After months of rookie mock drafts, weeks of podcasts, and days upon days of impatiently waiting, the 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone. Our eyes turn to our dynasty league rookie drafts, and for your favorite staff members at Dynasty Nerds, that first rookie draft happened in the prestigious Dynasty Nerds App League.
If you recall, in the Dynasty Nerds App League, comprised of 12 of the finest minds in the dynasty fantasy football space, we have ourselves a Nostradamus draft in March immediately following the NFL Combine.
2026 Dynasty Rookie Draft | First 2 Rounds of the DNA League
Let’s first take a look at how those 24 picks worked out. Were there any Shedeur Sanders-level busted picks in this year’s group?
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2026 Dynasty Rookie Draft Results
Round 1
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team | Drafter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.01 | Jeremiyah Love | RB | Arizona Cardinals | Taylor Christianson |
| 1.02 | Fernando Mendoza | QB | Las Vegas Raiders | Steven Pintado |
| 1.03 | Carnell Tate | WR | Tennessee Titans | Matt Cooper |
| 1.04 | Jordyn Tyson | WR | New Orleans Saints | Jon Glosser |
| 1.05 | Makai Lemon | WR | Philadelphia Eagles | Taylor Christianson |
| 1.06 | Kenyon Sadiq | TE | New York Jets | Matt O’Hara |
| 1.07 | KC Concepcion | WR | Cleveland Browns | Matt Cooper |
| 1.08 | Omar Cooper, Jr | WR | New York Jets | Matt Cooper |
| 1.09 | Ty Simpson | QB | Los Angeles Rams | Doc Mitchell |
| 1.10 | Denzel Boston | WR | Cleveland Browns | Garret Price |
| 1.11 | Eli Stowers | TE | Philadelphia Eagles | Doc Mitchell |
| 1.12 | Jadarian Price | RB | Seattle Seahawks | Taylor Christianson |
The 2026 NFL Draft was crammed full of shocks and surprise picks. However, that wasn’t the case with the first round of our Nostradamus Draft. The wise minds of the Dynasty Nerds staff hit on a first round full of chalk. Special props to Doc Mitchell for having the foresight to take Ty Simpson at 1.09 all the way back in March. He’s the defending league champion for a reason, NerdHerd!
Similarly, let’s give some credit to Taylor Christianson as well. On the chopping block at the end of last season, Taylor is back with a vengeance with a full load of rookie picks. It began here with a great haul of Jeremiyah Love followed by Makai Lemon a few picks later. Then, as with Doc, Taylor must have channeled his own Crystal Balls by taking Jadarian Price at 1.12.
Well done, league.
Round 2
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team | Drafter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.01 | Jonah Coleman | RB | Denver Broncos | Taylor Christianson |
| 2.02 | Mike Washington | RB | Las Vegas Raiders | Steven Pintado |
| 2.03 | Emmett Johnson | RB | Kansas City Chiefs | Matt Cooper |
| 2.04 | Elijah Sarratt | WR | Baltimore Ravens | Matt Cooper |
| 2.05 | Garrett Nussmeier | QB | Kansas City Chiefs | Matt O’Hara |
| 2.06 | Germie Bernard | WR | Pittsburgh Steelers | Steven Pintado |
| 2.07 | Ja’Kobi Lane | WR | Baltimore Ravens | Garret Price |
| 2.08 | Justin Joly | TE | Denver Broncos | Matt Cooper |
| 2.09 | Skyler Bell | WR | Buffalo Bills | Doc Mitchell |
| 2.10 | Bryce Lance | WR | New Orleans Saints | Taylor Christianson |
| 2.11 | Kaytron Allen | RB | Washington Commanders | Matt O’Hara |
| 2.12 | Chris Brazzell | WR | Carolina Panthers | Matt Cooper |
On one hand, you could look at these 12 picks and think, “oof, what a mess.” On the other? While the draft capital might not have been there for some of these picks, the landing spots more than made up the chaos and disappointment.
Despite being taken in the NFL Draft later than most expected, Jonah Coleman, Emmett Johnson, and Kaytron Allen all found value in the end. Mike Washington is the most disappointing pick of this group, but that’s the danger in running backs this time of year, both rookie and veteran. Washington sadly gets sent to the shadow realm that is Ashton Jeanty’s backfield.
