It’s that time again. Dynasty rookie fever SZN is here. The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, and now rookie drafts are flying off the shelf. Before you dive headfirst into our fantasy football mock draft simulator and run 3,000 rookie drafts in preparation, please read up on this talented prospect class as I roll through my quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end positional primers.
Check out our expert consensus dynasty rookie draft rankings as you prepare for your leagues. Here is my dynasty rookie draft primer for quarterbacks, including stats, scouting reports, and player comps. Enjoy.
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Dynasty Rookie Draft Primer: Quarterbacks
Let’s dive into my dynasty rookie draft primer, examining the top quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Tier 1
1. Fernando Mendoza (QB – LV)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 8th
- aDOT: 35th
- Yards Per Attempt: 3rd
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 25th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 11th
- Deep Throw Rate: 66th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 8th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 26th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 2nd
Scouting Report:
- Fernando Mendoza has an easy, quick release. He has the necessary arm strength to make every throw required in the NFL. His touch and ball placement are strong. He leads his receivers on crossers well and doesn’t limit yards after the catch (YAC) opportunities while also being able to drop it in the bucket for go routes. He can sling it from multiple arm angles.
- His pocket presence is excellent. Mendoza doesn’t drift in the pocket. He will climb versus the rush and has no issues standing tall against incoming pressure to deliver the ball to his receivers.
- While he isn’t an electric athlete, Mendoza is a solid opportunistic scrambler. He can pick up a few yards with his legs when the situation calls for it.
- Mendoza isn’t an off-script artist, but he can make some plays outside of structure. It’s not a world that he seeks to live in and shouldn’t. There’s something to be said for being a “boring” quarterback that can be trusted to run an offense.
- He’ll have to adjust to tighter windows in the NFL. It’s not a consistent issue for Mendoza, but he did show some hesitancy pulling the trigger early in 2025 when faced with smaller throwing windows. He would pump and pat the ball at times, but he did improve in this aspect throughout the 2025 season, ripping it more consistently with confidence toward the end of the season.
- Mendoza didn’t work much under center, which will be a hurdle with his transition to the NFL with footwork, etc. It will help that Klint Kubiak allowed Sam Darnold to work from the shotgun formation on 63.3% of his dropbacks. Don’t be surprised if Kubiak bumps that rate up some for his rookie quarterback in 2026.
Player Comp: Eli Manning
Dynasty Outlook: After all of the buildup, Fernando Mendoza does land with the Raiders. The talent is real with Mendoza, and he should be at worst the 1.03 in Superflex leagues and a top-ten selection in 1QB formats. With Kirk Cousins in town, it’s up in the air when we see Mendoza under center for Las Vegas. He might get a redshirt season if Cousins can play well in 2026. When Mendoza does hit the field, he should be a mid-range QB2 with QB1 upside if Klint Kubiak can get the Raiders’ offense rolling.
Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Tier 2
2. Ty Simpson (QB – LAR)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 33rd
- aDOT: 90th
- Yards Per Attempt: 58th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 21st
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 44th
- Deep Throw Rate: 93rd
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 40th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 37th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 31st
Scouting Report:
*Note: All-22 footage reviewed was before Simpson’s back injury vs. South Carolina in 2025.
- Ty Simpson has the arm strength to make every throw required of an NFL quarterback. His ball placement and accuracy are erratic. Simpson will be locked in for a few throws and then sail or dirt an easy checkdown or toss a pass behind a receiver on a crossing route. His accuracy also suffers when he’s on the move.
- With his accuracy issues on the move and his statue-esque mobility, Simpson isn’t an off-script artist. He’s at his best when he can hit his three- or five-step drop and fire the ball to a receiver when the back foot hits the ground. Many of Simpson’s second-level throws are on a line. He’ll need to improve with layering his passes to the second-level. There are some examples of this on film, but it’s not done with nearly enough regularity.
- Simpson will get stuck in his progressions. He’ll hang on his first read too long, way too often. He’ll miss wide receivers running wide open that are later in the progression. Simpson feels a tick behind on many plays because of his propensity to linger on his first read, but also because he operates as an extreme “see it, throw it” quarterback. Receivers will snap off the top of their stem and flash open, and Simpson will then fire the ball in their direction. This won’t do on any level in the NFL with both of these tendencies holding him back. This will become even more pronounced with the speed and spacing of the NFL game.
