Hello all, and welcome to our first look at how the early declaration prospects stack up for the Season 2 Draft Class. One member posted a waiver wire appreciation post at an earlier, but this is more of an "eye to the draft" sort of thing. I will be looking at the seven prospects that have high activity levels and will be ready to make a difference when the big day rolls around. Since the season is still in its early stages, it is an arduous task to make a comprehensive "mock draft" since the draft order and team needs are cloudy and subject to much change. Of course, there will be plenty more prospects in this class, they just haven't joined the site yet. Once recruiting is in full swing, I will make another edition of this, but the standouts we are looking at today should be at the top for a while. Let's get into the list, which is in order of TPE, not necessarily prospect value.



Vincent Sharpei - OL - Army Black Knights

6'5" 315 LBS
TPE: 82


Offensive linemen will likely be the most coveted position in this draft and in any draft, due to their inherent scarcity and the number of current players on teams. For example, my team, the San Jose SaberCats, is anchored by Ben Longshaw, but behind him, employ two semi-active linemen and one completely inactive one. It is only fitting to start off with the man who currently headlines the Season 2 class, the technician OL from West Point, Vincent Sharpei. He has been quite the presence both in his NSFL stint and around the league community, both important contributors to draft stock. There is plenty to be get excited about when it comes to the big guys in this class, but Sharpei has gone above and beyond so far when it comes to development. Look for the Black Knight to go early in the draft and be a potential candidate for the first overall pick.

NSFL Magazine was able to catch up with Vincent Sharpei before including him in this article: "I know everyone hypes up the first ever draft class, but I believe this class has the potential to be something very special. You have a lot of good guys coming out and I believe it's going to be the strongest Offensive Line Draft Class ever. Only time will tell but I have faith in how well the draftees and I are preforming now and will continue to preform."


Blaster Blade - DE - Texas Longhorns

6'5" 290 LBS
TPE: 78


Shifting gears to the defensive line, we head down south to the University of Texas. Hook 'em Horns! Our number two prospect based on TPE is the edge rusher Blaster Blade. The senior boasts such power when bursting through the opposing lines that he originally earned his nickname, "Blaster" as a freshman, when his immense talent was discovered by scouts. Fast forward to now, and he is a prime candidate to be the first defensive player off the board in the Season 2 Draft. His training trajectory is among the best, and this will certainly stand out to general managers who value activity in the community as well as on-field performance. He is playing Season 1 with the Arizona Outlaws, but has expressed that he will be open to any team that selects him in the draft. This does not, however, rule out a return to the desert, as I'm sure he would welcome that.

NSFL magazine also caught up with the high-leverage DE before including him in the article: "What I want to tell everyone is first off, I will not have a preference of where I want to play next season like I did in the waivers. I know I was "only playing for Arizona" but next season I'm open for any team. I think I have the potential to go very high in the draft, competing with some of the top DEs in the league right now. Looking into this draft class, we see a lot of Offensive Linemen but other than that I think some standout names for me would be probably Ryan and Dermot from Baltimore and Yellowknife respectively. But in the end I feel like I definitely have a spot at the top."



Tim Pest - OL - Columbia Lions

6'6" 320 LBS
TPE: 77


Only one training point shy of the number two spot, we now shift back to the offensive trenches to talk about a representative of the Ivy League, Columbia University's very own Tim Pest. Pest only declared his draft status a short time ago, shorter than all but one of the prospects today, but has done a great deal of good with his time on the site. He has earned TPE like rapid fire, and he has dabbled in both press conferences and graphics, showing his dedication to want to keep honing his craft and stand out to scouts and general managers. Like I said, offensive linemen have astronomical value, and Tim Pest is another prized chip that teams should like to add. With an Ivy League background, his intelligence on and off the field may be another factor of separation when determining his value.

We also caught up with Tim Pest before including him in this article: "Hi. Thanks for the compliment! I don't know a lot about the next class of draftees, but I know the league needs offensive line and there are a lot of new ones that will be in the next draft. I think I am the best of those new linemen. I have a good amount of experience points for a season 2 player. There are good guys in season one on the line but I will be the best one of season 2."


Greg Clegane - OL - Michigan State Spartans

6'7" 350 LBS
TPE: 73


The third and final offensive lineman we will be discussing today, is the run-blocker Greg Clegane, who has also made waves across the league. The trio looks to headline the Draft Class and be providing more pancakes than your regular iHop. Clegane is the largest of the three in both height and weight, and has earned the nickname "Mountain". Like a mountain, this man can be nearly impossible to move, and even the toughest of rushers often have trouble handling him. He has been quite active in the media, building his profile and making a name for himself. If he keeps up the site presence and the work ethic in the training room, he should be another very high draft pick.

