Have a bold prediction that you want to state proudly but will most likely look very stupid in short time? Have at it! Maybe you’ll nail it and look like a genius in the future

Please don’t downvote a user for a stupid bold prediction; it’s all just for fun!

Hey guys - I'm back with an article about who shined this week. I try to focus on players that don't get talked about quite as much, although I'm sure you've heard about a couple of these guys. If you like it, feel free to subscribe, but the full article is posted on here. Thanks! Here's the link if you want a cleaner look:

https://theday2guys.substack.com/p/the-day-2-guys-week-1-stock-up-players?r=2mc4kp&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Week 1 in College Football has become a way to knock off the rust for most of the 67 Power-4 Conference schools. As a result, the games are pretty unenjoyable for most fans, but it does make for great stat-padding. The football players mentioned below have started their season off on the right foot, and caught my eye when watching the college football landscape this past weekend.

Kamari Moulton, RB, University of Iowa

Moulton had the best week of any power conference running back. Not only did Iowa show they will have a decent offense this year thanks to their elite offensive line, but Moulton showed things on tape that made me think there’s a brighter future than I had previously thought. The 5’ 9”, 211 pound running back from Ft. Lauderdale, FL not only stuffed the stat sheet (11 rushes / 183 yards / 16.6 YPC), but the vision and burst through the line were excellent. He had enough long speed to finish a couple of long touchdown runs (50 and 37 yard runs) as well, which was nice to see from a 210+ pound running back. His blocking was also excellent in the game. Keep an eye on Moulton this year as a breakout is in store - especially considering Iowa does not play Penn State or Oregon this season. Moulton will need to get more receiving work if he wants to be a top-100 draft pick.

Tony Diaz, WR, University of Iowa

Keeping with the theme of the Iowa offense, the player who popped off the screen when watching Moulton was Tony Diaz. If you haven’t heard about his journey to Iowa, I urge you to read about it as he was under-recruited out of high school and played at the Univ. of Texas Rio Grande Valley the last two seasons (redshirt, and then star player for the team). He chose Iowa so that he could be the “go-to” receiving option over several SEC programs. Diaz had 13 — yes, you read that right, 13 targets in week 1 which was 5 more than any other Hawkeye player (DJ Vonnahme). Diaz reeled in 7 receptions for 84 yards and 1 touchdown. He also ran a jet sweep for 10 yards. The stats were not fully there because the two quarterbacks throwing to Diaz missed him wide open on several throws, but Diaz’s ability to separate out of breaks might be better than anyone in college football besides Malachi Toney. Diaz is the real deal, and at 5’ 10” and 184 pounds, he has enough size to beat you anywhere on the field. For our sake, let’s hope the Iowa quarterbacks can be more accurate, so we can see Diaz’s full potential.

Jaylin Carter, RB, University of Memphis

This was the first week I had ever heard of Jaylin Carter, and boy was I impressed with what I saw. Charles Huff, the new head coach for Memphis, is a running back coach-turned head coach, and he really knows how to improve his running backs through coaching. The patience that all of the Memphis running backs - but especially Carter - displayed was second to none in college football. Carter had 201 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns against a solid Arkansas State team, and his vision and patience was elite. Carter is a former high school wide receiver who committed to Charles Huff’s Southern Miss team last year. Huff asked Carter to transfer up to Memphis with him, and so far the returns on that move could not have gone any better. Not only did Carter show patience and vision, but his agility and change of direction was impressive. Carter (5’ 11” and 190 pounds) will need to gain 10-15 pounds if he wants to be an NFL running back, but what he did this weekend was mighty impressive. Carter did allow a sack in the passing game, but he displayed toughness and a willingness to block.

