The Post-Draft Bloom 100
By Sigmund Bloom - Exclusive to Footballguys
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It was not a fun draft to watch if you were sitting on a bunch of rookie draft picks. Outside of Ashton Jeanty and Travis Hunter, the first round rookie picks didn't go up in value, and the vaunted running back class was a big dud, with most of the third tier lasting until the third day and giving us little hope of the extra large class of future contributors that was promised going into the draft. More than ever, your directive is to trade down, or even trade out of your picks completely for veterans that can help right now or future picks in what is hopefully a better fantasy rookie draft class next year.
The Bloom 100 is ranked with the following type of dynasty fantasy football league in mind:
- Full IDP lineups including DT and CB
- PPR, start 3 WR
- Deep lineups and rosters
(Pre-draft Ranking in Parenthesis)
1(1). Ashton Jeanty (RB-LV) - As the draft drew near, Jeanty going to the Jaguars at #5 seemed likely, unless the Bears were able to trade up to Jacksonville's pick. Instead, the Jags moved up to #2 for Travis Hunter, the Browns stayed put at #5 to take DT Mason Graham, and Jeanty went to Las Vegas. The #1 pick in rookie drafts might have gotten even more valuable, as Pete Carroll will have no qualms about feeding Jeanty and harnessing the incredible stamina he shows over the course of a play and a game. Congrats if you traded up to #1.
**Tier Break**
2(2). Travis Hunter (WR/CB-JAX) - The Jaguars obviously were smitten with Hunter, and they are going to play him primarily at wide receiver. Hunter was primarily prepared for games as a corner at Colorado, so the sky is the limit with him concentrating on offense now. The team has the coaching staff and quarterback to create two strong fantasy wide receivers, so we shouldn't worry about Brian Thomas Jr.'s effect on Hunter's upside (or vice versa). Hunter should be the #2 pick, whether in IDP or offense-only leagues. You won't be getting him later than the fourth pick, even though he was falling past that in pre-draft dynasty rookie mocks.
**Tier Break**
3(3). Tetairoa McMillan (WR-CAR) - McMillan went top 10 and wasn't going to fall past Dallas at #12 in any scenario, so his value was solidified on Thursday night. He should become Bryce Young's #1 target right away, as the Panthers don't really have another receiver who can win the ball in the air downfield outside the numbers. It's reasonable to consider McMillan over Hunter, but Hunter has a higher ceiling.
4(4). Luther Burden III (WR-CHI) - Burden's early second-round draft capital is reassuring, and he landed on a team with good offense. But the near-term outlook with DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and #10 overall pick Colston Loveland in the pass offense is cloudy for Burden to emerge. Moore has the same quality game after the catch, while Loveland can line up in the slot, so it will be interesting to see what kind of role Burden can earn in his rookie year. He's still a solid first-round rookie pick, but it will take patience to reap the rewards.
5(5). Emeka Egbuka (WR-TB) - Egbuka got a big vote of confidence as a top 20 pick. He could start the season as the primary slot receiver, with Chris Godwin's return to play timeline from a dislocated ankle still uncertain. It will be difficult for Egbuka to hit his ceiling as long as Godwin and Mike Evans are around, and some of his high draft capital is because of his strong character and run blocking (great for Bucky Irving!). However, he's still a solid use of a pick in the middle of the first round.
6(6). TreVeyon Henderson (RB-NE) - Teams that might have been more attractive fantasy destinations like Washington and Denver passed on Henderson, but landing in New England in the early second is still a good enough outcome to keep Henderson in the top 5-6 of rookie drafts. The lack of established pass catchers other than Stefon Diggs, who is coming off an ACL tear, could set Henderson up to be a very strong PPR running back from day one.
7(7). Omarion Hampton (RB-LAC) - Hampton went off the board as the #2 running back, as expected, and he landed on a team that wants to establish the run. It's not clear that he'll be decisively better than Najee Harris in the one-two punch approach the team will take in the backfield, although we should project Hampton to lead the backfield in touches in 2026 when Harris becomes a free agent again. Hampton will go off the board in rookie drafts earlier than I would take him.
8(8). Kaleb Johnson (RB-PIT) - Johnson fell to the mid-third, so the NFL didn't like him nearly as much as Hampton/Henderson/Judkins, even though he was right on their heels in pre-draft rankings. Expect Johnson to take over the Najee Harris role in the Steelers offense, so there's instant fantasy relevance, but if Mason Rudolph is the quarterback (and maybe even if Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback), this offense will be no place to look for fantasy overachievers. Johnson, like Hampton, should be projected for a larger role in year two, but there is some danger that he'll never be more than a 1A.
9(9). Quinshon Judkins (RB-CLE) - Judkins was set up in a better spot for instant fantasy value than Hampton for a day, and then the Browns took another rookie back, Dylan Sampson, in the fourth round. The team says they see him as a workhorse, so that should raise his long-term ceiling. However, for Judkins to hit, the Browns will need to improve from their 2024 league-worst scoring offense ignominy. It's hard to get excited about this landing spot, but Judkins is still a solid first-round rookie pick.
10(10). Cam Ward (QB-TEN) - There was no suspense when Ward went at #1 overall to Tennessee. We'll see if he is elevated by Brian Callahan's coaching. The supporting cast in the passing game is underwhelming outside of Calvin Ridley and the offensive line is still coming together under Bill Callahan. Ward should still be drafted as a low QB1 in redraft and considered similar to Kyler Murray in both short and long term fantasy outlook projections, with a chance to be better than Murray as a passer. Ward probably won't ever crash the top 3 fantasy quarterbacks, but he could settle into the top 5-6 in a best-case scenario, and there's an argument to take him #1 in superflex drafts.
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