Reevaluating the S20 ISFL Draft
The prevailing wisdom in sports media suggests that it takes five years to evaluate a draft class. We love instant draft reactions and grades, but it truly takes a while to determine how well a franchise drafted. Did they develop their players well? Did they retain stars or let them walk after their rookie deals? The S20 class was incredibly small, with only two rounds worth of picks that made an impact on the ISFL. That class has now played six years in the ISFL since I missed writing this article last season, and this article will evaluate each pick in the first two rounds and the draft class as a whole for each franchise.
Previous articles in series:
S18
S19
1.1: Kyle Idlewyld (Now Carolinabbq Isbest) DE - 920 TPE (retired)
Idlewyld had a fantastic start to his career. He was the first defensive end in league history to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, with a S20 campaign in which he led the league in tackles for loss (16) and added five sacks and a forced fumble. Idlewyld also had a sack, a safety, and two TFLs in the S20 postseason and won an Ultimus that year with the Copperheads. He took a step forward in his sophomore season, winning S21 Defensive Lineman of the Year, finishing with 15 tackles for loss and 8 sacks, a league-leading 23 combined stops behind the line of scrimmage. In S22, Idlewyld took on more of an interior rusher role on the Austin defense, and saw his numbers and recognition somewhat diminish. After making the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, Idlewyld failed to make the Pro Bowl in any of his final three seasons, and retired after the S25. His user, Kyle, is now Austin's general manager, so the team has continued to gain value from him despite the disappointing end to his career and early retirement. With two awards and three Pro Bowls to his name, the early retirement is the only thing preventing Austin from receiving an A+ for this selection.
Role: Star
TPE Rank: 6th
Grade: A
1.2: Desmond Scarlett - CB - 1282 TPE
The second overall pick in the draft did not finish the season with the Sabercats. As you likely know, Scarlett has been a longtime cornerback for the Arizona Outlaws. Scarlett was traded to Arizona so that his user, Unicorn, could become the Outlaws' new GM, a position he held till the end of S25. In return, San Jose got one season of aging safety Tyler Swift, and Arizona's S21 first round selection, which the Sabercats used on another cornerback, HeHateMe PickSix. Comparing Scarlett's career to PickSix's provides a way for us to evaluate how this pick ended up for San Jose. Though PickSix made a single Pro Bowl, something Scarlett has not accomplished yet, Scarlett has had a more successful career as a user (GM), statistically (15 INTs to 6), and in terms of TPE earning (by a 500 pt margin) and longevity. PickSix retired after S25, while Scarlett looks poised for a couple more seasons as a starter for the Outlaws. San Jose managed to draft the right player and did receive a decent value in the trade that sent Scarlett to Arizona, but ultimately, would have been better off keeping Scarlett.
Role: Starter for another team
TPE Rank: 1st
Grade: B
1.3: Reggie Culbertson - DT - 305 TPE
Reginald "Reggie" Culbertson had a pedestrian career at the defensive tackle position, playing two seasons with Arizona before being claimed by Honolulu in the S22 expansion. He played three seasons in Honolulu, where he had his best season as a pro, a S23 campaign with six sacks. He finished his career with one season in Philly before retiring after S25. With no Pro Bowls and very little TPE earned, this pick can probably be characterized as a bust, considering the early draft pick spent on Culbertson.
Role: Low end starter
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: F
1.4: Randy Vuxta - WR (now CB) - 905 TPE
Vuxta's history with the Philadelphia Liberty can be best described as rocky. He spent six seasons with the franchise, four of which were spent as the team's WR2 behind franchise legend Nacho Varga. Vuxta spent S24-25 as the team's number one target, hauling in 15 touchdowns and gaining over 2500 receiving yards in two seasons. He also had a brief stint as the general manager for the franchise. However, he failed to make a single Pro Bowl at the competitive position, and had an ugly breakup with the team, leaving in free agency to go to the Colorado Yeti after S25. He certainly left his mark on the organization, but it is unclear whether that mark was on the whole a positive one. Vuxta turned into the best receiver in his class, though, so it is hard to fault Philly for the pick.