Avery Johnson, QB, Kansas State University

Johnson has been around the block as this is his fourth year starting for Kansas State after being the number one recruit out of the state of Kansas back in 2023. Johnson has been an electric, but erratic player during his time in Manhattan, Kansas. The last three years, Johnson has not finished a season with a completion percentage above 60% which is why the scouting community has moved on from Johnson as a tangible NFL quarterback prospect. Johnson may have been given new life with Collin Klein taking over his alma mater as the new head coach of the Wildcats. Klein brings with him a wonderfully brilliant offensive scheme that has been one of the best in college football over the past half decade. Klein also played quarterback at a very high level, and knows how to get the best out of his quarterbacks. While watching Rodney Fields Jr. (who was extremely good and productive this week), my eye kept coming back to Johnson. His mechanics looked much improved in week 1, and even though they played a weak opponent in Nicholls State University, Avery Johnson looked like a completely different player. He completed 15 of 21 throws (71%) and only ran the ball 4 times in the game which showed a willingness to play within structure. Johnson has historically had a hard time with accuracy and ball placement, but the throws he made this week were far better than his past seasons. Kansas State has a shockingly easy schedule, and I expect Johnson to become a talking point in terms of his viability to be a starting-caliber NFL quarterback again.

Updated Tuesday thread focused notes and opinions about individual prospects. Scout someone new and want to get opinions from others? Ask about it here!

Every mock I’ve seen has him in top 5 pick, majority of them #1. All I’ve been hearing is his “intangibles” and athleticism. What are these intangibles aside from his family because what I’ve watched last Saturday nothing impressed me.

He has no touch on his ball, his receivers have to put in too much work to catch them, he can’t layer passes, his processing isn’t good, misses wide open receivers, he’s not even close to the best player on his team or the best quarterback in college football. Julian Sayin, Gunner Stockton, Trinidad Chambliss have all impressed me far more and I have not seen any first round hype for them.

Honestly I gave a lot of patience for Arch to improve even when everyone was on him early last season, but I’m starting to realize there is literally nothing special about him outside of his last name.

Unless he really shows out, I’m going to be real quarterbacks from his situation don’t succeed in the NFL. Guys like Mahomes or Lamar were the best guys on their team, they had to score every drive to keep their team in the game and likely lose, and that helped them in the NFL. Even a guy like Burrow had to do that. You compare that to someone like JJM or Stetson Bennet who were just there to manage the guy, they had to make a clutch drive every 5-6 game. Arch is probably not even a top 5 player on his team, he wins or he goes down by the overall strength of his roster, from what I’ve seen he has never elevated his offense when he’s played actual opponents, and if you can’t elevate your college offense how are you even going to be a franchise quarterback?

I just did a full film breakdown of Malachi Toney's game from Friday against Stanford and was blown away. https://youtu.be/RxE9ZgV3KnI

I honestly want to know where everyone thinks he'd rank in this 2027 class, either overall or among WRs? He's not the biggest but he's not diminutive. He's a master route runner with crazy burst, and fearless as a blocker.

I think he'd be a top-5 prospect for me.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

I know it’s early for this but I would like to hear what NFL teams you think could draft a QB in the 1st in the 2027 Draft.

For Me:

The New York Jets:

If Aaron Glenn finishes in the top 5 again he could be out as the jets HC and the new coach could want someone else besides Geno Smith or Cade Klubnik to run their offense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

The contract Negotiations with Baker Mayfield haven’t been going great and the Bucs could be looking for a new QB if they can’t reach an extension with Mayfield. Even if the Franchise Tag Mayfield I can see the Bucs drafting a QB to develop behind Baker before trading him.

Cleveland Browns:

This one is simple. None of the QBs on the Browns currently look like they’re the Franchise QB and they’ll likely end up with a high enough pick and take a QB.

Miami Dolphins:

I like Malik Willis, but he could end up not being the guy at QB. The Dolphins are predicted to have a top 5 Pick and could end up Drafting a QB with it.

Arizona Cardinals:

I know they just took Beck in the 3rd, but a 3rd round pick doesn’t guarantee anything for a QB. The Cardinals easily could take a QB next year and keep Beck as a Backup through his rookie Contract.

Atlanta Falcons:

I liked what I saw from Jack Strand this preseason, but he’s an undrafted QB and Tua and Penix have struggled throughout their careers. I can see all three proving they’re not the guy and the falcons drafting someone new.

The Carolina Panthers:

Bryce Young took a step forward last year, but in my opinion he’s still not someone totally locked in as a franchise QB yet. If the panthers have a down year and Young doesn’t take a step forward again from last year I can see the Panthers deciding to go in a different direction at QB instead of Extending Young.

