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+---- Thread: *Looking Back - An S53 DSFL Draft Review (Round 1) (/showthread.php?tid=22320)
*Looking Back - An S53 DSFL Draft Review (Round 1) - Mysa - 05-21-2020
Looking Back - An S53 DSFL Draft Review (Round 1)
As we come to the close of the NSFL’s regular season, we see another draft on the horizon. That’s right – it’s time for NSFL players’ rights to be considered by professional teams, and new creates get their chance to start establishing their legacy on a brand-new team – or the same one they finished their pre-DSFL draft season out with, depending on how much their team liked them. I’d considered making this a defense-only review once more – but provided how dominant defensive selections were in the first and second round, I figured just including as many picks as possible would be the best move.
This isn’t intended to review any of the players’ personal history – after all, if you didn’t have that for the first round, you could easily go to my first or second article and see those for yourselves. No – in this edition, I’m going to try my best to review individual selections and how they’ve performed on their respective teams, whether they’ve been on the field for five or five hundred snaps. If I turn it into a series, I’ll likely go round-by-round – but for now, I’m going to address the most privileged selections of them all: our S23 DSFL Round One selections. It’ll be a similar set of names – but some have Defensive Player of the Year-worthy numbers, while others have suffered from either a lack of playing time (or, in the worst of cases, a lack of earning). If we’re all lucky (and I still have ANY motivation left after this article), I’m going to continue on through the second and third rounds.
Let’s set a little baseline for how we’ll evaluate these draftees in the context of their draft position:
1) Starting vs. Earned TPE
2) Raw stats in their first season (first 12 games only)
3) Current role on their team
4) Future prospects (Do they hold a job? Were they known as a GM/long-time active beforehand?)
Of course, I won’t be able to comprehensively cover these for all of the draftees without at least a little commentary (one of the drafted rookies this season was a penguin, after all). But without further ado, let’s get started with pick #1 – the Royals safety Greedy Sly.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]1.1 |
| FS Greedy Sly @Sylphreni79 tkl (3rd among S), 2 FR, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 blk P
19.8 KR avg (#6)[/div]
The first selection of our long, long run of early defensive draft picks was Greedy Sly, projected by many to be a top-three selection. With excellent speed and agility from the get-go, the defensive back’s only true weakness was the ability to read a defense – which some suspected would leave the back end of the Royals defense still weak to intricate passing schemes. And honestly? Provided how beleaguered the defense was prior to this draft, it was surprising that this English team didn’t perform even worse than they did (8th in rushing defense, 7th in passing defense).
Indeed, it wasn’t a pretty season for the Royals, who finished 5-7 in spite of a top-half offense thanks to a thriving passing attack (3rd in the league). Sly helped mitigate the damage in a significant way and was third among safeties in tackles (but still behind two of his own linebackers and a corner). More importantly, he put those quick feet to use with two fumble recoveries, a pair of sacks, and a blocked punt – which some feel were in great supply this season through. He’s continued to earn with the best of his class with 182 post-draft TPE becoming 266 now. And the majority of those earnings have gone into painstakingly increasing speed (now 91) and improving his run-stopping abilities (68 strength). He’s still certainly got some work to do in reading route patterns and seeing open space, but there’s little doubt he’s on his way to the top.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]1.2 |
| DT Tyler Montain @Amidships29 tkl, 1 FR, 5 sack (T-#1 among DT)[/div]
Montain was the first defensive lineman off the board, and expectations were extremely high on the Birddogs’ behalf. They opted against a possibly higher TPE linebacker (due to an overabundance) and went with the Luchadores’ late Season 21 signing. As the anticipated defensive anchor, he’s developed beautifully, with elite strength (88) within the DSFL, as well as closing speed (75) appropriate for tight ends and cutting running backs. He’s earned to 257 TPE thus far and has paid off beautifully for Dallas.
For the Birddogs, 6-6 was enough for a tie for second place in the standings – and a middle-of-the-pack rushing and passing defense could at least be paid in part to this big man holding up things in the middle. Naturally, the raw numbers like tackles went to the team’s linebackers. But what’s most impressive for Montain is his incredible pass rush (thanks to his speed), which notched him a defensive tackle-leading 5 sacks that put him below just three defensive ends (not tackles!), tying him with a number of great defensive players that have a season or two of experience on him.
