A review of my ISFL draft experience from A.J. Lucas in character.
The night before the ISFL draft I had been anxiously kept up all night, wondering where I would be drafted and to who, I had talked to multiple teams but wasn't sure if any of them had plans that would involve me. There were plenty of destinations that I could go to, however I wasn't sure what would be a good fit. I had no real concerns or preferences for playing for a particular team but I didn't know if this would be a blessing or a curse. Of course I hoped to be a surprise pick and go early in the draft but knew that given the 'experts' mock drafts that it was unlikely I would go in the first round. This would come true but here is my in character recap of the draft.
Waking up early on the day of the draft I tried to follow a normal daily routine of going for a run, smashing back a decent breakfast and getting on with my day however it was difficult with the anticipation building. I ended up not achieving much for the day apart from that and spent time reviewing mock drafts and getting ready. As the time of the draft drew near I settled in to the couch with the TV casting the draft, unfortunately due to the RONA I was stuck with an online draft, no fancy suit and event for me but it was the same for all sports at the moment. I didn't mind this overall, it meant I could drink and sit back and watch the draft.
Tuning into the draft, it was behind schedule and causing a ruckus amongst the players and fans alike. Surely the commissioners head would roll for this... (jk...unless?...jk) and then we were off. There was a good number of people tuning into the draft live and the commentators were in good spirit.
The first pick was to be made by the Berlin Fire Salamanders, a team that had talked to me early on before the draft and with plenty of spots to fill as they are a new team to the league, I would be able to slot in straight away... however my name was not called, it would be Bambam McMullet, a linebacker. This one was definitely a pick that I nor the draft experts were expecting as this messed up like 99% of the mock drafts with the first pick. Being my first season in the league via the DSFL I had expectations for myself and had concerns given that I had a pretty good season myself in linebacker and had essentially as of late in the season reached my peak for the DSFL.. I was hoping that I hadn't been forgotten. Bambam would be a good pick for Berlin as they had some difficulties in defense last year and McMullet will definitely help plug some holes in that defense (as would I have wink wink) but nonetheless I sat there waiting for the second pick.
The second pick came through for a safety this time, Dogwood Maple, someone who had a decent season but I have heard is a great locker room presence. New York was in the bottom tier of interceptions and pass deflections last season and adding a potential star safety seems like a good pick, I would have to wait for my turn to be drafted. For the most part I was not expecting to go to the expansion teams so I was not super surprised that my name wasn't called.
The third pick came in and was for a defensive end, Ernest Lover. This was as far as I was concerned the projected first overall pick and she had dropped to third. This filled me with a little dread, if the draft had seemingly random picks, it didn't bode well for me a relatively unheard of linebacker. Baltimore seemed to have a steal in Lover and would fit in well with Baltimores need to improve its sacks per game and its defensive line. Ernest Lover is projected to be an outstanding defensive end and I wonder if perhaps the Fire Salamanders will rue this pick in the years to come.
We moved on to the fourth pick, the Wraiths picked up the first offensive player of the draft with Arthur Naught a wideout which came as a bit of a shock in the draft, Naught is a terrific wide receiver but according to some analysts this wasn't the best pick that they could have gone for and considering the strength of the defensive side of the draft it didn't show promise of my draft position.
With the fifth pick New Orleans picked a linebacker, Vincent Jones. I think New Orleans was probably surprised that Vinny Jones fell to them, he was a high projected draft pick and the second linebacker to be drafted out of Tijuana. This again hurts me as I want to see myself as a top flight linebacker and with two guys going already in that same position I know it will be hard on me to best those expectations. Jones deserves to be here, I am not taking anything away from him, just wish it was me that went early!
The sixth pick came and went, a quarterback Ryan Negs to the Liberty, a good fit for Philly in the future and a good quarterback who I hope to sack multiple times in my career! Philadelphia is in somewhat of a rebuild and grabbing talent for the future is always good, I do wonder if they could have improved on the defensive side (not even just with myself) but it is what it is and we moved on.
