2026 Rookie Mock Draft (Rounds 1-3)
Every monday the TDR team will be dropping a Mock Draft this off-season!
Every Monday.
All season long.
Different angles. Different formats. Real strategy.
Welcome to Mock Draft Mondays — a weekly series designed to go beyond screenshots and ADP chasing. Each week, we rotate the lens so you’re not just seeing another mock, you’re learning how to think through the board: decision-making, roster construction, and how to stay ahead of the market as value shifts.
Throughout the season, you’ll see everything from dynasty startups and devy + rookie mocks to C2C/CFF hybrids, position mocks, real startup drafts, and strategy-driven builds that pit contenders against rebuilds. Some weeks it’s market vs. value. Others it’s leverage, structure, or long-term insulation. The common thread? Intentional process over noise.
This particular mock marks our first rookie mock draft of the offseason. It’s not a prediction exercise, and it’s not meant to lock in takes; it’s an early dynasty temperature check. A way to identify which prospects belong on your radar before the market hardens around them.
At this stage, the questions matter more than the answers.
Which running backs have a realistic path to workload and draft capital?
Which wide receivers can actually separate themselves from the pack?
Which quarterbacks flash true NFL-level ceilings and which still have more to prove?
Think of this as the foundation. Value formation starts here, long before production, context, and draft capital fully shape the board. If you play dynasty with a long view, this is where edges are built.
Jay Stein and I put this together to spark those early conversations. If you want a deeper breakdown of the board, player debates, and how we’re thinking through this class, make sure to check out the podcast and YouTube.
Let’s dig in.
ROUND 3
Let’s be upfront: this is one of the weaker depth classes we’ve seen in quite some time, and Round 3 reflects that reality.
At this point of the 2026 rookie board, you’re no longer drafting certainty; you’re drafting questions, projection, and patience. Many of these prospects have one or two traits that keep them relevant, but very few come without meaningful risk. That doesn’t mean this range is useless; it just means the margin for error is thinner than usual.
Round 3 in a class like this is about identifying outcomes, not floors. You’re betting on development arcs, potential role expansion, and the hope that one strong season or one favorable situation can reshape a player’s dynasty value. Some of these names will fade quickly. A few will matter more than expected. Let’s look at the third-round picks and talk about some quick takeaways.
3.12 – Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
3.11 – Jack Endries, TE, Texas
3.10 – Eric McAlister, WR, TCU
3.09 – CJ Daniels, WR, Miami
3.08 – Michael Trigg, TE, Baylor
3.07 – Adam Randall, RB/WR, Clemson
3.06 – Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
3.05 – Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
3.04 – John Michael Gyllenborg, TE, Wyoming
3.03 – Chris Brazzell, WR, Tennessee
3.02 – Justin Joly, TE, NC State
3.01 – Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss
Round 3 Takeaway: Taking Shots on Quarterbacks
In a class lacking depth and top-end certainty, taking swings on quarterbacks in this range makes sense. Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar, and even Trinidad Chambliss—who may or may not declare based on eligibility; are all interesting bets in Round 3.
None of these quarterbacks project as clean Day 1 selections, but in a down class where Fernando Mendoza stands as the only true first-round lock at the position, these are the types of Hail Mary swings that can still pay off. All three currently profile more as Day 2 or Day 3 NFL Draft candidates, but that still carries meaningful dynasty upside in Superflex formats.
Allar, in particular, is the one to monitor closely. The risk is obvious after a rocky season, but quarterback value is often dictated by landing spot and organizational commitment. If Allar finds himself in the right system with a clear developmental plan, he could quickly flip from a shaky prospect to a legitimate dynasty sleeper.
In Round 3, that’s a bet worth making.
Round 3 Takeaway: John Michael Gyllenborg Is an Asset Worth Monitoring
John Michael Gyllenborg is one of the more intriguing “watch list” assets in this range. He wrapped up an outstanding career with the Brown and Gold, finishing his tenure with the Cowboys with 80 receptions for 1,023 yards and seven touchdowns, while recording 17 career games with three or more receptions, a strong indicator of week-to-week reliability.
While his final season was quieter on the surface (24 catches for 217 yards and one touchdown), context matters. Gyllenborg still flashed late, posting a career-high six receptions in his final game against Hawai‘i, and his body of work shows steady development year over year. As a junior, he earned All–Mountain West honors after catching 30 passes for 425 yards and three scores, following a solid sophomore season with 23 receptions and three touchdowns. For his career, he averaged 12.8 yards per reception, showing functional athleticism and downfield utility at the position.
Gyllenborg was also named to the John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List twice, and with a Senior Bowl appearance approaching, there’s a very real path for his stock to rise during the pre-draft process. If he tests well and shows he can win in one-on-one situations against Power Five competition, he could quickly move from a late-round flier to a legitimate dynasty TE stash.
In a thin class, those are exactly the profiles worth tracking.
2nd Round
The second round is where the class starts to stabilize, but let’s not pretend the questions disappear.
These profiles are clearly stronger than what we saw in Round 3, yet uncertainty still runs through nearly every name in this tier. The talent is better, the paths are cleaner, but very few players here are finished products. This is the range where traits, context, and projection start to matter more than past production alone.
And like every offseason, this is the round that’s most likely to change. Values will rise quickly as everyone inevitably finds their guy. It happens every year, and it always reshapes Round 2 more than we expect.
Understanding where that value can come from and where it’s being manufactured is the edge. Let’s dive into our round 2 takeaways.
