02-29-2024, 06:58 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-04-2024, 12:54 PM by ProdigalSon. Edited 1 time in total.)
Welcome to the second edition of the S47 User Draft, or as @lemonoppy dubbed it, "the amk draft cabal".
The picks are based on the draft order from the conclusion of last Friday's (2/23) games. Any mistakes made in the order are to make a moral point about how you need to lighten up.
Our drafters
@lemonoppy: &
@araa: &
@Tmoney6996: &
@Brad Woof: &
@SensibleDictator: &
@oknom: &
@WalterYensid: &
My grades are both harsher, too lenient, and too lazy, all at the same time.
Let's go!
Round One
1.01 - HON - Dunkler Sowerwine - @oknom - DE -
Going into this draft, Honolulu has probably the biggest question mark on what they are going to do with their draft picks. Because of that, I believe they will mostly focus on tpe amounts compared to drafting certain positions. This led to Dunkler Sowerwine, joint highest earner in this class so far, going to them with the first pick of the draft. This sures up at least one of the defensive end spots for as long as they can hold on to Dunkler, as he has shown he has the ability to be a max earner. A phenomenal start to a possibly elite draft from Honolulu. When asked what it would mean going 1.01 to Honolulu, Dunkler replied "The HON tank was a dunk tank all along". This gives him a perfect nickname if he does end up getting drafted here. The Dunk Tank is ready to make an impact in the ISFL.
(Grade: A - There are a handful of players that are valid 1oa material and Dunkler is 100% one of them. A position of need, great user, slam dunk. Easy pick AND GREAT RESTRAINT BY SD!)
1.02 - BER - SkibidiGyat OhioRizzler - @Cloud - CB -
We start this draft off with Berlin picking at the 2 spot. Thankfully for Berlin, this is a great draft to retool the team and hopefully get younger, the downside is that they had to go through the season they just did. To that end, Berlin has holes all over the roster and finds themselves in a good spot to take a max earning user in a position of need. I think they could go a number of different directions here. Their LB core is one of the lowest in the league, with 2 players entering their 11th and 10th seasons. Similarly, their secondary also has an age problem with the average player having a create season of 38.9 (Devin Jones) being the only one created in the past 5 seasons.
With that, I have them taking SkibidiGyat OhioRizzler here as one of the top CBs in the draft. Cloud is a great user and should be an excellent pairing with Drizzy and Devin Jones in a few seasons on the outside. This still allows them flexibility with Chaos Vert, who can eventually shift to NB while fending off regression. s.
(Grade: B - I wasn't sold at first based on positional need, but the description sold me a bit. Great user and getting a high-earning CB is a great pick at this point of the draft. If they follow this up with a great value at LB in a later round I'll feel a lot rosier about the pick.
1.03 - HON - María Teresa de la Rosa - @Baron1898 - WR -
With Honolulu's second pick of this draft, they land yet another STUD. María Teresa de la Rosa is also joint highest tpe like Dunkler is. They are basically guaranteed to be a max earner with that bank account. They are always active in the discord and clearly have good relations throughout the league. This pick yet again maintains drafting high tpe earners with the potential to be a max earner, a strategy I believe Honolulu will follow throughout the draft. When told that this mock had them going 1.03 to Honolulu, María replied:
(Grade: I for Intrigue!! A for amk. Gizmo retiring opens the door for Baron to be the primary WR in a rebuilding team. As the author noted, our forum journalists can get to the bottom of the rumor mill -- but on paper this a great pick)
1.04 - COL - Eric Beaty Jr. - @bechtudo - S -
We start with Colorado picking 4th. Yetis are not doing too hot in the league this season despite having pretty decent roster. Looking at Colorado Yeti's roster things that seem to stand out the most are ageing interior defensive line sliding into oblivion of regression (Season 36th and season 38th) and lack of very active young players at Safety position and since defensive line this class is more stacked at defensive line that at Safety, first choice is Eric Beaty jr., experienced and active user bechtudo. Not a fan of discord it seems but with steady media output and with him being part of sim team you don't have to worry about money or TPE..
Grade: A - Like Araa mentioned, COL can be selective and pick for need at this point with so few straight up roster holes. A solid pick and pencils in a future starter as the current stars move through regression.
1.05 - NYS – Brad Woof - @Brad Woof - WR -
Amk's Draft Cabal TDL edition! Glad to be back and alleviate mock drought! It's especially fun being in the seat that drafts for amk's team. I kinda wanted to draft so that I would get high draft grades from amk, but that's a classic case of having measurable targets becoming goals.
NYS is in a rough spot this season, they've come back with a vengeance in the second half of the season and are blisteringly hot right now, but a few too many losses on the front nine have them eliminated from the playoffs.
This is the NYS roster of players that are younger than S37
It's uh, not great looking forward for the New York squad. They pick 5th this season and only have their original picks. Good news though, it is a very good class coming up.
The main problem is that they have a lot of holes and specifically a lot of needs. Sure we can sign some IAs, but the next few seasons are going to be very difficult. Just by the fact that we're not looking at position swaps as part of the rules of this mock I won't mention that I expect Drake Wane to probably swap positions, you don't need 4 safeties in any world really.
I wanted a WR or an LB here, but I think that of all the positions, the WR squad this go around is exciting and fun. Brad Woof is a slam dunk and at a position of need. Brad Woof is active, a top scorer in the DSFL, and in this user mock! I don't think there's much needed to be said about him.
Looking at my next picks, I'm just looking for BPA since there are so many roster holes.
(Grade: A - As a Silverback, I think our defense needs some love in the draft, but I would sprint to the podium to grab Brad at this pick. As part of the S47 Draft Cabal, I'm obviously in the Pro-Brad Camp, but he helps provide long-term stability to the offense as our other weapons age into regression. Falco had a terrible round of turnover luck this year, and having Woof on the roster creates long-term stability for a high-potency offense with Robinson and Dux.)
1.06 - CHI - Lane Wilson - @dustywilson22 - WR -
Pre-draft thoughts: The Butchers are about 1-2 season away from becoming the Grillers, because they will be cooking. There are only a few areas of need on this roster, because much of it is already young. They just need some time to get their TPE up in order to compete. Right off the bat, there are 2 positions that could use a good prospect but are definitely not 1st round caliber: QB and K. This class sadly does not have any great options at K, and poor David Doug is likely getting regressed into forced retirement very soon. At QB, Penguin is still the QB of the "now", however time is ticking. Starting in S47 they are hitting the 30% regression tier, and it will be harder and harder for them to compete at the elite level required for an Ultimus. This class has amazing QB prospects, but CHI can get those later in the draft. So where does that leave the Butchers? Chicago is currently running 6 bot OL, either filler or GM. Also, the WR's are starting to thin out. CHI has 5 rostered WR, with one already retired in Austin Morley. Two of the four remaining WR will be in regression this offseason, with Teenie Hodges probably playing their last season in S47. So WR is definitely a need, but that's a position with depth in this draft. We can maybe take a top tier OL here, and then still get a top tier received in the 2nd round thanks to our early pick. This is a bit of a gamble though, because a run on WR's between our picks hurts this team exponentially more than there not being an OL prospect in round 2.
On the clock: Based on how the first 5 picks went, I don't think I feel comfortable waiting on the WR until round 2. Two gone in the first 5 still leaves good prospects for us here, but where will that be 13 picks later? The original plan of going OL here just doesn't feel as impactful anymore. I am going to pickup our WR now I round 1, let them play 1-2 seasons down and they will be ready for the active roster. I went with Lane Wilson here as a recreate to try to reduce any risk of them being ready for a callup on time. Also, I have to make sure Tim Riggins doesn't lose the chip on his shoulder.
