It’s that time of the year to over analyze the current prospects and probably be wrong about almost everything. While this class is kind of thin compared to previous years there is still a lot of quality talent with active users available. This draft is also interesting because 4 NSFL teams have multiple first round picks and only 5 of the teams even have first round picks. This gives those teams a chance at a major improvement in the coming seasons. Unfortunately for the teams lower in the standings, two of the teams with multiple picks are the Ultimus winner Orange County Otters and the runner-up Yellowknife Wraiths. This means that the rich will just continue to get richer. We’ll see if a team like the New Orleans Secondline can play catch up and take advantage of their three first round picks, including the first overall and number three overall picks. Let’s dive into it then as we break down the potential first round prospects and then try to Nostradamus ourselves a semi accurate mock draft. I will only be including analysis of players that I consider actually having a chance of being drafted in the first round.
We’re going to start with arguably the most important position on the field, quarterback. This is a position where it is hard to carve out a spot for yourself. There is always an embarrassment of riches here and usually more people wanting to play QB than there are teams. Usually it is easy to find yourself a good if not elite quarterback in the second or third round so it is pretty rare for one to get taken in the first. In my eyes there is only one prospect this season that even has a chance at doing that and he could be going very high indeed. Enter Deondre Thomas-Fox. Some call him the second coming of the legendary Joliet Christ. This brings us to what would likely be his only landing spot in the first round; the San Jose Sabercats, the home of Joliet Christ, the place where he set record after record and single handedly managed to will them into the playoffs somehow. San Jose is in sorry shape and is desperate for a saviour to come and that could be Deondre Thomas-Fox, who had a very solid season with Myrtle Beach in the DSFL. He had a somewhat rocky start top his season, he turned the ball over a lot and couldn’t quite find his rhythm. However, as the season progressed he just got better and better, ending with 2441 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. He did have 15 interceptions with the fewest passing attempts in the league, but nine of those interceptions came in the first 6 games of the season, meaning he only had 6 interceptions in their last 8 games, a massive improvement. To cap it off he ended the season with 407 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns. A dual threat, just like Christ, hence the second coming.
Sticking with the offensive theme, we will now be looking at the wide receivers in the class that could go in the first. This is one of the deepest positions in the draft, with three players who could potentially go in the first round, especially since there are some NSFL teams out there who are hungry for wide receivers. We have to start with Sean O’Leary, who served as the second wideout for the Portland Pythons behind the legend Jake Dropson. O’Leary actually had a season that was just about as good as Dropson and is definitely the premiere talent available in this draft. He led the DSFL with a massive 9 touchdown receptions and only had 150 fewer yards than Dropson. He is an incredibly active and passionate player and I definitely see him being the first wideout off the board. The other two who could go in the first round are very evenly matched, Sweet James-Jones and Rayne Gordon. While Rayne is probably a little more talented than James-Jones at the moment, Sweet had a monster season and was far more productive on the field. James-Jones had 956 yards and six touchdowns compared to Gordon having 735 yards and three scores. Sweet comes with a BIG personality that is extremely fun and he should be an excellent addition to any locker room but could scare some teams away. There is also some concern about Rayne’s dedication to the game and whether or not he will stick with. Rayne should be the second receiver off the board but these concerns could end up making Sweet drafted before him.
Next on the offensive side of the ball we have arguably the most talented player in the entire draft with Austin McCormick. McCormick is the blueprint for what you want in a tight end with ideal size and speed. Standing at six foot five and 265 pounds he can still move as fast as most wide receivers. If he was playing a more desirable position he would most likely be the unanimous first overall pick as he possesses the best combination of size and athleticism in the entire draft. However, since this position is less desirable for most teams, I see him being a top 5 pick instead of first overall. His production on the field was solid but it could be argued that he wasn’t even the top producing tight end in the DSFL this season. Either way, any team that ends up with McCormick will probably see an instant upgrade at an overlooked position.
On the offensive side of the ball this leaves us with running backs and again there is really only one running back that I see having a chance to sneak into the first round. No disrespect meant towards Jed Podolak, but Quindarius Tyerucker is easily the premiere running back talent in this draft class. Since being drafted to Myrtle Beach he has really come into his own as a speed back, as he was third in the league with 1265 rushing yards. Podolak did have more yards and touchdowns than Tyerucker, but he just doesn’t have the raw physical attributes that Quin does. Tyerucker was also very unlucky with his touchdown production as he had a lot of long runs end just short of the goalline, only to have his score sniped by another player. He achieved even more notoriety with his highly publicized races against Kacey Dream to determine the fastest player in the draft. He is also one of the most likeable players in the draft with a personality that will mesh well with any team’s locker room.
And with that we can transition to the defensive side of the ball, where some of the most desirable prospects in the entire draft reside. While offense is important, there seems to always be an overwhelming surplus of offensive players, making it easy to find quality offensive talent in the second or third round. Whereas it’s hard to find elite defensive players in the draft, meaning they are put at a premium even if they aren’t quite as talented as some of the offensive players available.
