Grading The 1st Round Picks of The S24 ISFL Draft
Round 1
#1 Chicago Butchers
Grade – A+
Juan Domine – LB
During the regular season I was not as high on Domine as I was on some of the other players in the draft, but as we got closer and closer to the draft the value of this player became more and more obvious. I think the general feeling around the league really was that this player was the unanimous #1 overall pick. Knowledge of the league is always valued among teams, and the fact that this knowledge comes in the form of a defensive player makes Domine a hard player to pass up on.
Chicago is building something for the coming seasons and after the off-season acquisitions of RB Baby Yoda and Ultimus winning WR Bender B. Rodriguez, their offense is looking very solid. Their only weakness could really be found on the defensive side of the ball, but the arrival of Domine not only adds some depth to LB, but also brings in one of the best minds in league to a team who maybe is 1-2 seasons away from competing for an Ultimus.
#2 San Jose Sabercats
Grade – B-
Joshua Campbell – WR
San Jose’s struggles in recent seasons have been well documented around the league and with the second overall pick this season the team probably had some high hopes for rebuilding this season. I will be honest, I wanted to hate this pick… I wanted to shake my head and disbelief and beg to know what San Jose was thinking, but I just could not bring myself to do it. I felt like San Jose could have taken a guy like Asher Montain who is solid locker-room presence and one of the best earners to come through the DSFL in a long time, but San Jose actually addressed a semi-important need here with this pick and so for that I have to give them some credit.
I will never be a huge fan of taking an offensive player this high in the draft unless the person is a certified superstar, but this pick actually makes sense for San Jose. Their star Wide-Receiver Deondre Thomas-Fox is getting closer and closer to regression and Nate Swift is basically just a corpse now; so Campbell really does fill a need for this team. Not only does this player max earn, but they also seem to fit in over there. Like I said before, I think there were some better players available at this point for the Sabercats but this pick makes sense and I expect Campbell to be a star for the kitties going forward.
#3 Honolulu Hahalua
Grade – A
Asher Montain – DE
Is there maybe some slight bias in this grade? Yeah, but you are crazy if you do not think this was a great pick for the Hahalua. Montain had every right to be a number one overall pick in the ISFL just like he was in the DSFL. Montain may not have quite as prestigious of a reputation as Domine but he definitely has the potential to get there. This is a player who has taken the league by storm since his arrival and will continue to do so as long as he remembers to update every week.
The acquisition of Montain also allows Honolulu to have 4 active defensive-linemen which will really help them in the coming seasons as they look to build into playoff contenders. Defense is definitely the weak spot on this young Hahalua team so they will have to continue to build around Montain in the coming seasons if they hope to crawl out of obscurity and stake a competitive claim in this league.
#4 Sarasota Sailfish
Grade – C+
Harrison Andrews – DE
In my opinion Andrews was one of the more surprising picks in the first round. Sarasota finds their self in a similar position to a lot of the other mediocre teams in the ISFL. They do not have a whole lot of holes on their team, but they are just missing some super stars to help them to break out of the middle of the pack. My biggest complaint about this pick though is that looking up and down the Sailfish roster you notice that they are pretty loaded on the defensive-line.
Andrews very well may fit into the long-term plans in Sarasota but will Sarasota’s window close before he peaks? Is Andrews that superstar? There are some questions surrounding Sarasota and Andrews going forward and only time will really tell, but as lowest earner to be taken so far he is going to have to grind to fulfill that potential.
#5 Baltimore Hawks
Grade – A+
Maverick Bowie – S
What? Bowie was the best choice of the first round of the draft? That is shocking! I have no idea why that could possibly be? There is probably some preferential treatment coming from the author of this article but what can you do you know? Enough jokes though, in all actuality Bowie was a great pick for Baltimore here because he fills a big need for this Baltimore team who are trying to prime themselves for playoff contention. Like Sarasota, Baltimore finds themselves trapped in mediocrity right now and they need a ticket out.
Bowie will most likely be down for one more season in the DSFL but looks ready to be the star safety the following year with the retirement of Walt Green coming up soon and couple that with the fact that Bowie is a max earner, and the future is bright over in Baltimore.
#6 Arizona Outlaws
Grade – C+
Gunner Thorbjornsson – WR
Thorbjornsson was the second offensive player taken in the ISFL Draft and he finds himself in a similar situation to Joshua Campbell at San Jose. Gunner may not have been the best player available at this point in the draft but he is a solid earner and could be a potential long-term replacement for Saba Donut if Arizona can keep hold of him and get him to buy into their plans.