(Grade: A - The write-up was great, so I was in the tank for an A no matter what. I'm on the Point Progression Team, so I grade Point Tasks. I remember seeing @" thewhovian" talking about how offense needed some more firepower on offense, and this fits the bill. JJ, Riggins, or Wilson are all great options here and I think taking one option now is best with two top WRs already off the board.)
1.07- SJS – Luke Laraque - @Blix900 - DE -
San Jose is a team with few holes, even if they have a number of their defensive players teetering on the edge of regression, so drafting for them was a bit difficult. The number one thing I would consider SJS missing would be another DE, so their first selection is Luke Laraque. Getting Laraque here is a perfect fit for them as he can line up with their star (and only) DE Alex Armstrong to develop and be ready to take over as the #1 once Armstrong starts losing too much TPE. The timing should work out perfectly and the Sabercats should have a formidable DL to last them at least the next few seasons. They'll have to start looking into a more sweeping defensive refresh with future drafts, but for now the unit looks fantastic.
(Grade: A: A veteran of multiple sim leagues, Blix is already on the sim team and is poised to be a high earner in the league. Ths this is great positional fit for the Sabercats as they slide this into the 2nd DE spot. A great fit here for Blix or NC.)
1.08 - YKW - Reginald Hammerfall - @Fangorn - RB -
This pick was an interesting one as Money Tolliver is an amazing running back and will not be replaced for quite some time. However, with regression happening in around 2 seasons it made sense for the Wraith to pick his successor in Reginald Hammerfall. Currently the Wraith does not carry any other RBs which can slowly drain Tolliver's stamina, even at how high it is! Watching Hammerfall run is an absolute treat as he's helping lead his team to a fun season. When his cleats kiss the turf, it is like a dance of fire on the field. Each step of his has promise for a hard earned yard that most certainly will not yield. Defenders converge in pursuit of a tackle, but fear not for the hammer breaks the shackles. At the time of this writing, Hammerfall is 4th in rushing yards at 816 with a 4.0 YPC and probably GPA as well. His speed is 80, strength is 75, and heart is 100.
(Grade: C - Totally rational, and having two backs on a roster helps with keeping the ground game going. HOWEVER! There are 3 solid picks at RB that are still on the board, and there's a solid DT that fits positional needs (with players closer to/in regression) and OLs still on the board that may support the fun better than a backup RB.)
1.09 – CTC - Swantavious Stack - @Swanty - OL -
The Crash are a young team with a deep bench and only a couple players feeling the sting of regression, so what does a team do when they don't need to draft a real position? They draft OL!
In reality, Stack falling to 1.09 is great for CTC as it gives them the opportunity to invest in developing their OL and benefiting their already strong run game. Bǫllrsveifla, Ayame, and Von Turbo will all benefit tremendously from Stack's presence and protection, which is especially good as their only other human OL has been IA for a bit. Look to see plenty of action out of the Cape Town backfield.
(Grade: A - LOVE a full user OL. Ranch is also a fit here, but getting a high TPE user OL saves from the bot cost for a team on the upswing. Let's go!)
1.10 - SJS - McDripson McDropson - @Drip - OL -
Hey, remember when I said the Sabercats would need more defensive picks in the future? Sike, idiot! Back to back OL picks in the first round!
San Jose are as shocked as anyone, but they are more than happy to take McDropsen at 10th overall. Kit Fisters should rejoice to see the pick because McDropsen should be poised to become a key figure on the OL and really give the SJS RBs room to operate now that they're both hitting their stride. The Sabercats will look to McDropsen and Talis to do the bulk of the heavy lifting, as their other two OL are IA.
Grade: A - Brad's cooking. This is a great 1-2 combo for SJS as they plug positions of need and keep the big bodies in front of Fisto. Feeding fisto will get a little easier next season!)
1.11 - AUS - Roquefort Cotswald - @roquefort - CB -
I refuse to draft myself as that'd be weird so instead I draft one of my favourite users in the league, Roq! Roq has 46 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 2 interceptions. He's blazing fast at 88 speed even if his tackling leaves much to be desired. He is one of the most active users in the league and has been a great spark in the union movement. While he may love rock climbing more than he likes training his tackling, it shows that he is committed to whatever he sets his mind to. He will be in the ISFL for years to come and I would love to have him as a teammate. …I uh didn't even look at AUS' roster as I was going to pick Roq with my 2nd pick regardless LOL. Let's go Roquefort!!
(Grade: C - This is a straight-up BPA and Roque fits into the nickel ASAP. A great addition to the locker room, going to be really active wherever they go. This pick SCREAMS WR though. S37 and S36, lots of top WRs off the board. Roque will fortify the position long term, but without a pick until the 3rd round, this puts Austin in a tough spot.)
1.12 - OCO - Ranch-Pizza Pizza-Man - @TheNC206 - DE -
Orange County Otters seem pretty good at all positions which is reflected in their 9-4 record and also highest total and highest average TPE in the league but as they have only 2 decently defensive lineman, DE Ranch-Pizza Pizza-Man may be a good choice, that will add spiciness and weirdness to the team. A veteran TheNC206, active both on forum and discord, a steady TPE earner like him surely will soon find his place on the team. Also Brock Purdy > Jordan Love.
(Grade: A - It's a stacked roster and this is a GREAT value for NC at 12. Slots in on the other side of Tomato and one of the hottest teams in the ISFL keeps their momentum moving upwards.)
1.13 - AZ - Grzegorz Winnicki - @araa - LB
AZ's roster is in a good spot, and has been built well enough that there's really no major holes opening up in the coming seasons. There's some concern around the DL with only 3 active players on the roster and all in the middle of regression, but they just keep trucking forward. Additionally, they have resources down in the DSFL that should help alleviate this need in the coming seasons.
That leaves us with LB. They have 1(!) born this decade, and even then, that one LB is from S43. While LBs are plentiful and they could probably grab one a little later on and still maintain a good sense of value, I think taking a high/max earning new create LB here would be a smart move. AZ has mastered player retention, so the ability to grab such a great new user and slot them into a spot to be successfully, while hopefully getting them committed to AZ long term, would be a a huge get for AZ considering where they are expecting to be picking from.
(Grade: A - Another position of need and another Draft Cabal member off the board. Easy peasy. A great pick for the Outlaws).
1.14 - BAL - Tim Riggins - @shahdude - WR -
Baltimore's the current regular season champs, and they've got a roster that's pretty complete looking forward into the immediate future.
While Preston Beatz might play next season, their QB of the future is set, and most positions of high importance are filled with great users. With Diego Lopez de Castilla's user DL14 publicly declaring that they are on the trade block, WR and LB are my main areas of concern, with an eye towards grabbing a younger safety and an OL player. Being flush with picks this draft, Baltimore is in a great place to capitalize, especially with OL bots being something to bring in with a lot of regression money coming in.
I wanted a top user here, at WR/LB or maybe RB to fill in behind Anakin Skywalker as JHM has retired. I'm going to go for a big reach on a player who is never mocked, Shahdude with Tim Riggins! Shahdude is more and more active, more and more comfortable with the game, and always a delight to talk to. Tim Riggins and Diego Lopez de Castilla should lock up the pass game for when McChapperson takes the reins from Preston Beatz.
Looking forward, I'm looking at any number of players, we've got GM SwankyPants31 with a Linebacker, but with most teams lining up in a 3-4, I could definitely see taking another, especially with Sledge Hammer being hammered by big regression.
(Grade: A - The rich get richer. A WR WITH a chip on his shoulder for all the mock draft snubs? Give me a break.)