We’ll start with the front seven, specifically on the defensive line. There are three prospects here that COULD be taken in the first round, though I predict only two of them actually will be. We clearly need to start with the best defensive lineman available, Stevie Vassallo. While not having dominant numbers in the DSFL this season, he did have 39 tackles, fifteen of them for a loss, and three sacks, which is a very respectable season. He is easily the most physically talented of the prospects currently available with a lot of upside. Next in line is Jayson Kearse who had a very similar statline with 34 tackles, fifteen of them for a loss, and three sacks as well. While he doesn’t quite have the same measurables or athleticism as Vassallo he will still be considered a valuable addition to any team need help in the trenches. This leaves us with the only other lineman of note, Tormund Bjornsson. He showed up out of nowhere in the middle of the season and has managed to impress despite being rather unpolished. He might be a bit of a longshot to make it into the first round but as the only defensive tackle of note he does have a chance. He would probably need to stay down in the DSFL for a season or two to refine his game but he could end up being a diamond in the rough for whatever team decides to take a chance on him. Despite only playing in 6 games he still managed to end the season with fourteen tackles and two sacks.
We’ll transition from here into the middle of the defense with the linebacker corp. There is one clear talent here who is a tier ahead of the rest and that is Mack Arianlacher. Mack actually didn’t have the best season out of the rookie linebackers, with both Willie B. Hardagain and Jeremiah Legend slightly outperforming him. However, he still had an excellent campaign with 90 tackles, one for a loss, two forced fumbles, a sack and three pass deflections. However, what really makes Mack the best linebacker in this class is again the raw athleticism. His intangibles are off the charts and he is easily one of the top five prospects in the class. As good a season as both Hardagain and Legend had, I don’t see either of them making it into the first round.
In the secondary there are really only three players with the talent and potential to go in the first round and we’ll start with the best prospect of them and potentially the best prospect in the entire class, certainly on the defensive side of the ball. We have already mentioned Kacey Dream, the only cornerback in this draft class, in relation to the charity races he and Quindarius Tyerucker did this season. An excellent locker room presence and contributor to the community, Kacey has the perfect mentality to gel with a locker room and continue his success on the football field. Not only this, he has the on field productive and physical gifts to become the premiere cover cornerback of his generation. He ended the season with 79 tackles, a forced fumble, four interceptions(one for a touchdown against Myrtle Beach that essentially sealed the game) and a whopping 15 pass deflections. He is also the fastest player in the entire draft class and easily one of the most physically talented. A surefire top 5 pick he will be a lynchpin of any defense for years to come.
We will be rounding our overall analysis up with a couple of safeties who are both excellent prospects of very comparable talent. Both Mason Blaylock and Gary Lazer-Eyes had incredible seasons in the DSFL this year. Lazer-Eyes had 62 tackles, two for a loss, two forced fumbles, two recovered fumbles, two sacks, three interceptions, eight passes defended and a defensive touchdown, showcasing a remarkably well rounded season. Meanwhile, Blaylock somehow had an even better statline with 110 tackles, six for a loss, two forced fumbles, 3 fumbles recovered, four sacks, one interception and three pass deflections. Both of these players had incredibly productive seasons on the field and should be good contributions to any locker room. The only thing keeping them from being top five prospects are their physical measurables. While both talented neither of them can quite matchup to players like Kacey Dream, Mack Arianlacher or even Austin McCormick, arguably the top three players in this class. However, both Blaylock and Lazer-Eyes should find themselves taken in the first round.
This leaves us with special teams and there is only one player that I consider to be a LONG shot to make it into the first round but deserves consideration nonetheless. Jordan Jackson is definitely the best kicker/punter in this class and maybe, just maybe, a team that is super desperate for a kicker will take a chance on him and waste a first round draft pick. He was almost automatic on extra points making 34 of 35 on the season. He also had an excellent field goal percentage of 87.9. He was 6 out of 7 from 40-49 yards but he never even attempted a kick longer than 43 yards so we’ll have to see at the next level how accurate he is from a distance. Meanwhile he was also an excellent punter with an average of 42.8 yards per punt and he managed to pin the opposing team inside their 20 an impressive 14 times, which easily was the best in the league. As good of a kicking talent as he may be it would be a shock to see somebody use a first round pick on him, I anticipate him being taken in the second but you never know.
With that we will pull out our crystal balls and attempt to predict who will go where in a mock draft. As we are all fickle with these things and tend to overanalyze and constantly change our minds, I will most likely change my official mock draft another time or two before the draft. However I will leave this one as is for the sake of the article. Let’s get to it.
1. NOLA- Mack Arianlacher- We start with the first of three picks in the first round for New Orleans. They acquired this pick by trading away Thud Kassell, one of their first round draft picks from last year. I foresee them looking to recoup their losses by taking the best linebacker in the draft and one of the best players overall. Their defense took a step back with the departure of Thud and needs a boost. With the imminent retirement of Io Rax there is also the possibility that New Orleans could be looking for Mack to play along the defensive line. Either way, they need front seven help and Mack is the man for the job.