Role: Starter
TPE Rank: 7th
Grade: B+
1.5: Jacoby Clay - WR - 481 TPE
The second receiver off the board is certainly inferior to the first. A third option nearly his entire career, Clay spent two seasons with the Copperheads in which he did not receive many targets, but was an incredibly efficient red zone threat, catching 14 touchdowns on just 88 catches in two seasons, an impressive 16% of his receptions went for scores. Clay has spent the last four seasons as a steady third option for the Hahalua, and is still on Honolulu's roster going into S26. He has been a solid role player his entire career, but I would have liked to see a player taken in the top five of a draft make a larger impact.
Role: Backup
TPE Rank: 10th
Grade: C
1.6: Thor Kirkby - LB (now S) - 703 TPE
Kirkby has enjoyed tremendous success in his career so far. After back to back Ultimini victories in Minnesota, Kirkby won an Ultimus in his sophomore season with the Yeti. He has been elected to the Pro Bowl twice (S22 and S24) and won the S24 Safety of the Year award. Kirkby had a tremendous stat line that season, with 75 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, 12 sacks, 3 INTs, 6 PDs, and most incredibly, three safeties and a defensive touchdown! He was a member of dominant Yeti defenses for four seasons before being drafted in the S25 expansion by the New York Silverbacks. Though he has not earned the most TPE, Kirkby has more awards and Pro Bowls than most members of this draft class, making him an excellent selection.
Role: Star
TPE Rank: 8th
Grade: A
1.7: Darrell Williams - RB - 1212 TPE
After a forgettable rookie season playing second fiddle to reigning RBoY Ludicolo Bigby, Williams had a breakout sophomore season, winning the S21 Breakout Player of the Year with 1300+ yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns. He emerged as an electric dual threat back, and spent five seasons with the Hawks, playing most of those beside Apollo Reed, and earning a Pro Bowl nod in S24 for his efforts with the team. He left the Hawks for Colorado in S25, where he was effective in a running back committee with Richard Gilbert. With one Pro Bowl in addition to an award and great TPE earning, Williams was one of the better selections of this draft.
Role: Star
TPE Rank: 2nd
Grade: A
1.8: Hal Fassingit - DE (Now OL) 235 TPE
Fassingit played two seasons at defensive end for Austin, with 25 TFLs and 7 sacks over that span. In S22, his team thought it best that he switch to the opposite side of the line of scrimmage, and he has played tackle for the Copperheads for the last four seasons. Fassingit has had a nice career despite his unimpressive TPE totals, making the Pro Bowl in S20 at DE and S24 at OL. Not a disastrous pick, but again, not a great return on a first round selection.
Role: Starter
TPE Rank: 14th
Grade: C
1.9: Blake Gragg - TE - 185 TPE (Retired)
Gragg is our first player of the S20 class who failed to make it out of the DSFL. He never made Yellowknife's active roster. A first round pick that never plays a snap in the pros is deserving of a failing grade.
Role: Bust
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: F
1.10: Victor Moreno - CB - 328 TPE
Moreno's ISFL career was a short one. He played a single uninspiring season the Copperheads before going to Honolulu, where he played two seasons before being cut. He is now an unsigned free agent. The Copperheads had four first round picks in this extremely shallow draft class and only managed to draft one above average player.
Role: Backup
TPE Rank: 13th
Grade: C-
2.1: Bobby Boucher - DE - 442 TPE
The first pick of the S20 draft was a perfectly average one. The eleventh best TPE earner in the class was taken with the eleventh pick, and Boucher played five seasons for the Otters as a rotational defensive lineman. His best season came in his rookie year, in which he amassed 9 TFLs and 4 sacks. He was cut by the team after S25.
