sure that I become set at the other starting running back slot after devoting resources to being stacked at receiver. Kenyan Drake was in consideration, but alas was off the board two selections before me. I was very happy and content with Alex Collins, who should be the primary back in Baltimore’s backfield after a breakout season during which he posted an average of 4.6 yards per carry and finished as the 16th ranked running back. With Howard and Collins I may not have the most elite of starting backs, but the two are solid and will both see plenty of carries.
Round 6:
61) Golden Tate, WR — DET
62) Robby Anderson, WR — NYJ
63) Derrius Guice, RB — WAS
64) Alshon Jeffery, WR — PHI
65) Brandin Cooks, WR — LAR
66) Chris Hogan, WR — NE
67) Ronald Jones II, RB — TB
68) Mark Ingram, RB — NO
69) Jarvis Landry, WR — CLE
70) Lamar Miller, RB — HOU
71) Will Fuller, WR — HOU
72) Julian Edelman, WR — NE
Analysis: This was supposed to be the round in which I addressed the tight end spot in my lineup, but in seeing so many receivers getting selected and with there being three slots for the position, I decided to go with Chris Hogan. Hogan had a great first year with the Patriots when he was on the field and would have had a better second year if not for a shoulder injury last season that saw him miss a few games. Entering this year, the Patriots traded Brandon Cooks and lost Danny Amendola in free agency and also won’t have Julian Edelman for the first four games due to suspension. Hogan is Brady’s clear number one receiving option for week one along with Rob Gronkowski, and this early time will allow him to get in sync with a QB who can throw the ball 35–50 times a game a week. Hogan is a great value here.
Round 7:
73) Jimmy Graham, TE — GB
74) Matt Ryan, QB — ATL
75) Royce Freeman, RB — DEN
76) Sony Michel, RB — NE
77) Greg Olsen, TE — CAR
78) Evan Engram, TE — NYG
79) Delanie Walker, TE — TEN
80) Devin Funchess, WR — CAR
81) Michael Crabtree, WR — BAL
82) Corey Davis, WR — TEN
83) Tevin Coleman, RB — ATL
84) Kyle Rudolph, TE — MIN
Analysis: After filling up both running back and all three wideout slots in previous rounds it’s time to take a look at the tight end spot. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who thought this, as there were five tight ends selected in this round alone. If you want consistency and durability for the position, look no further than Delanie Walker. You might not get excited when you hear his name, but believe me, he’s worth it. This guy has been a top 8 tight end for the past four seasons with at least 100 targets each of those years. As Marcus Mariota continues his development, look for Walker to continue to put up solid numbers at the position.
Round 8:
85) Pierre Garcon, WR — SF
86) Dion Lewis, RB — TEN
87) Marcus Mariota, QB — TEN
88) Alex Smith, QB — WAS
89) Derek Carr, QB — OAK
90) Dak Prescott, QB — DAL
91) Sammy Watkins, WR — KC
92) Jamison Crowder, WR — WAS
93) Robert Woods, WR — LAR
94) Jordan Reed, TE — WAS
95) Jordy Nelson, WR — OAK
96) Marquise Goodwin, WR — SF
Analysis: In a 2 QB formatted draft lots of quality passers will go early on, which makes it vital that you use your early to mid round picks to get two guys you know you can count on. What helped me realize this was that three quality QBs all went before my pick this round, and I was more than okay with selecting Dak Prescott as my #2 QB. Despite having a “down” year in many peoples’ eyes, last year was a tale of two tapes for the young player. In the first half of the season, Dak was on fire and on pace to shatter his passing TD total from the previous year. Then, when RB Ezekiel Elliott finally gave in to his suspension and star LT Tyron Smith went down with injury, everything went downhill. From bad drops to poor play calling and atrocious blocking, Dak practically had nothing go right for him the second half of the season. This year will be different, and will show more of the Dak we all got excited to watch. His value as a runner for rushing TDs is also a nice bonus.
