Fantasy Football Takeaways from Round 1 of the NFL Draft

The first round of the NFL Draft has come to a close, so it’s time to get some initial reactions to some of the selections.

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Cam Ward, QB – Titans

Initial reaction

• This was the worst-kept secret of the draft. We’ve known Ward to the Titans was happening for weeks—the only surefire landing spot heading in.
• Obviously, this is a brutal blow to Will Levis’ stock. After two seasons and too many “what the hell was that” plays, Tennessee decided to move on. Levis wasn’t a lock to stick long-term after falling to Round 2, and while he got a fair shot, the floor was too low and the ceiling never really showed up. I’ll personally miss the meme plays—the “hands-behind-the-head on his knees after a pick-six” belongs in the Louvre.
• Ward doesn’t carry the same pedigree as last year’s top QBs, and fantasy-wise, he’s not someone I’d expect to run his way into QB1 territory. He’s more of a pocket passer and more of a big-play hunter. Think early-career Russell Wilson in terms of rushing upside. My personal comp? A smaller Daunte Culpepper.
• The supporting cast isn’t ideal—Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett are both on the wrong side of 30, and Treylon Burks hasn’t lived up to his 2022 first-round billing. That said, Ridley stands to benefit most. He still wins downfield, and Ward should offer more catchable deep balls than Levis ever did.
• Ward gives the Titans’ offense a lift, but I’d temper early expectations. He profiles as a low-end QB2 in fantasy as a rookie, with some long-term upside if Tennessee can rebuild the O-line and surround him with better talent.

Travis Hunter, WR/CB – Jaguars

Initial reaction

• We’ve known Hunter was going No. 2 for a while—most expected the Browns to stay put and take him, but the Jaguars made the move up.
• He’s a unicorn: arguably the best WR in the class and could be a high-level CB in the NFL.
• I expect him to be a full-time WR, but the Jags trading up to 2 likely means they also want to leverage him as a cornerback.
• From a fantasy perspective, we’re obviously hoping he sticks to offense. Defensive snaps don’t help us, and they only add risk—limiting his offensive workload and raising his injury exposure.
• That usage uncertainty gives him a lower floor than most WRs taken this high, but the ceiling is very real—I think the Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants era) comp is the most accurate I’ve seen.
• The landing spot works. Christian Kirk and Evan Engram are gone, Gabe Davis is a low-volume deep threat, and he should slot in opposite Brian Thomas Jr. There’s a clear path to WR3+ value if things click early.
• Expect him to be drafted as a WR4/5 in fantasy due to the usage question mark, not the talent.
• Can’t wait to project—and bet on—some receptions + tackle combo props for him this year. Truly one of a kind.

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Ashton Jeanty, RB – Raiders

Initial reaction

• Jeanty going in the top 10 was expected—he’s a generational RB talent, and wherever he landed, he was going to be the guy from day one.
• The Raiders were the most likely landing spot, and it’s a clean one for fantasy. He should step into a full workload immediately and be a high-end volume play right out of the gate.
• Raheem Mostert is 33 and clearly a backup at this stage. Zamir White could compete for touches if or when Jeanty ever misses time, but neither guy is someone we were worried about from a fantasy standpoint.
• Jeanty should be treated as a mid-range RB1 as a rookie—the kind of prospect you draft assuming he’ll be one of your starting backs from Week 1.
• Worth noting: both the Bears and Jaguars were in the mix for Jeanty. If the Bears had traded up or the Jags hadn’t moved up to take Travis Hunter, things could’ve gotten messy. D’Andre Swift, Travis Etienne, and Tank Bigsby all dodged a major hit here.
• There’s still a chance those teams take a RB later in the draft, but nobody is walking into Jeanty-level usage. He was the prize, and the Raiders got him.

