When it comes to drafting from the 8th slot in a rookie draft, there’s not a whole lot of planning that you can do. Not to say that absolutely no preparation can be done. But this draft spot requires you to adapt as the draft develops. If any player slips down the draft board, your plan may drastically change with just one pick.
DRAFT STRATEGY FOR PICK 9 IN 2024 ROOKIE DRAFTS: MY PRE-DRAFT PLAN
Even though this spot requires drafters to be flexible, it’s still good to head into the draft with a general idea of what you want to do. In my case, I was hoping to land one of the “big three” receivers or one of the top four quarterbacks. I knew it would be difficult for Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, or one of the top receivers to slip to me. However, I remained hopeful that JJ McCarthy or Drake Maye would be available.
Later in the draft, the plan remained the same: Adapt as picks continue to be made and select the best player available. I also wanted to be comfortable straying from ADP after Round 1, ensuring that I landed players that I was excited about.
Read more: “How to draft” from the… 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 spot
PICK 1.08: BROCK BOWERS, TE, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Unfortunately, none of the upper-tier receivers or QBs were available at this pick. Thankfully, we knew this was a likely outcome and would require a pivot. That pivot happens to be one of the best TE prospects of the century in Brock Bowers.
There’s not much to say about Bowers. The two-time Mackey Award winner (the nation’s best tight end) was one of the offensive focal points throughout his career at Georgia. Scouts loved this guy and his college production backs it up.
After the initial groups of WRs and QBs were off the board, this pick was pretty clear. It’s almost impossible to pass up on a talent like Bowers. The only other player in consideration for this pick was Xavier Worthy.
The landing spot in Las Vegas is less than ideal and certainly caps his ceiling. Bowers will have to compete with Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Michael Mayer, who the Raiders drafted in Round 2 just last year. Even with a less than ideal situation, the generational prospect profile of Bowers proved too difficult to pass on.
PICK 2.08: MARSHAWN LLOYD, RB, GREEN BAY PACKERS
For most teams in superflex leagues, this pick should have been Michael Penix, who was available at this pick. However, this is a roster with unknown needs which makes it easier to pass on the quarterback who may not see the field for three years.
Instead of going with Penix, I landed on former USC running back MarShawn Lloyd. Lloyd is an exciting talent who seems to be able to create big plays from nothing. Lloyd is a player who I’m excited about and the Packers seem to be as well.
We saw a massive drop off in explosivity and efficiency for Josh Jacobs in 2023. It makes sense why the Packers want to add a player who can be the lighting to Jacobs’ thunder. I wouldn’t be shocked if Lloyd is used in a complementary role early in the year.
From a long-term perspective, Lloyd could be the top option in Green Bay as early as next year. AJ Dillon signed just a one-year contract and Jacobs’ contract features team options starting next season. If Jacobs remains inefficient and unproductive, the team could look to Lloyd in 2025.
The Packers feature a young and exciting offense that should produce fantasy studs with Jordan Love under center. With a promising offensive environment and a path to a starting role, I love selecting Lloyd in Round 2.
PICK 3.08: RAY DAVIS, RB, BUFFALO BILLS
Ray Davis proved to be an interesting prospect throughout the pre-draft process. Davis is on the older side (24 years old) and does not have the most intriguing athletic profile. However, Davis produced throughout his college career and ultimately ended up in a favorable landing spot. The Buffalo Bills selected Davis in Round 4 of this year’s draft and Davis can certainly make an impact on this Buffalo backfield in year one.
Let’s make one thing clear… James Cook is not a bellcow back. In 2023, Cook handled 52 percent of carries in Buffalo. These other carries went to players like Latavius Murray, Damien Harris, and Ty Johnson. Johnson remains in the picture but there is not a clear second option in Buffalo’s committee of running backs. Ray Davis can certainly be this second option.
Being the second option in a committee does not often return fantasy value. However, Davis also has a legitimate case to become Buffalo’s goal line back, a role that has catapulted many RBs into fantasy relevance. Buffalo just about refused to give Cook the ball at the goal line this year. Latavius Murray led Buffalo RBs with 12 carries from inside the five yard line, which ranked 12th most in the NFL. At 5’9″ and 215 pounds, Davis seems to be the primary candidate to replace Murray.
Buffalo has a lacking depth chart behind James Cook, meaning Davis can certainly carve out a role between the 20s and at the goal line. If he’s able to succeed in developing this role, Davis will certainly return value as a Round 3 pick.
PICK 4.08: DEVONTEZ WALKER, WR, BALTIMORE RAVENS
As rookie drafts move past Round 3, picks are more likely to become pure dart throws. Devontez “Tez” Walker is just that, a pure dart throw. The former UNC receiver put together some intriguing tape in college. It was interesting enough to John Harbaugh and the Ravens, who selected Walker in Round 4 of the NFL Draft.
From a talent perspective, I am skeptical of Walker. But that should not come as a shock from a Round 4 talent. Walker played his final collegiate season with Drake Maye and I find myself asking if Walker’s production was propped up by the talent of Maye.
Even with questions surrounding his talent, Walker landed in Baltimore, where the WR depth chart can be climbed. Tez will likely begin the season behind Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor. Aside from Flowers none of these receivers are game changers. Agholor has been a journeyman receiver who has not cracked 500 yards since 2020 and Bateman has struggled to produce through three seasons in the league. Bateman just signed an extension with Baltimore, suggesting that Agholor is the most attackable receiver on this depth chart. Ideally, Walker will be running routes as the WR3 by the end of the year so we can see what kind of talent we are dealing with.
SUMMARY: POST-DRAFT THOUGHTS AND PICK 8 STRATEGY RECAP
While it’s unfortunate to not land one of the top-tier QBs or receivers, having Brock Bowers as a consolation prize is nothing to complain about. Landing a generational talent in the back half of Round 1 is something that I consider to be a win.
After reviewing my picks and how the draft unfolded, I am happy with how I played things from the 1.08. The only pick that could have gone another way is the 2.08 where I selected Lloyd over Penix. However, without actually knowing team needs, it’s hard to say if this was the right call.
I stuck with my pre-draft strategy and it seemed to pay off. Adapting as the draft unfolds is critical in this range of the draft. Don’t worry too much about what occurs in front of you and don’t be afraid to grab your guys… within reason.