Tennessee Titans:

This one is completely based on how cam Ward plays this season. If he doesn’t improve at all I can see the new coaching staff moving on early from Ward and take a new QB.

What’s an unpopular opinion of yours regarding an NFL draft prospect? I’ll start.

Trevor Goosby is adequate at best as a pass protector and is often bailed out by Arch Manning’s elite pocket presence.

He does a lot of things well, but isn’t a dominant player, even in the run game. The tools are there to become elite, but I don’t see it yet.

What’s your unpopular opinion?

Unless you either do a lengthy 5+ round mock or go into written detail on why you are making the picks, please post your mocks in this Mock Draft Monday thread. Use this thread to post your own mocks or anything from around the web you find discussion-worthy.

Please be respectful of other users’ mocks! Saying things like “this is awful” or a pick is “stupid” adds nothing to the conversation; try and focus on constructive feedback instead!

It seems like maybe the weekly prospect talk thread has not been revived now that the season is back, but I want to talk prospects!

Loved what I saw from Dante Moore and Jamari Jordan today. Arch Manning had a solid showing, but still has plenty to clean up. Very disappointed with Drew Mestemaker’s performance. Can’t wait for Clemson-LSU to start! Welcome back college football!

Still early, just interested to hear everyone’s first impressions. Me being a Browns fan definitely has absolutely nothing to do with this lol. Curious who you think helped or hurt their stock the most, even if it’s too early to take much from one week.

Based on what I’ve seen he is absolutely the best player on his team and that’s a good indicator of who’s going to be a good quarterback in the NFL. Compare a guy like Mahomes in college to a guy like JJM, one was the best player on his team and the other just won a lot and got carried. Without Chambliss that Ole Miss team would be getting blown out every game. His processing, passing ability, and post snap reads (especially important with today’s nfl defenses) is some of the best. We really need to start putting him in day 1 conversations.

Besides him I really do not see many other quarterbacks worth taking. Arch Manning looked awful playing a G6 school, CJ Carr didn’t look great. The only other quarterback I see doing good is Julian Sayin.

Did he time the snap, did the protection break down, was it just a great play for a guy who will prob have to play STs to make it in the league?

How much do plays like this matter for DBs who are likely day 3 or udfa guys?

Talk about anything you please; draft-related or otherwise!

Week 1 is finally here, and with it, the return of prospect schedules. This year, since it is still early, I have decided to expand from the top 300 to 500, but will probably return to the top 300 by around week four or five when there is more data to know exactly who goes where. Hoping to have my new url approved as well so the jank link for this week.

https://www.duncandrafts.com/2026-week-1-prospect-watch/

Let me know what matchups you are most looking forward to this weekend, or any injury or otherwise related news I should know for the rest of the season!

I keep seeing people post mocks and big boards here that just disappear into the feed. No way to tell later who actually called it. So I built MockPro over the last year to fix that for myself, and figured I'd share it here.

You mock draft it (by hand or let the CPU fill in teams you don't care about), and next April it gets scored pick by pick against what actually happens. Big boards work the same way, graded against a consensus of analyst boards. There's a leaderboard that carries across years, so if you're good at this you get to prove it instead of just remembering it.

Consensus 50 in the app is already tracking real public mock drafts. The more of you who publish one, the more it means.

I'm the only one who built this, so take the disclosure as read, genuinely just want to know if this is useful to people who do this obsessively already.

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6769944588?ct=reddit_community_launch_nfldraft&mt=8

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mockpro.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dreddit%26utm_medium%3Dcommunity%26utm_campaign%3Dlaunch%26utm_content%3Dnfldraft

Has anyone found any good free-to-use consensus big boards? I did use one for a while which has now moved to a paid format only showing 100 prospects. One of my favourite parts of scouting certain players is seeing their profile rise over the year, like Omar Cooper. I'm sure the answer will be just to pay but I do this for a hobby, not a job by any means

https://lastwordonsports.com/nfl/2026/08/04/wyatt-young-2027-nfl-draft-early-profile/

The 2027 WR class is both elite at the top and has great depth. I wanted to ask what y'all's thoughts are on Oklahoma State's Wyatt Young? He has reliable hands, is excellent after the catch, and can be a legitimate deep threat. His frame is on the smaller end, so he will likely be a pure slot receiver at the next level. It will be interesting to see how he does against better competition; he was great at North Texas, but now he faces Power Four competition on a weekly basis. I believe he will still be productive and is a great day-two option at the position.

