Fantasy Football – Veteran Winners from the NFL Draft

The 2022 NFL Draft is now behind us and we, as a dynasty community, are preparing or already doing our rookie mock drafts. With these rookies in play, many rosters have changed from skilled positions to offensive linemen. Today we look at the veteran winners of the NFL Draft. Which ones took a bump in their stock? Let’s take a look!

Zach Wilson

QB, New York Jets

Not only did the Jets win the NFL Draft, but they put everything they could around Zach Wilson to make him successful going into year two. Outside of the free agency, the Jets drafted Garrett Wilson 10th overall to pair with second-year receiver Elijah Moore.

However, we saw the first round end with no running backs being drafted, and then the Jets sitting there at pick 36 of the second round drafted the best talented running back in the draft in Breece Hall. A great tandem to pair with second-year running back Michael Carter. The Jets didn’t stop there either. In the third round, they added Ohio State tight end, Jeremy Ruckert. 

With all these weapons being put around Wilson, they are more than trying to justify taking him second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft and setting him and the New York Jets to compete in the AFC East. Wilson is a QB2 I’ll be targeting in drafts.

Aaron Rodgers

QB, Green Bay Packers

Usually, he’s on the loser list year after year, but this year he makes the winners list. Rumor has it that Rodgers wanted Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams, but the Detroit Lions traded up to pick 12 and snipped the star wide receiver from them. The Green Bay Packers would leave night one as another disappointment for Rodgers and the offense. 

Night two started differently for the Packers as they traded up to the second pick of the second round and selected FCS and North Dakota State standout Christian Watson. The Packers also drafted Romeo Doubs in round four. With a team that lost both Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling has hopefully replaced them with a future No. 1 in Watson and a deep threat in Doubs. Rodgers is a back-end QB1 I’ll be targeting in drafts with his obvious elite upside.

Jalen Hurts

QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Thursday night of the NFL draft was exciting, but the trading of A.J. Brown was one of the most surprising, yet exciting ones of them all. The Tennessee Titans traded A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for picks no.18 and no. 101 (third-round). 

The Eagles are going all-in with Jalen Hurts right now giving him a much-needed wide receiver to pair alongside DeVonta Smith. Most had Philadelphia drafting a wide receiver, but once Jameson Williams was drafted, they pulled the trigger in a trade for the star wide receiver. This is a make-or-break year for Hurts, and they put the needed pieces around him to make him succeed. If he fails this year or doesn’t meet expectations, the Eagles do hold two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. For now, I view Hurts as a top-10 quarterback, with a top-five upside.

Jameis Winston

QB, New Orleans Saints

This one is flying under the radar and I love it! No one is talking about what the Saints did during the draft and how it benefited Jameis Winston. Not only did the Saints trade up to pick No. 11 to select Chris Olave, but they also drafted standout Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning. Filling that gap left by Terron Armstead is huge and the Saints nailed it. Along with adding Olave to pair with Michael Thomas, the Saints are putting their trust in Winston. Winston is listed as a low-end QB2 with bye-week upside.

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Devin Singletary

RB, Buffalo Bills

Coming up to the NFL many people had Breece Hall going at the end of the first round to the Buffalo Bills but I had a “bold prediction” that no running back was going to be selected. The gods over on Reddit bashed it and said it wasn’t bold at all. Look who’s walking high and proud after being right for once! Hall was sniped by the New York Jets at pick No. 36 and Kenneth Walker III at pick No. 41.

The Buffalo Bills selected James Cook and us Devin Singletary owners should be happy! Cook should compete more with Zack Moss for the third-down back role while Singletary will be more of the first and second-down back. I still expect Singletary to continue on his RB2 run from last year. If I’m a team not contending in dynasty, I would look to sell him for some draft capital. 

Antonio Gibson

RB, Washington Commanders 

I’ve seen many people saying that Brian Robinson Jr. being drafted hurts Antonio Gibson. How? I say it doesn’t. Sure Washington spent fourth-round draft capital on a running back, but they also spent a first-round first-round pick on Jahan Dotson. So what gives?