I am honestly not really sure how to grade Arizona’s draft as they have an entire team basically stored away in the DSFL at the moment. This is not a slight against Arizona by any means, but it does beg the question, what are they planning with all this capital they have stocked up? This is a team that has not made the playoffs since S18, and yes, the argument can be made that they just missed out on the playoffs last year but every team in their conference is getting better, plus Baby Yoda left in free-agency, which could leave Arizona with a ton of wasted capital and no real accomplishments to show for it.
#7 New Orleans Secondline
Grade – B
Quentin Button – S
Button has been Bowie’s unofficial rival since coming into the league in S23. Button has consistently held a slight lead over Bowie in the TPE department leading up to the ISFL draft but both players are pretty much identical when it comes to their standing in the league.
The reason NOLA gets a lesser draft grade even though the drafted the top DB on the board in this year’s draft is because they drafted into a position that they are absolutely loaded in right now. With superstar S Mason Blaylock locked in and LiterallyJust A. Hexagon on the rise, there is no opening for Button in the immediate future. It is not just at S though that NOLA is stacked at. There entire secondary looks strong so where does Button fit in? Is there a possible position swap coming up for the star S? We will just have to wait and see with Button but New Orleans taking the top DB in a class that is slim at the position is never a bad move.
#8 Austin Copperheads
Grade – A+
Zoe Watts – RB
Another pick that may have some bias from my end, but I still have a hard time believe anyone could blame Austin for taking Watts here. Maybe they traded away too much for her but I mean she is the top TPE earner in her class and has the potential to be the highest earner this league has ever seen, why would you pass on this girl?
Zoe Watts made a huge impact in her first full season as Dallas’s RB and seems primed to have a similar effect when she finally gets the call up in Austin. Mako Mendonca is the unquestionable super star of the team but regression is hitting like a truck and Kichwa Jones keeps getting more and more touches. Watts is the heir apparent to Mendonca and you really can’t knock that move by Austin.
#9 Colorado Yeti
Grade - C
Melvin Murder-Moose – K
One of the most surprising picks of the S24 draft turned into actually a fairly decent pick up for the Yeti when they took Melvin Murder-Moose in the first round. Obviously Colorado is a franchise that knows what they are doing, as evidenced by their S22 Ultimus win but even the most seasoned veterans were probably scratching their heads on this one just due to the fact that Murder-Moose is a K.
Regardless of the position though, the Yeti must have thought the user behind the Murder-Moose was a great fit for their LR and based off some of their off-season moves you really can’t blame them for pulling the trigger on the man slaughtering moose. The only reason this grade is kind of low is that taken in a vacuum and looking just at the position of the player it was a very unexpected choice for the Yeti, due mostly to this player likely being available later in the draft.
#10 Orange County Otters
Grade - B
Joeseph Joestar – QB
What do you get the team who has everything? Well obviously, you get them a new QB! Poor Franklin Armstrong is doing his best to fight for one more Ultimus push with regression baring down on him like an angry ex who holds a grudge and OCO needed an heir for their main guy. In steps Joeseph Joestar, the promising young QB out of Myrtle Beach.
This player looks promising but his TPE numbers are lacking behind some of the higher earners in his class which seems to point to Joestar being more of a long-term plan for the Otters. This seems to be confirmed by the acquisition Suleiman Ramza who seems to be primed to be a stop gap between Armstrong and Joestar, but you really can’t knock a team like Orange County for taking care of their long-term future maybe a tad early.
#11 Philadelphia Liberty
Grade – A+
Dorothy Zbornak – DE
You are primed to receive a good grade for your first round pick when you not only pick the player that your team likely wanted all along, but also add some draft capital on top of it with a smart trade. Dorothy is going to slot right in to Philadelphia’s plans this coming season and I am always a big fan of teams who are right on the cusp of making that playoff run to grab whatever they can to help them win now and the muscular grandmother from my nightmares definitely fits that bill.
#12 Yellowknife Wraiths
Grade – B+
Brach Thomaslacher – LB
With LBs not really a high need for this roster and an aging secondary, you would expect a championship winning organization like Yellowknife to trade up in this draft with DBs like Maverick Bowie available but the Wraiths must have been high on the beefy linebacker from Kansas City because they chose to grab him in the first round instead of addressing their aging secondary.
Honestly, that was just a jab at Yellowknife out of fun and I truly believe the Wraiths got a gem of a pick at this point in the first round. Brach Thomaslacher is a max earner who was likely the best player available at this point in the draft, so it was an expected grab from a team who really just likes grabbing the best guy/girl available and making it work. The reigning Ultimus champions acquired quite a bit of depth at LB this draft so it will be interesting to see their plans for Brach going forward.