Round 2
2.01 - HON - Walter Yensid - @WalterYensid - CB -
Yes, I was as surprised as you are when Walter fell into Honolulu's lap to begin the second round. This man is one the best users I have had the privilege of talking to. He is always getting involved, including with this mock draft and gamedays. I have no doubt in my mind that he will end up being a max earner. Yet again, he was the highest tpe player available that was not a QB. It sticks to the theme yet again of drafting the most tpe available. Honolulu so far has added 3 great users who seem to be on the trajectory of a max earner as well. When told he was drafted to Honolulu, Walter said
It seems like Walter will love the Hawaii area and would love to return home. He also already has ideas of getting involved in the community, so an even better pick than expected for Honolulu. I expect his pizza bar to hit sales that Honolulu has never seen. This would make his jersey sales popular as well to could even be a good money move for Icebear to make.
(Grade: A - THEY CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS!!!! WALTER AT 2.01?!?!?! I'm so annoyed.)
2.02 - BER - Huge Yakman - @Vulfzilla - LB -
As I mentioned in my earlier Berlin pick, their LBs are bad at the ISFL level, and they need help. Enter Vulfzilla and his player Huge Yakman. A max earning league veteran who should help revitalize that LB core in the next few seasons. Vulf was one of my favorites from my time down in Norfolk and I genuinely enjoy the energy that they bring to the league and to whatever team they are on. Berlin being able to nab this user and player in the 2nd round, in my opinion, constitutes a steal.
(Grade: B - I'm a sucker for user OL, but this a very reasonable pick for a position that is shaky and a proven and valuable user.)
2.03 - NOLA - Mooty Poop-Eater - @Asked Madden - CB -
Finally! The Fighting Parade People make their first selection of the S47 draft! The last mock this group did was done BEFORE the blockbuster Tanksgiving pt 1 trade occurred. Let's recap:
NOLA receives
Liv Elsathelookout DE 1488 TPE (S40)
Billy Jor-El CB 1363 TPE (S41) [announced that S47 will be last season]
HON received
S47 NOLA 1st round
S48 NOLA 1st round
James Batista DE 322 TPE (S40) [IA]
Inspector Gadget S 503 TPE (S37) [Retired]
Picks aside, Liv really helps improve NOLA's D-Line and moves that position group from a medium need to n/a as far as Im concerned. Liv will hit regression next season, but no one else on the D-line will be regressing. I'd be open to grabbing a D-line prospect in the 3rd if one of the top tier ones was still available. So what to do in round 2? WR is a position you can justify, but prospect Andre Benn (S45) has been earning and can likely come in to replace a retiring Derrick Prince (S36) next season. That would put NOLA at 4 WR's and only one of them in the first tier of regression, Eli Prince (S40). I think that makes WR not necessarily an urgent need. Based on the HON trade, we know Jor-El will play their final season in S47. I think its smart to take a Poop-Eating CB here to fill in that future opening. There are already 2 other CBs rostered in Azazel and Wevis, so this isn't an immediate callup situation. But Poop-Eater could get the S48 callup to play NB.
(Grade: A - Going all in with the HON trade will be graded out at the end of next season, but this a great pick and a great value at the top of 2nd, and AM is a great user for the post-Hudz corpse Second Line.)
2.04 - :Yeti: COL - Sewage Joe Frantringham - @BRNXB0MBERS - DT -
And we're back with Yetis and as mentioned earlier we're going with defensive lineman for second pick, here we have top DT of this draft class Sewage Joe, hopefully he'll be good complement to Colorado's defensive end duo. Active veteran BRNXB0MBERS apparently enjoys occasional shitpost on discord, if only he would put his discord name in his profile. League employee on events and awards committees and also an avid gambler. Will he have money for T6 equipment come new season? Better ask the Casino.
(Grade: A - Hard out here for the big boys in the trenches. A great value at the top of the 2nd.)
2.05 – NYS - Will Nuck - @NUCK - RB -
I think by taking Nuck here, I'm somewhat showing my hedge on Drake Wane dropping into a linebacker role as they get called up this coming season.
Nuck is an experienced sim user, a good person to be around, and among the highest earners in the class. For me this pick was between PMoney and Nuck, and am happy to get Nuck here!
(Grade: B - Touchback is fighting off the regression pull and Nuck is a great value if you predict position movement [NO SECRETS OUT OF ME!!]. Takes the pressure of carries off Dux and strikes while the iron is hot.)
2.06 - CHI - Dominic Reynolds - OL - @Standardan -
CHI's predraft plan of Round 1 OL and Round 2 WR has been flipped! We took a top tier WR with the 6th pick to shore up our aging WR core, and now we look to add some talent on our OL. Bots can certainly fill in there, but if the Butchers are looking to bring home a championship we are going to want a higher ceiling than the bots can offer. Dominic Reynolds is the #3 rated OL prospect in this draft, so Im pretty happy here is still here early in the 2nd round. There is not many more prospects available at OL after Reynolds, so this wouldn't be an option next round. Reynolds comes in as our 3rd OL behind Triceracop (S44) and Zisia Ojeisndiwoseodj (S42). Ivan Ivanov (S44) may also be ready to get the callup from the DSFL next year, but they are quite a ways behind their class TPE wise. Reynolds will likely still play down another season in the DSFL, as our OL bots have a much higher floor than a 2nd year player. But around year 3 the tradeoff looks doable.
(Grade: A - Offensive reloading continues. Reynolds will hold down a spot on the OLine as Chicago tries to tinker with the points machine. A great Duck as well!)
2.07 - BER - JJ What - @JJ5 - WR -
What an absolute steal for BER here in the middle of the second round. Using the pick gained from the GOAT TANKK trade during the previous draft, BER takes the WR1 of the future in JJ What. JJ has shown the drive to be a max earner, even if they came in right before last draft. They're earning well, have a league job *taking over for me as the NOR GM), and have plans to take the league by storm.
I think my biggest concern here is that WR isn't a massive need for BER at the moment, but this pick puts them on pace for contention in 3-4 seasons (maybe 2-3 depending on if the NSFC continues to be bad). Additionally, will JJ be okay being WR3 in their first season and presumably being in that role for an extended period of time behind Williams, Charles, and Creative-Name? Regardless, incredible value with this pick for Berlin.
(Grade: C - Two 1000+ TPE and Pitter Patter in the pipeline makes this a harder sell for me vs. nabbing another LB or CB.)
2.08 - YKW - - Lyle Robideaux - @Figgy - LB
Lyle is a fun player that has been tearing it up for Minnesota this year. While the LB1 Beanman has been having an MVP season, Robideaux is trying for a DROTY season. Lyle has 71 tackles, 7 TFL, 5 sacks, 1 interception, and 3 PDs for the North leading ducks. A jack of all trades, Lyle has 72 speed, 70 agility to pair with 64 endurance and 70 strength. While he may not blaze by the offensive line for a sack, he will not let opposing backs run by him. I truly believe that the Ducks would not be honking their way to #1 in the North had Lyle ended up on another team, he is THAT good! Figgy is quite active on the forums and turns in his tasks almost immediately after earning opportunities are posted. I have no doubt that Lyle would be a great addition to any team as the Wraith take a good fit.
(Grade: B - Not a ton of NEED on the roster, but the Wraiths are packed out at LB. Lyle is one of our best Ducks, but I don't think this is a fit here when you can grab Gunner to bolster DT -- but there isn't a ton of TPE value outside of LB at this point in the draft.)
2.09 CTC – - GoTo http://imnegs.net/ - @negs - DT -
GM Pick. This link gave my computer cyber-leprosy.
(Grade: GM)
2.10 SAR - Bean Beanman II - @Seymour - LB -
With Sarasota's first pick of the draft, they decide to go with a user who has a lot of history. Bean Beanman III is a strong LB candidate, a position that the Sarasota Sabrecats desperately need. This helps continue the Beanman family legacy, set by Bean Beanman and Bean Beanman II. He is top 5 in tpe for his position and gets drafted right after his dsfl linebacking partner. When told about being mocked to Sarasota and what it means, he responded emphatically saying
Grade: C - They also have Leopold Roy in the DSFL ranks, and unless there are position swaps in the future, this is a tough hang. SAR is pretty well-rounded, but Soul King Brook could be a good fit here.