I don’t think there’s much to say about the wide receivers from this group. Sarratt wound up as a mid-round pick as many suspected, while Bernard, Bell, and Lance ended up stuck on teams with crowded depth charts. Perhaps the best pick of the pass catching group was the final pick by Matt Cooper who took Chris Brazzell. As the WR2 in Carolina opposite second-year phenom Tetairoa McMillen, Brazzell could earn early targets from Bryce Young in an ascendant offense.
Finally, everyone in football, fantasy or otherwise, knows that quarterback is such a volatile position to scout. Last year, it was Shedeur Sanders. This year, Garrett Nussmeier was one of the biggest fallers in the NFL Draft and was an unfortunate flop for Matt O’Hara. Better luck next time!
2026 Dynasty Rookie Draft | Rounds 3-5
Unlike last year, when the lights went out on the draft stage in Pittsburgh, there was very little clarity on the 2026 rookie class. Did that bother our 12 managers? Not in the slightest. The final 3 rounds of the Dynasty Nerds App League rookie draft became a “Get Your Guy” fest. Without further ado, let’s look at how things unfolded.
Round 3
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team | Drafter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.01 | Antonio Williams | WR | Washington Commanders | Taylor Christianson |
| 3.02 | Chris Bell | WR | Miami Dolphins | Steven Pintado |
| 3.03 | Carson Beck | QB | Arizona Cardinals | Matt Cooper |
| 3.04 | Ted Hurst | WR | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Matt Cooper |
| 3.05 | Max Klare | TE | Los Angeles Rams | Matt O’Hara |
| 3.06 | Oscar Delp | TE | New Orleans Saints | Keith Ensminger |
| 3.07 | De’Zhaun Stribling | WR | San Francisco 49ers | Taylor Christianson |
| 3.08 | Malachi Fields | WR | New York Giants | Taylor Christianson |
| 3.09 | Eli Raridon | TE | New England Patriots | Rich Dotson |
| 3.10 | Zachariah Branch | WR | Atlanta Falcons | Doc Mitchell |
| 3.11 | Drew Allar | QB | Pittsburgh Steelers | Taylor Christianson |
| 3.12 | Kaelon Black | RB | San Francisco 49ers | Doc Mitchell |
Taylor is the big winner here getting an immediate return on having the coveted first pick in the post-NFL draft. With Day 2 draft capital and an ideal landing spot with the Commanders, Antonio Williams is a player who’s being taken at the beginning of round two in most rookie drafts. In some cases, he’s even being taken at the end of the first round. Of course, Williams is a player I’ve been high on throughout this process, so I’m not surprised. I tried to trade for the pick, but Taylor wasn’t having any of it.
Matt Cooper picked up two important players for his roster, adding Carson Beck and Ted Hurst. Matt’s roster needs a quarterback in the worst way, so he is crossing his fingers for magic in Arizona.
With this draft class and our group, it’s not a shock that many managers, including myself, drafted several tight ends in this round. I personally like Oscar Delp the best of the trio (Max Klare and Eli Raridon), but I certainly won’t find fault with my leaguemates for taking a shot on them. Klare earned high marks from me in the early draft process while Raridon arguably couldn’t have landed in a better spot.
Finally, Taylor is hoping for a bit of Tyler Shough mid-round quarterback magic by taking Drew Allar. Taylor’s roster could use as many hits of value that it can get. As for De’Zhaun Stribling and Kaelon Black? Look, we were all shocked when the 49ers drafted both of them when they did. San Francisco GM John Lynch has certainly taken heat for what many see as an oddball draft full of reaches. Who knows what Taylor and Doc are getting? Time will tell.