The seventh pick, Honolulu Hahalua picked Cobra Kai, a running back. Now I thought I may have a chance to be picked here, I thought I had a pretty decent interview with the Hahalua and thought that I may get picked but alas they went the opposite direction. Cobra Kai had been tearing up the DSFL, I had faced him twice and he had dominated those games. I think he was a steal in the draft at any position and wish him well. Hopefully in the future I will be able to bring him down and stuff the run game.
We came to pick eight and the Butchers selected some unheard of offensive line guy by the name of Alexander Franklin, he must be somewhat related to Alexander Hordle? I had never heard of Franklin before and neither had the mock draft experts. If this was Hordle the pick would be a steal, Hordle had been in multiple locker rooms in the DSFL after the games and been a great presence, one of the first people I met coming into the league and he definitely is a star for the future. However the Butchers drafted this Franklin guy, hopefully he would fill the shoes of Hordle and be a good pick.
Pick nine was another defensive player but not me, a safety with a sick name - Moe Skeeter. A solid safety and probably a good fit somewhere in Arizona's defense. I wasn't expecting to be picked up here, I had almost resigned myself that I would be dropping to the late rounds at this point, wondering if my late season surge in ability had gone unnoticed and I was doomed to suffer a similar fate to my "twin" in the PBE baseball league.
Pick ten, the Sarasota Sailfish picked up a defensive end, I wasn't sure about this pick as I did pick in my head Sarasota as a location that I could go to but I would have thought my dominant season in the DSFL would put me above Jaxson, there are also so many tangibles behind the scenes in the draft process and I guess he was a better fit. Looking down the draft at some of the later picks and I don't know who would go where at this point.
Pick eleven came and we were back to the Fire Salamanders, knowing that Berlin had a penchant for defense I thought I could have a chance here but they went with my much better and smarter teammate - Derek Wildstar. I think this may be the steal of the draft, having been a teammate with him for a season in the DSFL I think Derek could go on to be one of the best safeties in the league and dropping to the 11th pick was not a good sign for me.... but a good sign for him nonetheless. He will be a good player and I had hoped that maybe I would get to play alongside him but Berlin was far away from some more picks and I would need to drop far to have a chance to join him.
Pick twelve and another linebacker went, Leonard Taylor. Taylor was a prospective high round pick in most drafts and the fact he dropped to twelve was a steal for the Wraiths. I see Taylor being similar to myself in skill and potential and hope that we can be in the future potential allstars. Once again my nerves were rising as the later and later I sat in the virtual greenroom waiting for my name to call didn't get easier with more and more linebackers being picked before me.
The unlucky number thirteen pick in the draft came to the Yeti and they went defense again with a defensive tackle with a fancy rhyming name - Redbeard McFredbeard. The Yeti have been a dominant team the last couple of years I have learnt about the league and they will continue to bolster certain positions. I wasn't expecting to go here, so I just kept my head down waiting for my turn.
Pick fourteen came with the Sabercats and they had just come off their championship win. I wasn't sure I would be needed by these guys and they went with a wideout Tugg Speedman which will likely help them have even more weapons for another run next year. I had now slipped out of the first round, I know I wasn't any mock drafts to be picked in the first but it still hurts knowing that we saw so many defensive players go before me. Speedman would be a good fit for the Sabercats.
I would have to wait for the second round, although this was disappointing as everyone thinks they should go in the first round of the draft, I realise that this is not the case for so many people and only a select few are graced with the first round pick. During a short intermission I had to build up hope that I could go early in the second round. I was waiting for that fated call from a GM to welcome me aboard to their team and the longer my phone was silent the worse it felt. I knew I would have to prove myself in the future to make any team that passed on me realize that they should have drafted me and that I am dedicated to succeed.
With the start of the second round we started with the Chicago Butchers and they went with an offensive player - a wide receiver, Raphael Delacour. Delacour was definitely a good pick up for the Butchers but once again it wasn't me. I didn't know what to expect at this point and was settling in for the long haul.
Then the shock of the 16th pick, the Baltimore Hawks. Suddenly my phone rang and across the board went my name, with the sixteenth pick in the ISFL draft, A.J. Lucas from the Kansas City Coyotes, linebacker. To be fair I had already resigned myself to dropping far down the draft like Agholor dropping catches. There were so many big names in the draft to go and I wasn't sure that any teams thought highly enough of me to pick me up. I was ecstatic and joined the locker room of the Hawks straight away, I noticed some familiar faces from my Kansas City team and knew that it would be a good fit. The locker room was a buzz with the new draftees and I got to meet Ernest Lover the third overall pick and can't wait to line up with them in the future on defense. To be fair the rest of the draft became a bit of a blur, watching the other names come and go and the analysis behind the picks. I was happy I had this opportunity to enjoy the rest of the draft with the pressure off of me.