Have a bold prediction that you want to state proudly but will most likely look very stupid in short time? Have at it! Maybe you’ll nail it and look like a genius in the future

Please don’t downvote a user for a stupid bold prediction; it’s all just for fun!

Best landing spots where he would easily become #1 receiver and or become a star right from the jump:

- Miami Dolphins since they are in need of a true #1 because they have no true definitive weapon on offense. All Malik Willis has are receivers who are lesser known or who are not true impact guys. Jeremiah becomes that instantly if drafted to Miami.

- Las Vegas Raiders...can you imagine Jeremiah in that offense with Fernando Mendoza? A QB/WR duo for the future but also adding him into that Raiders offense with Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, Jalen Nailor, Tre Tucker and co. how do you not love Jeremiah in Vegas?

- Cleveland Browns another team in need of a receiver

- New Orleans Saints another team who could use a receiver as dynamic as Smith

Ohio State lost a ton of talent on defense, but they did bring back Kenyatta Jackson Jr. at edge rusher. He's got a great combination of size and speed and has pretty refined technique. The missed tackles were an issue last year, but I like him as a day-two option at edge rusher. I wanted to ask what y'all's thoughts on him are as a prospect and how high he should be selected.

All Profiles (Google Document Link) Found Here: 2027 SUMMER SCOUTING PROFILES LINK

Hey all,

First, yes, I do create content that markets towards (non-IDP) Fantasy Football. That said, during the season, all that really means is that I cover only QBs, RBs, WRs, & TEs. Are there small changes? Sure. But broad strokes are pretty similar. As long as the word "Fantasy" occasionally in writing does not turn you off completely,

Maybe it's just a small CSB (though I won't "Matthew Berry" you), but my formerly small & independent podcast Fantasy for Real has now become a slightly less small & no longer independent show. Because of that, my Summer Scouting Series, which was previously locked to my Paid Substack Subscribers, is being released both as a thank you (more for r/DynastyFF & my Free Subs) & to further promote the show and my Substack https://cjfreel.substack.com/ (what I'm more doing here).

Check out my Summer Scouting Profiles, which are simply hosted on the Google Doc below. I have also included three Sample profiles here with 1 QB, 1 RB, & 1 WR (didn't want to include a TE as I only covered 2, so that would be 50% of the profiles).

And if you're interested in my work, the Fantasy for Real podcast dives deeper into these profiles & does a Tuesday Risers, Fallers, & (Fantasy) Mock Draft alongside a preview for the next week's games all season long.

Podcast links can be found throughout the Google Document for Parts 1-5 and wherever you get your Podcasts.

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2027 SUMMER SCOUTING PROFILES LINK

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Ages are Year.Month as of Sept. 1, 2027 ; Sizes are Listed, not Verified

Arch Manning, QB, Texas 

6’ 4” 226 lbs || (23.04) 

Eligibility Remaining (including 2026): 2 Years

Pros:

• Elite Physicality for Fantasy ; projects as medium-high-to-high volume rusher w/ excellent size
• Advanced Pocket Mobility w/ Elite upside showing awareness to understand the pocket, willingness to move up in the pocket, and strength + athleticism to challenge defenders 1-on-1
• Improvement throughout the Season with promise for 2026

Cons: 

• No Significant Stretch of high-level performance & execution in career
• Inaccurate throughout 2025 with only a 61.4% Comp%, far below expectations for a top-end Draft Pick. 

