Now that the NFL Draft is over here comes the hard part: Figuring out where the rookies should actually be drafted. Obviously, the draft itself offers some clues -- for as much research as we do, the NFL teams themselves know these guys quite a bit better than we do, so the order the rookies were selected in carries quite a bit of weight in how we view them.

But it isn't everything. We did our first rookie-only mock draft Tuesday, and Breece Hall was the first overall pick, which is fitting because he was the first running back taken. And Drake London was the second pick after being the first wide receiver drafted in the NFL Draft. That makes sense. However, as you can see by the first-round results, we didn't just pick based on the NFL's actual draft order:

1. Breece Hall, RB, NYJ (No. 36 overall in the NFL Draft)
2. Drake London, WR, ATL (8)
3. Kenneth Walker III, RB, SEA (41)
4. Jameson Williams , WR, DET (12)
5. Treylon Burks, WR, TEN (18)
6. Garrett Wilson, WR, NYJ (10)
7. Skyy Moore, WR, KC (54)
8. Chris Olave, WR, NO (11)
9. Christian Watson, WR, GB (34)
10. George Pickens, WR, PIT (52)
11. Dameon Pierce, RB, HOU (107)
12. James Cook, RB, BUF (63)

We did our first full mock draft since the NFL Draft Tuesday as well, and that's what today's newsletter is all about. I'm going to go round-by-round through the first 10 rounds, highlighting my picks and the reasoning behind them, plus the best picks from each round, the riskiest, and where the rookies ended up falling, and it's the latter that might be of most interest to you right now. It's hard enough knowing how to rank the rookies relative to each other -- I went off Heath Cummings' initial post-draft, rookie-only rankings , which you can find here -- but knowing how to value someone like Drake London relative to DeAndre Hopkins is even more difficult. 

But we've got the player pool set now, more or less. We know who we'll be drafting for the 2022 season, so the next four months are about figuring out where and when they should go. Players will move up and down the rankings quite a bit between now and Week 1, but for now, here's our first go from Tuesday's mock draft -- and if you want to see the full results, Jamey Eisenberg broke it all down here, while Jamey, Adam Aizer, and Dave Richard were joined by Scott Fish to break down the draft as it happened on the Fantasy Football Today YouTube channel, which you can watch on the channel. 

1.1. Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND
1.2. Austin Ekeler, RB, LAC
1.3. Christian McCaffrey, RB, CAR
1.4. Cooper Kupp, WR, LAR
1.5. Davante Adams, WR, LV
1.6. Derrick Henry, RB, TEN
1.7. Justin Jefferson, WR, MIN
1.8. Najee Harris, RB, PIT
1.9. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, CIN
1.1. Travis Kelce, TE, KC
1.11. Alvin Kamara, RB, NO
1.12. Joe Mixon, RB, CIN

My pick: 1.11. Alvin Kamara -- It's going to be interesting to see where Kamara falls in ADP, but I get the feeling I'm going to be higher on him than the consensus. His ADP in early NFC drafts is 19.0, as RB10, but I've got him as a top-five RB right now. He was RB6 in a down season, and I'm not sure the situation is worse for him if Jameis Winston is healthy. He won't get the same rushing volume he did a year ago, but I'd bet on a bounceback in terms of his passing game role, simply because I don't expect the Saints to be one of the lowest pass volume teams again. 

Best pick: It's the first round, every pick is great! But every time I see McCaffrey go after 1.1, I'm going to think that's a good pick. He's my No. 1 overall player.

Biggest risk: Of course, I say all of that about Kamara while knowing that he is facing a felony charge after being arrested this offseason for battery. He has an initial hearing set for Aug. 1, and the NFL likely won't determine a punishment until after the legal situation plays out, which may not be until after the season. But there's an obvious risk here of Kamara being suspended. 

