In Friday's edition of #iwannamock, I picked at No. 7 overall. My target was a running back in Round 1, and I figured C.J. Anderson was the player I would end up with, which is what happened.
My plan was to draft a receiver in Round 2, but I changed my strategy when Jeremy Hill was there at No. 18 overall. In a real draft I would have taken Calvin Johnson, who was also on the board, but I wanted to try the traditional running back-running back strategy with my first two picks.
Let's see how it turned out.
It's hard to argue with Anderson and Hill as my starting running backs, and I could have still ended up with Jordan Matthews and Brandin Cooks as my starting receivers with my next two picks. That's a great beginning to any league, and these #iwannamock drafts with users are 12-team standard formats. But my team didn't start like that.
Like what happened with Hill in Round 2, I had another interesting decision in Round 3 when Jimmy Graham was there at No. 31 overall. I wasn't going to pass on Graham, but now I find myself potentially in trouble at receiver.
Getting Cooks in Round 4 was great, and I love this start with two stud running backs, an elite tight end and a Top 15 receiver with Top 10 upside. I found myself chasing receiver, but I like this team as you'll see here with the analysis of the first 12 rounds. And remember, if there's a position where you can find talent later in your draft or on waivers, it's receiver. It's the deepest position in the NFL.
I'll be doing #iwannamock throughout training camp and the preseason, and I hope you get the chance to mock draft with me. Just follow the instructions on Twitter @jameyeisenberg when I post the time and location to join, and I hope to see you in a draft room soon.
Round 1 of Friday's #iwannamock: Jamaal Charles, Le'Veon Bell, Eddie Lacy, Adrian Peterson, Matt Forte, Marshawn Lynch, C.J. Anderson, Arian Foster, Antonio Brown, LeSean McCoy, Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant
- Pick I like: Bell. With his suspension reduced to two games he's back at the top.
- Pick I hate: Brown, Thomas and Bryant. Rob Gronkowski should come first.
- My pick: Anderson. He should be awesome with a full year as the starter.
Round 2 of Friday's #iwannamock: Odell Beckham, Rob Gronkowski, DeMarco Murray, Jordy Nelson, Julio Jones, Jeremy Hill, Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, Andrew Luck, Alshon Jeffery, Randall Cobb, Mike Evans
- Pick I like: Gronkowski. Any time he falls to Round 2 it's a steal.
- Pick I hate: Murray. I'd rather have Hill and several receivers first.
- My pick: Hill. He's a Top 10 running back and a potential first-round pick.
Round 3 of Friday's #iwannamock: Latavius Murray, Emmanuel Sanders, T.Y. Hilton, Justin Forsett, Carlos Hyde, Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Graham, Jordan Matthews, Mark Ingram, Peyton Manning, Frank Gore, Kelvin Benjamin
- Pick I like: Rodgers. This is stealing to see him in Round 3.
- Pick I hate: Sanders. He will struggle to replicate his performance from 2014.
- My pick: Graham. Like Rodgers, this is incredible value at this spot.
Round 4 of Friday's #iwannamock: Joseph Randle, Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman, Martavis Bryant, Lamar Miller, Brandin Cooks, Jonathan Stewart, LeGarrette Blount, Alfred Morris, DeAndre Hopkins, Jonas Gray, Sammy Watkins
- Pick I like: Gordon. He could easily be drafted in Round 3 in most leagues.
- Pick I hate: Gray. This was an auto pick, and he doesn't belong here.
- My pick: Cooks. I needed a receiver, and he was the best on the board.
Round 5 of Friday's #iwannamock: Andre Johnson, Andre Ellington, Todd Gurley, DeSean Jackson, Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen, T.J. Yeldon, C.J. Spiller, Joique Bell, Greg Olsen, Drew Brees, Isaiah Crowell
- Pick I like: Spiller. He's got tremendous upside playing for the Saints.
- Pick I hate: Bell. He could be the second-best running back for the Lions this year.
- My pick: Yeldon. I went with a flex instead of a second receiver here.