The Mountain gave us this quote to use in the media spot: "From this early in the season, the second annual draft class looks to me to be an especially talented group. In one sense, the class is all about filling out the final rosters of the teams. As far as my position in be draft, Sir Gregor isn't one to put a lot of value on which team drafted him. The Mountain knows who butters his bread, so to speak. While the whole continent of Westeros is backstabbing and killing each other, the Mountain stays with the Lannisters. This might be a side effect of being Clegane, my grandfather being raised up from a peasant to a lord. We still humble. So don't expect a big deal from the Mountain about being drafted."



Dermot Lavelle - CB - Arizona Wildcats

6'0" 185 LBS
TPE: 69

Back on the defensive side, we have the first non-lineman. The first of two Arizona Wildcats on this list, Dermot Lavelle was actually the first player to sign his name into the Season 2 class. This cornerback specializes in man-to-man coverage, which makes him a very big asset for teams to possess. The classic form of coverage seems to be an antiquated art nowadays in football leagues all around, but Lavelle has the skill to make a big name for himself. He has also been the most involved around the site out of all the names for next class, and he may very well be the most recognizable name for casual followers of the feeder system. If he is recognizable now, it will only grow as he continues to shut down opposing receivers.

The outspoken corner said this regarding the draft: "Coming into the league after missing the S1 draft due to paperwork issues and being named an S2 player is peculiar feeling. I was the very first player claimed off the waiver wire and while I can't speak for everybody else who will be heading into the S2 draft, I can give you my feelings about the process. In S1 you're a rookie, but you're not a true rookie if you understand what I'm saying. Sure, you're playing in the league this year and I'm grateful for the opportunity too, but knowing that at the end of this year I'm going to be uprooted and forced to move depending on where I'm drafted. This year feels like a filler year in the sense that it's almost like every game for me is a NSFL combine event, it's constantly affecting my stock for next year, whether it's positive or negative.

I don't really pay attention to speculation about my position in next years draft, I'd prefer to keep my focus solely on the Wraiths and our season. But some guys that I know are good enough are guys like Lecavalier who plays for the hawks, he's a quality wide receiver who can make big plays. Greg Clegane, that huge offensive lineman for the otters, there's no doubt he's gonna be widely sought after. Vincent Sharpei too, he's a really big piece of the puzzle for whoever drafts him. My teammate Teez Tobin looks really good out there, great work ethic and is a delight to work with. Finally Isiah McGinn who's currently a safety for the hawks. I know he's a good player who's work ethic is second to none, I'd be really surprised if he doesn't go in the first round."


Ryan Lecavalier - WR - Arizona Wildcats

6'2" 220 LBS
TPE: 61

All this talk about the upcoming draftees and we have yet to talk about a glamour position. That is about to change, as we stay in the Arizona desert to talk about Ryan Lecavalier, the number one receiver in this upcoming draft. Like his college teammate Lavelle, he was an early declaration, but hasn't been training as much as some scouts would like to see. He has definitely had a sort of presence around the league, participating in multiple team and league activities, but hasn't truly begun to scratch the surface of his potential in the workroom. I have faith that Ryan will stick around and eventually break out, and I'm confident that he will be a high draft pick because of the turnaround.

We were not able to talk to Ryan Lecavalier before writing this piece either.


Isaiah McGinn - S - Michigan Wolverines

6'2" 220 LBS
TPE: 57

Finally, we head back to the secondary, to talk about the newest entry into the Season 2 draft class, Isaiah McGinn, a safety out of Michigan, who played alongside Jabrill Peppers during his college career. Last season, McGinn had a shot to step out of the NFL player's shadow, and he did just that. Many became aware of his ability to run down the ball, and as a two-sport athlete, he is a center fielder in both baseball in football. While he only has 57 training points, a lot of that is due to the fact that he just started training very recently. I look for Isaiah McGinn to be pulling in those points soon enough and then he will be ready to be a first rounder or early second rounder when the draft rolls around.

Isaiah McGinn was able to give us this soundbyte before writing this article: "
I feel that I'm one of, if not the best defensive players in the upcoming draft. Hopefully I will be a cornerstone for whoever drafts me down the road. As for the draft class, I haven't taken too much of a look at who all is in it, but it should be a good draft."


That concludes our early look at the top draft prospects for Season 2!
Special thanks to all of you for having such active players to headline the class, without you, there would be no article, of course! And thank you for giving quotes that I was able to include here!

@Muford @Blaster @`TimPest` @automatic @`Dermot` @Ephemeris @`The_King`