It’s always fun when the QBList staff gets together for a preseason mock draft – and by fun, I mean a miserable snipe-fest of queue raiders snatching up all the players that you planned on taking with your next pick throughout the entire draft – looking at you, Drew! I participated in the staff mock put on by Brian Hartman (@TooMuchBrian), Mario Adamo Jr. (@MarioAdamoJr), and Nick Beaudoin (@DynastyBode) as part of their podcast episode, and I was relatively happy with how things turned out. Below, I’ve listed my team and explained my reasoning behind each pick.
QBList Lead Analyst Jay Felicio (@GMenJay): With Brian, Mario, and Nick already handling the big picture POV for the mock draft, I decided to take a long look at Brett’s team to roast him offer feedback and ask him a few questions. I sought out selections for which Brett could offer not just his insights, but also actionable advice if you find yourself in a similar situation during your drafts.
QB List Staff mock draft
- Team 1 – Mario Adamo Jr. (@MarioAdamoJr)
- Team 2 – Riley Blum
- Team 3 – Steve Pintado (@CoachStevenP)
- Team 4 – Mike Miklius
- Team 5 – Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL)
- Team 6 – Drew DeLuca (@drewdelaware)
- Team 7 – Brett Ford (@Fadethatman)
- Team 8 – Nick Beaudoin (@DynastyBode)
- Team 9 – Raymi Chavez
- Team 10 – Estevao Maximo (@Estevao_maximo)
- Team 11 – Jake Havelock (@HavelockJustin)
- Team 12 – Brian Hartman (@toomuchbrian)
View the full draft board here
1.7 – SF RB, Christian McCaffrey
Brett: With the seventh overall selection, I had the choice between McCaffrey, an elite wide receiver (Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown), or Ashton Jeanty. Had I been drafting based on Jay’s rankings, I would have selected Jeanty or Jefferson ahead of CMC. However, I strapped on my big-boy pants, shrugged off any injury fears, and took the running back that WILL finish as the RB1 in points per game this season. The hope is that it will be across 17 games and not three. McCaffrey’s place in one of the better offenses and best offensive schemes in the league, paired with his ridiculously easy schedule, makes him a smash pick for me in the middle of the first round. I understand the injury risk, but I’m a sucker for CMC.
Jay: Kudos for making the Christian McCaffrey pick. There is nothing worse than watching a guy you were in on have a career year on someone else’s team because you were too afraid to go against the grain. Which of the six players taken ahead of him would you also have passed on to select CMC (if any)?
Brett: I think Chase and Lamb are the only guys that I would have taken ahead of CMC, but that completely changes my roster construction from the jump. From a running back perspective, I’m hitching my wagon to the health of McCaffrey and praying for a full season of production. From a points per game perspective, he’s practically untouchable. In 2024, Saquon Barkley was the RB1 with 21.2 points per game in half-PPR formats. In 2023, CMC went for 22.4 points per game. The guy is injury prone… until he’s not. And if he stays healthy, he’s a league-winner, plain and simple.
2.6 – ATL WR, Drake London
Brett: This was probably my toughest decision of the draft, as I was faced with taking one of my favorite wide receivers in the league or a running back that I’m also very excited about. It would have made logical sense to take Bucky Irving in the second round to provide some injury insurance at running back if CMC were to get injured – but I decided to draft without fear of injury. London has a clear and feasible path to becoming the WR1 overall this season. With Penix under center for a full year, London has the potential to outperform his incredible 2024 pace. He’s a red zone extraordinaire, a target hog on a team without a clear WR2 after Darnell Mooney‘s injury news, and has proven he can be a true alpha receiver. I’ve got him ranked ahead of guys like Puka Nacua and Nico Collins, and was thrilled to see him fall to me in the middle of the second round.
3.7 – LAC RB, Omarion Hampton
Brett: I knew I needed a running back in the third round and had the luxury of choosing between two excellent options at the 3.7. After some debate, I ended up going with Los Angeles Chargers rookie Omarion Hampton over Buffalo Bills recent signee James Cook. The value of a full training camp may not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but it was enough to break a tie between these two backs for me. By all accounts, Hampton should be the RB1 to begin the season for the Chargers, as Najee Harris is still a question mark with his eye injury. As a Ravens fan, I’ve seen first-hand what offensive coordinator Greg Roman can do with a talented running back, and I’m confident in Hampton’s ability to carry the load for the Bolts.