Role: Backup
TPE Rank: 11th
Grade: C+
2.2: Inspectah Deck - LB - 440 TPE
Though not known for his playmaking ability, Deck has been a solid contributor throughout his career as a high volume tackler. He led the Sabercats in tackles in his first two seasons, including an 114 tackle effort in S22. He followed up that performance with a 118 tackle season for the S23 Orange County Otters. He spent three seasons with the Otters before signing with the Colorado Yeti this offseason. A nearly identical pick in terms of value to that of Boucher, the previous pick, the Sabercats grade suffers a little because of their inability to retain Deck on a second contract.
Role: Backup
TPE Rank: 12th
Grade: C-
2.3: Warren Stephens - S (LB) - 725 TPE (retired)
Drafted as a safety, it was soon evident that Stephens' size and speed were best suited for the linebacker position at the ISFL level. Stephens played three seasons as a middle linebacker for the Liberty, making over 100 tackles in each of those seasons. His 134 tackles in S22, good for second in the league, is still a Liberty season record. Stephens left Philadelphia after S23 to join Colorado in free agency. He transitioned into more of a pass rushing role for the Yeti, and played two seasons in Colorado before retiring after S25. In such a shallow draft class, Stephens was a great value at this point in the draft.
Role: Starter
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: A-
2.4: Venus Powers - K/P - 1191 TPE
Already the highest TPE kicker/punter in league history, Powers is easily the most decorated player of this draft class. Powers has exhibited excellent as both a kicker and a punter, and is a four-time Pro Bowl punter and three-time Pro Bowl kicker. She has also won Punter of the Year twice (S21-22) and Kicker of the Year twice (S24-S25). Powers was also named to the 25th anniversary all-time team as a punter. Unfortunately for the Liberty, much of Powers' success has happened since leaving the team, as she only played in Philly for two seasons before going to Honolulu in expansion. Powers has become the best player in Hahalua history, while Philadelphia has struggled with inconsistent special teams play, signing three different kickers in four seasons since Powers' departure. Philly gets a decent grade for picking such a great player in this draft position, but their grade is lowered due to their inability to retain Powers long term.
Role: Star/Potential Hall of Famer
TPE Rank: 3rd
Grade: B+
2.5: Siddu Sarvepally - RB - 246 TPE (retired)
Sarvepally was one of the most surprising early retirements in recent league history. He showed great promise as a young player, win accolades in the DSFL before being called up to the Otters roster in S21. He played the role of goal-line back in Orange County, and led the league in rushing touchdowns with ten on just 130 carries, the sixteenth most in the league. He opted to retire after just one season in the ISFL, leaving many wondering what could have been with the young and talented running back.
Role: Backup
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: C-
2.6: Silver Banana - K/P - 692 TPE
Banana has been a consistent presence for the Yeti special teams, serving as their kicker and punter since S20. He has had an above average career, and passed Hall of Famer Micycle McCormick as the all-time leading scorer for the Yeti in S25. His best year came in S23, where he converted 32/33 field goals and 36/37 extra points, earning a Pro Bowl berth and the S23 Kicker of the Year award.
Role: Starter
TPE Rank: 8th
Grade: B+
2.7: Galf Wilf - LB - 1092 TPE
Wilf is one of the biggest steals of the S20 draft. Falling all the way to pick 17, Wilf has been fantastic for Arizona, playing his entire career up to this point with the Outlaws. After a slow start to his career, Wilf has made four consecutive Pro Bowls. He has twice been named Linebacker of the Year (S23 and S25) and he also won Defensive Player of the Year in both those seasons. His S25 performance was especially dominant: he was the first player since S7 to record twenty sacks in a season, and he also had 3 interceptions, twenty passes defended, and a defensive touchdown. He has turned into one of the best defenders in the league, and was recently named to the 25th anniversary all-time team.