Round 4
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team | Drafter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.01 | Nicholas Singleton | RB | Tennessee Titans | Peter Monahan |
| 4.02 | Adam Randall | RB | Baltimore Ravens | Steven Pintado |
| 4.03 | Demond Claiborne | RB | Minnesota Vikings | Matt O’Hara |
| 4.04 | Jam Miller | RB | New England Patriots | Jon Glosser |
| 4.05 | Caleb Douglas | WR | Miami Dolphins | Matt O’Hara |
| 4.06 | Zavion Thomas | WR | Chicago Bears | Keith Ensminger |
| 4.07 | Cade Klubnik | QB | New York Jets | Mychal Warno |
| 4.08 | Le’Veon Moss | RB | Miami Dolphins | Doc Mitchell |
| 4.09 | Jack Endries | TE | Cincinnati Bengals | Rich Dotson |
| 4.10 | Brennan Thompson | WR | Los Angeles Chargers | Rich Dotson |
| 4.11 | Seth McGowan | RB | Indianapolis Colts | Garret Price |
| 4.12 | Cyrus Allen | WR | Kansas City Chiefs | Steven Pintado |
Some of the best values in our rookie draft happened in round four. At running back, I love Peter Monahan’s pick of Nicholas Singleton at 4.01 and Matt O’Hara’s pick of Demond Claiborne at 4.03. Both players have a clear path to relevancy with the Titans and Vikings, respectively. Later in the round, I also like Garret Price’s pick of Seth McGowan as a change of pace back in Indianapolis.
At quarterback, Mychal may have found a diamond-in-the-rough with Cade Klubnik at 4.07. If Geno Smith falters, a starting role with the Jets could return a quick, short-term shot of value.
Finally, I think Steven Pintado got a sneaky value by drafting Cyrus Allen with the last pick in the round. The Kansas City wide receiver situation is, shall we say, turbulent. Allen may not find a role this year, but there’s potential to be had down the road.
Round 5
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team | Drafter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.01 | Michael Trigg | TE | Dallas Cowboys | Jon Glosser |
| 5.02 | Tanner Koziol | TE | Jacksonville Jaguars | Steven Pintado |
| 5.03 | CJ Daniels | WR | Los Angeles Rams | Matt Cooper |
| 5.04 | Kevin Coleman | WR | Miami Dolphins | Jon Glosser |
| 5.05 | Eli Heidenreich | WR | Pittsburgh Steelers | Matt O’Hara |
| 5.06 | Cole Payton | QB | Philadelphia Eagles | Peter Monahan |
| 5.07 | Taylen Green | QB | Cleveland Browns | Peter Monahan |
| 5.08 | Tyren Montgomery | WR | Tennessee Titans | Taylor Christianson |
| 5.09 | Joe Royer | TE | Cleveland Browns | Rich Dotson |
| 5.10 | Will Kacmarek | TE | Miami Dolphins | Doc Mitchell |
| 5.11 | Robert Henry | RB | Washington Commanders | Garret Price |
| 5.12 | Deion Burks | WR | Indianapolis Colts | Jon Glosser |
Five rounds of rookie picks? In this draft class? Yikes!
Dear reader, I won’t lie to you. I don’t have a lot to say about the players in this round, but I’ll try my best.
Dynasty analysts can’t say Deion Burks and Michael Trigg without saying “former devy darlings.” It’s legally binding.
Tanner Koziol is very tall.
Eli Heidenreich is a great story and a class act.
Cole Payton went to a team that the NFL cherishes as a quarterback factory. Taylen Green is athletic and went to a team that is also a quarterback factory, if that factory had OSHA warning signs everywhere saying, “0 days since this factory experienced a serious issue.”
My final summary analysis of round five? The UFL needs players, too, you know.
Manager Draft Charts
Doc Mitchell
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.09 | Ty Simpson | QB | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1.11 | Eli Stowers | TE | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2.09 | Skyler Bell | WR | Buffalo Bills |
| 3.10 | Zachariah Branch | WR | Atlanta Falcons |
| 3.12 | Kaelon Black | RB | San Francisco 49ers |
| 4.08 | Le’Veon Moss | RB | Miami Dolphins |
| 5.10 | Will Kacmarek | TE | Miami Dolphins |
Doc’s Thoughts – I’d say my Nostradamus picks fell about as well as it could. Ty Simpson landed safely in the 1st round. My personal favorite Eli Stowers got a nice landing spot with Philly in the 2nd, and Skyler Bell even got a decent spot with an MVP QB and future opportunity.
I was actually pretty happy with my post-draft picks as well. I traded a 2028 2nd to jump in and grab a couple 3rd round picks which I turned into Zachariah Branch and Kaelon Black. The last time CMC had as many touches as he did last season, he missed nearly the entire following campaign.