- Simpson’s play against pressure is variable. He’ll step up in the pocket with composure at times or hang in the pocket and deliver an accurate ball when absorbing a big hit, but he also has concerning plays. Simpson will get happy feet under pressure and bail on workable pockets or rush his mechanics. He’ll need to become more of a steadying presence versus pressure to make it in the NFL with his lack of off-script artistry.
- Butter fingers impacted Simpson’s counting stats from his receiver depth chart last season. He dealt with the third-most drops among FBS signal-callers — 8.9% drop rate, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Player Comp: Jake Browning
Dynasty Outlook: Yes, it’s true. I’m not a big believer in Ty Simpson, but it seems like the Rams are after selecting him with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Simpson will be Matthew Stafford’s understudy for the remainder of Stafford’s career. Sean McVay was very clear in post-draft pressers that this remains Stafford’s team. The Rams have been rumored to be working on an extension with Stafford, so it remains to be seen when we’ll likely see Simpson taking regular-season snaps for the Rams. This is a Michael Penix situation that could take longer to develop with a better quarterback in front of the rookie. If Stafford stays healthy, I doubt we’ll see Simpson play in 2026 or maybe even 2027. If you’re selecting Simpson in rookie drafts, you’re going to have to be patient with him. Even though I’m not a Simpson believer with first-round draft capital attached to his name, he should be a late first-round/early second-round selection in Superflex rookie drafts simply based on draft capital attached to his name. This feels like another Kenny Pickett/Mac Jones/Michael Penix type of situation to figure out for dynasty.
Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Tier 3
3. Cole Payton (QB – PHI)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks Among FBS/FCS Quarterbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 18th
- aDOT: 6th
- Yards Per Attempt: 1st
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 1st
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 1st
- Deep Throw Rate: 9th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 6th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 59th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 4th
Scouting Report:
- Cole Payton’s dual-threat ability jumps off the film immediately. Payton has 4.6 speed and the ability to make defenders miss. Payton is built like an athletic tight end, and he’s a load to bring down in the open field. He’s not the twitchiest rusher, but he can plant his foot and avoid tacklers when needed. His size/speed combo is extremely interesting. In his final collegiate season, he had 120 rushing attempts, 894 rushing yards and 13 rushing scores.
- The North Dakota State passing offense was built around Payton’s mobility with plenty of run-pass option (RPO) plays and bootlegs. Payton will have a sizable learning curve with an NFL offense, but there are also moments in his collegiate offense that offer hope that the transition won’t be as hard as it seems. He wasn’t asked to regularly make full field reads, but there are moments where he did and quickly moved to his third and fourth option in a progression. Payton is a “see it, throw it” quarterback, but he also has some anticipatory passing moments. The passing offense was also shotgun-based, so under-center work will be a hurdle, but that’s also the case for many college quarterbacks these days.
- Payton has a cannon for an arm. He has easy flip of the wrist velocity and the strength to drive the ball downfield. He exhibits touch when layering second-level throws and precision when ripping deep outs. He can place the ball accurately at all three levels. Payton has an NFL arm in terms of strength and touch.
- Payton will have an adjustment with the speed of the NFL game and the throwing lanes. There are plenty of examples of him hanging on his first read and waiting for them to uncover and break wide open. He’ll have to pull the trigger earlier in the NFL or find comfort with more tight windows. Payton has a gunslinger mentality, which can work in his favor, but with the sizable jump in competition, the early days in the NFL for him could be rocky as he adjusts. There are some plays where he flees a clean pocket to make a play with his legs. His margin for error and the ability to pull a rabbit out of his hat in the NFL will be decreased. He’ll have to recalibrate some.
Player Comp: Steve McNair Upside (Ceiling)/Jake Locker Downside (Floor)
Dynasty Outlook: Cole Payton unfortunately fell to the fifth round of the NFL Draft, but he landed in a really nice spot to sit and develop. I won’t dismiss that he could be the eventual successor to Jalen Hurts in Philly. Yes, Payton will be the QB4 on the depth chart to begin the year, but Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee are unrestricted free agents after the 2026 season. That could easily leave Payton as Philly’s QB2 entering the 2027 season. Philly is tied to Hurts for the next two seasons with an out after the 2027 season with a 24.3 million dollar dead cap hit. I loved Payton as a prospect, and with no quarterbacks getting drafted earlier than the third round in this year’s draft, Payton will be my QB3 when it’s all said and done. I’d rather bet on his talent and traits over other flawed quarterback prospects that received middling but better draft capital.
Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Tier 4
4. Carson Beck (QB – ARI)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 8th
- aDOT: 131st
- Yards Per Attempt: 32nd
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 102nd
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 37th
- Deep Throw Rate: 84th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 79th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 16th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 27th
2024 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 30th
- aDOT: 89th
- Yards Per Attempt: 46th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 46th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 32nd
- Deep Throw Rate: 53rd
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 110th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 34th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 51st
Scouting Report:
- Carson Beck’s experience shows up consistently. With five years of collegiate starting experience under his belt, he is strong moving through progressions. He can quickly move from his first to second read and beyond, and flips to his checkdown quickly when necessary.
- Beck is a rhythm passer with the arm strength to access all three levels of the field. He’s at his best when he’s peppering the short and intermediate with accurate darts. He can layer a second-level throw quite well. Beck’s deep ball can be variable, with some lacking arch for receivers to run under or being short-armed, and receivers are left waiting on it. Beck has a quick release and easy, repeatable mechanics. When he’s locked in, Beck can toss some nice throws downfield, though. He needs to improve the consistency of his deep ball.
- The biggest worry with Beck is his moxie. He has no fear of ripping some questionable throws into tight windows. At times, these throws can be worrisome considering his arm talent, but I appreciate his willingness to push the envelope. He’ll have to recalibrate this aggression once in the NFL and relearn what he can get away with.
- Beck’s aggressive nature as a passer will also leave him willing to make some throws that can put his receivers in harm’s way. Beck will thread the needle at times into congested areas of the field with multiple defenders bearing down, only for his receiver to be led into traffic, absorbing a big hit.
- He’s a pocket passer that won’t add much with his legs to an NFL offense. Beck finished college without surpassing 200 rushing yards in any collegiate season.
Player Comp: Good Will Levis
Dynasty Outlook: Carson Beck lands with the Arizona Cardinals and is vaulted into a wide-open depth chart. His only competition to starting in 2026 is Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew. I don’t foresee a long starting career for Beck. At this juncture, he’s a known commodity as a passer. Beck is at his best when he’s getting the ball out on time and peppering the second-level with throws. His deep ball accuracy can be spotty. Beck is worth a dice roll in dynasty rookie drafts, but only as a possible sell candidate to a team in your league if he gets a cup of coffee as the starter in 2026. I don’t foresee him getting a long runway under center for Arizona over multiple years. This is a team that should still firmly be in the market for a quarterback in the 2027 draft class.
5. Cade Klubnik (QB – NYJ)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 16th
- aDOT: 97th
- Yards Per Attempt: 58th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 86th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 46th
- Deep Throw Rate: 111th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 34th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 12th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 69th
2024 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 41st
- aDOT: 67th
- Yards Per Attempt: 64th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 31st
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 12th
- Deep Throw Rate: 57th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 54th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 44th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 23rd
Scouting Report:
- Cade Klubnik can make plays with his legs. The speed and rushing ability show up immediately. Klubnik has a good feel for setting up defenders in the open field and following his blocks. If he can secure a starting job in the NFL, I wouldn’t be shocked if he churns out 400-500 rushing yards yearly.
- He has an easy delivery with compact mechanics, a quick release, the ability to throw from multiple arm angles and the arm strength to make every NFL throw. When Klubnik is dialed in, he can put some pretty throws on film. He can layer the ball nicely to the second-level. His deep ball is quite good, but at times, he needs to put some more air under it to allow his receivers to adjust and run under these deep targets. Klubnik has plenty of reps as an anticipatory passer, especially with sideline comeback routes.
- Klubnik will attempt some ill-advised throws at times with multiple defenders in the vicinity of his target, but he has the arm talent to pull them off. Yes, the results could be disastrous, but he has the arm talent to pull it out with nice touch, layering and sick ball placement. This could easily burn him in the NFL until he has a good grasp on the aggressiveness knob.
- From 2024 to 2025, Clemson put more on his plate. In 2024, Klubnik operated with a heavy diet of first read, checkdown or designed run plays. In 2025, he was tasked with half and full field reads, and the results were uneven. At times, Klubnik would operate with good pace and move from his first to second read and so forth. There were also plenty of plays where he would lock on his first read for too long or move off it too quickly. His trigger is inconsistent.