Tet McMillan, WR – Panthers

Initial reaction

• McMillan was expected to be the first WR off the board (if you label Travis Hunter as his own WR/CB hybrid), with the Cowboys and Bears as the likeliest landing spots. Either would’ve made him a secondary option in the passing game.
• Instead, the Panthers grabbed him at 8—and helped cash my Jalon Walker over 8.5 bet in the process.
• Before we even get into Tet, it’s worth noting: this is a major vote of confidence in Bryce Young. After a nightmare rookie season (brief benching included in year 2), Bryce looked more like the guy Carolina hoped for in the second half last year. Drafting a WR this early is an investment in him.
• Tet is a bit of a polarizing WR prospect—6’4”, 220 lbs, not super polished, but a contested catch guy with better-than-expected YAC ability. People keep comparing him to Drake London because of size, but I don’t see it. I had London as a Mike Evans/Keenan Allen blend. Tet? Not quite that refined.
• My comp for him is Kenny Golladay—and yes, I mean that in both directions. Maybe we get Lions Golladay, maybe Giants Golladay, but the most likely scenario is somewhere in the middle, closer to the Lions version. (And let’s not pretend early-career Golladay wasn’t really good.)
• This landing spot gives Tet a legit chance to lead the Panthers in targets right away, though Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette will be in the mix. The setup probably raises Tet’s ceiling in Year 1 more than Dallas or Chicago would’ve.
• Ideally, he’s a WR3 in redraft with a solid floor/ceiling combo. Not a slam dunk, but not a reach either. A lot will depend on how quickly he and Bryce can build chemistry—and that’s always been tricky with Bryce’s play style.
• Still, there’s sneaky best ball stack potential here if you’re betting on the Panthers’ offense taking a step forward.

Colston Loveland, TE – Bears

Initial reaction

• Bit of a surprise to see Loveland go 10th overall, especially over Tyler Warren, who many viewed as the top all-around TE in the class—a potential George Kittle type.
• Loveland is more of a pure pass catcher, and the landing spot is quietly great for his rookie year. He was expected to go to the Colts, which would’ve meant TE1 duties with zero competition—but also dealing with Anthony Richardson dropping back about 25 times a game (with 6 of those being uncatchable passes and 7 being scrambles), while 3–4 WRs soak up the rest of the “targets.”
• In Chicago, Loveland will have to compete with Cole Kmet for snaps, which limits his early TE1 ceiling and lowers his floor (which would’ve been higher in Indy with a clear TE1 role). That said, the Bears could use more 2-TE sets with Loveland as the pass-catching option.
• If Kmet misses any time, the door could swing wide open. (We’ve seen this before—Brock Bowers going TE God mode after Michael Mayer missed time. It probably would’ve happened anyway, but that helped spark it even faster.)
• Keenan Allen’s departure frees up a chunk of targets, and the Bears’ offense could take a legit leap in Caleb Williams’ second year under Ben Johnson, who’s already shown he knows how to feature a rookie TE in Sam LaPorta.
• Loveland gives me Jimmy Graham vibes stylistically, but you can bet Johnson sees a potential Sam LaPorta in him. The tools and setup are there for a Year 1 breakout if things fall right.
• He’s not a lock to be in the Kincaid/LaPorta/Bowers tier from the jump, but the path is absolutely there—especially if he’s used in the slot, sees red-zone work, or Kmet misses time.
• In fantasy, he’s a TE2 in drafts for now—but exactly the kind of TE you target in that range with league-winning upside if the opportunity opens up. Taking him at 10, over Warren, makes that upside even more likely.
• This is obviously a huge blow to Cole Kmet, and also a hit to Olamide Zaccheaus if the Bears lean into more 2-TE sets. But it’s a boost for Caleb Williams, who gets another reliable weapon in the middle of the field.

