Just two picks remain in my mock draft series. I will say now, speak it into existence. This time around, I am going to make this a zero RB mock draft. I know who I will (likely) not see at 1.02 and if he isn’t there I’ll commit to the bit and see where it takes us. Usually, I decide what my strategy is as the mock draft goes. My mindset is always to have a strategy and be ready to throw it away. Improvise, adapt, overcome.
Picking Second Overall in Standard Leagues
This mock draft will simulate a 10-team, 1-quarterback, standard league. The roster will consist of 2 wide receivers, 2 running backs, 1 tight end, and 1 Flex position along with seven bench slots. The kicker and D/ST picks will not be included. I’ll make my way back through the draft in reverse order over the coming weeks.
ROUND ONE
1.01- Christian McCaffrey SF – RB
1.02- CeeDee Lamb DAL – WR
1.03- Tyreek Hill MIA – WR
1.04- Ja’Marr Chase CIN – WR
1.05- Justin Jefferson MIN – WR
1.06- Breece Hall NYJ – RB
1.07- Bijan Robinson ATL – RB
1.08- Amon-Ra St. Brown DET – WR
1.09- A.J. Brown PHI – WR
1.10- Garrett Wilson NYJ – WR
MY PICK: CeeDee Lamb
CeeDee Lamb ended his holdout earlier this week and finds his way at the top of many draft boards at WR. I will admit, I am nervous about soft tissue injuries after not participating in camp (see Justin Jefferson last season), but for this mock draft, I’ll start by taking him. He has the best chance of all WRs to finish as WR1 this year. In 2024 there are a lot of receivers you can easily see finishing as the top WR. Lamb is not just head and shoulders the feature receiver on the Cowboys, he’s the feature player of this offense. Their offense will only go as far as he takes them. That said, expect a TON of volume for Lamb in 2024. If injury risk doesn’t keep you from taking Lamb, nothing should.
ROUND TWO
2.01- Jonathan Taylor IND – RB
2.02- Puka Nacua LAR – WR
2.03- Saquon Barkley PHI – RB
2.04- Nico Collins HOU – WR
2.05- Jahmyr Gibbs DET – RB
2.06- Derrick Henry BAL – RB
2.07- Deebo Samuel Sr. SF – WR
2.08- Travis Etienne Jr. JAC – RB
2.09- Marvin Harrison Jr. ARI – WR
2.10- Kenneth Walker III SEA – RB
MY PICK: Marvin Harrison Jr.
I’ve talked before about how I could see Marvin Harrison Jr. finish as the top receiver in fantasy. He’s that good. Like a blend between A.J. Green and JaMarr Chase. Unlike many receivers who are taken as high as he is, he’s coming into an offense without a good quarterback. It’s very similar to the situation Chase found himself in. A WR prospect who was arguably the best player in the entire draft, on a team with other decent targets but none nowhere near as good as him. Look at Chase’s rookie season and tell me you wouldn’t be happy with that from your second-round pick.
ROUND THREE
3.01- Mike Evans TB – WR
3.02- Josh Allen BUF – QB
3.03- Kyren Williams LAR – RB
3.04- Isiah Pacheco KC – RB
3.05- Drake London ATL – WR
3.06- Jalen Hurts PHI – QB
3.07- De’Von Achane MIA – RB
3.08- Josh Jacobs GB – RB
3.09- Joe Mixon HOU – RB
3.10- Malik Nabers NYG – WR
MY PICK: Josh Allen
In committing to the bit in this mock draft, I strike early on one of the top-tier QBs taking the one I see as the player on top. Many people might be hesitant to take Josh Allen after losing Stefon Diggs but how impactful was Diggs down the stretch last season? In the six games when Joe Brady took over as the Bills offensive coordinator, Diggs saw his yards per game cut in half and his targets per game drop from 10.2 to 8.3. Meanwhile, Josh Allen showed no signs of slowing down. So why would he in 2024? With a full offseason for Brady to implement his scheme, we should expect much of the same from Allen in 2024.