- His field vision can be erratic at times, where he’s simply not seeing options running wide open. There are plenty of plays in 2025 where he operated at a high level to think that he can eventually even this all out, but it’s a projection. There’s uncertainty with this part of his game, especially when transitioning to the NFL, where things will be faster and more complex on a number of levels.
- Klubnik has solid pocket presence. He’ll stand tall versus the rush and deliver accurate passes. Klubnik can be cool and collected, delivering accurate passes from collapsing pockets. There are also several times where he’ll hold the ball for too long as he’s big-play hunting or locked onto one option, but he also has some nice off-script moments. His accuracy doesn’t suffer much from throwing on the move.
- If Klubnik can put it all together, he has the raw talent to develop into a league-average or above-average starter.
Player Comp: Daniel Jones
Dynasty Outlook: Cade Klubnik is headed to the Jets via the fourth round of the NFL Draft. From Day 1, he should compete with Brady Cook for the backup spot on the depth chart behind Geno Smith. Klubnik flashed upside in the 2024 season only to falter in 2025 as Clemson put more of the offense on his back. If Klubnik slips in your rookie draft, I don’t mind taking a shot on him for a taxi squad spot or final round pick. He’s a decent draft and trade candidate in Superflex formats if he gets any starts in 2026 (I doubt he will if Geno Smith is healthy all year). Outside of that, I don’t have much interest in Klubnik. The Jets are a team that should be in the market for a quarterback in next year’s draft, and they could have an entirely new coaching staff next year. A quarterback with Day 3 capital that could get easily replaced in 2027 doesn’t really get me excited.
6. Taylen Green (QB – CLE)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 96th
- aDOT: 44th
- Yards Per Attempt: 22nd
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 96th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 83rd
- Deep Throw Rate: 125th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 86th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 103rd
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 58th
2024 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 87th
- aDOT: 27th
- Yards Per Attempt: 24th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 27th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 27th
- Deep Throw Rate: 43rd
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 79th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 81st
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 63rd
Scouting Report:
- Dual threat passer. Taylen Green averaged 113 rushing attempts and 600.8 rushing yards over his last four years of college (8.8 rushing touchdowns per season). Green has build-up speed and the size to be a goal-line threat in the NFL. He’s a straight-line runner without a ton of wiggle. He’s best viewed as an opportunistic scrambler at the next level with some upside in the designed run game.
- Green has the arm strength to make every NFL throw necessary. He has easy flick-of-the-wrist velocity. His wind-up can get long at times, leaving the ball coming out a touch late, though. His accuracy on intermediate throws is decent, with thoughtful ball placement at times, where he’s helping his receivers avoid hospital collisions.
- Green’s overall accuracy is spotty, though. His deep ball can lack touch, especially on boundary go balls or corner of the end zone shots. His footwork can lapse at times, which doesn’t help his accuracy issues. His second level passes lack touch at times as he resorts to line drive fastballs when he needs to layer the ball.
- His pocket presence needs refinement. Green is late to feel the rush many times and doesn’t have the quick-twitch abilities to bail him out of danger situations. He wasn’t tasked with full field reads at Arkansas, but he’ll hang on his first read or miss receivers running wide open at times. Green feels a tick late at times getting the ball out. His trigger has to speed up to the pace of the NFL game.
Player Comp: Jalen Milroe
Dynasty Outlook: Green is a final-round rookie draft pick dart/taxi squad option. His athleticism is insane, but he has definite shortcomings as a passer. He’ll begin his NFL career with the Browns after being selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. He’ll likely serve as the team’s QB4 for the year, with the chance to climb the depth chart if he can prove that he can turn his possible upside into more on-field production in camp and the preseason. The Browns are more likely to give Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders a real chance to be their starter for 2026 (and possibly 2027) than give Green a shot at the job. Green’s rushing ability is what buys him a taxi squad spot in Superflex formats.
7. Drew Allar (QB – PIT)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 72nd
- aDOT: 107th
- Yards Per Attempt: 93rd
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 133rd
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 44th
- Deep Throw Rate: 178th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 118th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 81st
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 98th
2024 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 52nd
- aDOT: 84th
- Yards Per Attempt: 18th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 35th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 13th
- Deep Throw Rate: 122nd
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 78th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 43rd
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 14th
Scouting Report:
- Drew Allar suffered a season-ending ankle fracture in 2025. Even before this injury, he didn’t project to be a rushing threat in the NFL. In 2023-2024, Allar averaged 254 rushing yards and three yards per carry. He has the size to be a goal-line option, but I don’t see him being an option in the designed quarterback run game.
