Before the NFL season, I’ll be bringing you some mock drafts where I break down how I would draft from each position. I’ve already drafted from the No. 5 position. Here, I’m going to break down my strategy for selecting from the No. 10 position in a 10-team league.
So let’s get to it!
Mock Draft
Mock Draft Walkthrough
In this article, I want to do a walkthrough of how I would approach the draft if I ended up with the 10th overall pick in a 10-team draft, which means I would have the 10th, 11th, 30th, 31st, 50th, 51st, 70th, 71st, 90th and 91st picks to choose from.
I’ll assume, for the sake of this draft, that the board plays out in the order I have outlined above. That means, however, that I may stray from my own big board if I need to fill a certain position or want to try out a strategy.
So, let’s get it going.
At No. 10, I’m going to miss out on the elite crop of running backs, so I have a huge decision to make. Do I ensure I can get at least one elite wideout or quarterback, or do I reach for a running back?
I don’t like reaching in the first round. I want a safe option. I also think I can nab a good quarterback in the third or fourth round. So I’m playing it safe and going with a wideout I know will post huge numbers, Demaryius Thomas.
Of course, if Antonio Brown is somehow available, he’s my pick.
The No. 11 pick is another really interesting conundrum. On my board, I have Rob Gronkowski as the pick, and I love Gronk simply because he gives you wide receiver production at a weak position, tight end. But on draft day, I know I would be tempted to either select Aaron Rodgers or Andrew Luck (at this point, I’m through the looking glass on running backs and willing to wait).
Frankly, I think the benefit of having Gronk over the next tier of tight ends is greater than the benefit of having Rodgers or Luck over the next tier of quarterbacks, so I’m going to pray he stays healthy and select the star tight end.
Now, no matter how the board shakes out, I know I probably need to add two running backs with my next two picks and at the very least must add one. Mark Ingram and Melvin Gordon are sitting on my board, so while I might consider nabbing Peyton Manning here, I’m going to address running back before I completely miss out on the viable options.
Yes, drafting a rookie in the fourth round makes me somewhat nervous, but Gordon is an explosive athlete on a good offense and should be considered the front-runner to win Rookie of the Year. So I don’t mind the gamble.
At Nos. 50 and 51, I could go with two more wideouts per my board, Jordan Matthews and Sammy Watkins. But a little further down my board, I see Drew Brees lurking. Given that I don’t have a quarterback yet, I’ll jump at the chance to take Brees at this point for a pretty solid value. So that’s an easy choice.
But I’d love to add another wideout here too. The question is, Matthews or Watkins?
I like Sam Bradford more than whoever ends up playing quarterback in Buffalo, so I’m going with Matthews.
At this point, I have my starters selected, so I’m going to start drafting for depth and trying to add solid players for the flex. Atop my board is wideout Torrey Smith, which makes him my first pick. I want to add another running back here, however, so I’m going to nab the top back on my board, Latavius Murray, to ensure I have options at the position.
Going into the ninth and 10th rounds, I’m looking to add solid depth. I don’t need to add another quarterback here because Brees is so solid, but with Gronk’s injury history, I’m seriously considering adding another tight end, namely Coby Fleener.
But ultimately, I’d rather ensure I had nice options at RB4 and WR4 for my team, so I’m going to go with the top option on the board at both positions. Eric Decker and LeGarrette Blount, come on down.
Team Name Suggestions
- Amari 2600
- Gurley Talk
- Gotta Go To Odell’s
- All About the Kelvin Benjamins
- Too Many Brandin Cooks
- MegaErtz
- Not One Mariota (That’s how much Chip Kelly will pretend he cared about not being able to draft him.)
As always, share your favorite team names in the comments.
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