Rookies, Is This the Top 8?

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For Superflex rookie drafts, a consensus top 8 has formed:

• Caleb Williams
• Marvin Harrison Jr.
• Jayden Daniels
• Malik Nabers
• Drake Maye
• Rome Odunze
• J.J. McCarthy
• Brock Bowers

Why are these players flying off the board? Turns out, with good reason.

• Williams, Harrison, and Bowers are considered by many to be generational talents at their positions. Generational talents are always top picks in rookie drafts.
• Nabers and Odunze were each top 10 picks in the NFL Draft. Top 10 wide receivers always go high in rookie drafts.
• And finally, Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy were thought to be in the mix for top 5 NFL Draft capital. They either went that high or - in McCarthy's case - went to a nice landing spot. Rookie quarterbacks like that are always hot commodities.

Our staff answers a series of questions on handling this group of rookies.

Do any rookies need to be removed from this top tier?
Are there any other rookies you would include in this top tier?
How enticing are these eight top-tier rookies?

Let's tackle the first question here.

Do any rookies need to be removed from this top tier?

Jason Wood

Brock Bowers was never the sure thing we all wanted him to be, given his size. Few tight ends with his size have flourished in the league. I was willing to look past his measurables with the right landing spot. Still, unfortunately, he found his way onto a Raiders team that sits near the league's bottom in terms of organizational clarity, structure, and outlook. The team already has another highly pedigreed tight end on the roster, arguably the worst quarterback duo in the league, and ownership lacks resources.

Ryan Weisse

I'm not hard-fading any of them, but I'd put McCarthy ahead of Maye based on the weapons around him. If I choose between two closely ranked quarterbacks, I'll take the one with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson at his disposal.

Matt Montgomery

The cop-out answer here is Drake Maye. I do not believe the Patriots will surround him with the necessary players to elevate him to fantasy relevance. Pair this with the fact that they have a first-year defensive head coach and a recipe for a disaster in New England. Few quarterbacks can elevate a franchise alone, and I don’t believe Drake Maye is one of those guys. 

Sigmund Bloom

Maye is a tough sell over McCarthy or even Worthy (maybe even Jonathon Brooks). He needs more help in New England to jumpstart one of the most morose offenses in the league. Alex Van Pelt isn't a savior as a coordinator/play-caller, and Maye needs a receiver he can count on to win on third down. This uphill climb is going to test his tendency to make poor decisions.