2.11 - BAL - KC Gordon - @SwankyPants31 - LB -
GM Pick
Grade: GM
2.12 - BAL - Speed Hawk - @PMoney - LB -
Doubling up on LB here! I'm taking a second linebacker because this is maybe about where my LB tier starts drying up. Linebackers are always valuable, and being able to line up in 3-4 with Speed Hawk and KC Gordon should time up nicely with Sledge Hammer retiring. I think there is merit in saying that this is a luxury pick, but we've got 3 2nds, we can afford a little of that, plus, any star defensive player is worth their weight in gold.
Grade B: The GM pick makes this a little redundant you can't change that. A really solid linebacker pick in a team that could use an extra boost in a 3-4. Good pick.
2.13 - AZ - Upcetti Spaghetti - @Agent Chaos - LB -
After grabbing a LB in the first round, I think the draft opens up quite a bit for AZ. They could look to find their heir apparent to Donovan Winters under center, potentially add a RB to the mix to eventually help spell BMP and Nedelko, or, they may swing OL to shore up the full Human OLine and help their cap situation. However, I would argue that their LB core is so old that it needs all the help it can get. I have them talking Agent Chaos here as more assurance that the defense continues to excel while the offense is in its prime. If you wanted to argue another position, I'd be totally on board, but grabbing another max user at an impactful position is hard to pass up.
Grade: B - Similar to the write up, I keep looking at the board for a different pick -- but can't talk myself into a surefire alternative. A good value play.
2.14 - BAL - Soul King Brook - @TwoSocks - RB -
I think this is my second time taking Socks, maybe I'm showing who I like in the draft too much! With an IA 250 TPE RB behind Anakin, we've got an immediate Day 1 upgrade who'll probably shoot out of the DSFL in their first season.
Socks probably should have been the pick at 2.12 but I didn't think that Arizona would take a RB, but they'd be interested in an LB, leading to me being able to grab some ephemeral "draft equity".
Grade: A - I'm so mad at how good the draft is shaking out for the Hawks. Socks is a great user, and the end to end this slew of picks with a great RB is an awesome fit.
Round 3
3.01 - HON - Tyler Higbee II - @SensibleDictator - TE -
WOOOOOOOOO! TIGHT END DRAFTED! LETS GO! In all seriousness, the activity in the discord alone gets him drafted in the 3rd round. I understand that the tight end position is, realistically, the worst position apart from kicker and fullback. I also know that Higbee II will not switch positions so you are drafting a full on tight end. However, Higbee II has been the most active person in the discord since he joined. He smashed the chat record almost right as he joined. He is basically always online (kinda worrying). With Higbee II, you will basically guarantee yourself a max earner who will get T6 equipment purely from yap checks. Even though tight end as a whole is awful, I don't see a user of this caliber falling any further than the 3rd round. When told he got mocked to go to Honolulu in the 3rd round, Higbee II replied:
Higbee II is adamant about the tight end position finally being respected. Not sure how this will affect his draft position. All I know is that Honolulu just found themselves another max earner. In my eyes, that marks the fourth from this class alone.
(Grade: A - SD's restraint to wait until the third round earns him an A. He'll make a great WR for Honolulu.)
3.02 - BER - Tony Scaletta - @Starboy - LB -
Another LB? I swear I have love for other positions, but this one felt too perfect to pass up. Starboy recently finished their career with Armor Queen and BER, and are potentially looking to go back there and help give the Fire Salamanders another run at the title. Obviously, as we've discussed earlier, LB is a big need for Berlin, so the pick here still makes a ton of sense, giving BER 2 max earning LBs to eventually take over the front 7 and completely remake the defense.
I could potentially see Berlin going another route, with Maurice Gunner still on the board at DT, or even looking to grab a another WR in Julian Rose. But so far, I think this has been a very solid draft for BER.
Grade: A - For two drafts in a row 3.02 may have my steal of the draft. Berlin's patience with LB nets them a huge value in the third round. A great user with GM experience, a boon to the locker room, and would insight to any warrom.
3.03 - NOLA - Maurice "Mo Money" Gunner - @agorka - DT -
Back again with this stacked young NOLA roster. We touched on the D-Line earlier in that only Liv will be regressing next season. Their massive TPE will still make them an effective DE, so regression doesn't mean an instant death for our group. But the D-Line could use a prospect here that can get a callup in 2 years to provide some depth. In S48, both Liv and Bruce White will be regressing. Again, they are both still going to be pretty elite even post-regression. But taking a D-line prospect here ensures NOLA has someone who can plug right in if the regression is too hard to keep up with. Also, if either of the other rostered D-Line go IA, it would be nice to have someone who can come in quickly. That's why I went with Mo here, as they were the best TPE available on the DL. They've shown activity since coming back from suspension, so this pick could be a steal long-term.
(Grade: C - Agorka is going to most likely be a highly involved user, which puts him in good company with the team that has the most GMs on it. However, they already have two DT's (S41 and S42) and there's probaby more value in snatching a WR to pair with Andre Benn in the future when Eli Prince hits deep regression.)
3.04 - :Yeti: COL :Yeti: - Julian Rose - @Gage2 - WR -
Luckily WR position in this draft class is very stacked so for third Colorado pick we can take WR Julian Rose, while their wide receivers corps situation isn't horrible with one veteran and one superstar in prime it definitely could be better and since their latest pick is probably not living up to the expectations. Veteran user Gage2, pretty active on discord, it remain to be seen if he'll keep dropping big bucks graphics but with steady cash and TPE earnings seems perfect choice this late in draft.
(Grade: A - Great job waiting on this by Araa. Gage is a high-value user that due to the depth of the position falls to third. A great pick to bolster the WR stable.)
3.05 - NYS Dason Dehorn - @modpro - CB -
I really wanted a CB for NYS, sure you can drop one of your 4 safeties into the CB spot, but you've still got problems at LB to fill then, just not enough bodies. Being able to take the top CB in the mid-earner section is fantastic, and I think that modpro is going to be more involved in the ISFL as they are in the Minny LR.
With this pick, I've shored up some of the biggest positions of need, and since no one has taken a QB yet, and with 4 big QBs in the draft, I'm very comfortable to wait until the top of the 4th to pick one.
This is a pretty good draft for NYS, I think we've gotten some fantastic users, but we'll also have to hit on the next draft to finish restocking the roster. It's going to be sad times for these DSFL teams as I expect a lot of immediate call-ups.
Grade: B - I get the hedge on LB, but I would still strike on the depth of the LBs in this class. Modpro is an active user, a good Duck, and a good value at this pick if you really think an LB is coming from within the roster.
3.06 - CHI - Long Snapper - @Gadget - OL -
When discussing CHI's earlier picks, I went into more detail between why we went WR first and OL second. I didn't quite address the rest of the roster. QB and K are both areas the Butchers need upgrades for, but K is likely not getting addressed this draft. The best K is under 100 TPE. QB options are awesome, but likely safe until round 4. So where else do the Butchers want youth? The secondary is aging a little bit but still avoiding regression for another season. There is also another Safety prospect ready to come up in Dewey Greenbeans (S44). We would need to make room for them as there are already 2 CBs and 3 S's rostered. None of the active S46 secondary is regressing but Greenbeans would be close in TPE to 2 of them. So adding more prospects there makes no sense. RB is another position that is well sorted thanks to Corey Trevor (S46) coming up next year to fill in as RB2 behind Jake Jefferson (S41). The Linebacker corps is the youngest position group on the whole roster, and this draft class has tons of good LBs. I would be happy to take one later, maybe even after we get our future QB. Believe it or not, I think I go OL again here and get Long Snapper, the TE who has been public about their intention to swap to OL. That gives the Butchers two solid OL prospects who could come up together in another season. The TPE tradeoff may not be exactly right to bring them both up at the same time. But this pick gives CHI some insurance to cover Ojeisndiwoseodj, Ivanov, and Reynolds in case any of those three fall behind in earning.
