2023 Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: Round 2

If you missed out on Round 1 of my early 2023 superflex rookie mock draft, be sure to check it out prior to digging into Round 2. While hit rates are much more narrow in Round 2 than in Round 1 on rookies, it is the perfect opportunity to find a steal and elevate your dynasty squad.

With potential Round 2 prospects Kendre Miller and Devon Achane off the board in Round 1 in this mock, the rookie running back market is looking quite scarce. Finding someone to make an immediate impact is a tall task, so if you come into Round 2 running back needy your best option may be to trade your pick.

Where will the remaining top prospects fall in Round 2? Let’s take a look:

• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings
• Kicker fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• IDP fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

2.01 - Michael Mayer, TE, LV

Michael Mayer was widely regarded as the top tight end of this class all season long before Dalton Kincaid’s late surge and then was promptly passed by Iowa TE Sam LaPorta as well. Don’t make the mistake that NFL made. If Mayer is available at 2.01, he is a great selection. The wide receiver room thins out behind Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Hunter Renfrow, and new Vegas quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo loves targeting his tight ends. Expecting major production in year 1 is a lot to ask for from a rookie tight end, but after a year of getting his feet wet Mayer should safely be a TE1 by year 2.

2.02 - Josh Downs, WR, IND

The Colts’ ultra-thin receiver room got a little thicker with the addition of North Carolina stud Josh Downs. Downs will be a day 1 starter from the slot and has a real chance to rack up fantasy points early on in his career. Downs piled up receptions at UNC, grabbing 195 catches for 2,364 yards and 19 touchdowns over his last two seasons. He’s very shifty from the slot and is the perfect complement to the bigger-bodied Michael Pittman Jr. on the outside, quietly shoring up Indianapolis' underrated receiving corps.

2.03 - Jonathan Mingo, WR, CAR

Jonathan Mingo was selected in Round 2 by Carolina, expanding Bryce Young’s arsenal of weapons. In a murky receiver room containing Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, Terrace Marshall Jr., and Laviska Shenault Jr., Mingo could easily emerge as a top target for Young. He was compared to former Ole Miss receivers A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf by scouts but did not have as consistent college production as the two NFL stars did. Taking a stab at Mingo is worth it at 2.03, as he could easily emerge as the go-to receiver for Young.

2.04 - Will Levis, QB, TEN

Former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis slid in the NFL Draft and he slides to 2.04 here, which is a bargain for a quarterback that is bound to have a shot at starting. With Tennessee clearly moving on from last year’s third-rounder Malik Willis, all that stands in Levis’ way is 34-year-old Ryan Tannehill. With the Titans rebuilding, Levis will get a chance to showcase his talents this season. If he ends up playing out to match the pre-draft hype and proves the league wrong, you just got yourself a steal at 2.04.

2.05 - Tank Dell, WR, HOU

Nathaniel “Tank” Dell stays in the same city where he played college ball thanks to new franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud urging the front office to go and get him. Dell was ultra-productive in college, topping 1,000 yards in both his junior and senior seasons and scoring a whopping 17 touchdowns a season ago. His concern is his age (already 23 years old) and his size (5-10, 165 pounds). Putting those two factors aside, Dell has a legitimate chance to emerge as the top receiver in Houston with the murky receiver room containing Robert Woods, Nico Collins, John Metchie, and Xavier Hutchinson.

2.06 - Sam LaPorta, TE, DET

Sam LaPorta rose up the draft boards late, and for good reason. The rookie tight end was the lone bright spot in Iowa’s offense the last few seasons and somehow managed to top 650 yards each of his last two seasons behind the limp arm of Spencer Petras. After trading T.J. Hockenson last year, Detroit played tight-end-by-committee and the combo of Brock Wright, James Mitchell, and Shane Zylstra scored nine touchdowns through 10 weeks. LaPorta has real upside and with Jameson Williams out for the first six weeks, he could be used early and often in the explosive Detroit offense.