- Allar is a developmental quarterback prospect with the raw tools as a passer that could entice an NFL team to take a chance on him. He needs a lot of refinement on a down-to-down basis to develop into a legit starting NFL quarterback option.
- Allar has an NFL arm in terms of raw strength and velocity, but the accuracy is a problem. His ball placement can be erratic at all three levels. Most of his passes are on a line and lack touch and layering. Wide receivers are left waiting on his deep ball at times.
- His footwork can lapse at times, which impacts his accuracy and his timing on deeper dropbacks. He’ll drift in the pocket on some plays.
- His trigger can be variable. Allar will get the ball out on time with some passing plays, but he’ll also hold the ball and get behind the play as well with some reps. He doesn’t trust his eyes at times and will pat the ball like he’s burping a newborn baby. When his first read isn’t there, he’ll sometimes immediately drop his eyes and look to take off and run. Allar can access his second and third reads at times, but not consistently. His pacing through progressions is erratic, as he’ll also fly through his first read at times early in a play.
- Allar doesn’t deal with pressure well. He’ll bail out of pockets at the first sniff of pressure with some plays or hang in with antsy feet and a frantic approach to make a play.
Player Comp: Zach Mettenberger
Dynasty Outlook: Well, we have arrived at one of the most head-scratching picks of the draft. I wasn’t in on Allar as a prospect pre-draft, and I won’t be drafting him after landing with the Steelers in the third round of the NFL Draft. I didn’t like his tape, and the analytics back up my disdain. Over the last two years, Allar has ranked outside the top 50 FBS passers in adjusted completion rate, outside the top 120 passers in deep ball rate, and outside the top 80 in aDOT. His pocket presence is erratic, as is his processing. I will be avoiding him in rookie drafts.
8. Haynes King (QB – CAR)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 8th
- aDOT: 136th
- Yards Per Attempt: 35th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 78th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 39th
- Deep Throw Rate: 88th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 42nd
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 3rd
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 29th
2024 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 2nd
- aDOT: 144th
- Yards Per Attempt: 39th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 125th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 11th
- Deep Throw Rate: 140th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 46th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 4th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 10th
Scouting Report:
- Haynes King has the speed to continue to be a rushing threat in the NFL. His dual-threat ability is enticing. With his 4.46 40-yard dash speed, he averaged 143.3 carries and 759 rushing yards over his last three collegiate seasons. King isn’t a twitchy runner in the open field or a tackle-breaking monster, but he has good patience and vision that mesh well with his raw speed.
- King doesn’t have a cannon for an arm, but he has enough arm strength to make every necessary throw. He plays point guard well, peppering the short and intermediate with accurate and layered throws. His ball placement can waver at times, but overall, he has solid accuracy. King has a quick release and a compact delivery. He has the raw arm strength to get the ball downfield when necessary. His deep ball is elevated by his strong ball placement.
- King operated in a Georgia Tech offense that utilized RPOs, screens and quick hitters a ton. He was tasked with some half-field reads, but not a ton. Adjusting to an NFL playbook will take a second, but luckily for King, more of the collegiate concepts are being utilized in the NFL these days.
- King doesn’t play with a ton of aggression, opting to take what the defense gives him on many plays. The moments when he does reach into the off-script bag, he can make some nice plays, buying time with his legs and lacing some nice throws into tight windows. I’d love to see him ramp up the playmaking aggression just a tad, but I won’t be mad at a quarterback that takes care of the ball. King had only a 1% turnover-worthy play rate in each of the last two seasons, with only eight interceptions total.
- He can be late to feel the pass rush/pressure at times, but his mobility can help him out of some jams. Overall, King has solid pocket presence, and he’ll get to his checkdown quickly and keep the offense on schedule without churning negative plays. King isn’t someone that you’ll see crafting 5-7 plays a game with off-script wizardry.
- King profiles as a game-managing backup with the upside to possibly develop into a league-average starter with dual-threat ability if everything goes right.
Player Comp: Easton Stick Downside (Floor)/Turbo Brock Purdy Upside (Ceiling)
Dynasty Outlook: Haynes King went undrafted, but he signed a sizable UDFA contract with the Carolina Panthers (250k guaranteed). King will have to earn his way up the Carolina depth chart, but his competition isn’t sizable with only Kenny Pickett and Will Grier standing in his way. King is a quarterback prospect that I liked more than consensus, and I’ll be targeting him for taxi squad spots in all of my leagues. His rushing upside is real, and his accuracy in the short and intermediate areas of the field is intriguing. Bryce Young hasn’t established himself as a bulletproof pro, having been benched at times in his pro career with Carolina. It wouldn’t shock me if King makes some starts for the Panthers in 2026.
Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Tier 5
9. Garrett Nussmeier (QB – KC)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 19th
- aDOT: 145th
- Yards Per Attempt: 109th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 65th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 35th
- Deep Throw Rate: 135th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 42nd
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 22nd
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 89th
2024 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 72nd
- aDOT: 63rd
- Yards Per Attempt: 46th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 50th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 78th
- Deep Throw Rate: 51st
Pressured passing (minimum 50 pressured dropbacks)
-
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 28th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 99th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 59th
2024 Scouting Report:
- Garrett Nussmeier has easy velocity and arm strength. He can make every NFL throw. Nussmeier can layer second-level throws and has plenty of tight-window dots littering his film. His deep ball accuracy can be variable, but when he was locked in, his highlight throws were impressive. His accuracy on the move can be spotty, but when he has a clean pocket, he can also be surgical. He can throw from multiple arm angles depending upon the play and route depth.
- Nussmeier moves through progressions quickly. It’s nothing to see him get to his second and third reads. He throws with anticipation and will routinely get the ball out before a wide receiver is out of their break.
- His pocket awareness overall was solid, but there are times when he was late to feel the rush and adjust to the pressure by climbing the pocket or escaping.
2025 Scouting Report:
- Nussmeier suffered an abdominal injury in the preseason practices, which seemed to impact his ability to torque his midsection. There are too many instances where he looks like a stiff statue in the pocket and is throwing with all his arm, while not following through on throws or driving the ball. It impacted his accuracy and the zip on the ball.
- Nussmeier also dealt with patellar tendonitis and an ankle sprain. The patellar tendonitis was related to Osgood-Schlatter disease, and it could lead to chronic knee issues. This can’t be ruled out with his 2025 passing struggles, as he looked like a shell of the quarterback I saw on film in 2024.
- Nussmeier retained easy and repeatable arm mechanics with a quick release. His accuracy was spotty, and his ball placement suffered.
- A consistent problem in 2025 was his red-zone field vision. He would simply miss defenders trailing or sitting on routes in the middle of the field in zone coverage, which led to easy interceptions for defenses.
- From 2024 to 2025, the worries also showed up in his analytics. His deep ball rate dropped from 16.4% to 10.4%. His screen rate increased from 12.3% to 20% as the offense relied upon more quick hitters and screens, with his arm strength becoming variable. His play-action rate also dipped from 27.1% to 22.6%.
- If Nussmeier can recapture his 2024 form, he could develop into a solid NFL starter, but I worry that his medical issues might make that impossible.
Player Comp: Andy Dalton
Dynasty Outlook: Nussmeier almost fell out of the draft, but the Chiefs picked him in the seventh round with the 33rd pick in that round. His draft fall isn’t a reflection of talent but rather worries surrounding his health (most importantly, his knee). The NFL is telling us LOUDLY that Nussmeier’s knee is a huge problem, so I’ll be listening and avoiding him in every dynasty format.
10. Joey Aguilar (QB – JAC)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 22nd
- aDOT: 44th
- Yards Per Attempt: 14th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 47th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 9th
- Deep Throw Rate: 77th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 67th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 13th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 33rd
Scouting Report:
- Joey Aguilar should develop into a nice backup in the NFL with the ability to be a spot starter in a pinch. Aguilar is a muscular pocket passer that won’t be asked to operate as a dual-threat in the NFL. Last year, he had only 71 rushing attempts, which he churned out at 1.4 yards per carry.
- Aguilar is an accurate rhythm passer to all three levels. He won’t wow you with insane highlight reel throws, but he has solid ball placement and delivers solid, catchable targets.
- He has solid pocket presence with the willingness to stand tall versus pressure to deliver an accurate pass. Aguilar has a quick trigger and decisively gets the ball out on time. He wasn’t asked to perform full field reads at Tennessee with a steady diet of three-step drops and get the ball to your first read or designed screens or quick hitters.