The Hawks went on to draft some good talent across the board, picking up wide receiver Mario Messi and then shortly after Caven McRae. With the 31st pick we also picked up Chet Larson and then the one guy from what appears to be a foreign league - Sirdsvaldis Miglaskems. I look forward to learning his native language and bonding with him. If he is anything like Boban in the NBA I am sure he will be a loveable character. I think the Hawks had a pretty good draft overall and am glad to be a part of their system. Having multiple draft picks and in what I think could be a strong draft year will mean that we should have a competitive team for the future. I hope that I don't miss out on any championship runs but if we went on to win the Ultimus while I was still in the DSFL then that wouldn't be all too bad.
Post draft discussions with the team have arrived at the conclusion that I was expecting, I will stick it down in the DSFL and continue to grow and prep myself for my eventual ISFL debut. I don't mind this as I would rather come in prepared for the season than be overwhelmed as a rookie straight from the DSFL. I will bide my time with my strong team of the Coyotes and wait to see what happens. The draft itself in the rear view mirror was a good experience overall, I am sure even if I had dropped further I would still have enjoyed the experience however I am glad I did get picked early in the second round, I want to prove to people it was a good pick and that no matter where you get drafted you still have a chance to impact the league if you work hard.
I want to mention briefly that I am thankful for the league and the people I have met so far, everyone has been friendly and it has been a great experience. If it had not gone this way then I don't know if I would have wanted to stick around. All the best luck to all rookies for both DSFL and ISFL this year and I hope to get to meet new people in my locker room and continue to enjoy the ISFL. With it being kind of tough times around the world with COVID and being stuck either inside or not being able to actually go to any sports in person, the ability to meet some people interested in something and make friends has been a really great experience.
The night before the ISFL draft I had been anxiously kept up all night, wondering where I would be drafted and to who, I had talked to multiple teams but wasn't sure if any of them had plans that would involve me. There were plenty of destinations that I could go to, however I wasn't sure what would be a good fit. I had no real concerns or preferences for playing for a particular team but I didn't know if this would be a blessing or a curse. Of course I hoped to be a surprise pick and go early in the draft but knew that given the 'experts' mock drafts that it was unlikely I would go in the first round. This would come true but here is my in character recap of the draft.
Waking up early on the day of the draft I tried to follow a normal daily routine of going for a run, smashing back a decent breakfast and getting on with my day however it was difficult with the anticipation building. I ended up not achieving much for the day apart from that and spent time reviewing mock drafts and getting ready. As the time of the draft drew near I settled in to the couch with the TV casting the draft, unfortunately due to the RONA I was stuck with an online draft, no fancy suit and event for me but it was the same for all sports at the moment. I didn't mind this overall, it meant I could drink and sit back and watch the draft.
Tuning into the draft, it was behind schedule and causing a ruckus amongst the players and fans alike. Surely the commissioners head would roll for this... (jk...unless?...jk) and then we were off. There was a good number of people tuning into the draft live and the commentators were in good spirit.
The first pick was to be made by the Berlin Fire Salamanders, a team that had talked to me early on before the draft and with plenty of spots to fill as they are a new team to the league, I would be able to slot in straight away... however my name was not called, it would be Bambam McMullet, a linebacker. This one was definitely a pick that I nor the draft experts were expecting as this messed up like 99% of the mock drafts with the first pick. Being my first season in the league via the DSFL I had expectations for myself and had concerns given that I had a pretty good season myself in linebacker and had essentially as of late in the season reached my peak for the DSFL.. I was hoping that I hadn't been forgotten. Bambam would be a good pick for Berlin as they had some difficulties in defense last year and McMullet will definitely help plug some holes in that defense (as would I have wink wink) but nonetheless I sat there waiting for the second pick.
