Way-Too-Early 2028 Rookie Fantasy Draft Mock
No snaps played yet but the 2028 class could offer a lot of interest
Well we sit here 3 years out with zero college snaps played yet for the incoming freshmen class, but I’m going to do the impossible with a 2028 way-too-early mock draft. With so little data available, I’ll use a combination of factors with some explanations along the way on why I think it could end up this way. There are bound to be a lot of changes between now and then, but getting an idea early on could be game changing for dynasty, devy, and even C2C teams.
Let’s start with Round 1 which felt the most comfortable.
ROUND 1
At the top, we have the top two QB prospects from this class. Both are neck and neck in my model. Underwood should get the chance to show himself from the start of the year but in a frame that has more athleticism to spark the offense along with flashes to keep his name up here. Russell will start behind Simpson for the short future but is going to be a spark plug for DeBoer’s scheme when he does get his chance.
Dakorien Moore will have a season similar to the former Clemson freshmen or as high as Ryan Williams in 2025. He’s their best weapon at the position and should get major involvement from the start. Husan Longstreet at 1.04 is just a stamp call for me. I like Deuce Knight’s ceiling more, but pairing Longstreet’s potential with Lincoln Riley is the safer play. The next two picks are my personal favorite RBs for this recruit class. Both join ACC programs that need someone that can take the role of lead backs. Kromah is by far and away the most talented back at Florida State so I expect him to come along and find a way to lock it down during the season. Davidson is the most talented freshman RB that Clemson has gotten since Travis Etienne and can be the 1A or 1B this season with Adam Randall. Both backs offer receiving upside too so I’m not stressed about potential 2-down only roles. Speaking of Deuce Knight, his ceiling is amazing because of his athletic traits as a QB. If he puts it all together at Auburn, he’s got a chance to push even higher. A lot rides on this season though for what foundation he will get though.
The backhalf of the first round kicks off with my highest scored receiver Talyn Taylor of Georgia. Receivers at Georgia don’t have a great track record, but very few score as highly as Taylor did out of high school. The historic outlook for those that high scoring warrant trusting the player over the situation. Right beside Taylor also sits my second highest recruit score ever given to a tight end. Linkon Cure sits in very prestigious company right behind Brock Bowers and just ahead of Mark Andrews. I’m buying in on both here.
Elijah Thomas is up next. He should have a role this year at Oklahoma and could be very similar in style to CeeDee Lamb who was also at Oklahoma back in the day. Myles has just as much excitement to offer at receiver but with a big injury caveat. If he’s healthy, he may challenge quickly for top guy at Texas A&M. Lotzeir Brooks will wrap up round 1 for us as he’s built solid for a shorter dude with the explosive traits needed to excel. He’s top 5 in my model for the class and been making noise since day 1 of spring camp. Personal hot take here but he could be challenging Bernard and Horton as the top WR2 behind Ryan Williams by end of season.
ROUND 2
For the second round, we kick it off with two RBs at the top. Shekai Mills-Knight I’m banking on the tape and skills he’s shown as stats are not available for a full model score. Bo Jackson could be the RB2 behind James Peoples and transition to the top guy later on; my one question for him is how consistent can he get into the passing game too.
The next trio of picks all involve receivers who showed some promise on their teams this spring. Wilson and Porter both flashed plenty for teams that are in the spotlight often for their offenses. Marsh scored well for me and has a slightly easier time to playing on Saturday’s as Michigan looks to jumpstart the passing game this year with Underwood. Wilson has the bigger frame that doesn’t match a lot of the other Florida receivers so he could build on the spring to be a big go-get-it option for Lagway. Porter needs to fight still for the #3 role this season as Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate lock up the top options for whichever QB is playing.
KaMario Taylor is the quarterback of the 2025 recruit class that actually scored the highest in my process. Combine that with a Lebby offense and there is reasons to be excited IF things go to plan to let him rep some as a freshman behind Shapen and then take off with Lebby in 2026. The coaching uncertainty and NIL game could change up his outlook going into next year depending on how he does.
Alvin Henderson and Bo Walker fall into scenarios where both could be involved early and often as freshmen. Both performed well at the high school level so positive momentum as freshmen could push them even higher. Neither are perfect prospects so usage style will matter more here on where they get moved in future iterations.
Boggs and Smith Jr can be lumped together as two receivers with high potential out of high school but tough spots. Boggs at Florida State will deal with an offense that doesn’t prioritize the pass with the QB known to run. Combine that with Duce Robinson and Squirrel White as some upperclassmen will show us just how big a role in a smaller target volume looks like for him in 2025. Travis Smith Jr at Tennessee has mostly just Chris Brazzell as the big returning guy to overcome but has other challenges. The QB is a summer transfer or someone with limited experience against the SEC. Combine that with a scheme that has not truly developed their talent at receiver causes some NFL hesitation.
The last two picks also have some questions but offer higher upside if they prove talented. Bryce Baker gets to work with Bill at UNC this year, but will he stick around the whole time Baker is in college. The talent around the team is lacking some too for weapons so a lot will depend on Baker proving he can elevate others. Caleb Cunningham has the athletic traits we love and plays for a pass-happy scheme. His high school competition was lacking though so a lot can be proven by how quickly he can climb the depth chart with Stribling and Lee the top apparent names.
ROUND 3
In the 3rd round now, I’ll speed this up some. Joshua Moore is in a wide open room to make some noise year 1. Zollers has some upside as a quarterback but can he capitalize on it? McGill is a personal “my-guy” here and offers a player closer to the full-time role of Hampton/Javonte over the inefficient plodder in Gause. We know Bill is going to focus on defense so a good running game is the best complement in year 1. Penn State churns out tight ends. They added 3 in this class and Olesh is possibly the top one.
Vernell Brown is not far off what Eugene Wilson offers but will likely be playing minimal snaps in year 1. Malik Clark was praised in the spring and could be a beneficiary of LaNorris Sellers developing another year. The back half of the draft is a mix of profiles and athleticism that intrigues me here. Tavien St.Clair is the tough one to place of the group. He is likely behind Julian Sayin for a minimum of two years. One year starting at Ohio State could make it a tough claim for NFL first round draft capital too so it feels risky for now on him.
ROUND 4
My final round will highlight some more dudes with potential for being in the 2028 draft. The first three names all scored well for me and land in schemes that could let them be part of the workload in year 1. The other skill guys in this round lack the clear paths for what roles they may offer, with Toney as a potential sleeper candidate for the leading slot receiver role. Ed Small falls into a similar battle at TCU too.
CJ Carr I don’t see as a high-end talent for the draft but may consider going pro for 2028 class after three years of starting experience from 2025-2027. The other 3 QBs are all freshmen that I struggle to see being NFL names as of today. I highlighted them more in this linked C2C article Scouting Future NFL QBs Based on Production and Talent .