One question mark some scouts have for the Montain has to surround his zero TFLs. Though his sack numbers were obviously elite for a defensive player at any position and his tackle numbers could be limited theoretically (but not practically, since he’s the clear #1) by playing time, he’s shown little ability to clear past the double team and make it to a running back before they hit the line of scrimmage. That’s a quality you want in your DL, and it’s either unlucky or worrying that it didn’t happen this whole season. Regardless, Montain's going to be a sneakily-good pass rusher at a central position for whichever NSFL team selects him.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]1.3 |
| FS Adelie de Pengu @IsaStarcrossed65 tkl, 2 FF, 2 FR, 1 sack[/div]
This adorable penguin, who became a safety due to a chance encounter with a well-respect NSFL star, was taken higher than anyone might have otherwise guessed. Much like its legendary backstory, de Pengu’s penchant for shiny, free objects helped this flightless aquatic bird recover (and force) two fumbles this season – not a bad mark for a player that just started practicing football months ago. In spite of sharing playing time with fellow draftee DB Jadakiss (more on that later) and a few less quickly developing prospects, Adelie has put up an extremely respectable safety season.
In all honesty, it seems pretty difficult to judge safety play even for high picks like de Pengu and Sly – in no small part because there are vastly different types of safeties, and their stats are often spread between three to five categories (tackles being the common factor, and FF/FR/TFL vs. PD/INT splitting run vs. pass). Like Sly before her, de Pengu still needs time to develop its “game sense.” But the penguin’s exceptional speed (90) and strength (70) have helped it knock loose balls at absolutely crucial moments for the Seawolves, who similarly finished in a dead heat with the Birddogs and Buccaneers for second in the SFC South this season. Adelie’s powerful play certainly helped Norfolk on their way to an elite rushing defense (166 yds/against, #2) this season.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]1.4 |
| LB Griffin Porter @AsylumParty101 tkl (#9), 3 TFL, 1 FF, 6 sack (T-#7), 1 INT, 8 PD[/div]
Like many other teams, the Luchadores started their draft off with several defensive picks – and Porter was the first of them. He was notable for his balance between strength, speed, and tackling form; over the course of the season, it was largely more of the same: he’s up to 85 speed, 81 strength, and has remained solid at 70 tackling. In terms of raw tackling, only Nat Wright surpassed Porter in tackles this season, but the Maryland native had a season that would put him into consideration for an All-Star team, not necessarily just an all-rookie spot. He was top-ten among tackles for the season – already impressive – but also managed a healthy number of TFLs and was tied for seventh among all players in the league for the sack lead.
Throw onto his formidable ability to get into the backfield some excellent pass defense numbers (1 INT, 8 PD) and we’ve got ourselves a party! Porter was a fantastic contributor from the line all the way back into coverage, and few players possess his overall effect on the field. While Nat Wright managed plenty of tackles this season (107), Griffin had plenty of high impact plays while notching just six fewer tackles overall. And when you consider the Luchadores had the best overall pass defense (144.6 yds/gm) in the league, you’ve got to think having versatile linebackers contributes highly to the efficacy of the Tijuana defense.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]1.5 |
| DE CJ Riley @Huskies31140 tkl, 21 TFL (#1), 2 sacks[/div]
There’s one extremely obvious stat here that we need to point out: tackles for a loss. We’d mentioned previously how even some of our other top selections didn’t manage a single TFL – well, for those of you looking for a ridiculously high-impact run stopper, your pick is here. CJ Riley managed to lead the DSFL in that particular stat this season, and while some may question his total number of tackles, it’s nigh-impossible to ignore here. This NSFL GM player has a ridiculously high floor and apparently an even higher ceiling, as his rapid earning during the offseason certainly appeared to pay off in spades. We’d described him previously as a run-stopping defensive whiz, and that massive strength (83) continued to show itself in spades. Riley also has running back level speed at the defensive end position (80), so it’s little wonder that he’s managed to find and destroy the pesky little backs whenever he got the chance.
The Pythons have to be pleased with their pick, even if their overall defensive performance was startlingly average. They graduated quite a few players last season and just needed a selection that showed some life. Portland took that prediction and essentially said, “show some life? Yeah, we’ll do just a sliver better than that.”
Are Riley’s statistics an anomaly? Are they the result of scheme rather than TPE? He’s certainly a fine earner, and 21 TFLs don’t come strictly by sheer coincidence. With how consistently dominant he's been this season so far, I wouldn't be surprised if he continues to dominate the DSFL through next season, and make a big splash on the NSFL when his team calls on him to go up.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]1.6 |
| DE Water Chestnut III @ckroyal9246 tkl, 18 TFL (#2), 7 sacks[/div]
Water Chestnut III was a bit of a confusing selection at the start of this draft because of his low TPE total (103). But GMs were hardly surprised, as the name attached to it (ckroyal92) is an NSFL GM – meaning you’re guaranteed some baseline level of activity. And if there’s anything that GMs at both levels prize for its scarcity, it’s certainty. GMs receive a minimum level of pay, regardless of whether they produce media or graphics (because they have to wrangle the zoo that is an NSFL/DSFL team), so concerns over equipment level aren’t really terribly relevant.