The second pick came through for a safety this time, Dogwood Maple, someone who had a decent season but I have heard is a great locker room presence. New York was in the bottom tier of interceptions and pass deflections last season and adding a potential star safety seems like a good pick, I would have to wait for my turn to be drafted. For the most part I was not expecting to go to the expansion teams so I was not super surprised that my name wasn't called.
The third pick came in and was for a defensive end, Ernest Lover. This was as far as I was concerned the projected first overall pick and she had dropped to third. This filled me with a little dread, if the draft had seemingly random picks, it didn't bode well for me a relatively unheard of linebacker. Baltimore seemed to have a steal in Lover and would fit in well with Baltimores need to improve its sacks per game and its defensive line. Ernest Lover is projected to be an outstanding defensive end and I wonder if perhaps the Fire Salamanders will rue this pick in the years to come.
We moved on to the fourth pick, the Wraiths picked up the first offensive player of the draft with Arthur Naught a wideout which came as a bit of a shock in the draft, Naught is a terrific wide receiver but according to some analysts this wasn't the best pick that they could have gone for and considering the strength of the defensive side of the draft it didn't show promise of my draft position.
With the fifth pick New Orleans picked a linebacker, Vincent Jones. I think New Orleans was probably surprised that Vinny Jones fell to them, he was a high projected draft pick and the second linebacker to be drafted out of Tijuana. This again hurts me as I want to see myself as a top flight linebacker and with two guys going already in that same position I know it will be hard on me to best those expectations. Jones deserves to be here, I am not taking anything away from him, just wish it was me that went early!
The sixth pick came and went, a quarterback Ryan Negs to the Liberty, a good fit for Philly in the future and a good quarterback who I hope to sack multiple times in my career! Philadelphia is in somewhat of a rebuild and grabbing talent for the future is always good, I do wonder if they could have improved on the defensive side (not even just with myself) but it is what it is and we moved on.
The seventh pick, Honolulu Hahalua picked Cobra Kai, a running back. Now I thought I may have a chance to be picked here, I thought I had a pretty decent interview with the Hahalua and thought that I may get picked but alas they went the opposite direction. Cobra Kai had been tearing up the DSFL, I had faced him twice and he had dominated those games. I think he was a steal in the draft at any position and wish him well. Hopefully in the future I will be able to bring him down and stuff the run game.
We came to pick eight and the Butchers selected some unheard of offensive line guy by the name of Alexander Franklin, he must be somewhat related to Alexander Hordle? I had never heard of Franklin before and neither had the mock draft experts. If this was Hordle the pick would be a steal, Hordle had been in multiple locker rooms in the DSFL after the games and been a great presence, one of the first people I met coming into the league and he definitely is a star for the future. However the Butchers drafted this Franklin guy, hopefully he would fill the shoes of Hordle and be a good pick.
Pick nine was another defensive player but not me, a safety with a sick name - Moe Skeeter. A solid safety and probably a good fit somewhere in Arizona's defense. I wasn't expecting to be picked up here, I had almost resigned myself that I would be dropping to the late rounds at this point, wondering if my late season surge in ability had gone unnoticed and I was doomed to suffer a similar fate to my "twin" in the PBE baseball league.
Pick ten, the Sarasota Sailfish picked up a defensive end, I wasn't sure about this pick as I did pick in my head Sarasota as a location that I could go to but I would have thought my dominant season in the DSFL would put me above Jaxson, there are also so many tangibles behind the scenes in the draft process and I guess he was a better fit. Looking down the draft at some of the later picks and I don't know who would go where at this point.
Pick eleven came and we were back to the Fire Salamanders, knowing that Berlin had a penchant for defense I thought I could have a chance here but they went with my much better and smarter teammate - Derek Wildstar. I think this may be the steal of the draft, having been a teammate with him for a season in the DSFL I think Derek could go on to be one of the best safeties in the league and dropping to the 11th pick was not a good sign for me.... but a good sign for him nonetheless. He will be a good player and I had hoped that maybe I would get to play alongside him but Berlin was far away from some more picks and I would need to drop far to have a chance to join him.