Round 1
#1 Chicago Butchers
Grade – A+
Juan Domine – LB
During the regular season I was not as high on Domine as I was on some of the other players in the draft, but as we got closer and closer to the draft the value of this player became more and more obvious. I think the general feeling around the league really was that this player was the unanimous #1 overall pick. Knowledge of the league is always valued among teams, and the fact that this knowledge comes in the form of a defensive player makes Domine a hard player to pass up on.
Chicago is building something for the coming seasons and after the off-season acquisitions of RB Baby Yoda and Ultimus winning WR Bender B. Rodriguez, their offense is looking very solid. Their only weakness could really be found on the defensive side of the ball, but the arrival of Domine not only adds some depth to LB, but also brings in one of the best minds in league to a team who maybe is 1-2 seasons away from competing for an Ultimus.
#2 San Jose Sabercats
Grade – B-
Joshua Campbell – WR
San Jose’s struggles in recent seasons have been well documented around the league and with the second overall pick this season the team probably had some high hopes for rebuilding this season. I will be honest, I wanted to hate this pick… I wanted to shake my head and disbelief and beg to know what San Jose was thinking, but I just could not bring myself to do it. I felt like San Jose could have taken a guy like Asher Montain who is solid locker-room presence and one of the best earners to come through the DSFL in a long time, but San Jose actually addressed a semi-important need here with this pick and so for that I have to give them some credit.
I will never be a huge fan of taking an offensive player this high in the draft unless the person is a certified superstar, but this pick actually makes sense for San Jose. Their star Wide-Receiver Deondre Thomas-Fox is getting closer and closer to regression and Nate Swift is basically just a corpse now; so Campbell really does fill a need for this team. Not only does this player max earn, but they also seem to fit in over there. Like I said before, I think there were some better players available at this point for the Sabercats but this pick makes sense and I expect Campbell to be a star for the kitties going forward.
#3 Honolulu Hahalua
Grade – A
Asher Montain – DE
Is there maybe some slight bias in this grade? Yeah, but you are crazy if you do not think this was a great pick for the Hahalua. Montain had every right to be a number one overall pick in the ISFL just like he was in the DSFL. Montain may not have quite as prestigious of a reputation as Domine but he definitely has the potential to get there. This is a player who has taken the league by storm since his arrival and will continue to do so as long as he remembers to update every week.
The acquisition of Montain also allows Honolulu to have 4 active defensive-linemen which will really help them in the coming seasons as they look to build into playoff contenders. Defense is definitely the weak spot on this young Hahalua team so they will have to continue to build around Montain in the coming seasons if they hope to crawl out of obscurity and stake a competitive claim in this league.
#4 Sarasota Sailfish
Grade – C+
Harrison Andrews – DE
In my opinion Andrews was one of the more surprising picks in the first round. Sarasota finds their self in a similar position to a lot of the other mediocre teams in the ISFL. They do not have a whole lot of holes on their team, but they are just missing some super stars to help them to break out of the middle of the pack. My biggest complaint about this pick though is that looking up and down the Sailfish roster you notice that they are pretty loaded on the defensive-line.
Andrews very well may fit into the long-term plans in Sarasota but will Sarasota’s window close before he peaks? Is Andrews that superstar? There are some questions surrounding Sarasota and Andrews going forward and only time will really tell, but as lowest earner to be taken so far he is going to have to grind to fulfill that potential.
#5 Baltimore Hawks
Grade – A+
Maverick Bowie – S
What? Bowie was the best choice of the first round of the draft? That is shocking! I have no idea why that could possibly be? There is probably some preferential treatment coming from the author of this article but what can you do you know? Enough jokes though, in all actuality Bowie was a great pick for Baltimore here because he fills a big need for this Baltimore team who are trying to prime themselves for playoff contention. Like Sarasota, Baltimore finds themselves trapped in mediocrity right now and they need a ticket out.
Bowie will most likely be down for one more season in the DSFL but looks ready to be the star safety the following year with the retirement of Walt Green coming up soon and couple that with the fact that Bowie is a max earner, and the future is bright over in Baltimore.
#6 Arizona Outlaws
Grade – C+
Gunner Thorbjornsson – WR
Thorbjornsson was the second offensive player taken in the ISFL Draft and he finds himself in a similar situation to Joshua Campbell at San Jose. Gunner may not have been the best player available at this point in the draft but he is a solid earner and could be a potential long-term replacement for Saba Donut if Arizona can keep hold of him and get him to buy into their plans.