Role: Star
TPE Rank: 5th
Grade: A+
2.8: Ben Kenobi - TE - 144 TPE (retired)
Kenobi is the second player selected in this draft to never make it to the ISFL. Kenobi never developed into the prospect the Yeti wanted, and Kenobi retired after several seasons playing for the Tijuana Luchadores.
Role: Bust
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: F
2.9: Ricardo Rose - RB - 167 TPE (retired)
Though we are not even twenty picks into the draft, we are starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel on this barren draft class. Rose is a second consecutive draft pick who never made it out of the DSFL, but retired after his stint on the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers.
Role: Bust
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: F
2.10: Awkward Sexjoke - S - 682 TPE (retired)
After missing on three first round selections, the Copperheads finally snagged a solid contributor with the final pick of the second round. Sexjoke played five seasons for the Copperheads, making Pro Bowls in S21 and S22 as a nickelback who racked up a lot of tackles. He is also one of only ten players in league history who has blocked a field goal. Considering that the two players taken directly before Sexjoke never made it to the ISFL, finding a player this late in the draft who made two Pro Bowls is a very nice selection for the Copperheads.
Role: Starter
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: A
Notable Late Round Selections:
3.1: Jah Bur'Berry - WR - 581 TPE (retired)
Bur'Berry carved out a decent role for himself in Arizona as complementary piece in the high volume passing offense. He played five seasons with the Outlaws, with his best yardage total of 823 receiving yards coming in S22 as Arizona's number two receiver.
Role: Backup
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: B
4.2: Jamie Nkiah - S - 1144 TPE
How does this happen? After ten straight picks of players who never reached the ISFL, Arizona found one of the top five players in this draft class in the last round with the 32nd pick. Unfortunately for the Outlaws, they did not know what they had in Nkiah, and only kept him for a single season before losing him to the Sarasota Sailfish in expansion. Nkiah has had a productive career in Sarasota, earning Pro Bowl berths in S23 (122 tackles, 3 interceptions, 10 passes defended) and S25 (4 sacks, 4 interceptions, 6 passes defended). Nkiah is the latest active player selected in the S20 draft, and is fourth in TPE earned in the class. Grading this pick is difficult since, on the one hand, this was a tremendous steal, but on the other hand, they let him walk after just one season.
Grade: B+
Team Grades:
Arizona Outlaws: B+ Arizona had three fantastic steals in Wilf, Bur'Berry, and Nkiah, but also made one of the worst picks of the draft, taking Culbertson at 3rd overall, and failed to retain Nkiah. Overall, an above average draft, but a better first rounder could have raised this overall grade dramatically.
Austin Copperheads: B- Austin nailed the first overall and twentieth overall picks, but they had three additional first round selections that were completely underwhelming, if not necessarily total busts. They should have come away with a much better draft class considering they had four top ten picks.
Baltimore Hawks: A Baltimore had just one top twenty pick and they made a great selection. Williams has been a consistent player at running back ever since being drafted, and is one of the best TPE earners in the class.
Chicago Butchers: N/A No selections in the top 20.
Colorado Yeti: A- Colorado managed to snag two award winning Pro Bowlers with their first two picks. Their late second round pick did not pan out, but they deserve credit for coming away with two very good players.
New Orleans Second Line: N/A No selections in the top 20.
Orange County Otters: C The Otters did not draft any difference makers in this draft, but picked up a couple pieces who played minor roles on their team.
Philadelphia Liberty: B+ The Liberty made three top twenty picks and all could be classified as above average. Their best pick was Venus Powers, but their inability to retain the star kicker/punter hurts their overall team grade.
San Jose Sabercats: C This was not a draft class to remember for the Sabercats. They only got two seasons out of Deck, and the best player they drafted, Scarlett, who was an excellent selection, ended up going to Arizona immediately. They did manage to flip Scarlett for a S21 1st round pick, the only thing keeping their draft grade from being much lower.
Yellowknife Wraiths: F Yellowknife only made one selection in the top twenty picks of this draft, and managed to select the only player taken in the first round to never make an ISFL roster.