Pick twelve and another linebacker went, Leonard Taylor. Taylor was a prospective high round pick in most drafts and the fact he dropped to twelve was a steal for the Wraiths. I see Taylor being similar to myself in skill and potential and hope that we can be in the future potential allstars. Once again my nerves were rising as the later and later I sat in the virtual greenroom waiting for my name to call didn't get easier with more and more linebackers being picked before me.
The unlucky number thirteen pick in the draft came to the Yeti and they went defense again with a defensive tackle with a fancy rhyming name - Redbeard McFredbeard. The Yeti have been a dominant team the last couple of years I have learnt about the league and they will continue to bolster certain positions. I wasn't expecting to go here, so I just kept my head down waiting for my turn.
Pick fourteen came with the Sabercats and they had just come off their championship win. I wasn't sure I would be needed by these guys and they went with a wideout Tugg Speedman which will likely help them have even more weapons for another run next year. I had now slipped out of the first round, I know I wasn't any mock drafts to be picked in the first but it still hurts knowing that we saw so many defensive players go before me. Speedman would be a good fit for the Sabercats.
I would have to wait for the second round, although this was disappointing as everyone thinks they should go in the first round of the draft, I realise that this is not the case for so many people and only a select few are graced with the first round pick. During a short intermission I had to build up hope that I could go early in the second round. I was waiting for that fated call from a GM to welcome me aboard to their team and the longer my phone was silent the worse it felt. I knew I would have to prove myself in the future to make any team that passed on me realize that they should have drafted me and that I am dedicated to succeed.
With the start of the second round we started with the Chicago Butchers and they went with an offensive player - a wide receiver, Raphael Delacour. Delacour was definitely a good pick up for the Butchers but once again it wasn't me. I didn't know what to expect at this point and was settling in for the long haul.
Then the shock of the 16th pick, the Baltimore Hawks. Suddenly my phone rang and across the board went my name, with the sixteenth pick in the ISFL draft, A.J. Lucas from the Kansas City Coyotes, linebacker. To be fair I had already resigned myself to dropping far down the draft like Agholor dropping catches. There were so many big names in the draft to go and I wasn't sure that any teams thought highly enough of me to pick me up. I was ecstatic and joined the locker room of the Hawks straight away, I noticed some familiar faces from my Kansas City team and knew that it would be a good fit. The locker room was a buzz with the new draftees and I got to meet Ernest Lover the third overall pick and can't wait to line up with them in the future on defense. To be fair the rest of the draft became a bit of a blur, watching the other names come and go and the analysis behind the picks. I was happy I had this opportunity to enjoy the rest of the draft with the pressure off of me.
The Hawks went on to draft some good talent across the board, picking up wide receiver Mario Messi and then shortly after Caven McRae. With the 31st pick we also picked up Chet Larson and then the one guy from what appears to be a foreign league - Sirdsvaldis Miglaskems. I look forward to learning his native language and bonding with him. If he is anything like Boban in the NBA I am sure he will be a loveable character. I think the Hawks had a pretty good draft overall and am glad to be a part of their system. Having multiple draft picks and in what I think could be a strong draft year will mean that we should have a competitive team for the future. I hope that I don't miss out on any championship runs but if we went on to win the Ultimus while I was still in the DSFL then that wouldn't be all too bad.
Post draft discussions with the team have arrived at the conclusion that I was expecting, I will stick it down in the DSFL and continue to grow and prep myself for my eventual ISFL debut. I don't mind this as I would rather come in prepared for the season than be overwhelmed as a rookie straight from the DSFL. I will bide my time with my strong team of the Coyotes and wait to see what happens. The draft itself in the rear view mirror was a good experience overall, I am sure even if I had dropped further I would still have enjoyed the experience however I am glad I did get picked early in the second round, I want to prove to people it was a good pick and that no matter where you get drafted you still have a chance to impact the league if you work hard.
I want to mention briefly that I am thankful for the league and the people I have met so far, everyone has been friendly and it has been a great experience. If it had not gone this way then I don't know if I would have wanted to stick around. All the best luck to all rookies for both DSFL and ISFL this year and I hope to get to meet new people in my locker room and continue to enjoy the ISFL. With it being kind of tough times around the world with COVID and being stuck either inside or not being able to actually go to any sports in person, the ability to meet some people interested in something and make friends has been a really great experience.
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