Player Comp: Matt Cassel
Dynasty Outlook: Joey Aguilar signs as a UDFA with the Jaguars. With only Nick Mullens and Carter Bradley behind Trevor Lawrence, Aguilar could easily win the QB3 job out of camp and climb into the QB2 role for the franchise. In deep superflex leagues, he’s worth a taxi squad spot, but I’m not dropping a decent lottery ticket to roster him.
11. Jalon Daniels (QB – TB)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 76th
- aDOT: 28th
- Yards Per Attempt: 40th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 33rd
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 55th
- Deep Throw Rate: 33rd
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 92nd
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 65th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 25th
Scouting Report:
- Jalon Daniels has a strong arm. The ball jumps out of his hand with easy velocity. Arm strength isn’t the issue here. It’s consistent with ball placement and layering throws.
- Daniels will struggle with ball placement at times and tosses everything on a line to the second-level. Daniels can limit YAC opportunities for his receivers with his ball placement.
- Daniels is a rushing threat with at least 404 rushing yards and four rushing scores in each of his last three full collegiate seasons. He’s not a prolifically twitchy player with the ball in his hands, but he should be able to operate as an opportunistic scrambler in the NFL.
- Daniels will hold the ball too long at times. With his off-script ability and athleticism, he tends to live in the world of broken play chaos. He’ll need to improve his timing and trigger to consistently play on time in the NFL.
Player Comp: Tyler Huntley
Dynasty Outlook: Jalon Daniels has signed a UDFA deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He should compete with Connor Bazelak in camp for the QB3 job. With his rushing ability, he’s worth a taxi squad spot in deeper superflex leagues.
12. Mark Gronowski (QB – MIA)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 25th
- aDOT: 131st
- Yards Per Attempt: 119th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 120th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 40th
- Deep Throw Rate: 107th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 58th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 30th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 116th
2025 Rushing Stats
- Carries: 130
- Rushing Yards: 545
- Rushing Touchdowns: 16
Scouting Report:
N/A (All-22 unavailable)
Player Comp: N/A
Dynasty Outlook: Mark Gronowski has signed a UDFA deal with the Dolphins. With only Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller ahead of him for the QB2 spot on the depth chart, Gronowski and his rushing ability are worth a taxi squad spot in deeper superflex formats.
13. Luke Altmyer (QB – DET)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 37th
- aDOT: 54th
- Yards Per Attempt: 28th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 109th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 55th
- Deep Throw Rate: 90th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 3rd
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 103rd
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 22nd
Scouting Report:
- Luke Altmyer is at his best with a quick passing game where he can grip and rip swiftly to his receivers, playing point guard from the pocket.
- Altmyer’s ball placement can wax and wane. He can be a streaky passer with solid ball placement that falls off when he tosses balls behind his receivers, putting them in harm’s way.
- He’s a see-it-throw-it passer with few anticipatory moments from the pocket. This leads his trigger to be slow at times as he waits for his receivers to uncover well before ripping a pass.
- Altmyer operated in a collegiate offense that was reliant upon first reads and screens. He has zero issues forcing the ball to his first read, even if they are covered tightly. I appreciate aggressiveness with passers and giving receivers chances to win at the catch point, but Altmyer can be borderline reckless with this at times.
- His pocket awareness isn’t great. Altmyer can look like a frog in a pot of boiling water at times. By the time he realizes the walls are closing in, it is too late.
Player Comp: Sean Clifford
Dynasty Outlook: Altmyer is a game-managing quarterback type who has signed a UDFA deal with the Lions. He could be the team’s QB3 out of camp behind Teddy Bridgewater, but I don’t see much appeal to wasting a taxi squad spot on him. Even if Goff went down, I don’t see Altmyer as a starting option in supeflex leagues, even if he got a cup of coffee with the Lions at some point.
14. Sawyer Robertson (QB – LV)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 133rd
- aDOT: 35th
- Yards Per Attempt: 69th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 56th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 65th
- Deep Throw Rate: 38th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 64th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 149th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 93rd
2024 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 104th
- aDOT: 59th
- Yards Per Attempt: 18th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 71st
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 30th
- Deep Throw Rate: 75th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 124th
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 104th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 24th
Scouting Report:
- Sawyer Robertson has the look of a career backup that will operate in a quick-passing and screen-heavy offense (hello, Denver). Most of Robertson’s passes in his final season at Baylor consisted of first-read quick hitters, in-breakers and screens. He has a clean throwing motion with a quick release to operate in this type of system.