2.1. Dalvin Cook, RB, MIN
2.2. Mark Andrews, TE, BAL
2.3. Deebo Samuel, WR, SF
2.4. Leonard Fournette, RB, TB
2.5. D'Andre Swift, RB, DET
2.6. CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL
2.7. Stefon Diggs, WR, BUF
2.8. Tyreek Hill, WR, MIA
2.9. Chris Godwin, WR, TB
2.1. Keenan Allen, WR, LAC
2.11. James Conner, RB, ARI
2.12. A.J. Brown, WR, PHI

My pick: 2.2. Mark Andrews -- With Marquise Brown sent to Arizona, Andrews' place as the top target in the passing game seems secure. Andrews was more productive in the games Lamar Jackson missed last season, but was still on a 99-catch, 1,208-yard, eight-TD pace in the 12 Jackson played. 

Best pick: Leonard Fournette seems secure in his role in Tampa, and it's a role that saw him finish third among running backs in receptions despite missing three games. I expect more of the same. 

Biggest risk: There are a lot of risky picks in this round, between Cook (health concerns), Samuel (trade demand, role), Hill (new team, no Patrick Mahomes), Allen (age, lack of perceived upside), Conner (role, health), and Brown (new team, pass volume concerns). But I'll go with Godwin as the biggest risk at this price. He's going in the 50s in NFC drafts right now, and he won't even be nine months removed from his torn ACL by Week 1. He might be fine by then, but seeing as the average return-to-play time for wide receivers from 2013 through 2017 was 10.9 months, that is by no means guaranteed. In the second round, you're basically paying full freight for Godwin when you just don't have to. Not until we have a more firm timetable. 

3.1. Nick Chubb, RB, CLE
3.2. Mike Evans, WR, TB
3.3. Javonte Williams, RB, DEN
3.4. Aaron Jones, RB, GB
3.5. David Montgomery, RB, CHI
3.6. Tee Higgins, WR, CIN
3.7. Saquon Barkley, RB, NYG
3.8. Michael Thomas, WR, NO
3.9. Josh Jacobs, RB, LV
3.1. Diontae Johnson, WR, PIT
3.11. Amari Cooper, WR, CLE
3.12. Kyle Pitts, TE, ATL

My pick: 3.11. Amari Cooper -- Seeing Pitts still on the board when the draft came back to me did make me regret taking Andrews at 2.2 just a little bit, though I think I might be higher on Cooper than most, so it worked out okay. I'm expecting Deshaun Watson to be suspended for part of this season, but I still have Cooper as a borderline No. 1 WR. 

Best pick: It took Higgins a bit of time to get going last season, as he didn't have a 100-yard game and had just two touchdowns in his first eight games -- he missed two of the first 10, too. From Week 12 on, he had 954 yards with six touchdowns in his final 10 games, including the playoffs, coinciding with the Bengals becoming more pass-heavy. He doesn't have quite as much upside as his teammate, but Higgins was a 1b in this passing game through their Super Bowl run, and I don't expect that to change. 

Biggest risk: Picks 6 through 9 all represent a pretty significant amount of risk, though Thomas has to be viewed as the biggest one. He hasn't been a viable starting Fantasy option since 2019 due to injuries, he's now 29, and has target competition from rookie Chris Olave on what was one of the least pass-heavy teams in the NFL. Maybe he's healthy and everything is fine, in which case the upside is significant. But it could blow up in your face. 

4.1. DK Metcalf, WR, SEA
4.2. D.J. Moore, WR, CAR
4.3. Breece Hall, RB, NYJ
4.4. Cam Akers, RB, LAR
4.5. Brandin Cooks, WR, HOU
4.6. Darren Waller, TE, LV
4.7. Antonio Gibson, RB, WAS
4.8. Josh Allen, QB, BUF
4.9. George Kittle, TE, SF
4.1. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, DAL
4.11. Jaylen Waddle, WR, MIA
4.12. Terry McLaurin, WR, WAS

My pick: 4.2. D.J. Moore -- I'm just going to keep drafting Moore in the fourth or fifth round, waiting for the breakout. If it doesn't come, he's established himself as a very solid Fantasy WR2, but his massive target share last season shows there is still significant breakout potential if he ever has some good touchdown luck. 