ROUND FOUR
4.01- Rachaad White TB – RB
4.02- James Cook BUF – RB
4.03- DJ Moore CHI – WR
4.04- DK Metcalf SEA – WR
4.05- Jaylen Waddle MIA – WR
4.06- David Montgomery DET – RB
4.07- James Conner ARI – RB
4.08- Davante Adams LV – WR
4.09- Sam LaPorta DET – TE
4.10- Chris Olave NO – WR
MY PICK: Sam LaPorta
I will admit. This is where I began to feel nervous. A huge run on RBs during the long stretch between 3.02 and 4.09 has me looking at a bleak pool of RBs left. Nine of the 16 picks during that stretch were RBs. Now I’m left with a choice. Take an RB now or take the top TE on my board. I still prefer Travis Kelce over Sam LaPorta but for the sake of being different, I’ll take LaPorta this time. Sam LaPorta has the highest floor of all TEs in my opinion. While other top TEs like Kelce and Andrews might be the top receivers on their respective teams, they aren’t getting any younger. LaPorta put up a great year in 2023 and he did it as a rookie. While he won’t supplant Amon Ra St. Brown as the top pass catcher in Detroit, I think there is enough football to go around for LaPorta to supplant all other TEs as the standard bearer in 2024.
ROUND FIVE
5.01- Travis Kelce KC – TE
5.02- Alvin Kamara NO – RB
5.03- Rhamondre Stevenson NE – RB
5.04- Najee Harris PIT – RB
5.05- Aaron Jones MIN – RB
5.06- Mark Andrews BAL – TE
5.07- Brandon Aiyuk SF – WR
5.08- Patrick Mahomes II KC – QB
5.09- Lamar Jackson BAL – QB
5.10- Raheem Mostert MIA – RB
MY PICK: Alvin Kamara
So I risked taking a TE in round five instead of my first RB and it paid off. No RBs came off the board but a TE did. Still, picking is getting thin fast and now I have to take a RB before a long break between my picks. I’m not thrilled about Alvin Kamara being my top RB but I have the most confidence in him receiving the volume necessary where I can start him every week. Kamara is the lead back in New Orleans, and if head coach Dennis Allen’s displeasure with Kendre Miller’s lack of ability to stay healthy is any indication, Kamara is not under threat of losing that top spot. That’s what you need to look for when breaking a zero RB strategy. I understand wanting to get all upside RBs, but at least one should have a high floor, even at the cost of a chance at a RB1.
ROUND SIX
6.01- George Kittle SF – TE
6.02- Javonte Williams DEN – RB
6.03- D’Andre Swift CHI – RB
6.04- Kyle Pitts ATL – TE
6.05- Cooper Kupp LAR – WR
6.06- Anthony Richardson IND – QB
6.07- C.J. Stroud HOU – QB
6.08- Trey McBride ARI – TE
6.09- Brian Robinson Jr. WAS – RB
6.10- Tony Pollard TEN – RB
MY PICK: Brian Robinson Jr.
It’s starting to get late early in the RB room and I again find myself staring at a board with few good picks left. Brian Robinson Jr. feels like the best of a bad bunch. I’m looking for volume here. Someone I can take in case all my other sleeper RB picks go bust. I need a second high-floor RB because I’m not confident I can get by without one. Robinson Jr. is one of the last guys who has good talent and plays on an offense that should at least be improved with the addition of Jayden Daniels. Still, I’m not happy about it, and I’ll explain why after the next pick.