Grade: B - I don't hate it! If you think a WR will fall to later rounds, getting Gadget on the team is always a win.
3.07 - SAR - Anthony Simmons III - @Starchychaff - DT -
Anthony Simmons III is one of my favorite underrated users. He may not post a lot but you are guaranteed a glorious NFL mock draft. Simmons III fills in a desperate need at the defensive tackle position for the Sarasota Sabrecats. The only defensive tackle the Sabrecats currently have has a contract that expires at the end of this season. Simmons III will serve as their replacement and the DT for the future. This also keeps the defensive tackle and linebacker pair for the Minnesota Bird Dogs together in the ISFL with Simmons III here and Beanman III in the 2nd round. These 2 should continue to mesh together nicely in the ISFL. After being told he was mocked to go to Sarasota in the 3rd round, Simmons III replied "going in the third round is a bit disappointing however that just means teams over looked me and I have to work harder to prove myself, in terms of the team I don't know much about Saratoga however I believe if they want me I will give 110% to prove why I was worth it." Simmons III seems like he would be slightly disappointed but would only use this for motivation. I would expect him to have a bedside notebook with all of the players drafted ahead of him in it that he reads every night.
(Grade: B - A really solid pick. Starchy is a good Duck and, as the write-up noted, LOVES a mock draft. I hope he agrees with his spot in this mock draft.)
3.08 - YKW - D’Glester Hardunkichud - @ConnorM123 - LB -
Back to back linebackers! Am I losing my mind? Possibly. Do I think it's the best fit for what remains? Yeah absolutely. Do I think Connor should have picked a name that isn't going to be a pain to commentate on in the ISFL fastest recaps? Yeah >:[ Connor has been around for 4 years now and is a great users that you don't have to worry about going inactive. Even if he may not be the best ideal fit, as the Wraith just took a LB, his activity is more important. Hardunkichefcurryud has 64 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks, and 4 PDs. He is a powerful partner next to Beard for Kansas City's defense. While I'm not 100% sure he'll be available at this pick in the actual draft, I do know that the Wraith would be thrilled to pick him here!
Grade: D - THE GRADES WILL GO DOWN UNTIL YOU STOP PICKING LINEBACKERS! A WR would have been my pick here to hedge against some of the IA/lower earning WR still on the roster. Thank God YKW is out of picks for this mock so someone else can draft a Linebacker. [ConnorM -- this is not your fault. You deserve to flourish on a team that doesn't already have 5 LBs].)
3.09 – CTC - South West - @Honoredmexican - LB -
The Crash have a solid LB corps as-is, but there's never a bad time to prepare for the future. South West is an absolute steal at 3.09 and according to SeaWolves GM Tmoney, "everyone, including myself, should be ashamed of themselves for letting him fall so far. Brad Woof is a genius." A powerful and correct statement.
South West is a great pick for the future of the Crash. Current LBs Onyxgut and Willis aren't quite at the point of regression and still have a few seasons left before we start to see any drop-off, so West has the luxury of time to develop and gain TPE before being called up. I would expect a couple of seasons in the DSFL still for West, but once the Crash are ready to move on him, he and Juran Riley will be firing on all cylinders and CTC won't have lost a step on defense.
Grade: C - There are only two rostered WRs and the DSFL call-ups aren't earning at a strong clip. Pulling a WR at this point would be a better leverage play for the roster, even if they have a lower TPE than the LBs.
3.10 - HON - Jonathan Irons - @jadda123876 - WR -
Honolulu picks up another weapon on the offensive side of the ball to build around. Jonathan Irons has been a consistent earner so far, yet again with max earner potential. That is the biggest part of this Honolulu draft, going after the best earners possible with each pick. Somebody who stops at 500 isn't going to be good enough for a possible future Ultimus. They need elite talent and they need it now. Irons gets to join his TE at Portland right now, Tyler Higbee II, at Honolulu. There seems to be a great connection between those 2, with rumors of an attempted gameday hosting together but Higbee II being unable to do so. With a receiving room of Teresa de la Rosa, Higbee II, and Irons, Honolulu should be good at those positions for many seasons to come unless they feel the need to add a WR3. Irons, after being informed of where he was mocked to, stated "Huh?". Irons is clearly confused on what led to his fall into the late 3rd round. However, Honolulu and Icebear don't question it and take Irons here in the 3rd.
(Grade - A: I had this grade as something lower until I realized that Hon is pretty much replacing their entire WR room. Higbee better practice running routes.)
3.11 – AUS - Meo Stickyhands-McGee - @dhoop - WR -
I've played sim with dhoop before and he would be an absolute gem with Austin. Meo has had an up and down season primarily due to being paired with one of the best receivers in the league who deserves all her targets. Meo still managed 46 receptions for 580 yards and 4 touchdowns. A strong mix of speed, agility, and hands allows Meo to secure targets with ease. While he may not blow by the defense he has great footwork that allows him to get open for some beautiful YAC. Speaking of YAC, when I was a kid I thought it was YAK as in the animal. Fun fact about yaks, while the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, yak milk is the powerhouse of the milk industry. It contains more amino acids, calcium, and vitamin A than cow's milk. Meo will use his Stickyhands to milk some yards and receptions out of the defense en route to a smart route for multiple touchdowns. Congrats Austin, you got a great Ally.
(Grade: A - THEY PULLED IT OFF! I talked a lot of cash in round one about not drafting a WR, and they did two rounds later. Apologies, Walter.)
3.12 - OCO - Brandon Johnson - @roastfuego - RB -
Second pick comes for the Otters late in third round. Their current star RB1 will stay in this position for a good few more seasons but I think it's a good time to think about the future since their second RB will soon blink out of existence being S35 with 250 TPE and their receiving corps is pretty solid and they still may snatch a decent WR or TE later, meanwhile RB class is not that deep this season. That's why we're going with Brandon. Returning veteran roastfuego, who joined late this season but looks to be pretty active, getting those discord, media and graphics money. Let's just hope he doesn't lose all his money in casino.
(Grade: B - This is a good spot to grab a RB and RoastFuego is making a splash on the discord and forum scene. Gives Reg a breather, allows him to be RB1, and creates a succession plan for the future.)
3.13 - AZ - Puddles O'Duck - @Z-Whiz - QB -
Finally, a non-LB, and it might just be one of the most unsurprising picks of the draft. Z-whiz would be a great fit for AZ, and I believe has some history there, so it's a matchmade in heaven. Winters probably has 3-4 seasons of solid play left, which is just enough time for AZ to groom a QB down in the DSFL to eventually take their place.
I think the real question for this pick is when does it happen? I have it occurring late in the third simply because it was a layup of a pick and wanted to make sure I covered the major bases for AZ. Realistically though, I don't think this occurs until much later in the draft, potentially at the end of round 4. Either way, a great add by AZ to ensure that there's no lapse in talent for when Winters eventually retires.
(Grade: A - Okay, I haven't been here long enough to know when QBs go in the ISFL draft. However, the late 3rd feels like a good spot to get your guy when there aren't a ton of holes to fill or no-brainer picks around. Also, while I'm new here, I think it's safe to say that Z-Whiz has "some history" with AZ.)