Best pick: We usually preach the gospel of not taking QB early, but Allen is in a class of his own for me this season, and I think he's worth the reach. He's up there with anyone in terms of passing production and should continue to provide strong rushing numbers. In expert drafts, I'll be looking for him around this range; in my home leagues, where QBs tend to go higher, he's in play in the back half of the second round. 

Biggest risk: There are so many ways to go in this round. I think there's a non-zero chance DK Metcalf is a fringe Fantasy starter if Drew Lock is the starting QB for the Seahawks. Between Lock and a coaching staff stuck in the 90s with their run-heavy approach, that could be the worst offense in the game.  

Rookie alert: We have our first rookie off the board in Breece Hall, the Iowa State RB who went 36th to the Jets. Hall has elite measurables and was productive as both a rusher and receiver, in addition to being the first running back taken. The Jets offense should be better in 2022, if still pretty middling overall, and he'll likely split work to some extent with Michael Carter. But Hall has considerable potential if Zach Wilson takes a step forward. 

5.1. Jerry Jeudy, WR, DEN
5.2. Allen Robinson, WR, LAR
5.3. Michael Pittman, WR, IND
5.4. Courtland Sutton, WR, DEN
5.5. Marquise Brown, WR, ARI
5.6. Patrick Mahomes, QB, KC
5.7. J.K. Dobbins, RB, BAL
5.8. Darnell Mooney, WR, CHI
5.9. Mike Williams, WR, LAC
5.1. Elijah Mitchell, RB, SF
5.11. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, KC
5.12. Adam Thielen, WR, MIN

My pick: 5.11. JuJu Smith-Schuster -- The Chiefs waited until the 54th overall pick to add a receiver, and while there are reasons to be excited about Skyy Moore, I'm operating under the assumption that Smith-Schuster is going to be the top option aside from Travis Kelce in this offense. His recent track record suggests that isn't much to be excited about, but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that playing with Patrick Mahomes will be better for him than Ben Roethlisberger was. 

Best pick: Not to toot my own horn, but the Smith-Schuster pick could end up a pretty great one. If not that one, I like the Brown pick. That was George Maselli's No. 3 WR behind Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill, which means he's snagging three wide receivers who changed teams this offseason with his first five picks. That's a risky strategy, but Brown's situation might be even better than the one he left, especially with DeAndre Hopkins suspended for the first six games of the season. He could be in line for a bunch of targets there, and if he and Kyler Murray can get on the same page quickly, there's top-12 WR upside as long as Hopkins is out. 

Biggest risk: I'm worried about the 49ers offense for Fantasy, and while I don't think Mitchell is a bad pick there, I'm not sure there's a ton of upside for him in an offense with an inexperienced quarterback who figures to be a big part of the running game -- especially if Deebo Samuel is also used like a running back again. That could end up an awfully crowded situation for Mitchell to find himself in. 

6.1. Justin Herbert, QB, LAC
6.2. Travis Etienne, RB, JAC
6.3. Hunter Renfrow, WR, LV
6.4. Kyler Murray, QB, ARI
6.5. Kenneth Walker III, RB, SEA
6.6. Rashod Bateman, WR, BAL
6.7. Tyler Lockett, WR, SEA
6.8. Damien Harris, RB, NE
6.9. Devin Singletary, RB, BUF
6.1. Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL
6.11. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, KC
6.12. Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, ATL

My pick: 6.2. Travis Etienne -- With James Robinson working his way back from a ruptured Achilles late in the season, Etienne could be the lead back for an improved Jaguars offense, and while I don't think he'll be an every-down back coming back from his foot injury, Etienne could be an Ekeler/Kamara/Swift type who makes the most of a limited workload.  

Best pick: With Brown out of the way, things are clear for Bateman to be Lamar Jackson's lead wide receiver. That didn't turn into consistent production from Brown, but perhaps the bigger, more physical Bateman will fair better. He's got top-15 WR upside.  

Biggest risk: You can see the dreaded RB Dead Zone here in full force. Harris is the safest option here, but there just isn't a ton of upside, and the rest of the backs here could be irrelevant fairly easily. You're better off skipping this range at running back and focusing on WR here. 