Round 9:
97) Jameis Winston, QB — TB
98) Emmanuel Sanders, WR — DEN
99) Randall Cobb, WR — GB
100) Case Keenum, QB — DEN
101) Cooper Kupp, WR — LAR
102) Eli Manning, QB — NYG
103) Devante Parker, WR — MIA
104) Carlos Hyde, RB — CLE
105) Marshawn Lynch, RB — OAK
106) D.J. Moore, WR — CAR
107) Kelvin Benjamin, WR — BUF
108) Baker Mayfield, QB — CLE
Analysis: It is always tricky to figure out how you want to approach the FLEX spot in your lineup. I typically want the player in this lineup to give me solid production week in and out and be someone that I can thrust into a regular spot should a bye-week or injury come up. Considering my options and who was available, I decided to roll with Devante Parker. The talented receiver has not been fantasy relevant for the last two years but this could be the season that it all comes together. Jarvis Landry, who ate up many targets, is gone to Cleveland and QB Ryan Tannehill is back from injury. Parker was chosen out of Louisville to be an eventual star for Miami and his coaches have said that this offseason he’s been working hard on the field and in the weight room to prove all the doubters wrong. Add all that up with the fact that his only competition for being the top receiver in this offense is Albert Wilson and Danny Amendola. Both aren’t bad, but stil…..
Round 10:
109) Jacksonville Jaguars, DST — JAC
110) Isaiah Crowell, RB — NYJ
111) Nick Chubb, RB — CLE
112) Marlon Mack, RB — IND
113) Tarik Cohen, RB — CHI
114) C.J. Anderson, RB — CAR
115) Jamaal Williams, RB — GB
116) Chris Thompson, RB — WAS
117) Kerryon Johnson, RB — DET
118) Rishard Matthews, WR — TEN
119) Allen Hurns, WR — DAL
120) Nelson Agholor, WR — PHI
Analysis: Finding a quality backup running back in the later rounds can be quite a daunting task. It’s usually at this avenue where people can select a “handcuff” player that is the backup for one of the players on your team and you can plug them into the starting line-up should your regular guy go down. I’m cool with doing that if there are no solid options left. Fortunately for me, RB C.J. Anderson was still on the board. When healthy and on the field, this was a very productive guy for the Broncos as their feature back. In Carolina, everything will most likely be centered around Christian McCaffrey, but that doesn’t mean Anderson won’t see his fair share of touches similar to the role Jonathan Stewart had last year as a grinder and goal-line back. Works for me as a bench player if not a spot starter.
Round 11:
121) Duke Johnson, RB — CLE
122) Calvin Ridley, WR — ATL
123) Nyheim Hines, RB — IND
124) Mitch Trubisky, QB — CHI
125) Rex Burkhead, RB — NE
126) Dez Bryant, WR — FA
127) Trey Burton, TE — CHI
128) Sterling Shepard, WR — NYG
129) Kenny Stills, WR — MIA
130) Christian Kirk, WR — ARI
131) Donte Moncrief, WR — JAC
132) James White, RB — NE
Analysis: It’s always good to have a solid back up at the tight end position which why I used this pick to grab Trey Burton. Burton was the top guy at his position this past year in free agency, which might not say much given his career totals as a backup. However, it wouldn’t make sense for the Chicago Bears to pay him $32 million over 4 years if they didn’t have a plan for him to have a huge role in the pass game. Even with all the other talent the team has added in free agency and the draft, Burton will still get plenty of looks, considering he did have a few exciting moments with the Eagles when given the opportunity. Not a bad pickup this late in the draft.
Round 12:
133) Lamar Jackson, QB — BAL
134) D’Onta Foreman, RB — HOU
135) David Njoku, TE — CLE
136) Marqise Lee, WR — JAC
137) Martavis Bryant, WR — OAK
138) Andy Dalton, QB — CIN
139) Blake Bortles, QB — JAC
140) Aaron Jones, RB — GB
141) Los Angeles Rams, DST — LAR
142) Kenny Golladay, WR — DET
143) Mike Williams, WR — LAC
144) Ryan Tannehill, QB — MIA
Analysis: In a 2 QB formated draft, one can only hope that one of their two starters doesn’t get injured. Selecting the best QB left available would be a very wise choice in this round to protect the position group on your roster. The two best players at this position left were Blake Bortles and Andy Dalton. I decided to go with the latter for a few simple reasons. One, Dalton might not be among the elites, but he can put up some decent stats when his offense is in sync. Two, he’s got more skill position talent around him and one of the top receivers in the league in A.J. Green. I spoke earlier about the insane numbers that Big Ben and AB have put up together in Pittsburgh; well Dalton and Green have also had one of the better QB-WR connections since they were drafted together. Finally, the Jaguars are more of a run-oriented team as they realize their best chance to win is to not ask so much of Bortles. Neither of them are superstars, but Dalton seems to be the better one to use in a pinch.