Garret Price
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.10 | Denzel Boston | WR | Cleveland Browns |
| 2.07 | Ja’Kobi Lane | WR | Baltimore Ravens |
| 4.11 | Seth McGowan | RB | Indianapolis Colts |
| 5.11 | Robert Henry | RB | Washington Commanders |
Garret’s Thoughts – I loved my first two rounds at the time. Unfortunately, despite solid capital, both Boston and Lane received less than optimal landing spots.
If anyone says anything other than “ew” for the last 3 rounds they are likely lying.
Jared Wackerly
No Draft Selections
*Editor’s note: Jared traded his 2026 draft class and C.J. Stroud to me, Taylor, for Joe Burrow at the end of last season. I traded Jared’s first two picks to Doc Mitchell, where he selected Ty Simpson (1.09) and Skyler Bell (2.09).
Jon Glosser
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.04 | Jordyn Tyson | WR | New Orleans Saints |
| 4.04 | Jam Miller | RB | New England Patriots |
| 5.01 | Michael Trigg | TE | Dallas Cowboys |
| 5.04 | Kevin Coleman | WR | Miami Dolphins |
| 5.12 | Deion Burks | WR | Indianapolis Colts |
Keith Ensminger
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.06 | Oscar Delp | TE | New Orleans Saints |
| 4.06 | Zavion Thomas | WR | Chicago Bears |
Keith’s Thoughts – I play in several Campus2Canton leagues, so like many of us, I knew what was coming in the 2026 pipeline, and it didn’t look pretty. So, on one hand, I was completely comfortable trading my 2026 1st away. On the other hand, I traded that pick to get Keon Coleman after his big performance in Week 1. I still have hopes for you, Keon!
My team needs a good tight end in the worst way, but knowing tight end was one of the strengths of this class, I was content to sit at 3.06 and take whoever fell to me. I really like the landing spot for Oscar Delp, as veteran tight end Juwan Johnson has had more than a few usable weeks in the New Orleans offense. With my final pick, I went with draft capital and a bit of coaching trust in Ben Johnson. If it doesn’t work out for Zavion Thomas in Chicago, so be it. It’s just a fourth round rookie pick.
This rookie draft didn’t make my team significantly better, but honestly, I don’t think this group is going to make many dynasty rosters significantly better, either. Now, 2027 on the other hand…
Matt Cooper
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.03 | Carnell Tate | WR | Tennessee Titans |
| 1.07 | KC Concepcion | WR | Cleveland Browns |
| 1.08 | Omar Cooper, Jr | WR | New York Jets |
| 2.03 | Emmett Johnson | RB | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2.04 | Elijah Sarratt | WR | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2.08 | Justin Joly | TE | Denver Broncos |
| 2.12 | Chris Brazzell | WR | Carolina Panthers |
| 3.03 | Carson Beck | QB | Arizona Cardinals |
| 3.04 | Ted Hurst | WR | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 5.03 | CJ Daniels | WR | Los Angeles Rams |
Matt Cooper’s Thoughts – I was extremely happy to pick up the WR trio of Tate, Concepcion, and Cooper Jr. in the 1st round. That said, I have serious regrets about my Tee Higgins trade, given Cooper Jr.’s landing spot with the Jets, and how much the NFL draft tanked the guys I took in round 2.
I had a clear tier break after Williams and Bell went off the board in the early third, so I was disappointed to miss out on those guys. However, my roster really needed a dart throw at QB, so I was glad to get Carson Beck. I was thrilled that CJ Daniels made it to me in round 5. I have Daniels ranked in the 3rd round of my personal rookie ranks.
Matt O’Hara
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.06 | Kenyon Sadiq | TE | New York Jets |
| 2.05 | Garrett Nussmeier | QB | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2.11 | Kaytron Allen | RB | Washington Commanders |
| 3.05 | Max Klare | TE | Los Angeles Rams |
| 4.03 | Demond Claiborne | RB | Minnesota Vikings |
| 4.05 | Caleb Douglas | WR | Miami Dolphins |
| 5.05 | Eli Heidenreich | WR | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Mychal Warno
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.07 | Cade Klubnik | QB | New York Jets |
Mychal’s Thoughts – I was hesitant about this draft class during the pre-draft process, so I traded my first- and second-round picks for more proven assets. In the end, I only had one selection in this entire draft, which was 4.07. I used that pick to select Cade Klubnik. While I am not optimistic about Klubnik’s long-term NFL success, I can flip him to a QB-needy team for a 2027 draft pick if he gets an opportunity to start games for the Jets.