The prevailing wisdom in sports media suggests that it takes five years to evaluate a draft class. We love instant draft reactions and grades, but it truly takes a while to determine how well a franchise drafted. Did they develop their players well? Did they retain stars or let them walk after their rookie deals? The S20 class was incredibly small, with only two rounds worth of picks that made an impact on the ISFL. That class has now played six years in the ISFL since I missed writing this article last season, and this article will evaluate each pick in the first two rounds and the draft class as a whole for each franchise.
Previous articles in series:
S18
S19
1.1: Kyle Idlewyld (Now Carolinabbq Isbest) DE - 920 TPE (retired)
Idlewyld had a fantastic start to his career. He was the first defensive end in league history to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, with a S20 campaign in which he led the league in tackles for loss (16) and added five sacks and a forced fumble. Idlewyld also had a sack, a safety, and two TFLs in the S20 postseason and won an Ultimus that year with the Copperheads. He took a step forward in his sophomore season, winning S21 Defensive Lineman of the Year, finishing with 15 tackles for loss and 8 sacks, a league-leading 23 combined stops behind the line of scrimmage. In S22, Idlewyld took on more of an interior rusher role on the Austin defense, and saw his numbers and recognition somewhat diminish. After making the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, Idlewyld failed to make the Pro Bowl in any of his final three seasons, and retired after the S25. His user, Kyle, is now Austin's general manager, so the team has continued to gain value from him despite the disappointing end to his career and early retirement. With two awards and three Pro Bowls to his name, the early retirement is the only thing preventing Austin from receiving an A+ for this selection.
Role: Star
TPE Rank: 6th
Grade: A
1.2: Desmond Scarlett - CB - 1282 TPE
The second overall pick in the draft did not finish the season with the Sabercats. As you likely know, Scarlett has been a longtime cornerback for the Arizona Outlaws. Scarlett was traded to Arizona so that his user, Unicorn, could become the Outlaws' new GM, a position he held till the end of S25. In return, San Jose got one season of aging safety Tyler Swift, and Arizona's S21 first round selection, which the Sabercats used on another cornerback, HeHateMe PickSix. Comparing Scarlett's career to PickSix's provides a way for us to evaluate how this pick ended up for San Jose. Though PickSix made a single Pro Bowl, something Scarlett has not accomplished yet, Scarlett has had a more successful career as a user (GM), statistically (15 INTs to 6), and in terms of TPE earning (by a 500 pt margin) and longevity. PickSix retired after S25, while Scarlett looks poised for a couple more seasons as a starter for the Outlaws. San Jose managed to draft the right player and did receive a decent value in the trade that sent Scarlett to Arizona, but ultimately, would have been better off keeping Scarlett.
Role: Starter for another team
TPE Rank: 1st
Grade: B
1.3: Reggie Culbertson - DT - 305 TPE
Reginald "Reggie" Culbertson had a pedestrian career at the defensive tackle position, playing two seasons with Arizona before being claimed by Honolulu in the S22 expansion. He played three seasons in Honolulu, where he had his best season as a pro, a S23 campaign with six sacks. He finished his career with one season in Philly before retiring after S25. With no Pro Bowls and very little TPE earned, this pick can probably be characterized as a bust, considering the early draft pick spent on Culbertson.
Role: Low end starter
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: F
1.4: Randy Vuxta - WR (now CB) - 905 TPE
Vuxta's history with the Philadelphia Liberty can be best described as rocky. He spent six seasons with the franchise, four of which were spent as the team's WR2 behind franchise legend Nacho Varga. Vuxta spent S24-25 as the team's number one target, hauling in 15 touchdowns and gaining over 2500 receiving yards in two seasons. He also had a brief stint as the general manager for the franchise. However, he failed to make a single Pro Bowl at the competitive position, and had an ugly breakup with the team, leaving in free agency to go to the Colorado Yeti after S25. He certainly left his mark on the organization, but it is unclear whether that mark was on the whole a positive one. Vuxta turned into the best receiver in his class, though, so it is hard to fault Philly for the pick.