ROUND SEVEN
7.01- Kyler Murray ARI – QB
7.02- Amari Cooper CLE – WR
7.03- Jordan Love GB – QB
7.04- Michael Pittman IND – WR
7.05- Zamir White LV – RB
7.06- Jonathon Brooks CAR – RB
7.07- Joe Burrow CIN – QB
7.08- Devin Singletary NYG – RB
7.09- Jaylen Warren PIT – RB
7.10- DeVonta Smith PHI – WR
MY PICK: Amari Cooper
This is exactly why I don’t believe the zero RB strategy is the best strategy. Look at the RBs and WRs taken this round. WRs like Amari Cooper, Michael Pittmann and DeVonta Smith are available in round seven. Meanwhile, the RB room features Zamir White who has limited history, Jonathan Brooks and Devin Singletary who are on the worst offenses in football, and Jaylen Warren who could get lost in a three-way time share. The WR depth vs RB depth is night and day different. Even if I want a QB or a TE instead of a RB. I could come away with Joe Burrow or Dalton Kincaid. I have a way to try to salvage the rest of this mock draft, and it begins next round.
ROUND EIGHT
8.01- Gus Edwards LAC – RB
8.02- Tee Higgins CIN – WR
8.03- Christian Watson GB – WR
8.04- Zack Moss CIN – RB
8.05- Tank Dell HOU – WR
8.06- George Pickens PIT – WR
8.07- Tyjae Spears TEN – RB
8.08- Stefon Diggs HOU – WR
8.09- Chase Brown CIN – RB
8.10- Zay Flowers BAL – WR
MY PICK: Chase Brown
I know now, I’ll need to draft a lot of RBs. A lot a lot. You’ll see what I mean. For now, Chase Brown feels like a blessing. I love his upside, a great athlete in a pass-first offense and his main competition is Zack Moss. Nothing against Moss, but a lot of other RBs being taken here have tougher competition than Moss. Heck, Moss went earlier this round. We may not see dividends pay early, but give it time and I could see Chase Brown being the lead back in one of the best offenses in football.
ROUND NINE
9.01- Diontae Johnson CAR – WR
9.02- Jerome Ford CLE – RB
9.03- Austin Ekeler WAS – RB
9.04- Rashee Rice KC – WR
9.05- Terry McLaurin WAS – WR
9.06- Calvin Ridley TEN – WR
9.07- Blake Corum LAR – RB
9.08- Dalton Kincaid BUF – TE
9.09- Christian Kirk JAC – WR
9.10- Jayden Daniels WAS – QB
My Pick: Jerome Ford
I have a feeling I’ll need to piecemeal my RB room early in the season while I figure out who is sticking around. I need players who can contribute early, a lot of them. Ford fits that mold. As I’ve said before, Ford’s value is on a timer. It’s a matter of when, not if he loses his job to Nick Chubb. Until such time, I’ll make use of Ford. He’s a RB2 when Chubb is off the field, I can work with that and play Ford based on the matchup.
ROUND 10
10.01- Rome Odunze CHI – WR
10.02- Jayden Reed GB – WR
10.03- Chris Godwin TB – WR
10.04- Courtland Sutton DEN – WR
10.05- Nick Chubb CLE – RB
10.06- Keenan Allen CHI – WR
10.07- Xavier Worthy KC – WR
10.08- DeAndre Hopkins TEN – WR
10.09- Brian Thomas Jr. JAC – WR
10.10- Trey Benson ARI – RB
MY PICK: Brian Thomas Jr.
I’m glad I finally have the chance to talk about Brian Thomas Jr. He’s a great talent, and reminds me very much of Tee Higgins. Except unlike Higgins, there is no JaMarr Chase on the Jaguars who will be the alpha WR over him. Thomas has the chance to become that top-end WR for the Jaguars and I think with his talent and what he showed during the preseason that could happen sooner than later. Imagine finding a WR2 in round ten? I’ve found him later in some drafts. This late, the upside isn’t quite there with other WRs like it is for Thomas Jr. I think he becomes a big playmaker for Trevor Lawrence early and if so you might come away with the steal of the draft.