Tyler Warren, TE – Colts

Initial reaction

• This was a no-brainer and a fantastic real-life pick for the Colts. Warren is a do-it-all tight end in the mold of George Kittle, and he finally gives Indy the stud TE they’ve been missing.
• He’ll be the workhorse TE from day one—the Colts had arguably the worst TE depth chart in the league heading into the draft, and Warren immediately changes that.
• That said, I’d pump the brakes on the fantasy hype. This landing spot isn’t ideal. He was rumored to be heading to the Jets, which also had its issues (low pass volume, Garrett Wilson/Breece Hall commanding their high target share, Justin Fields scrambling), but I at least thought they might right their wrong from passing on Brock Bowers last year (and ruining my under 10.5 draft position bet in the process).
• In Indy, he’ll be competing with 3–4 WRs for targets in an offense that might throw even less than the Jets. Anthony Richardson isn’t exactly a volume passer or an accurate one, and the offense will still center around his legs and Jonathan Taylor.
• Warren probably has a higher floor than Colston Loveland right away, but Loveland’s ceiling—if the right dominoes fall—could be higher. Warren just doesn’t land in a LaPorta/Bowers-type setup where raw volume is guaranteed as a rookie.
• He’s likely to be drafted as a low-end TE1, and that’s fair—but I’d rather take a shot on Loveland if his ADP stays a bit lower. (Though that gap will probably close fast as people digest the landing spots.)

Emeka Egbuka, WR – Buccaneers

Initial reaction

• Bit of a surprise landing spot here. Most expected the Bucs to go defense, especially after extending Chris Godwin, with Mike Evans still playing at a high level, and getting a strong late-season push from Jalen McMillan, last year’s third-round pick. WR didn’t seem like a need at all.
• This isn’t a knock on Egbuka—he was arguably the safest WR prospect in the draft. With Hunter’s two-way role up in the air and Tet McMillan bringing a wider range of outcomes, Egbuka stood out as a polished, high-floor guy. Think Amon-Ra or JSN style—smooth, consistent, and very QB-friendly. Egbuka doesn’t have the same ceiling as either of those WRs but could be a strong No. 2 option for a team. In Tampa, he will start out as a No. 3 option (at best).
• But… how is he supposed to command targets in Year 1 over Evans, Godwin, Cade Otton, and possibly even McMillan? He probably needs 1–2 of those guys to miss time to have a path to WR3+ value in redraft.
• That said, he’s a sneaky dynasty pick. He could follow the CeeDee Lamb/JSN arc—slow-ish rookie year, then a big jump in Year 2 or 3 as Evans retires or Godwin moves on (his new deal runs three years).
• Short-term fantasy value is murky, but long-term upside is still very real.
• Baker Mayfield gets a bump from this—he’s now surrounded by weapons and has more insulation if or when Evans or Godwin miss time again.
• Unfortunately, McMillan’s stock takes a hit after a promising rookie finish.

Omarion Hampton, RB – Chargers

Initial reaction

• Not going to sugarcoat it—this was a suboptimal landing spot for Hampton.
• He was clearly the RB2 behind generational talent Ashton Jeanty, deserved to go in Round 1, and absolutely has the tools to be a workhorse and push RB1 value as a rookie. He gives me Joe Mixon vibes—not flashy, but a solid starting workhorse RB at the NFL level.
• After Tet McMillan went to Carolina and Jeanty was off the board, there was a real shot Dallas would take him at 12. That would’ve made him the likely starter over Javonte Williams or Miles Sanders in a high-powered offense.
• His most likely landing spot was Denver, where he would’ve walked into a wide-open backfield on a strong team and been a firm RB2 target in fantasy.
• Instead… Chargers. And yes, it’s a run-heavy system under Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman, and yes, that’s a good thing in theory. But there’s one major problem: they already signed Najee Harris.
• Najee hasn’t been the most efficient back, but he’s extremely durable and capable of handling a huge workload—likely why the Chargers brought him in. He’s never missed a game in four NFL seasons. That matters.
• Hampton is talented enough to leapfrog Najee at any point and could be this year’s Jalen Warren—fantasy-viable even when Najee’s healthy, but a potential league-winner if Harris ever misses time.
• That said, Najee has been an ironman. No RB is injury-proof, but Hampton’s floor is capped in a big way by landing behind him.
• This is also a brutal blow to Najee Harris, who now has legit competition for the starting role. Najee’s fantasy value has always relied on massive volume, and that’s now in serious jeopardy.
• There’s a decent chance Hampton simply outplays a healthy Najee and earns RB2 value based on talent alone. I wouldn’t consider him a typical “handcuff”—he fits more of the Bucky Irving mold from last year, where I pegged him as talented enough to leapfrog a healthy Rachaad White.
• The only difference: Hampton’s ADP won’t be nearly as cheap as Bucky’s was last year.
• Expect his ADP to slide into the RB3/Flex range—and while the landing spot isn’t ideal, the talent still makes him a very strong bet in the middle rounds.
• But let’s be honest—the odds of him starting over Javonte, Miles, or Jaleel/Estime were way higher. This was a tough blow. He’s still a high-end RB3 with real upside, though.