3.14 - SJS - Dee Fernandez - @fetty- WR -
Dee Fernandez is my insurance against Diego Lopez de Castillo leaving in FA after being placed on the trade block. There are some great users left, I was looking at Bunny or Honorius Salvator in the safety spot but no top OL left and being able to make a safe hedge makes me happy. I'm excited about Fetty and finding them a spot in a great Baltimore team.
Kronkowski falling out of the 3rd round is more a testament to the position and the fact that we aren't looking at position swaps in this draft. Higbee should also go undrafted :dogekek:
(Grade: B - A good pick to hedge your bets on FA attrition! No grade on the TE shade.)
I have no idea if we'll do this again without getting hit with a leak penalty -- but who knows!
Thanks for reading! Direct all concerns and issues with the Mock to the Hudz Presser!
The picks are based on the draft order from the conclusion of last Friday's (2/23) games. Any mistakes made in the order are to make a moral point about how you need to lighten up.
Our drafters
@lemonoppy: &
@araa: &
@Tmoney6996: &
@Brad Woof: &
@SensibleDictator: &
@oknom: &
@WalterYensid: &
My grades are both harsher, too lenient, and too lazy, all at the same time.
Let's go!
Round One
1.01 - HON - Dunkler Sowerwine - @oknom - DE -
Going into this draft, Honolulu has probably the biggest question mark on what they are going to do with their draft picks. Because of that, I believe they will mostly focus on tpe amounts compared to drafting certain positions. This led to Dunkler Sowerwine, joint highest earner in this class so far, going to them with the first pick of the draft. This sures up at least one of the defensive end spots for as long as they can hold on to Dunkler, as he has shown he has the ability to be a max earner. A phenomenal start to a possibly elite draft from Honolulu. When asked what it would mean going 1.01 to Honolulu, Dunkler replied "The HON tank was a dunk tank all along". This gives him a perfect nickname if he does end up getting drafted here. The Dunk Tank is ready to make an impact in the ISFL.
(Grade: A - There are a handful of players that are valid 1oa material and Dunkler is 100% one of them. A position of need, great user, slam dunk. Easy pick AND GREAT RESTRAINT BY SD!)
1.02 - BER - SkibidiGyat OhioRizzler - @Cloud - CB -
We start this draft off with Berlin picking at the 2 spot. Thankfully for Berlin, this is a great draft to retool the team and hopefully get younger, the downside is that they had to go through the season they just did. To that end, Berlin has holes all over the roster and finds themselves in a good spot to take a max earning user in a position of need. I think they could go a number of different directions here. Their LB core is one of the lowest in the league, with 2 players entering their 11th and 10th seasons. Similarly, their secondary also has an age problem with the average player having a create season of 38.9 (Devin Jones) being the only one created in the past 5 seasons.
With that, I have them taking SkibidiGyat OhioRizzler here as one of the top CBs in the draft. Cloud is a great user and should be an excellent pairing with Drizzy and Devin Jones in a few seasons on the outside. This still allows them flexibility with Chaos Vert, who can eventually shift to NB while fending off regression. s.
(Grade: B - I wasn't sold at first based on positional need, but the description sold me a bit. Great user and getting a high-earning CB is a great pick at this point of the draft. If they follow this up with a great value at LB in a later round I'll feel a lot rosier about the pick.
1.03 - HON - María Teresa de la Rosa - @Baron1898 - WR -
With Honolulu's second pick of this draft, they land yet another STUD. María Teresa de la Rosa is also joint highest tpe like Dunkler is. They are basically guaranteed to be a max earner with that bank account. They are always active in the discord and clearly have good relations throughout the league. This pick yet again maintains drafting high tpe earners with the potential to be a max earner, a strategy I believe Honolulu will follow throughout the draft. When told that this mock had them going 1.03 to Honolulu, María replied:
Quote:"Honolulu knows my feelings about being drafted at this pick."This makes me wonder if there is something under the scenes happening but I will leave that to the ISFL Weekly Mirror to figure out (or the superior The Doghouse).
(Grade: I for Intrigue!! A for amk. Gizmo retiring opens the door for Baron to be the primary WR in a rebuilding team. As the author noted, our forum journalists can get to the bottom of the rumor mill -- but on paper this a great pick)
1.04 - COL - Eric Beaty Jr. - @bechtudo - S -
We start with Colorado picking 4th. Yetis are not doing too hot in the league this season despite having pretty decent roster. Looking at Colorado Yeti's roster things that seem to stand out the most are ageing interior defensive line sliding into oblivion of regression (Season 36th and season 38th) and lack of very active young players at Safety position and since defensive line this class is more stacked at defensive line that at Safety, first choice is Eric Beaty jr., experienced and active user bechtudo. Not a fan of discord it seems but with steady media output and with him being part of sim team you don't have to worry about money or TPE..
Grade: A - Like Araa mentioned, COL can be selective and pick for need at this point with so few straight up roster holes. A solid pick and pencils in a future starter as the current stars move through regression.
1.05 - NYS – Brad Woof - @Brad Woof - WR -
Amk's Draft Cabal TDL edition! Glad to be back and alleviate mock drought! It's especially fun being in the seat that drafts for amk's team. I kinda wanted to draft so that I would get high draft grades from amk, but that's a classic case of having measurable targets becoming goals.
NYS is in a rough spot this season, they've come back with a vengeance in the second half of the season and are blisteringly hot right now, but a few too many losses on the front nine have them eliminated from the playoffs.
This is the NYS roster of players that are younger than S37
It's uh, not great looking forward for the New York squad. They pick 5th this season and only have their original picks. Good news though, it is a very good class coming up.
The main problem is that they have a lot of holes and specifically a lot of needs. Sure we can sign some IAs, but the next few seasons are going to be very difficult. Just by the fact that we're not looking at position swaps as part of the rules of this mock I won't mention that I expect Drake Wane to probably swap positions, you don't need 4 safeties in any world really.
I wanted a WR or an LB here, but I think that of all the positions, the WR squad this go around is exciting and fun. Brad Woof is a slam dunk and at a position of need. Brad Woof is active, a top scorer in the DSFL, and in this user mock! I don't think there's much needed to be said about him.
Looking at my next picks, I'm just looking for BPA since there are so many roster holes.
(Grade: A - As a Silverback, I think our defense needs some love in the draft, but I would sprint to the podium to grab Brad at this pick. As part of the S47 Draft Cabal, I'm obviously in the Pro-Brad Camp, but he helps provide long-term stability to the offense as our other weapons age into regression. Falco had a terrible round of turnover luck this year, and having Woof on the roster creates long-term stability for a high-potency offense with Robinson and Dux.)
1.06 - CHI - Lane Wilson - @dustywilson22 - WR -
Pre-draft thoughts: The Butchers are about 1-2 season away from becoming the Grillers, because they will be cooking. There are only a few areas of need on this roster, because much of it is already young. They just need some time to get their TPE up in order to compete. Right off the bat, there are 2 positions that could use a good prospect but are definitely not 1st round caliber: QB and K. This class sadly does not have any great options at K, and poor David Doug is likely getting regressed into forced retirement very soon. At QB, Penguin is still the QB of the "now", however time is ticking. Starting in S47 they are hitting the 30% regression tier, and it will be harder and harder for them to compete at the elite level required for an Ultimus. This class has amazing QB prospects, but CHI can get those later in the draft. So where does that leave the Butchers? Chicago is currently running 6 bot OL, either filler or GM. Also, the WR's are starting to thin out. CHI has 5 rostered WR, with one already retired in Austin Morley. Two of the four remaining WR will be in regression this offseason, with Teenie Hodges probably playing their last season in S47. So WR is definitely a need, but that's a position with depth in this draft. We can maybe take a top tier OL here, and then still get a top tier received in the 2nd round thanks to our early pick. This is a bit of a gamble though, because a run on WR's between our picks hurts this team exponentially more than there not being an OL prospect in round 2.