Rookie alert: Walker landed in a good spot given that the Seahawks love to run the ball, but they're also heavily invested in Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, in what could be a pretty terrible offense. Round 6 is a fine spot for a guy who might emerge as a lead running back, but with little pass-catching upside and a bad situation, I'm not excited. 

7.1. Dalton Schultz, TE, DAL
7.2. Tom Brady, QB, TB
7.3. A.J. Dillon, RB, GB
7.4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, DET
7.5. Dallas Goedert, TE, PHI
7.6. T.J. Hockenson, TE, DET
7.7. Skyy Moore, WR, KC
7.8. Gabriel Davis, WR, BUF
7.9. Elijah Moore, WR, NYJ
7.1. Treylon Burks, WR, TEN
7.11. Drake London, WR, ATL
7.12. Chris Olave, WR, NO

My pick: 7.11. Drake London -- I had London and DeAndre Hopkins at the top of my queue and was trying to figure out which one was more likely to make it back to me. Dave took Hopkins with his next pick but judging from Dave's reaction in the draft stream on the Fantasy Football Today YouTube channel when I made the pick, London definitely wasn't coming back to me:

Best pick: I didn't love Hockenson last season, and things went about as I expected -- he was fine, but he wasn't a difference maker even with a healthy volume. With the Lions adding Jameson Williams and DJ Chark this offseason, Hockenson ended up falling about three rounds later than he was going in a lot of drafts a year ago, and I love that. I don't think his situation is that different than it was last year, and he should still be a 100-plus target tight end, making him someone you can set in your lineup and forget. 

Biggest risk: The most likely outcome is, Brady will continue to be a must-start Fantasy option and this is a fine pick. But it's a bit early to take a QB who doesn't run and who might be missing his top target to start the season. At this point in the draft, it's hard for any player to be much of a risk, but it feels a little bit early for Brady given the other QB available. 

Rookie alert: This was our first big run of rookies, with four of the wide receivers coming off the board: Moore, Burks, London, and Olave. For what it's worth, London was the first one taken in the real NFL draft and landed in a spot with just Kyle Pitts for target competition, so I think he's probably the best for re-draft leagues. Moore is a bit of a surprise as the first rookie WR drafted-- he was the 13th taken in the real draft. But he's got second-round draft capital and Patrick Mahomes as his QB, so there's plenty of upside if he can carve out a role early. With the perennially underwhelming Mecole Hardman as his primary competition, it's not a bad bet to make.

8.1. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, ARI
8.2. DeVonta Smith, WR, PHI
8.3. Miles Sanders, RB, PHI
8.4. Christian Watson, WR, GB
8.5. Tony Pollard, RB, DAL
8.6. Christian Kirk, WR, JAC
8.7. Chase Edmonds, RB, MIA
8.8. Michael Carter, RB, NYJ
8.9. Kareem Hunt, RB, CLE
8.1. Garrett Wilson, WR, NYJ
8.11. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, SF
8.12. Russell Wilson, QB, DEN

My pick: 8.2. DeVonta Smith -- Smith isn't the No. 1 WR for the Eagles now that they have A.J. Brown, which means he's fighting for targets in what has been a low-volume pass offense, which isn't great. However, Smith had a strong rookie season, all things considered, and I expect the Eagles to pass more than they did with the addition of Brown, so there might not be as much of a loss of volume as you think. I would have taken Hopkins if he was there, but Smith still has room to grow and could be even more effective on a per-target basis with Brown taking on more defensive attention. 

Best pick: With the draft in the rearview mirror, it seems like Deebo Samuel is returning to San Francisco. However, that's not assured, and Aiyuk obviously has big upside if Samuel does end up playing elsewhere in 2022. And, for what it's worth, while Aiyuk was disappointing overall, he put together a very efficient season, averaging 9.8 yards per target with a 6% touchdown rate. There's still a lot to like about him as a player, and betting on talent here isn't a bad idea. 