- He operated in a system that routinely asked him to hit his first read or his checkdown without forcing him to operate with pure progression or even half-field reads. Robertson will have to deal with defenders jumping his routes in the NFL because of how badly he stares down his first read on many plays.
- Robertson has sufficient arm strength to operate in the short and intermediate areas of the field. He lacks that extra gear with his arm and is a max-effort thrower. He plays more like a 5-foot-11 quarterback than one standing at 6-foot-4. His deep ball is OK, but nothing to write home about. His wide receivers are left waiting for targets.
- With boundary nine routes, he lacks arch on the ball, preferring to toss back shoulder balls all day. This could be related to his touch, his arm strength or a combination of the two. Little second-level layering of the ball is seen in his film. Most of his throws are thrown on a line. Robertson is a “see it, throw it” quarterback.
- Robertson has the mobility to offer some off-script ability, but he lacks the willingness. With the high reliance on quick hitters and first reads in college, when that first option is unavailable, he can get antsy in the pocket. His pocket awareness has to improve to operate in the NFL. He’s late to feel the rush many times and will bail or spin out of the pocket if he does feel the heat. There are some instances of him climbing the ladder when the pocket is collapsing, but it’s not frequent enough.
Player Comp: Bailey Zappe
Dynasty Outlook: Robertson has signed a UDFA deal with the Raiders. With their new franchise passer, Fernando Mendoza, on the roster and Kirk Cousins on the depth chart, I won’t be surprised if Robertson can’t beat out incumbent Aidan O’Connell for the QB3 job in camp. He’s not worth considering for a taxi squad spot in superflex formats.
15. Diego Pavia (QB – BAL)
Stats:
2025 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 7th
- aDOT: 35th
- Yards Per Attempt: 3rd
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 2nd
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 53rd
- Deep Throw Rate: 47th
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 33rd
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 4th
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 3rd
2024 (Minimum 150 Dropbacks)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 74th
- aDOT: 43rd
- Yards Per Attempt: 46th
- Big-Time Throw Rate: 18th
2025 Deep Passing (Minimum 20 Deep Passing Attempts)
- Adjusted Completion Rate: 73rd
- Deep Throw Rate: 72nd
Pressured Passing (Minimum 50 Pressured Dropbacks)
- Pressure-Adjusted Completion Rate: 71st
- Clean Pocket Adjusted Completion Rate: 53rd
- Clean Pocket Passer Rating: 29th
Scouting Report:
- Diego Pavia’s rushing ability is immediately evident when watching his film, with quick twitch ability and 4.6 speed. He’s not a burner, but he has solid short-area agility with the ability to stop on a dime. He averaged 178 rushing attempts, 862 rushing yards and 8.3 rushing touchdowns over his final three collegiate seasons. It’s not crazy to worry about his health in the NFL at his size if he continues to run as frequently as he did in college.
- With Pavia’s short stature, there are drawbacks to his field vision, like many other height-challenged quarterbacks. The Vanderbilt passing attack was based around quick hitters, screens and getting Pavia on the move to facilitate his field vision. If he’s forced to play from the pocket in the NFL, it could constrict what you’re able to do with him, playcalling-wise. Pavia is forced to attempt jump passes at times, and he frequently has passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. Over the last three seasons, he had 26 passes batted down.
- Pavia embraces off-script chaos. Some of this is likely due to his height and field vision, but some of this is just his inherent play style. He’ll flee workable pockets at times where pressure doesn’t exist to get outside of the pocket and make something happen with his arm and/or legs. Pavia will drift in the pocket at times instead of stepping up.
- Pavia has decent touch and zip on short and intermediate throws. He has issues with layering throws at times to the second-level and will sail some second-level throws. His arm strength limitations show up when he’s throwing downfield, especially downfield when on the move. Pavia is a max effort thrower. He has the arm strength to make most NFL throws. However, his ball placement on deep throws can suffer as Pavia is just trying to muster the necessary torque to get it to his receiver. His ball placement suffers on these plays.
- Pavia can lock onto his first read at times. There are moments where he does operate pure progression concepts and will get to his third or fourth option. There are more moments in his game film where he’ll stick to his first read to his detriment.
Player Comp: Dollar Store Bryce Young
Dynasty Outlook: Pavia signed a UDFA contract with the Ravens. The Ravens have Tyler Huntley under contract for the next two seasons as Lamar Jackson’s backup. I’ll be surprised if Pavia breaks camp with the team on their final active roster. I’m avoiding him in every rookie dynasty draft.
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