On the clock: Based on how the first 5 picks went, I don't think I feel comfortable waiting on the WR until round 2. Two gone in the first 5 still leaves good prospects for us here, but where will that be 13 picks later? The original plan of going OL here just doesn't feel as impactful anymore. I am going to pickup our WR now I round 1, let them play 1-2 seasons down and they will be ready for the active roster. I went with Lane Wilson here as a recreate to try to reduce any risk of them being ready for a callup on time. Also, I have to make sure Tim Riggins doesn't lose the chip on his shoulder.
(Grade: A - The write-up was great, so I was in the tank for an A no matter what. I'm on the Point Progression Team, so I grade Point Tasks. I remember seeing @" thewhovian" talking about how offense needed some more firepower on offense, and this fits the bill. JJ, Riggins, or Wilson are all great options here and I think taking one option now is best with two top WRs already off the board.)
1.07- SJS – Luke Laraque - @Blix900 - DE -
San Jose is a team with few holes, even if they have a number of their defensive players teetering on the edge of regression, so drafting for them was a bit difficult. The number one thing I would consider SJS missing would be another DE, so their first selection is Luke Laraque. Getting Laraque here is a perfect fit for them as he can line up with their star (and only) DE Alex Armstrong to develop and be ready to take over as the #1 once Armstrong starts losing too much TPE. The timing should work out perfectly and the Sabercats should have a formidable DL to last them at least the next few seasons. They'll have to start looking into a more sweeping defensive refresh with future drafts, but for now the unit looks fantastic.
(Grade: A: A veteran of multiple sim leagues, Blix is already on the sim team and is poised to be a high earner in the league. Ths this is great positional fit for the Sabercats as they slide this into the 2nd DE spot. A great fit here for Blix or NC.)
1.08 - YKW - Reginald Hammerfall - @Fangorn - RB -
This pick was an interesting one as Money Tolliver is an amazing running back and will not be replaced for quite some time. However, with regression happening in around 2 seasons it made sense for the Wraith to pick his successor in Reginald Hammerfall. Currently the Wraith does not carry any other RBs which can slowly drain Tolliver's stamina, even at how high it is! Watching Hammerfall run is an absolute treat as he's helping lead his team to a fun season. When his cleats kiss the turf, it is like a dance of fire on the field. Each step of his has promise for a hard earned yard that most certainly will not yield. Defenders converge in pursuit of a tackle, but fear not for the hammer breaks the shackles. At the time of this writing, Hammerfall is 4th in rushing yards at 816 with a 4.0 YPC and probably GPA as well. His speed is 80, strength is 75, and heart is 100.
(Grade: C - Totally rational, and having two backs on a roster helps with keeping the ground game going. HOWEVER! There are 3 solid picks at RB that are still on the board, and there's a solid DT that fits positional needs (with players closer to/in regression) and OLs still on the board that may support the fun better than a backup RB.)
1.09 – CTC - Swantavious Stack - @Swanty - OL -
The Crash are a young team with a deep bench and only a couple players feeling the sting of regression, so what does a team do when they don't need to draft a real position? They draft OL!
In reality, Stack falling to 1.09 is great for CTC as it gives them the opportunity to invest in developing their OL and benefiting their already strong run game. Bǫllrsveifla, Ayame, and Von Turbo will all benefit tremendously from Stack's presence and protection, which is especially good as their only other human OL has been IA for a bit. Look to see plenty of action out of the Cape Town backfield.
(Grade: A - LOVE a full user OL. Ranch is also a fit here, but getting a high TPE user OL saves from the bot cost for a team on the upswing. Let's go!)
1.10 - SJS - McDripson McDropson - @Drip - OL -
Hey, remember when I said the Sabercats would need more defensive picks in the future? Sike, idiot! Back to back OL picks in the first round!
San Jose are as shocked as anyone, but they are more than happy to take McDropsen at 10th overall. Kit Fisters should rejoice to see the pick because McDropsen should be poised to become a key figure on the OL and really give the SJS RBs room to operate now that they're both hitting their stride. The Sabercats will look to McDropsen and Talis to do the bulk of the heavy lifting, as their other two OL are IA.
Grade: A - Brad's cooking. This is a great 1-2 combo for SJS as they plug positions of need and keep the big bodies in front of Fisto. Feeding fisto will get a little easier next season!)
1.11 - AUS - Roquefort Cotswald - @roquefort - CB -
I refuse to draft myself as that'd be weird so instead I draft one of my favourite users in the league, Roq! Roq has 46 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 2 interceptions. He's blazing fast at 88 speed even if his tackling leaves much to be desired. He is one of the most active users in the league and has been a great spark in the union movement. While he may love rock climbing more than he likes training his tackling, it shows that he is committed to whatever he sets his mind to. He will be in the ISFL for years to come and I would love to have him as a teammate. …I uh didn't even look at AUS' roster as I was going to pick Roq with my 2nd pick regardless LOL. Let's go Roquefort!!
(Grade: C - This is a straight-up BPA and Roque fits into the nickel ASAP. A great addition to the locker room, going to be really active wherever they go. This pick SCREAMS WR though. S37 and S36, lots of top WRs off the board. Roque will fortify the position long term, but without a pick until the 3rd round, this puts Austin in a tough spot.)
1.12 - OCO - Ranch-Pizza Pizza-Man - @TheNC206 - DE -
Orange County Otters seem pretty good at all positions which is reflected in their 9-4 record and also highest total and highest average TPE in the league but as they have only 2 decently defensive lineman, DE Ranch-Pizza Pizza-Man may be a good choice, that will add spiciness and weirdness to the team. A veteran TheNC206, active both on forum and discord, a steady TPE earner like him surely will soon find his place on the team. Also Brock Purdy > Jordan Love.
(Grade: A - It's a stacked roster and this is a GREAT value for NC at 12. Slots in on the other side of Tomato and one of the hottest teams in the ISFL keeps their momentum moving upwards.)
1.13 - AZ - Grzegorz Winnicki - @araa - LB
AZ's roster is in a good spot, and has been built well enough that there's really no major holes opening up in the coming seasons. There's some concern around the DL with only 3 active players on the roster and all in the middle of regression, but they just keep trucking forward. Additionally, they have resources down in the DSFL that should help alleviate this need in the coming seasons.
That leaves us with LB. They have 1(!) born this decade, and even then, that one LB is from S43. While LBs are plentiful and they could probably grab one a little later on and still maintain a good sense of value, I think taking a high/max earning new create LB here would be a smart move. AZ has mastered player retention, so the ability to grab such a great new user and slot them into a spot to be successfully, while hopefully getting them committed to AZ long term, would be a a huge get for AZ considering where they are expecting to be picking from.
(Grade: A - Another position of need and another Draft Cabal member off the board. Easy peasy. A great pick for the Outlaws).
1.14 - BAL - Tim Riggins - @shahdude - WR -
Baltimore's the current regular season champs, and they've got a roster that's pretty complete looking forward into the immediate future.
While Preston Beatz might play next season, their QB of the future is set, and most positions of high importance are filled with great users. With Diego Lopez de Castilla's user DL14 publicly declaring that they are on the trade block, WR and LB are my main areas of concern, with an eye towards grabbing a younger safety and an OL player. Being flush with picks this draft, Baltimore is in a great place to capitalize, especially with OL bots being something to bring in with a lot of regression money coming in.
I wanted a top user here, at WR/LB or maybe RB to fill in behind Anakin Skywalker as JHM has retired. I'm going to go for a big reach on a player who is never mocked, Shahdude with Tim Riggins! Shahdude is more and more active, more and more comfortable with the game, and always a delight to talk to. Tim Riggins and Diego Lopez de Castilla should lock up the pass game for when McChapperson takes the reins from Preston Beatz.