Peter Monahan
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.01 | Nicholas Singleton | RB | Tennessee Titans |
| 5.06 | Cole Payton | QB | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 5.07 | Taylen Green | QB | Cleveland Browns |
Peter’s Thoughts – I didn’t have any picks in the first two rounds so the draft fell great for me! Then, I was able to grab Nicholas Singleton at 4.01 which I thought was a great spot which was the 2nd in a 6 straight pick run of RB. Then at 5.06 & 5.07 I double-tapped some taxi stash QBs in Cole Payton & Tayler Green. Both are very much developmental QBs so I am more than happy to stash on my taxi squad until they eventually get an opportunity.
Rich Dotson
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.09 | Eli Raridon | TE | New England Patriots |
| 4.09 | Jack Endries | TE | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 4.10 | Brennan Thompson | WR | Los Angeles Chargers |
| 5.09 | Joe Royer | TE | Cleveland Browns |
Rich’s Thoughts – I was able to trade my picks away during the season for proven assets while growing upside TE’s later, so the early part of the draft went stellar for me! Overall though, all of the trash talk came to the forefront after the NFL draft concluded. Doo-doo butter was on full display, and if you get a game changer out of this draft not named Jeremiyah Love, then you got lucky.
Steven Pintado
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.02 | Fernando Mendoza | QB | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 2.02 | Mike Washington | RB | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 2.06 | Germie Bernard | WR | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 3.02 | Chris Bell | WR | Miami Dolphins |
| 4.02 | Adam Randall | RB | Baltimore Ravens |
| 4.12 | Cyrus Allen | WR | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 5.02 | Tanner Koziol | TE | Jacksonville Jaguars |
Steven’s Thoughts – My selections could have gone worse, but Fernando Mendoza and Germie Bernard ended up as decent picks overall for the value I got them. My big swing was taking Mike Washington at the 2.02, and in terms of value, it wasn’t all that great based on him landing in the fourth round. He is probably going a round later in post-draft rookie drafts than where I selected him.
The NFL Draft was a hot mess, with many players landing in questionable spots and the running backs in this class being devalued. My final three rounds ended up being decent selections. I think Chris Bell is a steal at the 3.02 selection of the draft. I also like taking shots on Adam Randall and Tanner Koziol in the last two rounds of the draft.
Taylor Christianson
| Pick | Player | Pos | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.01 | Jeremiyah Love | RB | Arizona Cardinals |
| 1.05 | Makai Lemon | WR | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1.12 | Jadarian Price | RB | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2.01 | Jonah Coleman | RB | Denver Broncos |
| 2.10 | Bryce Lance | WR | New Orleans Saints |
| 3.01 | Antonio Williams | WR | Washington Commanders |
| 3.07 | De’Zhaun Stribling | WR | San Francisco 49ers |
| 3.08 | Malachi Fields | WR | New York Giants |
| 3.11 | Drew Allar | QB | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 5.08 | Tyren Montgomery | WR | Tennessee Titans |
Taylor’s Thoughts – I was able to move a lot of the picks I started with while I was on the clock. During the draft, I acquired Tony Pollard, Tee Higgins, D.J. Moore, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. The biggest “steal” of the first 2 rounds was probably Jadarian Price at 1.12. I was high on Price all of 2025, so there’s some vindication with his landing spot and draft capital.
I couldn’t’ve been happier with the way the 3rd round went. I was able to get Antonio Williams with the 3.01 and scooped up De’Zhaun Stribling and Malachi Fields (and Drew Allar) later in the round. I traded all but 1 of my remaining picks for future draft capital–as we’ve been advising other people to do in their drafts. In total, I’d give it a solid B draft with the potential to trade into an A-.
Summary
That wraps up the 2026 Dynasty Nerds App League rookie draft, and if there’s one takeaway, it’s that the “unforeseen unique particulars” mentioned in the quote at the beginning are out on full display with this rookie class. Whether you stand on film evaluation, analytics, draft capital, or landing spot, this group has a little bit of chaos for everyone.
Lean into the chaos, NerdHerd. Trust your board, and remember: in a year where the 2026 NFL Draft felt like a hot mess for dynasty fantasy football, the real advantage goes to the managers who can sift through that chaos.
Good luck in your own drafts!
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