Strangely enough, though, at this point in the season Water Chestnut III is rocking just 163 TPE. He’s done all of his trainings thus far and upgraded his equipment to Tier 6, but he continues to lag pretty far behind his peers in TPE because of the loss of much of the pre-draft TPE. That being said, he’s shown up in a big way for the Grey Ducks, who topped the NFC North this season with a 7-5 record and a league-best defense (186 PA). And like CJ Riley before him, Chestnut gets his claim to fame shutting down EVERYONE in the backfield – but this time that includes QBs. With seven sacks, Chestnut is tied for 3rd in the league in pass rushing impact – and that’s with plenty of talented DEs selected before AND after him. He’s received a lion’s share of snaps this season (obviously) and has used his incredible speed (80) and strength (also 80) to fantastic effect on the field.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]1.7 |
| QB Reginald Covington III @PDXBaller146-264, 1,462 yds (5.5 Y/A), 7 TD/12 INT, 66.1 QB Rating[/div]
Our first offensive selection of the draft really has to be judged more on his ability to earn and build than his actual statistics. At just 5.5 yards per attempt and a 7-12 TD-INT ratio, one might be inclined to write Covington III as a bust (ostensibly the first of this draft). But at 205 TPE, PDXBaller has ensured that this young QB is set up for excellent success in the future primarily as a rock-solid field general style QB. He’s got a pinpoint eye for the details in the defense and high-quality accuracy to accompany it – unfortunately for him, though, some of his passes fall a bit short due to his limited arm strength (81), producing a few more turnovers than he’d like.
Not all is lost with Covington, however: in spite of splitting snaps with Glassley this season (who, for all intents and purposes, performed a touch worse), this Coyotes QB wasn’t the worst QB in the DSFL this season. In fact, in terms of raw yards earned via passing, the Coyotes fell 5th in the league in spite of having a rookie (Cooper) as their leading receiver this season. Since the pair will grow and mature together over the course of the next season or two (QBs get a pretty long time to sit and stew in the DSFL), the only way for Covington to go is up!
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]1.8 |
| LB Tyrone Woods @Rindiee96 tkl, 5 sacks, 10 PD[/div]
We’ve seen a couple of different linebackers appear in the draft through the first two rounds – and as the second selection, Tyrone Woods needed to have a pretty clearly defined role to make himself stand out in the crowd. Thankfully for him, he was a pretty well-known quantity, as his agency had previously represented fellow linebacker JoJo Burr-Kirven. Woods is, without a doubt, a speed-rushing backer with the ability to drop into pass coverage with solid fundamentals in man and zone concepts. That much is pretty clear in his raw statistics: Tyrone can definitely get to the QB, and he can definitely swat passes with the best coverage linebackers. Some say he still needs a little help understanding the playbook (what rookie doesn’t, after all?), but as of writing this article he has 36 TPE banked.
We can reasonably surmise he plans to let loose for the playoffs and/or use this flexibility in TPE to better benefit his NSFL team. In the meantime, Woods is a stupid-fast linebacker (86) who’s absolutely proven his worth to a Myrtle Beach Buccaneers team that is first in league defense by a country mile (14.8 points allowed/game) but just couldn’t really secure wins this season. They allowed 9 fewer points than the second-best defense, and nearly 35 points fewer than the second-place team, to say nothing of more beleaguered teams like the Coyotes. In terms of raw defensive usage, one could argue he lagged a bit behind fellow Buccaneers linebacker Mouseman, who recorded the second-most tackles in the league. But like many linebackers, Woods’s strength in the passing game proved exceptionally important in Myrtle Beach’s success.
[2,581 in Microsoft Word]
*Looking Back - An S53 DSFL Draft Review (Round 1) - AsylumParty - 05-21-2020
Both well-written and appreciated
*Looking Back - An S53 DSFL Draft Review (Round 1) - Sylphreni - 05-21-2020
Nice piece my friend!
Look forward to more in the future, great analysis!
*Looking Back - An S53 DSFL Draft Review (Round 1) - LimJahey - 05-21-2020
S53? Whats it like out there in the future?
*Looking Back - An S53 DSFL Draft Review (Round 1) - Mysa - 05-22-2020
(05-21-2020, 08:59 PM)LimJahey Wrote:S53? Whats it like out there in the future?oh no, the SHL wires are crossed in full force
(But also it's nice. The league has 64 teams and 4 of them are intergalactic!