Role: Starter
TPE Rank: 7th
Grade: B+
1.5: Jacoby Clay - WR - 481 TPE
The second receiver off the board is certainly inferior to the first. A third option nearly his entire career, Clay spent two seasons with the Copperheads in which he did not receive many targets, but was an incredibly efficient red zone threat, catching 14 touchdowns on just 88 catches in two seasons, an impressive 16% of his receptions went for scores. Clay has spent the last four seasons as a steady third option for the Hahalua, and is still on Honolulu's roster going into S26. He has been a solid role player his entire career, but I would have liked to see a player taken in the top five of a draft make a larger impact.
Role: Backup
TPE Rank: 10th
Grade: C
1.6: Thor Kirkby - LB (now S) - 703 TPE
Kirkby has enjoyed tremendous success in his career so far. After back to back Ultimini victories in Minnesota, Kirkby won an Ultimus in his sophomore season with the Yeti. He has been elected to the Pro Bowl twice (S22 and S24) and won the S24 Safety of the Year award. Kirkby had a tremendous stat line that season, with 75 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, 12 sacks, 3 INTs, 6 PDs, and most incredibly, three safeties and a defensive touchdown! He was a member of dominant Yeti defenses for four seasons before being drafted in the S25 expansion by the New York Silverbacks. Though he has not earned the most TPE, Kirkby has more awards and Pro Bowls than most members of this draft class, making him an excellent selection.
Role: Star
TPE Rank: 8th
Grade: A
1.7: Darrell Williams - RB - 1212 TPE
After a forgettable rookie season playing second fiddle to reigning RBoY Ludicolo Bigby, Williams had a breakout sophomore season, winning the S21 Breakout Player of the Year with 1300+ yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns. He emerged as an electric dual threat back, and spent five seasons with the Hawks, playing most of those beside Apollo Reed, and earning a Pro Bowl nod in S24 for his efforts with the team. He left the Hawks for Colorado in S25, where he was effective in a running back committee with Richard Gilbert. With one Pro Bowl in addition to an award and great TPE earning, Williams was one of the better selections of this draft.
Role: Star
TPE Rank: 2nd
Grade: A
1.8: Hal Fassingit - DE (Now OL) 235 TPE
Fassingit played two seasons at defensive end for Austin, with 25 TFLs and 7 sacks over that span. In S22, his team thought it best that he switch to the opposite side of the line of scrimmage, and he has played tackle for the Copperheads for the last four seasons. Fassingit has had a nice career despite his unimpressive TPE totals, making the Pro Bowl in S20 at DE and S24 at OL. Not a disastrous pick, but again, not a great return on a first round selection.
Role: Starter
TPE Rank: 14th
Grade: C
1.9: Blake Gragg - TE - 185 TPE (Retired)
Gragg is our first player of the S20 class who failed to make it out of the DSFL. He never made Yellowknife's active roster. A first round pick that never plays a snap in the pros is deserving of a failing grade.
Role: Bust
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: F
1.10: Victor Moreno - CB - 328 TPE
Moreno's ISFL career was a short one. He played a single uninspiring season the Copperheads before going to Honolulu, where he played two seasons before being cut. He is now an unsigned free agent. The Copperheads had four first round picks in this extremely shallow draft class and only managed to draft one above average player.
Role: Backup
TPE Rank: 13th
Grade: C-
2.1: Bobby Boucher - DE - 442 TPE
The first pick of the S20 draft was a perfectly average one. The eleventh best TPE earner in the class was taken with the eleventh pick, and Boucher played five seasons for the Otters as a rotational defensive lineman. His best season came in his rookie year, in which he amassed 9 TFLs and 4 sacks. He was cut by the team after S25.