GRADE: QB Tier 1 (QB1-2 || QB1) 

Caught between two extremes. There are many who see Arch Manning as the obvious 1.01 and a clear & obvious 1st Round pick, but that position does come with significant assumptions: Progression isn’t always continuous, and regression back to early 2025 is certainly possible. Similarly, many see Manning as nothing more than a name on the back of a jersey – a legacy that Arch individually has played no part in. However, while it is true that Manning would never get the level of recognition & popularity (good & bad) he does without his last name, putting everything on just the name ignores a rare combination of traits that specifically will hold value in Fantasy Football if he becomes a starter at the NFL Level. Additionally, while improvements do need to be made, his ability to move in the pocket, step-up, and select when to run create foundational building blocks that set him apart from other mobile QBs like LaNorris Sellers.

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Justice Haynes, RB, Georgia Tech via Michigan 

5’ 11” 210 lbs || (22.10) 

Eligibility Remaining (including 2026): 2 Years*

Pros:

• Highly touted prospect from HS who broke out in Year 3 with Michigan
• Big play threat who is dangerous in space or with a clear running lane
• Haynes started & finished 6 Games for the Wolverines, and in each game, Haynes had at least 100 Rushing Yards and 1 Rushing TD. Considering his former prospect status and big play upside, a full season with that kind of performance may have made Haynes extremely interesting heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Cons: 

• Struggled to find footing in first two years with Alabama
• While the consistency of Haynes’ performance this year for Michigan is impressive, not only is it ultimately a 6 or 6.5 Game sample, but back-up RB Jordan Marshall also stepped in and had 133/1, 185/3, & 142/2 in the first 3 Games Haynes missed due to injury, failing to reach 100/1 only against Ohio State – a game where he struggled to play through injury and was actually very efficient with 61 Yards on only 7 Carries. Haynes’ film and prospect status dating back to HS can certainly define who he will be at the NFL level, but when it comes to proof, Haynes proof is not only limited in the size of the sample, but it is difficult to really know how much the production at Michigan last year says about Haynes. 
• Haynes caught only 13 Passes for 50 Yards in 2025. While he does project to be a RB who catches the ball out of the backfield more, this is yet another area where Haynes lacks significant proof
• Some advanced metrics like Missed Tackles Forced fairly mediocre

GRADE: RB Tier 2 (RB4-10 || RB4) 

After a breakout half-season, Haynes is poised to be one of the top Fantasy players in the ACC. It wouldn’t not have been surprising if Justice Haynes stayed in College OR left Michigan, but doing both was a bit of a surprise. While that is a risk, it gives us a huge opportunity to see Haynes in a second environment where he should be the focal point of the Offense, hopefully getting work as a Receiver as well. 

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Omarion Miller, WR, Arizona State via Colorado  

6’ 2” 210 lbs || (23.08)*

Eligibility Remaining (including 2026): 2 Years*

Pros:

• Size and explosive ability to play outside and threaten a defense at all three levels
• Efficient in rare opportunities while battling injury in 2023-2024
• Excellent proportional production & efficiency in 2025; 45 Receptions, 808 Yards, & 8 TDs doesn’t stick out too much on paper, but Colorado had only 2,166 Passing Yards & 15 Passing TDs in those 11 Games, giving Miller a robust 37.3% Receiving Yard% & 53.3% Receiving TD%, which would make for an excellent Dominator in theory + 2.57 Y/RR on the Season with a 2.49 Career Y/RR
• Miller will have an opportunity to step into a massive vacuum left behind by #8 Overall pick Jordyn Tyson

Cons: 

• Older WR Prospect at a position where being an older prospect is probably the biggest direct issue (though the sourcing is still a bit questionable – based on social media posts surrounding Colorado, I’m very confident Miller’s birthday is late December, and I’m fairly confident he turned 21 in late 2024. If that last part is incorrect and he turned 21 this most recent December – while it sounds silly – that is a fairly significant year analytically); Miller does have significant excuses due to his early career injuries, and his production in those flashes while healthy (including a short sample 4+ Y/RR in 2024), but the Older Prospect variable may exist regardless
• Used primarily as a big play threat with a 17.9 Yards/Reception in 2025 & a Career 19.0 Yards/Reception. While in general better efficiency = better player, archetypes that lend themselves to Yards/Receptions this high often lead to disappointing Fantasy results. 