I am honestly not really sure how to grade Arizona’s draft as they have an entire team basically stored away in the DSFL at the moment. This is not a slight against Arizona by any means, but it does beg the question, what are they planning with all this capital they have stocked up? This is a team that has not made the playoffs since S18, and yes, the argument can be made that they just missed out on the playoffs last year but every team in their conference is getting better, plus Baby Yoda left in free-agency, which could leave Arizona with a ton of wasted capital and no real accomplishments to show for it.
#7 New Orleans Secondline
Grade – B
Quentin Button – S
Button has been Bowie’s unofficial rival since coming into the league in S23. Button has consistently held a slight lead over Bowie in the TPE department leading up to the ISFL draft but both players are pretty much identical when it comes to their standing in the league.
The reason NOLA gets a lesser draft grade even though the drafted the top DB on the board in this year’s draft is because they drafted into a position that they are absolutely loaded in right now. With superstar S Mason Blaylock locked in and LiterallyJust A. Hexagon on the rise, there is no opening for Button in the immediate future. It is not just at S though that NOLA is stacked at. There entire secondary looks strong so where does Button fit in? Is there a possible position swap coming up for the star S? We will just have to wait and see with Button but New Orleans taking the top DB in a class that is slim at the position is never a bad move.
#8 Austin Copperheads
Grade – A+
Zoe Watts – RB
Another pick that may have some bias from my end, but I still have a hard time believe anyone could blame Austin for taking Watts here. Maybe they traded away too much for her but I mean she is the top TPE earner in her class and has the potential to be the highest earner this league has ever seen, why would you pass on this girl?
Zoe Watts made a huge impact in her first full season as Dallas’s RB and seems primed to have a similar effect when she finally gets the call up in Austin. Mako Mendonca is the unquestionable super star of the team but regression is hitting like a truck and Kichwa Jones keeps getting more and more touches. Watts is the heir apparent to Mendonca and you really can’t knock that move by Austin.
#9 Colorado Yeti
Grade - C
Melvin Murder-Moose – K
One of the most surprising picks of the S24 draft turned into actually a fairly decent pick up for the Yeti when they took Melvin Murder-Moose in the first round. Obviously Colorado is a franchise that knows what they are doing, as evidenced by their S22 Ultimus win but even the most seasoned veterans were probably scratching their heads on this one just due to the fact that Murder-Moose is a K.
Regardless of the position though, the Yeti must have thought the user behind the Murder-Moose was a great fit for their LR and based off some of their off-season moves you really can’t blame them for pulling the trigger on the man slaughtering moose. The only reason this grade is kind of low is that taken in a vacuum and looking just at the position of the player it was a very unexpected choice for the Yeti, due mostly to this player likely being available later in the draft.
#10 Orange County Otters
Grade - B
Joeseph Joestar – QB
What do you get the team who has everything? Well obviously, you get them a new QB! Poor Franklin Armstrong is doing his best to fight for one more Ultimus push with regression baring down on him like an angry ex who holds a grudge and OCO needed an heir for their main guy. In steps Joeseph Joestar, the promising young QB out of Myrtle Beach.
This player looks promising but his TPE numbers are lacking behind some of the higher earners in his class which seems to point to Joestar being more of a long-term plan for the Otters. This seems to be confirmed by the acquisition Suleiman Ramza who seems to be primed to be a stop gap between Armstrong and Joestar, but you really can’t knock a team like Orange County for taking care of their long-term future maybe a tad early.
#11 Philadelphia Liberty
Grade – A+
Dorothy Zbornak – DE
You are primed to receive a good grade for your first round pick when you not only pick the player that your team likely wanted all along, but also add some draft capital on top of it with a smart trade. Dorothy is going to slot right in to Philadelphia’s plans this coming season and I am always a big fan of teams who are right on the cusp of making that playoff run to grab whatever they can to help them win now and the muscular grandmother from my nightmares definitely fits that bill.
#12 Yellowknife Wraiths
Grade – B+
Brach Thomaslacher – LB
With LBs not really a high need for this roster and an aging secondary, you would expect a championship winning organization like Yellowknife to trade up in this draft with DBs like Maverick Bowie available but the Wraiths must have been high on the beefy linebacker from Kansas City because they chose to grab him in the first round instead of addressing their aging secondary.
Honestly, that was just a jab at Yellowknife out of fun and I truly believe the Wraiths got a gem of a pick at this point in the first round. Brach Thomaslacher is a max earner who was likely the best player available at this point in the draft, so it was an expected grab from a team who really just likes grabbing the best guy/girl available and making it work. The reigning Ultimus champions acquired quite a bit of depth at LB this draft so it will be interesting to see their plans for Brach going forward.