Role: Backup
TPE Rank: 11th
Grade: C+
2.2: Inspectah Deck - LB - 440 TPE
Though not known for his playmaking ability, Deck has been a solid contributor throughout his career as a high volume tackler. He led the Sabercats in tackles in his first two seasons, including an 114 tackle effort in S22. He followed up that performance with a 118 tackle season for the S23 Orange County Otters. He spent three seasons with the Otters before signing with the Colorado Yeti this offseason. A nearly identical pick in terms of value to that of Boucher, the previous pick, the Sabercats grade suffers a little because of their inability to retain Deck on a second contract.
Role: Backup
TPE Rank: 12th
Grade: C-
2.3: Warren Stephens - S (LB) - 725 TPE (retired)
Drafted as a safety, it was soon evident that Stephens' size and speed were best suited for the linebacker position at the ISFL level. Stephens played three seasons as a middle linebacker for the Liberty, making over 100 tackles in each of those seasons. His 134 tackles in S22, good for second in the league, is still a Liberty season record. Stephens left Philadelphia after S23 to join Colorado in free agency. He transitioned into more of a pass rushing role for the Yeti, and played two seasons in Colorado before retiring after S25. In such a shallow draft class, Stephens was a great value at this point in the draft.
Role: Starter
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: A-
2.4: Venus Powers - K/P - 1191 TPE
Already the highest TPE kicker/punter in league history, Powers is easily the most decorated player of this draft class. Powers has exhibited excellent as both a kicker and a punter, and is a four-time Pro Bowl punter and three-time Pro Bowl kicker. She has also won Punter of the Year twice (S21-22) and Kicker of the Year twice (S24-S25). Powers was also named to the 25th anniversary all-time team as a punter. Unfortunately for the Liberty, much of Powers' success has happened since leaving the team, as she only played in Philly for two seasons before going to Honolulu in expansion. Powers has become the best player in Hahalua history, while Philadelphia has struggled with inconsistent special teams play, signing three different kickers in four seasons since Powers' departure. Philly gets a decent grade for picking such a great player in this draft position, but their grade is lowered due to their inability to retain Powers long term.
Role: Star/Potential Hall of Famer
TPE Rank: 3rd
Grade: B+
2.5: Siddu Sarvepally - RB - 246 TPE (retired)
Sarvepally was one of the most surprising early retirements in recent league history. He showed great promise as a young player, win accolades in the DSFL before being called up to the Otters roster in S21. He played the role of goal-line back in Orange County, and led the league in rushing touchdowns with ten on just 130 carries, the sixteenth most in the league. He opted to retire after just one season in the ISFL, leaving many wondering what could have been with the young and talented running back.
Role: Backup
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: C-
2.6: Silver Banana - K/P - 692 TPE
Banana has been a consistent presence for the Yeti special teams, serving as their kicker and punter since S20. He has had an above average career, and passed Hall of Famer Micycle McCormick as the all-time leading scorer for the Yeti in S25. His best year came in S23, where he converted 32/33 field goals and 36/37 extra points, earning a Pro Bowl berth and the S23 Kicker of the Year award.
Role: Starter
TPE Rank: 8th
Grade: B+
2.7: Galf Wilf - LB - 1092 TPE
Wilf is one of the biggest steals of the S20 draft. Falling all the way to pick 17, Wilf has been fantastic for Arizona, playing his entire career up to this point with the Outlaws. After a slow start to his career, Wilf has made four consecutive Pro Bowls. He has twice been named Linebacker of the Year (S23 and S25) and he also won Defensive Player of the Year in both those seasons. His S25 performance was especially dominant: he was the first player since S7 to record twenty sacks in a season, and he also had 3 interceptions, twenty passes defended, and a defensive touchdown. He has turned into one of the best defenders in the league, and was recently named to the 25th anniversary all-time team.
Role: Star
TPE Rank: 5th
Grade: A+
2.8: Ben Kenobi - TE - 144 TPE (retired)
Kenobi is the second player selected in this draft to never make it to the ISFL. Kenobi never developed into the prospect the Yeti wanted, and Kenobi retired after several seasons playing for the Tijuana Luchadores.