Round 6 of Friday's #iwannamock: Travis Kelce, Golden Tate, Michael Floyd, Julian Edelman, Matt Ryan, Brandon Marshall, Roddy White, Jeremy Maclin, Julius Thomas, Giovani Bernard, Russell Wilson, Jason Witten
- Pick I like: Edelman. I was hoping he'd fall to me in this round.
- Pick I hate: Witten. There's no reason to draft him this soon.
- My pick: Marshall. I don't love this pick, but he was the best WR on the board.
Round 7 of Friday's #iwannamock: Eli Manning, Martellus Bennett, Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Wallace, Jordan Cameron, Ameer Abdullah, Nelson Agholor, Vincent Jackson, Tony Romo, Seahawks DST, Tom Brady, Darren McFadden
- Pick I like: Abdullah. This could be amazing value if Bell continues to miss time.
- Pick I hate: Wallace. He'll need a lot of help to be worth this pick.
- My pick: Agholor. He's a high upside No. 3 receiver in any format.
Round 8 of Friday's #iwannamock: Cam Newton, Rashad Jennings, Anquan Boldin, Jarvis Landry, Tre Mason, Matthew Stafford, Brandon LaFell, Ryan Tannehill, Charles Johnson, Allen Robinson, Charles Sims, David Johnson
- Pick I like: Landry. I considered drafting him ahead of Agholor the previous round.
- Pick I hate: LaFell. He won't be better than Charles Johnson or Robinson.
- My pick. Stafford. He was the last Top 12 quarterback on the board.
Round 9 of Friday's #iwannamock: Steve Smith, Ryan Mathews, Jay Ajayi, Roddy White, Devonta Freeman, Eric Decker, Breshad Perriman, Zach Ertz, Terrance Williams, Dwayne Allen, Victor Cruz, David Cobb
- Pick I like: Freeman. He might be the best running back in Atlanta this year.
- Pick I hate: Decker. This is too soon for the Jets' No. 2 receiver.
- My pick: Perriman. I was hoping Charles Johnson or Robinson slipped here.
Round 10 of Friday's #iwannamock: John Brown, Doug Martin, Torrey Smith, Shane Vereen, Chris Ivory, Duke Johnson, Marques Colston, Bishop Sankey, DeVante Parker, Antonio Gates, Joe Flacco, Doug Baldwin
- Pick I like: Brown. I went into Round 10 planning on drafting him.
- Pick I hate: Gates. He's going to struggle with the four-game suspension.
- My pick: Johnson. The value was too good in this spot.
Round 11 of Friday's #iwannamock: Charles Clay, Malcom Floyd, Ladarius Green, Knile Davis, Davante Adams, Kyle Rudolph, Montee Ball, Larry Fitzgerald, Texans DST, Kendall Wright, DeAngelo Williams, Dan Herron
- Pick I like: Davis. He's the best lottery ticket in the NFL.
- Pick I hate: Wright. This pick only makes sense in a PPR league.
- My pick: Ball. You should handcuff Anderson with Ball in all formats.
Round 12 of Friday's #iwannamock: Carson Palmer, Alfred Blue, Dwayne Bowe, Philip Rivers, Danny Woodhead, Cody Latimer, Reggie Bush, Percy Harvin, Stephen Gostkowski, Panthers DST, Coby Fleener, Teddy Bridgewater
- Pick I like: Blue. Like Davis, this is a great lottery ticket.
- Pick I hate: Harvin. He might be dropped before Week 1.
- My pick: Latimer. Just taking a flier on a receiver with upside
- QB - Matthew Stafford
- RB - C.J. Anderson
- RB - Jeremy Hill
- WR - Brandin Cooks
- WR - Brandon Marshall
- TE - Jimmy Graham
- FLEX - T.J. Yeldon
- K - Cody Parkey
- DST - Rams
- BENCH - Duke Johnson, Montee Ball, Nelson Agholor, Breshad Perriman, Cody Latimer