Matthew Golden, WR – Packers

Initial reaction

• Golden was a dark horse to be the first WR off the board (not counting Travis Hunter), and after Tet McMillan went to Carolina, there was a legit chance he’d land in Dallas as the potential No. 2 target in a more pass-heavy offense.
• Instead, he falls to Green Bay, which on the surface looks like a pretty rough landing spot—but the fact the Packers finally used a first-round pick on a WR tells you exactly how much they value him.
• Yes, it’s a crowded room (Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks), but Golden has the skill set to emerge as their WR1. And with Watson tearing his ACL in early January, there’s a real chance he misses a good chunk of 2025.
• Golden’s been compared to Stefon Diggs, and while I’m not projecting that kind of ceiling, I get the comp—smooth, crisp route runner with some Terry McLaurin vibes as well. The 4.29 speed doesn’t totally show up on tape, but he’s explosive and polished.
• The downside? This is a run-heavy team with Josh Jacobs and a QB who tends to spread it around. That limits volume upside, especially early.
• Still, this is a clear boost for Jordan Love, who now has another weapon with WR1 potential.
• It’s a hit to Doubs, Reed, and Wicks, who are now all competing for fewer targets in what might not be a high-volume passing offense.
• Meanwhile, Jalen Tolbert gets a small bump in value after Dallas passed on taking a WR in the first. Still plenty of wideouts left on the board, but they had a shot at Golden and passed—might suggest they’re higher on Tolbert than we realized (though trying to figure out what the Cowboys are thinking is always a challenge).
• Golden should be drafted in the WR4/5 range—your classic rookie flier who isn’t a slam dunk based on situation but definitely has the talent to offer WR3+ upside if things break right.

Jaxson Dart, QB – Giants

Initial reaction

• Dart saw his stock quietly rise over the final weeks heading into the draft, and the Giants made it official by trading up to take him at the end of the first round—ahead of Shedeur Sanders, who’s still on the board.
• That draft capital matters. It’s clear they like him.
• Dart is a bit of a tricky eval. He has a lot of the tools you look for—decent arm, sneaky mobility—and his rushing upside could fall somewhere in the Josh Allen/Daniel Jones mold. He’s not as big as either, but he can definitely move.
• That said, it’s tough to know how quickly his game will translate. Ole Miss ran a gimmicky offense that doesn’t do a great job of preparing QBs for the next level—case in point, this clip is going to live in my head all offseason. Doesn’t mean Dart can’t be a high-end NFL QB, but it could take some time.
• The landing spot reflects that—he joins a team with two veteran options in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. That should take pressure off him in Year 1, but also makes it likely he starts out as the backup.
• Long term, the Giants obviously want to know if they’ve found their guy. I’d expect them to give Dart a shot at some point this season unless Russ somehow turns back the clock.
• He’ll be paired with Malik Nabers, one of the best young WRs in the league, so the chemistry between those two this summer will be critical.
• Early reports suggest it’s Wilson’s job to lose, but this is definitely a camp battle worth monitoring.
• Fantasy-wise, Dart is just a QB3 flier for now. The rushing upside makes him interesting in deeper leagues or dynasty, but he’s unlikely to start Week 1.
• Pittsburgh probably would’ve been the better landing spot—with just Mason Rudolph in his way, Dart might’ve had a quicker path to starts.
• This also keeps the door open for Aaron Rodgers potentially signing with Pittsburgh or even the Steelers taking Shedeur Sanders in the second round.

Pictured: Roger Goodell, Ashton Jeanty

Photo Credit: Imagn