2.07 - Jalin Hyatt, WR, NYG

Jalin Hyatt was one of college football’s most dynamic players en route to his 2022 Biletnikoff Award but did not get the same love in the NFL Draft with his Round 3 capital. Much like many of the other receivers going off the board in Round 2 of this mock, Hyatt joins a murky New York receiver room with no real WR1. The room is loaded with playmakers such as Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard, Isaiah Hodgins, Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder, and Wan’Dale Robinson, and not all will make the final roster, but projecting target shares as of now is extremely difficult. While many scouts and analysts believe Hyatt cannot function as a true WR1 and is more of a deep threat, taking a stab at him at 2.07 is a high-risk, high-reward situation.

2.08 - Zach Charbonnet, RB, SEA

Zach Charbonnet was getting hype prior to the draft and some analysts even had him above Jahmyr Gibbs. After landing in Seattle in Round 2, dynasty managers are frustrated. Kenneth Walker, a league winner last year, now faces new competition and Charbonnet, considered to have bell-cow potential, enters a timeshare. Walker was phenomenal as a rookie last season so I do expect him to lead this timeshare, putting Charbonnet in a position where he doesn’t hold much value unless Walker were to get hurt. That being said, Seattle used a second-round pick on him and he could easily work himself into a role where he holds standalone value. 2.08 is much lower than he goes in most rookie drafts, so selecting him here is an extreme value and also a ballad to my personal vendetta against him as a fantasy running back.

2.09 - Tyjae Spears, RB, TEN

Tyjae Spears became a household name during Tulane’s exciting comeback victory over USC in last year’s Cotton Bowl where he took 17 carries for 205 yards and four touchdowns. Spears was added to the Tennessee Titans’ roster in Round 3 of the draft and with all of the Derrick Henry trade rumors floating around, it is wise to scoop him up here before his value could see a substantial increase. Even if Henry stays in Tennessee, which seems more and more likely by the day, he turns 30 this year which is retirement home age for running backs. In the event that Henry is hurt or traded, Spears would likely combine with 2022 pick Hassan Haskins to form a 1-2 backfield punch.

2.10 - Chase Brown, RB, CIN

Much like with Spears, Chase Brown is a high-upside selection in the event that Joe Mixon gets traded, cut, or injured. Cincinnati has reaffirmed its position on Mixon amidst rumors that he could be cut, but June 1st is the key date in this decision as they could save a ton of cap space by releasing him post-June 1st. All signs point to Mixon sticking around for another season which is worst-case for Brown, but the worst-case scenario is not all that bad for your 2.10 selection. The former Illinois running back should be the direct handcuff to Mixon, who has only played every game twice in his six-year career, and had a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons in college as a workhorse.

2.11 - Hendon Hooker, QB, DET

Finally, another quarterback off the board. Detroit picked Hooker in Round 3, putting pressure on Jared Goff to keep performing this season. If Goff goes down or plays poorly, Hooker will undoubtedly be thrown into the lineup. Goff’s contract runs through the 2024 season, but if Hooker gets a chance to prove himself and does well he will be inserted as QB1 on his rookie deal. It seems inevitable that Hooker will get a chance to play given he was a third-round quarterback selection, and Detroit would rather get him on the field sooner than later given that he is already 25-years-old. At 2.11, you can throw him on the taxi squad for a season and hope for the best.

2.12 - Tank Bigsby, RB, JAX

Jacksonville selected Tank Bigsby in Round 3, and the former Auburn star joins Travis Etienne in a Jaguars’ backfield that he should immediately see usage in. Behind Etienne, the only competition is JaMychal Hasty and D’Ernest Johnson. Bigsby could see upwards of 10 carries per game if the Jaguars opt to take some of Etienne’s early down workload off of him and slide it to Bigsby. In an early-down and goal-line role in what’s expected to be a high-powered offense, Bigsby is an absolute steal if he falls to 2.12. He’s behind Spears and Brown here due to their potential as starters in the event that their respective teams move on from Henry or Mixon, but has a safer floor than those two.

Finish off the series by checking out Round 3 and seeing what potential lottery tickets to target.

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