Fantasy News

The Patriots have selected Alabama quarterback Mac Jones with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Widely expected to go No. 3 overall until Trey Lance apparently had a late emergence in the process, Jones now lands where many felt was another great fit for him in New England. In his lone full season as the starter for Alabama, Jones set the SEC on fire with 4,500 passing yards and a 41:4 touchdown-interception ratio while completing 77.4% of his passes and leading the Crimson Tide to an undefeated championship season. For whatever perceived limitations that he has, Jones lands in an excellent spot with Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels, and the Patriots, who also have former league MVP Cam Newton still at quarterback—so Jones won’t be rushed into the lineup, but he certainly has the skillset and capability to make a big impact as a rookie if called upon. The full scouting report for the ’ new quarterback can be read in the link below. It’s pretty amazing that Belichick was able to just patiently sit at No. 15 and get a guy he feels can run his offense at a high level from the pocket, as the organization did for two decades with Tom Brady (obviously not comparing the rookie to the greatest player in league history too seriously, but the styles are somewhat similar).

Via: Mac Jones Scouting Report 4/29/21 - 10:15 PM ET

The Bears have selected Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Bears are giving up their 2022 first, a fifth-round pick, and a fourth-round pick to move up for their future franchise quarterback. Fields—who completed 68.4% of his passes for 5,701 yards and a 67:9 touchdown-interception ratio in 34 career games at Ohio State and Georgia—is perhaps the most polarizing prospect in the class. After trading up with the Giants from No. 20 to No. 11, Chicago will be getting a strong, fast, athletic, and accurate quarterback, but there are definite concerns in regards to field vision and processing, which is reason for him “falling” some to be drafted as the QB4. Fortunately, the Bears are a good team to set him up for success with an offensive-minded head coach in Matt Nagy, and fantasy owners in particular won’t be worried about some of the flaws if Fields is used heavily as a runner. Considering how much support he seems to have in the fantasy community, the price it will take to get Fields in rookie drafts might not be worth it with several top-tier prospects at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver (not to mention tight end Kyle Pitts) to choose from. The full scouting report for Fields can be viewed in the link below.

Via: Justin Fields Scouting Report 4/29/21 - 09:44 PM ET

The Eagles have selected Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Giving up a third-round pick to the Cowboys to up two spots and ahead of the Giants, the Eagles land someone many fans would have been happy with if they stayed up at No. 6. Concerns about Smith’s size caused him to fall to the end of the top ten, but we think that will end up turning out to be a mistake. The reigning Heisman winner never had issues versus strength or getting off the press at Alabama—where he caught the game-winning touchdown in the national championship as a true freshman, led the Crimson Tide in receiving on an offense with four first-round picks at receiver, and then went off for 117 receptions, 1,856 yards, and 23 touchdowns last season. In Philadelphia, Smith has the talent to immediately be the top option in the passing attack while working with former college teammate Jalen Hurts, but the real value will come in dynasty leagues due to the “experts” overlooking him as a top-flight prospect. You can read the full scouting report for Smith in the link below.

Via: DeVonta Smith Scouting Report 4/29/21 - 09:36 PM ET

The Dolphins have selected Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle with the No. overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Waddle is a game-breaker with top-tier speed, explosiveness, and agility, which will make the Miami offense difficult to defend with how much pressure he can put on opposing defenses. While he wasn’t a featured receiver to start his career on an Alabama offense with DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy, and Henry Ruggs III, the numbers were spectacular in 2020—lines of 8/134/2, 5/142/1, 6/120, and 6/161/1—before an ankle injury knocked him out last October (until he admirably returned for the national championship at less than 100%). And he lands in a good spot with DeVante Parker, Will Fuller, and Mike Gesicki taking attention away from defenses with the Dolphins while reuniting with his former college quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Fantasy owners might be a bit hesitant after Ruggs III struggled to put up numbers as a rookie, but if Waddle stays healthy, he can be a high-upside, big-play FLEX catching passes from QB. The full scouting reported for Waddle can be viewed in the link below.

Via: Jaylen Waddle Scouting Report 4/29/21 - 09:04 PM ET

The Bengals have selected LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The debate between Chase and Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell carried on throughout the pre-draft process, but Cincinnati had one chance to give Joe Burrow his favorite target from his LSU days, and they pulled the trigger. While we didn’t see Chase last year as a 2020 opt-out, he was an absolute force as a sophomore—catching 84 passes for 1,780 yards, and 20 touchdowns at just 19 years old. Our full scouting report (which can be read in the link below) describes Chase as a “high-level technician,” “extremely smooth,” and a “crafty route runner”; also, he tested phenomenally well with a 4.38 40-yard dash and 41-inch vertical. It might be unwise to expect Justin Jefferson-type numbers as a rookie, but Chase projects to bring a high floor and ceiling as a strong mid-round pick in fantasy drafts this summer.

Via: Ja’Marr Chase Scouting Report 4/29/21 - 08:57 PM ET

The Falcons have selected Kyle Pitts with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Atlanta seemed eager to trade down if a monster offer came, but it apparently never did. Instead, the team will be adding a monster of a talent to an offense that already includes former league MVP Matt Ryan, future Hall of Famer Julio Jones, and rising star Calvin Ridley (as well as former first-round tight end Hayden Hurst). Pitts is coming off a junior season at Florida during which he caught 43 passes for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight games. He’s extremely athletic and is almost uncoverable for many defenders—he should be a massive problem for opposing defenses in the NFL. Pitts is also a very good blocker, and he figures to be a huge lift for his new squad. We had Pitts as a clear top three player in this year’s draft along with Trevor Lawrence and DeVonta Smith, and you can read his scouting report in the link below.

Via: Kyle Pitts Scouting Report 4/29/21 - 08:49 PM ET

The 49ers have selected North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

An extremely intelligent and athletic quarterback that threw for 28 touchdowns and zero interceptions in his lone full season as a starter, Lance brings the dual-threat skillset that can be cultivated to fully unlock Kyle Shanahan’s offense. He only attempted 318 passes throughout his college career, so San Francisco selecting Lance makes it much more likely that they will keep Jimmy Garoppolo and try to make a Super Bowl run in 2021 with the veteran under center. However, if the team ends up feeling like Lance can play as a rookie, he will bring massive upside from a fantasy perspective as a prospect that is almost like a blend of Donovan McNabb and Kyler Murray. The full scouting report for Lance can be read in the link below.

Via: Trey Lance Scouting Report 4/29/21 - 08:41 PM ET