2009 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Round Three Recap

With the 2008 fantasy football season being over, the time has come that we start delivering 2009 fantasy football mock drafts. Below you will find the third round of a one man mock draft, in which the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football staff went to the crystal ball and forecasted their thoughts on what things would look like if we drafted for 2009 today.

Scoring used to compile Mock Draft results:

6 Points - All TD's
1 Point - 25 passing yards
1 Point - 10 rushing/receiving yards

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3:01: Steve Smith, WR (Carolina Panthers)

With wide receivers starting to fly off the board in the second round it only makes sense to take Carolina Panthers wideout Steve Smith with the first pick in the third round.

Smith started the season slowly with just one double-digit fantasy performance in the first five weeks of the season but finished strong as he had five in the final six games.

The only cause for concern with Smith are his touchdowns as he only had six last season but that correlates to his lowest reception total (78) since his last non-injury season in 2002 when he had 54 catches.

Expect Smith to catch 85 or more passes next year making him a worthy pick here.

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3.02: Philip Rivers, QB (San Diego Chargers)

The top three quarterbacks are already off the board but so are the elite receivers and most of the good running backs. While there are some good picks to be had at this point, San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers will give you the most bang for your buck here.

Rivers had 15 or more fantasy points in all but five games last year and had seven games with 20 points or more. The Chargers are shifting from a run-based team to a passing one, which will allow Rivers to post some fine numbers next season.

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3.03: Thomas Jones, RB (New York Jets)

While many running backs are off the board at this point you’d be hard pressed to find one more durable and consistent than the New York Jets’ Thomas Jones. Jones scored at least one touchdown in nine games last season and had 11 double-digit fantasy performances, including a string of 10 straight in the middle of the season.

There may be some questions at quarterback or wide receiver for the Jets but not at running back. While backup Leon Washington is a nice change of pace guy, Jones will still get the majority of the carries and makes for a great running back selection at this point in the draft. 

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3.04: Roddy White, WR (Atlanta Falcons)

With most of the running backs gone and the top quarterbacks gone, a good place to look for points here is at the wide receiver position and the Atlanta Falcons’ Roddy White is a perfect pick here. White flourished with rookie quarterback Matt Ryan last season as they hooked up for 88 connections and seven touchdowns.

The scary part is that Ryan is only going to get better, meaning White will as well.

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3.05: Kevin Smith, RB (Detroit Lions)

Running backs are running dangerously thin at this point but there is still one who is guaranteed to receive the overwhelming majority of his teams carries and that is Kevin Smith of the Detroit Lions.

Smith didn’t start receiving regular carries until Week Nine and when he did he took off as he finished with five touchdowns and six double-digit fantasy performances in the last nine games. The Lions are also expected to upgrade their offensive line in the offseason, which will only help Smith.

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3.06: Greg Jennings, WR (Green Bay Packers)

A switch at quarterback didn’t hurt wide receiver Greg Jennings of the Green Bay Packers. Jennings set career highs in receptions (80) and yards (1,292) and also caught nine touchdowns while the team broke in Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.

With a year of experience for Rodgers, as well as a more consistent running back for support, next season Jennings should continue to develop into one of the league’s top receivers.

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3.07: Jay Cutler, QB (Denver Broncos)

It’s nice to fill your positions of need but at this point in the draft you still need to be concerned with points. Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler is the guy that can get you those points as he finished with 13 double-digit games last season, five of which were for 20 points or more.

He managed to do that with no help from the running game. As long as Denver develops in that area next season, Cutler has the potential to go for 30 touchdowns.

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3.08: Brandon Marshall, WR (Denver Broncos)

Although the Broncos suffered from a lack of a running game, wideout Brandon Marshall had a terrific season as he caught 104 passes for 1,265 yards and six touchdowns. Cutler likes getting the ball to Marshall early and often, making the receiver one of the most consistent at his position last year.

As long as the Denver offense develops, Marshall could post similar numbers but with 10 touchdowns instead of six next season.

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3.09: Ronnie Brown, RB (Miami Dolphins)

Though all the top running backs are gone there is still one guy left who is worth a selection in the third round and that is the Miami Dolphin’s Ronnie Brown. Brown only had 214 carries last season but had a combined 247 touches for 1,070 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Ricky Williams may poach some carries from Brown but that kind of production from a running back is worthy of a late third-round pick.

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3.10: Marques Colston, WR (New Orleans Saints)

New Orleans Saints receiver Marques Colston was injured for five games last season and didn’t play in another yet he still caught 47 passes for 760 yards and five touchdowns, four of which came in the final three weeks of the season.

Now that a second receiver has emerged in New Orleans in Lance Moore, the offense will continue to open up for Colston meaning he could post his best season to date in 2009.

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3.11: Tony Romo, QB (Dallas Cowboys)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is quickly becoming known for failing in the big game, not playing well when the team needs him the most. But points aren’t awarded or taken away for that kind of stuff in fantasy football.

What you do need to know is that Romo threw 26 touchdowns and had eight multiple-touchdown games last season. The majority of the offense is expected to return meaning Romo should enjoy another statistically good season.

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3.12: Terrell Owens, WR (Dallas Cowboys)

Though it’s no surprise that Dallas wide receiver Terrell Owens can’t keep his mouth shut even after the season ends, he remains one of the better receivers from a fantasy perspective because he catches so many touchdowns.

Though Owens only caught 69 passes last season he made the best of them as he went for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those are the kind of numbers that make him a worthy third round pick, especially in a 12-team league.

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