Role: Bust
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: F
2.9: Ricardo Rose - RB - 167 TPE (retired)
Though we are not even twenty picks into the draft, we are starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel on this barren draft class. Rose is a second consecutive draft pick who never made it out of the DSFL, but retired after his stint on the Myrtle Beach Buccaneers.
Role: Bust
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: F
2.10: Awkward Sexjoke - S - 682 TPE (retired)
After missing on three first round selections, the Copperheads finally snagged a solid contributor with the final pick of the second round. Sexjoke played five seasons for the Copperheads, making Pro Bowls in S21 and S22 as a nickelback who racked up a lot of tackles. He is also one of only ten players in league history who has blocked a field goal. Considering that the two players taken directly before Sexjoke never made it to the ISFL, finding a player this late in the draft who made two Pro Bowls is a very nice selection for the Copperheads.
Role: Starter
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: A
Notable Late Round Selections:
3.1: Jah Bur'Berry - WR - 581 TPE (retired)
Bur'Berry carved out a decent role for himself in Arizona as complementary piece in the high volume passing offense. He played five seasons with the Outlaws, with his best yardage total of 823 receiving yards coming in S22 as Arizona's number two receiver.
Role: Backup
TPE Rank: N/A retired
Grade: B
4.2: Jamie Nkiah - S - 1144 TPE
How does this happen? After ten straight picks of players who never reached the ISFL, Arizona found one of the top five players in this draft class in the last round with the 32nd pick. Unfortunately for the Outlaws, they did not know what they had in Nkiah, and only kept him for a single season before losing him to the Sarasota Sailfish in expansion. Nkiah has had a productive career in Sarasota, earning Pro Bowl berths in S23 (122 tackles, 3 interceptions, 10 passes defended) and S25 (4 sacks, 4 interceptions, 6 passes defended). Nkiah is the latest active player selected in the S20 draft, and is fourth in TPE earned in the class. Grading this pick is difficult since, on the one hand, this was a tremendous steal, but on the other hand, they let him walk after just one season.
Grade: B+
Team Grades:
Arizona Outlaws: B+ Arizona had three fantastic steals in Wilf, Bur'Berry, and Nkiah, but also made one of the worst picks of the draft, taking Culbertson at 3rd overall, and failed to retain Nkiah. Overall, an above average draft, but a better first rounder could have raised this overall grade dramatically.
Austin Copperheads: B- Austin nailed the first overall and twentieth overall picks, but they had three additional first round selections that were completely underwhelming, if not necessarily total busts. They should have come away with a much better draft class considering they had four top ten picks.
Baltimore Hawks: A Baltimore had just one top twenty pick and they made a great selection. Williams has been a consistent player at running back ever since being drafted, and is one of the best TPE earners in the class.
Chicago Butchers: N/A No selections in the top 20.
Colorado Yeti: A- Colorado managed to snag two award winning Pro Bowlers with their first two picks. Their late second round pick did not pan out, but they deserve credit for coming away with two very good players.
New Orleans Second Line: N/A No selections in the top 20.
Orange County Otters: C The Otters did not draft any difference makers in this draft, but picked up a couple pieces who played minor roles on their team.
Philadelphia Liberty: B+ The Liberty made three top twenty picks and all could be classified as above average. Their best pick was Venus Powers, but their inability to retain the star kicker/punter hurts their overall team grade.
San Jose Sabercats: C This was not a draft class to remember for the Sabercats. They only got two seasons out of Deck, and the best player they drafted, Scarlett, who was an excellent selection, ended up going to Arizona immediately. They did manage to flip Scarlett for a S21 1st round pick, the only thing keeping their draft grade from being much lower.
Yellowknife Wraiths: F Yellowknife only made one selection in the top twenty picks of this draft, and managed to select the only player taken in the first round to never make an ISFL roster.