Jay: If Omarion Hampton and/or James Cook weren’t available in the third round, would you have selected one of the running backs drafted after 3.07? Or would you have faded the position for at least another round?
Brett: If both of those players had been off the board, the next guy in my queue in the third round was Lamar Jackson. If I hadn’t gotten Hampton or Cook, I probably would’ve waited even longer for an RB2 and gone full HERO RB mode with CMC. Dangerous game, I know. But it’s an all-or-nothing strategy that feels fun to test in a mock draft setting. Maybe that’s what I should’ve done instead!
4.6 – DEN WR, Courtland Sutton
Brett: I understand that I may have paid a premium for Sutton in the middle of the fourth round – his ADP is closer to the 4/5 turn or mid-5th round – but he’s an alpha wide receiver on an ascending Broncos team that I’m excited about this season. They’re stuck in an ultra-competitive AFC West division that should produce some close games (and hopefully some shootouts), and his role is rock solid going into 2025. Terry McLaurin, Mike Evans, and Devonta Smith were all still on the board, but I prefer Sutton to all of those options. Among receivers who were targeted at least 100 times in 2024, Sutton’s 13.24 yards ranked seventh in average depth of target (ADOT).
5.7 – KC RB, Isiah Pacheco
Brett: In the moment, I was steaming that I didn’t get Tetairoa McMillan, who was sniped the pick before mine at 5.6 by Drew DeLuca. Instead, I grabbed Pacheco, who I was SUPER high on last year. This year, he’s coming off a major lower-body injury, but has looked good so far in camp and this preseason. I want pieces of this Kansas City offense for sure, and I’m hopeful that Pacheco separates himself from the other backs here. My biggest worry is that Kareem Hunt will steal goal line touches, but I think the reward of being the Chiefs’ feature back is worth the risk.
6.6 – BAL WR, Zay Flowers
Brett: This is probably a homer pick, but I love Flowers this year. Over his first two seasons, Flowers finished with nine games of 10 or more targets during the regular season, showing off a lofty ceiling. The problem is that he also posted six games with three or fewer targets during his first two campaigns. The Ravens offense was prolific in its rushing attack, but also ranked seventh in the NFL with 237.4 passing yards per game. Flowers was quietly a target hog, garnering 116 targets (his second-straight year with 100+ targets) for 74 receptions and over 1,000 yards. He’s a rock-solid WR3 in 12-team fantasy leagues, and I’m happy getting him in the sixth, where I considered him as the last receiver in his tier after Calvin Ridley, Jaylen Waddle, and Xavier Worthy were all taken.
Jay: My favorite pick of yours may go under the radar, but Zay Flowers in the sixth is a steal that should be punishable by prison time. Why do you think he slipped a few rounds compared to his current ADP?
Brett: I think there’s a preconceived notion that the Ravens are a super run-heavy team, and it’s helped Flowers fly under the radar each of the past two seasons. As a Ravens fan, I’ve tried to temper my excitement for this season, but exchanging slot receiver Nelson Agholor for outside pass-catcher DeAndre Hopkins frees up Flowers to run more slot routes, where he was way more effective last season. He could end up as a low-end WR1 this season, and it wouldn’t shock me at all.
7.7 – DEN QB, Bo Nix
Brett: The mid-tier quarterbacks fell so far in this draft. I was tempted to grab Burrow or Mahomes in the sixth round – but with the way QBs were falling, I thought that maybe one of them would reach me here. Instead, I was happy to take Nix to stack with Sutton in the seventh round. Nix is the consensus lowest-ranked quarterback that I consider a possibility to reach QB1 overall. Granted, it would take a lot to fall his way, but I think fantasy managers are not considering Nix’s full rushing potential at this price. According to sources, Nix played the second half of the 2024 season with back fractures, severely curtailing his rushing production. From Weeks 1-9, Nix averaged 6.4 carries per game for 32.8 yards per game and four scores on the ground. From Week 10 (when the injury allegedly occurred) through Week 18, Nix rushed just 4.2 times per game and averaged 16.6 yards with no rushing scores. If he can get back to running the ball frequently (and well), he has a shot at finishing better than QB7 – and as an added bonus, success like that will likely mean going through Sutton.
8.6 – IND TE, Tyler Warren
Brett: I debated here between Warren and Tampa Bay wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (this draft took place before the Jalen McMillan news), but decided on Warren because he felt like the last tight end on the board that I feel comfortable with as a solid TE1 on a weekly basis. The news that the Indianapolis Colts are going with Daniel Jones in Week 1 was an added bonus.
