On the live board, bust risk sits at 29% and the realistic range is No. 70 to No. 225.
The model graded Luke McCaffrey at pick #226; he was actually picked #100 by WAS. 2 NFL seasons in, he's hung on the fringe of the rotation (grading 3.3 of 20 per season). The 4-tier model has him as a likely starter. NFL grades have been modest so far (4% recent-3, 11% peak across 1 seasons). Model expects a second-deal AAV around $7M/yr.
Headline grade, verdict, and the one-line scout take
The league moved faster than our board — WAS took him at No. 100, 126 picks ahead of our No. 226 grade. His career is settling that argument now.
The written report — drafted from the fact sheet, every number traceable, honest about what we can't see yet
Which signals drove the grade up or down — in plain English
The analyst room, accuracy-weighted, plus where Draftanomics disagrees with it
Measurables, traits, and college play quality
Bust probability, injury history, character flags, pre-mortem
How well this prospect fits each of the 32 team schemes
Probability he's still on the board at each of your picks
Historical players this prospect resembles
Clips, scout notes, voice memos, written reports
Draftanomics had Luke McCaffrey at #226 on draft night — a Day 3 grade — and WAS took him at No. 100, 126 picks earlier than our grade. The model's case leans on his age curve. Bust risk projects at 29%, near the position baseline. The room had him #135 pre-draft; our board sat 91 spots lower.
Written from the live model's numbers — projected to round 7, and it updates whenever the model does. See methodology for what drives the take.
Read the two ends and skim the middle: the model has a real track record telling stars and busts apart, but “solid starter vs. rotation guy” is close to a coin flip from public data — that's why those two bars are grayed. For his odds of outright busting, the Bust-risk panel next door is the number to trust.
3 public boards track this prospect. Per-board breakdown loads with the live board.
Highlight reels indexed from YouTube. Loads only when you press play.
The grade is held down by how many boards rank him top-100, age, and his charted deep-route grade, final season.
The grade is the 0-to-1 score the board sorts by — it only means something next to the rest of this class, which is why the rank above it is the number to quote.
Outcome shares from the 4-tier model. The Bust share here is a different model than the headline bust probability — for bust risk, use that number.
Solid points = actual NFL snap share per season. Dashed extension = forecast for upcoming years.
Everything that could go wrong with Luke McCaffrey, gathered in one place — the most serious flags listed first.
Named, concrete signals — every flag cites numbers, comp players, or schedule context.
Based on each team's roster depth at RB / WR / TE, age, and recent capital invested.
Closest historical matches among prior RB / WR / TE prospects who were drafted, by overall statistical profile. A smaller distance means a closer match.
| Player | Pos | Year | Pick | Snap trajectory | Career arc | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marquez Stevenson | WR | 2021 | #203 | →0 pts | Bust | 1.96 |
| Bo Melton | WR | 2022 | #229 | ↓7 pts | Backup | 1.98 |
| Dez Fitzpatrick | WR | 2021 | #109 | →2 pts | Bust | 2.18 |
| Josh Palmer | WR | 2021 | #77 | ↓10 pts | Starter | 2.22 |
| Shi Smith | WR | 2021 | #204 | ↑34 pts | Contributor | 2.29 |