As the NFL season winds down, it's time to turn our attention to the incoming rookie class. Our cohosts of The Footballguys Dynasty Show, Jeff Bell and Dave Kluge, snake their way through Round 1 of a rookie draft, selecting their top 12 players and adding context to each pick. Dave will have the first overall pick, and they'll each have two picks after that.
1.01 - Jeremiyah Love - RB, Notre Dame
Dave: All signs indicate that Love will be the first running back selected in this year's draft. The Heisman finalist from Notre Dame has big-play potential every time he touches the ball. Aside from game-breaking speed, he has uncanny contact balance, pass-catching chops, and power to be used in the short areas of the field. He amassed over 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns over the last two seasons, proving he is capable of loading the box score. Love is an elite incoming prospect and will likely find himself alongside Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Ashton Jeanty in dynasty rankings following his rookie season.
1.02 - Makai Lemon - WR, USC
Jeff: Lemon is a PPR dream in the mold of fellow Trojan Amon-Ra St. Brown, specifically tailored to the modern-day NFL passing game. The winner of the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's best wide receiver, Lemon topped 150 receiving yards in four separate games. Wide receiver at the top of this class is the classic case of beauty in the eye of the beholder, but Lemon should slot into a volume role immediately.
1.03 - Jordyn Tyson - WR, Arizona State
Jeff: Tyson has a case as the top overall receiver in the class and will be locked into the top half of Dynasty rookie drafts. He is an explosive athlete who should handle volume in the short and intermediate areas in an NFL attack. Injuries are his primary concern, especially relative to the other top receivers in the class, a factor that could bump him slightly behind Lemon or Carnell Tate. Until we know the landing spots, selecting a top receiver from that group is splitting hairs.
1.04 - Carnell Tate - WR, Ohio State
Dave: Ohio State has been pumping out high-level NFL talent at the wide receiver position for a while now, and Tate is next in line for the draft. He's a prototypical X-receiver. He uses exceptional route running and body control to create separation and pluck balls out of the air. He can occasionally get knocked off his route by aggressive press coverage. But still just 20 years old, Tate will have time to grow and develop at the next level, and he shows plenty of signs as a potential star in the NFL. He will almost assuredly be a first-round pick in the draft and could land in a situation that is immediately productive, as some good teams with elite quarterbacks find themselves picking earlier than normal.
1.05 - Fernando Mendoza - QB, Indiana
Dave: In a draft class with very little high-end quarterback talent, Mendoza, this year's Heisman winner, could arguably move up rookie draft boards between now and April. He's expected to go first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. While there are obvious gaps to fill in that roster, a young quarterback playing alongside Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty should garner some excitement. Mendoza was a huge surprise in the 2025 college season, leading Indiana to the National Championship game. In addition to his big arm, soft touch, and ideal body composition, Mendoza has also displayed intangible leadership and character traits, making him worthy of this year's top pick and a potential steal in dynasty drafts.