Biggest risk: I'm just not sure what to make of Kirk this season. The Jaguars sure seem to think he's a difference maker, given the massive contract they gave him, but I just don't know if he actually stands out even in what should still be a pretty mediocre receiving corps. His breakout with the Cardinals was more about efficiency, as he still had a pretty middling 18% target share. You can't count on efficiency with this offense, so it's possible he's a fringe starter at best.  

Rookie alert: The WR run continued, with Watson and Wilson getting picked. Watson is massive and has that early-second draft capital, plus Aaron Rodgers as his QB. If he can earn Rodgers' trust early on, there's obviously a high ceiling here. 

9.1. James Cook, RB, BUF
9.2. Zach Ertz, TE, ARI
9.3. Allen Lazard, WR, GB
9.4. Melvin Gordon, RB, DEN
9.5. Russell Gage, WR, TB
9.6. Jameson Williams, WR, DET
9.7. Ronald Jones, RB, KC
9.8. Dameon Pierce, RB, HOU
9.9. Rob Gronkowski, TE, TB
9.1. Tyler Allgeier, RB, ATL
9.11. Robert Woods, WR, TEN
9.12. Raheem Mostert, RB, MIA

My pick: 9.11. Robert Woods -- Woods tore his ACL in early November of last year, so he'll be about 10 months removed by Week 1. That doesn't guarantee he'll be back or at 100%, but he's got a chance, and with the Brown trade, he could be the top target in the Titans passing game. They don't throw the ball much, but Ryan Tannehill has been very efficient over the years, so if Woods is up to speed, it could be a better landing spot than you think. I'll bet his ADP ends up a lot higher than this by the summer. 

Best pick: Gage looks like the No. 3, maybe even No. 4 option for the Buccaneers passing game, but that requires a couple of assumptions to come true. First, Godwin needs to get back from his ACL early enough in the season to be up to speed quickly, and then Gronkowski has to actually sign. We're assuming both of those things will happen, but if not, Gage could be in a terrific spot to be a must-start Fantasy option for at least the first month of the season. 

Rookie alert: Williams is coming back from a torn ACL of his own suffered in January, so it's likely he won't be ready for training camp, which always makes it tough for rookies. That doesn't mean he can't or won't make an impact for Fantasy, but if you're taking Williams, you have to do so knowing you'll probably need to be patient with him. If you know that ahead of time, you can plan for it, but don't expect him to be a difference maker right away ... Allgeier is also worth keeping on your radar given his landing spot in Atlanta. They'd like to run the ball if they can, and Marcus Mariota's mobility could help Allgeier find some running lanes. He'll be competing with Cordarrelle Patterson for touches, but as we learned last season, the Falcons don't necessarily view Patterson as an every-down option, so there's room for Allgeier to carve out a significant role. 

10.1. Tim Patrick, WR, DEN
10.2. Jalen Hurts, QB, PHI
10.3. Chase Claypool, WR, PIT
10.4. Alexander Mattison, RB, MIN
10.5. Michael Gallup, WR, DAL
10.6. Deshaun Watson, QB, CLE
10.7. Kadarius Toney, WR, NYG
10.8. Rashaad Penny, RB, SEA
10.9. Joe Burrow, QB, CIN
10.1. Pat Freiermuth, TE, PIT
10.11. Rondale Moore, WR, ARI
10.12. James Robinson, RB, JAC

My pick: 10.2. Jalen Hurts -- Hurts has the potential to be the No. 1 QB if the Eagles increase their pass volume a bit with the acquisition of Brown, so to get him this late is something I'll take every time. Now, there's no guarantee he'll take a big step forward, but his rushing ability makes him a viable starting option even if the passing production doesn't increase much. If it does, the upside is significant. 

Best pick: Reports around the draft indicated the Giants have started to sour on Toney and were looking to move him, but they hung on to him, and he returns to New York with a real opportunity to take a step forward. Kenny Golladay is still there, but he's not a huge target hog, so Toney could be the team's No. 1 option in the passing game. Toney flashed upside as a rookie amid some injuries, and if he can get on the right track, I still love the potential.