2. SJS- Austin McCormick- I know I suggested that San Jose might take Deondre Thomas-Fox here, but that is honestly a bit of a reach and I feel like they can get him in the second round instead. And while their secondary is miserable and they should probably take Kacey Dream here as an instant upgrade over both of their cornerbacks, I have a feeling that they will instead take arguably the best player available here in Austin McCormick, despite already having a fine tight end in Cameron Olson. Perhaps they will switch McCormick to running back, we’ll see, but I foresee a wild card pick happening here.
3. NOLA-Kacey Dream- With their second pick in the top three I’m sure New Orleans was hoping Austin McCormick would fall to them. However, they should still be happy with Kacey Dream dropping to them instead, even if he doesn’t fit as immediate of a need for them. Rumor has it that they were in the running to sign Axel Hornbacher and missed out so they might still be looking to infuse some more talent into a secondary that is already pretty decent.
4. CHI- Sean O’Leary- In most drafts this would be pretty high for a wide receiver to be drafted, but as thin as this draft is and as hungry for talent at the position as Chicago is this is actually a pretty good fit. O’Leary is easily the best wideout available and immediately fills a hole for them, especially with the departure of Action Jackson in free agency. O’Leary can step in immediately as wide receiver two to help this team and would be in line to become wide receiver one before his rookie contract will be up.
5. OCO-Steve Vassallo- Things get a little trickier and harder to predict at this point but here goes nothing. OCO is coming off yet another championship(rebuild year my ass) and has very few holes on their roster. If their secondary weren’t already stacked with players like Dan Schneider, Jaylen Storm, Tyrone Biggums, AJ Lattimer and Korrin Abernathy they would probably consider taking either Mason Blaylock or Gary Lazer-Eyes here, who I consider to be the best defensive players still available at this point. Their offense also has very few holes at the moment, they could maybe use a third wide receiver or a tight end. However, the biggest need on their team is easily defensive end, where both of their players are currently past their prime and Tommy Salami never particularly had a prime to begin with. Steve Vassallo is the best buy for them here, filling their biggest need with a quality player.
6. CHI- Quindarius Tyerucker- Chicago is full of holes on their roster so it’s a crapshoot trying to figure out where they go with this pick. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they take another wide receiver here. However, since their running backs are either getting old, already retired, or not really living up to their potential, I’m going with Tyerucker here. He would immediately boost their backfield as an improvement over Jake Utler and would be an excellent backup for Aksel Danielsson. I could even see him take over for Danielsson this season, and he definitely will by next season.
7. YKW-Rayne Gordon- Yellowknife is another team with very few holes, however the area they are in need are wide receiver and along the defensive line. Of those positions, wideout has a lot more talent available here and is the better buy for the Wraiths. It’s a toss up between Rayne Gordon and Sweet James-Jones here, but I see them going with the slightly more talented Gordon who should be a little more manageable in the locker room. With them still having a pick in the first round the Wraiths should be able to address their defensive line needs there.
8. NOLA- Sweet James-Jones- With the third pick in their first round power play, New Orleans has some options as to what they can do. They could try to continue to bolster their defense with a third pick, however I anticipate them addressing some of their offensive concerns. With them in an arms race for Marcella Toriki, I don’t anticipate them drafting a backup for their stud running back Forrest Gump. With both Jordan von Matt and Vladimir Fyodorovich on the decline they could use a youthful talent infusion in their wide receiver corps and James-Jones is easily the best option available to them at this point. I could also see this pick going somewhere else such as Jayson Kearse since they could still use help in their front seven but since Vassallo didn’t drop to them I think they will go with they pick that has more upside for them.
9. YKW-Jayson Kearse- Speaking of Jayson Kearse, I think the Wraiths pick him up here in order to address their previously mentioned need along the defensive line. They already had a need in the trenches and then they traded away Ryan Leaf Jr., one of their best players leaving them incredibly thin there. If the rest of the draft shakes out the way I have predicted so far than I think this is the pick that makes the most sense for them since they already addressed their needs at receiver
10. OCO-Mason Blaylock- This pick is incredibly difficult to nail down since Orange County doesn’t have a ton of needs and the talent still available to them at this point is definitely starting to drop. However, I think they go with one of the few incredibly talented players left on the board in Mason Blaylock. We all know that ORange COunty has a proclivity towards defensive backs. Dan Schneider is starting to feel his age and Shannon Hobbs is almost useless at this point. They also have some age starting to hit them a little bit with their cornerbacks and linebackers so there is a chance that Blaylock could be asked to play out of position for a little bit. Either way, I think that either Blaylock or Gary Lazer-Eyes would be the safest choice for them with this pick.
And there you have it folks, my first round prediction. I can’t wait to see exactly how wrong I am and who actually goes where. I might end up getting around to doing one of these for the DSFL draft as well, in which case I will probably end up being even MORE wrong. Anyway, good night and good luck, have sweet Dreams.