Jay: This mock draft was held before Indianapolis announced Daniel Jones would begin the season as the Colts’ starting quarterback. What sort of impact does that decision have on tight end Tyler Warren’s fantasy potential this season, whom you drafted in the eighth round?
Brett: Frankly, I’ve spoken to you enough times about the Colts quarterback situation that I was fairly confident that Jones would be the starter before this mock. Warren’s value isn’t directly tied to either Colts quarterback, but having Jones under center should give him a higher floor to work from. With Anthony Richardson‘s accuracy issues and penchant for scrambling, there was more risk associated with Warren. With Jones, we should see fewer designed runs, slightly more accurate passes, and maybe even some designed rush plays for Warren (who ran the ball 26 times for 218 yards and four scores at Penn State in 2024).
9.7 – TB RB, Rachaad White
Brett: Dang it, Drew – I wanted Emeka Egbuka so bad! Instead, I had to settle for his teammate after Egbuka was snagged at 9.6. I’m okay with getting White here, but I feel like I may have preferred to go WR based on the way the rest of the draft played out. Jayden Reed and Josh Downs were both taken in the next few picks, and I feel like either of them would have been a better selection in this spot. No draft is perfect!
10.6 – LAC WR, Keenan Allen
Brett: Old Reliable. This feels like a steal of a draft price for Allen, who recently signed with his old team, the Los Angeles Chargers. By all reports, Allen is back like he never left, picking up the same chemistry with Justin Herbert that made him so prolific in 2023. In 2024, Allen struggled to find consistency in the Bears’ offense, but he should find his footing with more reliable quarterback play. In 2023, he finished as the WR8, pulling in 108 receptions for more than 1,200 yards. I don’t think he’ll own quite as large a target share as he did that year, but I think 1,000 yards is firmly within reach.
Allen is a perfect pick for home leagues or casual leagues – the fact that he signed so late in the offseason has his ADP depressed on almost every fantasy platform. So while your leaguemates are looking through the rankings at guys with a 120 ADP, you can snatch Allen (around 175 ADP) in the 10th or 11th round before he even appears as a suggestion.
Jay: The pick of yours I liked least was Keenan Allen in the 10th. I understand the allure, but I’d have taken a shot on the upside of Keon Coleman, Rashid Shaheed, or one of the handcuff running backs in the same range. Tell me why I’m wrong.
Brett: To be completely fair, I considered one of your favorites, Tank Bigsby, with this pick. Had I gone wide receiver (like I probably should have) in the ninth round instead of taking White, that’s probably where I would have landed. I feel confident with my pick of Keenan Allen here, though, because of his history with Herbert and the Chargers. I understand that the landscape has changed with the arrival of Ladd McConkey, but with little target competition outside of that – sorry, I just don’t believe in Quentin Johnston, and Tre Harris has yet to prove anything – I think Allen could end up with more volume than he’s currently projected to receive. Projections for Allen are currently sitting at approximately 55 receptions, 650 yards, and five touchdowns. Three out of four seasons playing with Herbert, Allen collected more than 145 targets and 100 catches. He finished as a top-18 wide receiver in each of those seasons. I think the ceiling is higher than many are giving him credit for.
11.7 – MIA RB, Ollie Gordon
Brett: I reached for Ollie Gordon, but based on my roster construction, I needed an RB that could potentially produce early in the season. Devon Achane is dealing with an injury at the moment, and incumbent backup Jaylen Wright hasn’t looked great so far. The door is wide open for Gordon, who has flashed in camp and is being praised for the way he complements Achane as a big, physical runner. He’s a late-round flyer with the potential to be a Week 1 starter.
12.6 – NYJ TE, Mason Taylor
Brett: Taylor has been a late-round target for me this draft season, and I’m very excited to get him here in the 12th and final round. I don’t love that he’s a pass-catcher attached to Justin Fields, but with the lack of competition for targets in the Jets’ offense, there’s a chance he could finish second on the team in targets. He seems to have a locked-in role as the starting tight end and showed well as a blocker in the Jets’ preseason game against the Giants, so I believe he’ll be on the field a lot. I don’t expect a Brock Bowers type of rookie season, but at this draft price, I don’t need it.
Photos by Ric Tapia, Perry Knotts | Adapted by Parker McDonald (@TheCarbonFox on Twitter/X)