Round 13:
145) Cameron Meredith, WR — NO
146) LeGarrette Blount, RB — DET
147) Theo Riddick, RB — DET
148) Ty Montgomery, RB — GB
149) Josh Doctson, WR — WAS
150) Devontae Booker, RB — DEN
151) Minnesota Vikings, DST — MIN
152) DeSean Jackson, WR — TB
153) Jack Doyle, TE — IND
154) Sam Darnold, QB — NYJ
155) Latavius Murray, RB — MIN
156) Mohamed Sanu, WR — ATL
Analysis: Once you finish addressing all your skill position players and their backups, this seems to be a great spot to pick the best quality DST available to have as your primary starter for the spot. Seeing the Vikings DST still on the board this late in the draft has to make you say “BINGO!” when it’s your turn. This defense is loaded with talent, and the addition of Sheldon Richardson will make their d-line even more ferocious. Their back seven is also full of play-makers and studs, which makes this defense a must start or solid option at the worst almost every week.
Round 14:
157) Giovani Bernard, RB — CIN
158) Eric Ebron, TE — IND
159) O.J. Howard, TE — TB
160) Tyrod Taylor, QB — CLE
161) Tyler Eifert, TE — CIN
162) Michael Gallup, WR — DAL
163) Anthony Miller, WR — CHI
164) Joe Flacco, QB — BAL
165) Tyler Lockett, WR — SEA
166) Mike Gesicki, TE — MIA
167) George Kittle, TE — SF
168) Chris Carson, RB — SEA
Analysis: Even with four wideouts on the roster it can’t hurt to add another player that can be useful as the season goes on. Looking at all the receivers left, most of them are unproven backups or rookies looking to make an impact. This is where I think Michael Gallup holds great value. QB Dak Prescott just lost the two most productive receiving options that Dallas has had in the last few seasons in Jason Witten and Dez Bryant. Someone has to step up, and Gallup’s teammates are already noticing his work and efforts in these summer sessions and practices. Gallup was one of my favorite value picks in the NFL Draft this year, and he’s a great value pick here for the potential to be Dak’s most productive and reliable target on the outside.
Round 15:
169) Corey Clement, RB — PHI
170) Doug Martin, RB — OAK
171) Cole Beasley, WR — DAL
172) Bilal Powell, RB — NYJ
173) Cameron Brate, TE — TB
174) Matt Breida, RB — SF
175) Stephen Gostkowski, K — NE
176) Peyton Barber, RB — TB
177) Charles Clay, TE — BUF
178) Kalen Ballage, RB — MIA
179) Denver Broncos, DST — DEN
180) Kenneth DIxon, RB — BAL
Analysis: At this juncture of the draft if you have all your starters and backups selected you can look at getting your starting kicker. In this case, I went with Stephen Gostkowski, simply because he’s one of the best at his position and plays for a team that rarely has trouble moving the ball down into field goal range. Kicking 4–6 extra points per game also gives him strong value to give consistent points.
Round 16:
181) Nick Foles, QB — PHI
182) Benjamin Watson, TE — NO
183) Las Angeles Chargers, DST — LAC
184) Philadelphia, DST — PHI
185) Houston Texans, DST — HOU
186) New England, DST — NE
187) Baltimore Ravens, DST — BAL
188) New Orleans Saints, DST — NO
189) Josh Allen, QB — BUF
190) Pittsburgh Steelers, DST — PIT
191) Kansas City Chiefs, DST — KC
192) Seattle Seahawks, DST — SEA
Analysis: In this late round I wanted to find a decent if not efficient DST to have on my bench. For whatever reason, I have always thought it to be wise to have a second DST on your roster just in case you like looking at weekly matchups instead of relying on just one all season long. In this case, I’m going with the New England DST. Hear me out on this one, as we all know that this unit had some struggles last year. Head coach Bill Belichick is one of the greatest defensive minds in league history and always finds a way to get the best performance out of the talent he’s got. New England might have a few hiccups, but they often get solid consistent play for certain stretches of the season, which is why I took a waiver on them.
Round 17:
193) Greg Zuerlein, K — LAR
194) Justin Tucker, K — BAL
195) Matt Bryant, K — ATL
196) Will Lutz, K — NO
197) Matt Prater, K — DET
198) Jake Elliott, K — PHI
199) Dan Bailey, K — DAL
200) Harrison Butker, K — KC
201) Chris Boswell, K — PIT
202) Cairo Santos, K — NYJ
203) Mason Crosby, K — GB
204) Robbie Gould, K — SF
Analysis: This last pick can go to the best player available or someone that you think can surprise if thrust into a lineup, but I’m gonna go with another kicker to cover my bases and to make sure that each position on my roster has at least one backup. In this case, I picked Dan Bailey, as he’s one of the most accurate kickers in the league (when healthy), and I believe that Dallas will have moments where he’s gonna get plenty of action.