We held our first 12-team, PPR mock draft following NFL free agency on Wednesday, and it was fun to see where the players who changed teams or were impacted by recent moves were selected. But first, we have to look at two busts from 2024 being drafted in Round 1.
Tyreek Hill went at No. 8 overall as the fifth receiver off the board. And Christian McCaffrey went at No. 11 overall as the fourth running back. I don't love either selection, but I'm hopeful both players will rebound in 2025.
Hill averaged 12.3 PPR points per game last season, which was his second-worst total since his rookie year in 2016. But he played through a wrist injury, along with Tua Tagovailoa missing six games. Hill still has immense upside, even at 31, but he should be considered a Round 2 pick this season in the majority of leagues.
McCaffrey is also better suited for Round 2 since he struggled with multiple injuries in 2024 and was limited to just four games. He also turns 29 in June. Now, if McCaffrey returns to form, he could be the best running back in the NFL. But that's a big if after what happened last season, which is why No. 11 overall seems a little soon.
We have several more months to talk about those veterans. Now, let's dive into what happened in free agency.
In Round 1, we saw Puka Nacua fall a little bit to No. 10 overall as the seventh receiver, which is likely the result of Davante Adams joining the Rams. I'm not worried about Adams being a significant downgrade for Nacua, and this is a great spot for him.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was drafted at No. 16 overall, and I like that selection a lot. While the Seahawks changed quarterbacks (Geno Smith to Sam Darnold) and added Cooper Kupp, Smith-Njigba has the chance to be dominant entering his third season in the NFL.
Chuba Hubbard also got company in Carolina with the addition of Rico Dowdle. Prior to Dowdle's arrival, Hubbard was a potential Round 2 selection, but he fell to the last pick of Round 4 here. This is the right range for him, but he'll likely slip even further once the rookies are included.
Round 5 is when we finally saw some of the free agents get drafted, including Adams and Najee Harris. I was surprised Adams lasted this long, and I expect his Average Draft Position to be in Round 4 in August now that he's on the Rams.
As for Harris, Round 5 is the right range for him, but we'll see if the Chargers add another running back in the NFL Draft. If he's the featured back this season then Harris could be a steal in Round 5 since Los Angeles was a great landing spot for the former Steeler.
Speaking of the Steelers, Round 6 had some interesting selections tied to Pittsburgh. For starters, George Pickens was drafted ahead of new teammate DK Metcalf, which was a surprise. I would rather have Metcalf, and we'll see if Pickens stays with the Steelers or gets traded prior to the season. We also don't know who the quarterback in Pittsburgh is yet.
Jaylen Warren was also drafted in Round 6, and he could be the featured running back for the Steelers this season now that Harris is gone. Warren will be a breakout candidate if he doesn't get significant competition in the NFL Draft, and I love this spot for him -- which is why I drafted him.
In Round 7, we had the current and former 49ers receivers come off the board when Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, and Ricky Pearsall (in that order) were all drafted ahead of Deebo Samuel, who was traded to Washington. I like Jennings and Pearsall more than Samuel this season, but Aiyuk makes me nervous coming off the torn ACL he suffered last year in Week 7 since we don't know when he'll be ready to play.
I like the move for Samuel to join the Commanders and play with Jayden Daniels, but I view Samuel as a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver. Jennings and Pearsall, especially if Aiyuk is slow in his recovery, have more upside with the 49ers.
Kupp also was drafted in Round 7 and, like Samuel, I view Kupp as a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver. He should get targets in Seattle, but he turns 32 in June and was miserable to close 2024 with the Rams.
The other players who changed teams of note who stand out were DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram being selected in Round 8, Dowdle in Round 9, Jordan Mason in Round 9, Justin Fields in Round 11, Raheem Mostert in Round 13 and Elijah Mitchell in Round 13. Of these picks, my favorites were Kirk, Engram, Mason, Fields, and Mitchell.
Kirk should be the No. 2 receiver in Houston, and he could be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver as a go-to target for C.J. Stroud. Engram should be second in targets for the Broncos behind Courtland Sutton, and Engram has top-10 upside with his new team.
I love Mason as the No. 2 running back in Minnesota, especially since he's backing up a 30-year-old Aaron Jones. Fields could be a top-10 Fantasy quarterback as the new starter for the Jets. And Mitchell is a potential lottery ticket if he can be second on the depth chart for the Chiefs behind Isiah Pacheco.
It was interesting to see how free agency impacted this 12-team, PPR mock draft. And the Fantasy landscape will change again with the NFL Draft. We're starting to see how NFL rosters will look in 2025, and it's exciting because that means we're closer to doing Fantasy drafts for real.
As a reference point for this mock draft, all touchdowns are worth six points, and we award one point for every 10 yards rushing and receiving and one point for every 25 yards passing. We also award one point for every reception. We feature a starting lineup of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, and FLEX (RB/WR/TE) with six reserves for a 14-round draft.
Our draft order is as follows:
1. Dave Richard, Senior Fantasy Writer
2. Adam Aizer, FFT Podcast Host
3. Robert Thomas, FFT Facebook Moderator
4. R.J. White, Managing Editor, SportsLine and CBS Fantasy
5. Thomas Shafer, FFT Podcast Producer
6. Jake Ignaszewski, FFT Social Media Coordinator
7. Jamey Eisenberg, Senior Fantasy Writer
8. Brandon Howard, Fantasy Editor
9. Jacob Gibbs, SportsLine Fantasy Analyst
10. Heath Cummings, Senior Fantasy Writer
11. Dan Schneier, Senior Fantasy Editor
12. Joel Cox, CBS Sports VP Business Development