Robinson was great last season for the Alabama Crimson Tide, but it took him five years to see that kind of time on the field, along with some things you don’t know. Sophomore running back Trey Sanders was injured the majority of the season and didn’t get to play to the near end of it. He broke out for 204 yards on 26 attempts in the college football playoffs but Sanders also put up 67 yards on just 14 attempts.

Sure, Robinson is a good running back, but I don’t see him as anything more than depth, which is exactly what Washington needed. Behind Gibson are J.D. McKissic and Jaret Patterson. Nothing else. Let your league mates think Robinson is a “threat” because reality is, he’s not. Going as a Mid-RB2 right now and starting to drop, I’m buying Gibson everywhere I can. 

Saquon Barkley

RB, New York Giants 

Earlier this off-season there were rumors going rumors were going around that Saquon Barkley was on the trade block. Those rumors were shut down quickly and the end of that speculation was over. Going into the NFL Draft, I was hoping the Giants would spend one if not both of their first-round picks on one of the top offensive tackles. Rest assured, they did just that by taking Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal no.7 overall. Pair Neal with Andrew Thomas bolsters both ends of the line. 

The Giants didn’t stop there on the offensive line. They added guards Joshua Ezeuda in the third and Marcus McKethan in the fifth. Three offensive linemen in this draft, and that doesn’t even include what they added during free agency.

Improving the offensive line was a must for the Giants and they did just that. With an improved offensive line and a healthy (fingers crossed, he stays healthy) Barkley should be a bounce-back candidate who is currently being viewed as a mid-RB2 and could return RB1, if not top-3 numbers for 2022. Barkley is a buy-now for me.

Darnell Mooney

WR, Chicago Bears

Seeing Darnell Mooney’s name on this list may make you say “huh?” But as a wide receiver on the Chicago Bears it was a win for him. A huge “need” going into the NFL Draft would make you think with a deep wide receiver class like this, the Bears will draft a wide receiver, right? In the third round, the Bears drafted Velus Jones Jr. who is a wide receiver who is better served as a punt/kick returner than anything as I stated in my NFL Draft Sleeper Wide Receivers article.

Passing on players like John Metchie III, George Pickens, and Skyy Moore in the second round and still choosing Jones Jr. even with Jalen Tolbert and David Bell available is a major head-scratcher for the Bears. Even with Justin Fields picking Velus Jones Jr. should not have been allowed. A hit for the Bears, but a huge win for Mooney. Mooney is being drafted as a WR3 in drafts and I would love to have him at that value coming off the board around WR30.

Michael Pittman Jr.

WR, Indianapolis Colts

Not only did Michael Pittman win the NFL Draft, but he has also won the off-season. First, he gets a quarterback upgrade in Matt Ryan. Then they go into the NFL draft and use their first pick (round 2: no.53) on Cincinnati wide receiver Alec Pierce. This is a great complementary piece to add with Pittman Jr and should help him be more efficient as a wide receiver.

The addition of Pierce was a much-needed one as there is really no one else in Indy. But I don’t believe it’s enough to really hurt Pittman’s value. I am still drafting Pittman as a low-end WR2.

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Rashod Bateman

WR, Baltimore Ravens

When Marquise Brown was traded to the Arizona Cardinals, that automatically opened up 146 targets for the Ravens. At the time you would think that the Baltimore Ravens would have drafted a wide receiver, but instead built up the offensive line and added a couple of new tight ends.

Now, I am not saying Rashod Bateman is getting the additional 146 targets, but he will absolutely improve on his rookie year’s 68 targets. Plus, now he is the WR1 on a run-heavy team, but should easily see well over 100 targets. Even when he had Brown on the field, he was still very productive. Now it’s just Devin Duvernay and Tylan Wallace with Bateman. Bateman is a year two breakout of mine and I will be drafting him as a WR3 with WR2 upside and a WR1 ceiling.

– Losers from the NFL Draft –

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