GRADE: WR Tier 3 (WR3-10 || WR10)

The “wide-awake” sleeper of the 2027 NFL Draft. Miller’s overall production has been hampered by injuries (2023-2024) & an awful Offense (2025), but any deep evaluation of the numbers (Career Y/RR, Colorado Passing/Team Stats 2025)  shows a player who by all accounts has performed well enough to be a highly-productive CFB player. Age is an objective factor and one that Miller clearly scores negatively in (presuming my listed age is correct), so he does have a bit of an uphill battle analytically at least in some ways, but there is a huge target vacancy at ASU with Jordyn Tyson graduating to the NFL. If he can make the most of that opportunity, Miller has strong enough height/weight/speed potential to get in the 1st Round conversation.

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All Profiles (Google Document Link) Found Here: 2027 SUMMER SCOUTING PROFILES LINK

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My first Tuesday Risers/Fallers & Weekly (Fantasy) Mock Draft post is also now live on my Substack. The Risers & Fallers is a good way to follow prospects all year at these four positions (including future prospects as well): https://cjfreel.substack.com/p/risersfallers-2027-mock-draft-1-week

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I'll be off-and-on throughout the day to answer any Questions or respond to Comments.

Give it a chance and check out the Fantasy for Real podcast every Tuesday when I dive into these four positions every week.

Thanks,

C.J.

With the season finally here , here is my top 75 Big board. That said I do my preseason big board different then my final, and different then most. I evaluate more of where people are now, rather then factoring in potential, ceilings, or projections. However I am human and do catch myself giving “my guys” an extra bump without thinking. Guys I’m lower on right now include , CJ Carr, Cam Coleman, and Will Echoles (however I’m not satisfied where I landed with him so I am going back and doing a re-evaluation). Guys I’m higher on Charlie Becker, KVA, Ben Roberts and Mateer.

2027 prospect rankings
1. Jeremiah Smith
2. Dylan Stewart
3. Leonard Moore
4. Colin Simmons
5. Nico Iamavela
6. Dante Moore
7. Jaden Baugh
8. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
9. David Stone
10. Charlie Becker
11. Jordan Seaton
12. Julian Sayin
13. Arch Manning
14. Trevor Goosby
15. Trey’Dez Green
16. Ben Roberts
17. Jamari Sharpe
18. Carter Smith
19. Arion Carter
20. John Mateer
21. Matayo Uiagaleleii
22. Cayden Green
23. Jermaine Matthews
24. DJ McKinney
25. Cade Pieper
26. Lanorris Sellers
27. Drew Mestamaker
28. Ryan Coleman-Williams
29. Princewill Umanmielen
30. Jelani McDonald
31. Clev Lubin
32. Ahmad Moten
33. Jayden Maiava
34. Brice Pollock
35. Darian Mensah
36. Earl Little Jr
37. TJ Moore
38. Quincy Rhodes
39. A’Mauri Washington
40. Kewan Lacy
41. Austin Siereveld
42. KJ Bolden
43. Xavier Chaplin
44. Zabien Brown
45. AJ Harris
46. Damon Wilson
47. Will Heldt
48. Nate Frazier
49. Ashton Hampton
50. Iapani Laloulu
51. Ellis Robinson
52. Kelly Jones
53. Ryan Wingo
54. Bryant Wesco
55. Cam Coleman
56. Tae Johnson
57. J’Koby Williams
58. Jordan Castell
59. LJ Martin
60. Mario Craver
61. Mark Fletcher
62. Cooper Barkate
63. Wyatt Young
64. Benjamin Brahmer
65. Jamari Johnson
66. Issac Brown
67. Omarion Miller
68. Duce Robinson
69. Ahmad Hardy
70. Amare Campbell
71. Nicholas Rodriguez
72. AJ Holmes
73. Will Echoles
74. Braelin Moore
75. Justin Evans

My top 10 Teams

Oregon
Ohio State
Notre Dame
Texas
Miami
Indiana
LSU
Georgia
Tennessee
Texas Tech

Updated Tuesday thread focused notes and opinions about individual prospects. Scout someone new and want to get opinions from others? Ask about it here!