ROUND 11
11.01- Marquise Brown KC – WR
11.02- Ezekiel Elliott DAL – RB
11.03- J.K. Dobbins LAC – RB
11.04- Jaxon Smith-Njigba SEA – WR
11.05- Ladd McConkey LAC – WR
11.06- Jameson Williams DET – WR
11.07- Rico Dowdle DAL – RB
11.08- Zach Charbonnet SEA – RB
11.09- Jordan Addison MIN – WR
11.10- Ty Chandler MIN – RB
My Pick: Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elliott is an interesting choice here, but considering how many RBs I took I feel comfortable taking him and holding him for a week or two probationary period. I want to see what his role looks like in Dallas, especially with the new addition of Dalvin Cook. If Elliott takes the lion’s share of carries and looks even okay with the ball he will be serviceable. If he’s in a 50/50 split with Rico Dowdle, I’m nervous about his usage when Cook joins the team. I’m not sure Cook will have a huge role, signing this late, but I think he can certainly eliminate any value Elliott might have. However, with Kamara, Robinson Jr., Brown and Ford I can afford to stash Ezekiel Elliott incase he does return to his old Dallas form.
ROUND 12
12.01- Brock Purdy SF – QB
12.02- David Njoku CLE – TE
12.03- Evan Engram JAC – TE
12.04- Dak Prescott DAL – QB
12.05- Kendre Miller NO – RB
12.06- Jake Ferguson DAL – TE
12.07- Brock Bowers LV – TE
12.08- Caleb Williams CHI – QB
12.09- Chuba Hubbard CAR – RB
12.10- Ray Davis BUF – RB
MY PICK: Chuba Hubbard
Chuba Hubbard makes six RBs in this mock draft. All but three bench spots are occupied by one position. I’m taking a scattershot approach, hoping I can hit on something and find some success. Similar to Ford, Hubbard’s days are numbered. He won’t be the lead back once Jonathan Brooks gets healthy. Until such time, I’ll settle for a team’s current lead back falling into my lap in round 12, even if that team is the Carolina Panthers.
ROUND 13
13.01- Jaleel McLaughlin DEN – RB
13.02- Dallas Goedert PHI – TE
13.03- Jaylen Wright MIA – RB
13.04- Tyler Allgeier ATL – RB
13.05- Antonio Gibson NE – RB
13.06- MarShawn Lloyd GB – RB
13.07- Khalil Herbert CHI – RB
13.08- Bucky Irving TB – RB
13.09- New York Jets NYJ – DST
13.10- San Francisco 49ers SF – DST
MY PICK: Dallas Goedert
Dallas Goedert being available this late in this mock draft shows how much deeper the TE position is in 2024 than in year’s past. The overall TE position might be down but someone like Goedert is a serviceable TE. The addition of Barkley complicates the workload for Goedert more than anyone on the Eagles, but he should still see plenty of work without any WR3 to get excited about in Philadelphia. Still, to find a serviceable backup TE in round 13 is a great value.
STARTING LINEUP
QB – Josh Allen
RB – Alvin Kamara, Brian Robinson Jr.
WR – CeeDee Lamb, Marvin Harrison Jr.
TE – Sam LaPorta
FLEX – Amari Cooper
Bench: Chase Brown, Jerome Ford, Brian Robinson Jr., Ezekiel Elliott, China Hubbard, Dallas Goedert, Kick Cousins (14.09)
CONCLUSION
I’ll be honest. This mock draft, coming in as my least favorite. I just don’t think the board will fall favorably if you want to implement a zero RB strategy any further than round three. The round three to four turn shows how quickly the RB room falls off.
This team got what it set out to. Top-end talent at every position besides RB. Between two WR1 overall candidates, the top QB and the first TE off the board. It’s the glaring weakness that has me nervous for this team.
The mindset behind a zero RB strategy is twofold. RBs suffer injuries more frequently so they’re easier to replace and you can find RBs as the season progresses. However, will those lack of top-end RBs hurt my team for too long before I finally find a rotation in the backfield? I think if you’re picking in early round one, like in this mock draft, you should take at least one RB in the first three rounds. A hero RB strategy might have made this team look far superior.