Looking forward, I'm looking at any number of players, we've got GM SwankyPants31 with a Linebacker, but with most teams lining up in a 3-4, I could definitely see taking another, especially with Sledge Hammer being hammered by big regression.
(Grade: A - The rich get richer. A WR WITH a chip on his shoulder for all the mock draft snubs? Give me a break.)
Round 2
2.01 - HON - Walter Yensid - @WalterYensid - CB -
Yes, I was as surprised as you are when Walter fell into Honolulu's lap to begin the second round. This man is one the best users I have had the privilege of talking to. He is always getting involved, including with this mock draft and gamedays. I have no doubt in my mind that he will end up being a max earner. Yet again, he was the highest tpe player available that was not a QB. It sticks to the theme yet again of drafting the most tpe available. Honolulu so far has added 3 great users who seem to be on the trajectory of a max earner as well. When told he was drafted to Honolulu, Walter said
Quote:“As a Hawaiian and a big Pua fan I'm all about the Honolulu life! Walter played college ball at Hawaii and is ready to stay home with the local team. In fact I'm going to create a pizza surf bar where you can park your surfboard and grab some pizza between wave szn! And yes we even have pineapple pizza, new york style, and deep dish. No we don't have St. Louis "pizza" cuz that is toxic >=[.“
It seems like Walter will love the Hawaii area and would love to return home. He also already has ideas of getting involved in the community, so an even better pick than expected for Honolulu. I expect his pizza bar to hit sales that Honolulu has never seen. This would make his jersey sales popular as well to could even be a good money move for Icebear to make.
(Grade: A - THEY CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS!!!! WALTER AT 2.01?!?!?! I'm so annoyed.)
2.02 - BER - Huge Yakman - @Vulfzilla - LB -
As I mentioned in my earlier Berlin pick, their LBs are bad at the ISFL level, and they need help. Enter Vulfzilla and his player Huge Yakman. A max earning league veteran who should help revitalize that LB core in the next few seasons. Vulf was one of my favorites from my time down in Norfolk and I genuinely enjoy the energy that they bring to the league and to whatever team they are on. Berlin being able to nab this user and player in the 2nd round, in my opinion, constitutes a steal.
(Grade: B - I'm a sucker for user OL, but this a very reasonable pick for a position that is shaky and a proven and valuable user.)
2.03 - NOLA - Mooty Poop-Eater - @Asked Madden - CB -
Finally! The Fighting Parade People make their first selection of the S47 draft! The last mock this group did was done BEFORE the blockbuster Tanksgiving pt 1 trade occurred. Let's recap:
NOLA receives
Liv Elsathelookout DE 1488 TPE (S40)
Billy Jor-El CB 1363 TPE (S41) [announced that S47 will be last season]
HON received
S47 NOLA 1st round
S48 NOLA 1st round
James Batista DE 322 TPE (S40) [IA]
Inspector Gadget S 503 TPE (S37) [Retired]
Picks aside, Liv really helps improve NOLA's D-Line and moves that position group from a medium need to n/a as far as Im concerned. Liv will hit regression next season, but no one else on the D-line will be regressing. I'd be open to grabbing a D-line prospect in the 3rd if one of the top tier ones was still available. So what to do in round 2? WR is a position you can justify, but prospect Andre Benn (S45) has been earning and can likely come in to replace a retiring Derrick Prince (S36) next season. That would put NOLA at 4 WR's and only one of them in the first tier of regression, Eli Prince (S40). I think that makes WR not necessarily an urgent need. Based on the HON trade, we know Jor-El will play their final season in S47. I think its smart to take a Poop-Eating CB here to fill in that future opening. There are already 2 other CBs rostered in Azazel and Wevis, so this isn't an immediate callup situation. But Poop-Eater could get the S48 callup to play NB.
(Grade: A - Going all in with the HON trade will be graded out at the end of next season, but this a great pick and a great value at the top of 2nd, and AM is a great user for the post-Hudz corpse Second Line.)
2.04 - :Yeti: COL - Sewage Joe Frantringham - @BRNXB0MBERS - DT -
And we're back with Yetis and as mentioned earlier we're going with defensive lineman for second pick, here we have top DT of this draft class Sewage Joe, hopefully he'll be good complement to Colorado's defensive end duo. Active veteran BRNXB0MBERS apparently enjoys occasional shitpost on discord, if only he would put his discord name in his profile. League employee on events and awards committees and also an avid gambler. Will he have money for T6 equipment come new season? Better ask the Casino.
(Grade: A - Hard out here for the big boys in the trenches. A great value at the top of the 2nd.)
2.05 – NYS - Will Nuck - @NUCK - RB -
I think by taking Nuck here, I'm somewhat showing my hedge on Drake Wane dropping into a linebacker role as they get called up this coming season.
Nuck is an experienced sim user, a good person to be around, and among the highest earners in the class. For me this pick was between PMoney and Nuck, and am happy to get Nuck here!
(Grade: B - Touchback is fighting off the regression pull and Nuck is a great value if you predict position movement [NO SECRETS OUT OF ME!!]. Takes the pressure of carries off Dux and strikes while the iron is hot.)
2.06 - CHI - Dominic Reynolds - OL - @Standardan -
CHI's predraft plan of Round 1 OL and Round 2 WR has been flipped! We took a top tier WR with the 6th pick to shore up our aging WR core, and now we look to add some talent on our OL. Bots can certainly fill in there, but if the Butchers are looking to bring home a championship we are going to want a higher ceiling than the bots can offer. Dominic Reynolds is the #3 rated OL prospect in this draft, so Im pretty happy here is still here early in the 2nd round. There is not many more prospects available at OL after Reynolds, so this wouldn't be an option next round. Reynolds comes in as our 3rd OL behind Triceracop (S44) and Zisia Ojeisndiwoseodj (S42). Ivan Ivanov (S44) may also be ready to get the callup from the DSFL next year, but they are quite a ways behind their class TPE wise. Reynolds will likely still play down another season in the DSFL, as our OL bots have a much higher floor than a 2nd year player. But around year 3 the tradeoff looks doable.
(Grade: A - Offensive reloading continues. Reynolds will hold down a spot on the OLine as Chicago tries to tinker with the points machine. A great Duck as well!)
2.07 - BER - JJ What - @JJ5 - WR -
What an absolute steal for BER here in the middle of the second round. Using the pick gained from the GOAT TANKK trade during the previous draft, BER takes the WR1 of the future in JJ What. JJ has shown the drive to be a max earner, even if they came in right before last draft. They're earning well, have a league job *taking over for me as the NOR GM), and have plans to take the league by storm.
I think my biggest concern here is that WR isn't a massive need for BER at the moment, but this pick puts them on pace for contention in 3-4 seasons (maybe 2-3 depending on if the NSFC continues to be bad). Additionally, will JJ be okay being WR3 in their first season and presumably being in that role for an extended period of time behind Williams, Charles, and Creative-Name? Regardless, incredible value with this pick for Berlin.
(Grade: C - Two 1000+ TPE and Pitter Patter in the pipeline makes this a harder sell for me vs. nabbing another LB or CB.)
2.08 - YKW - - Lyle Robideaux - @Figgy - LB
Lyle is a fun player that has been tearing it up for Minnesota this year. While the LB1 Beanman has been having an MVP season, Robideaux is trying for a DROTY season. Lyle has 71 tackles, 7 TFL, 5 sacks, 1 interception, and 3 PDs for the North leading ducks. A jack of all trades, Lyle has 72 speed, 70 agility to pair with 64 endurance and 70 strength. While he may not blaze by the offensive line for a sack, he will not let opposing backs run by him. I truly believe that the Ducks would not be honking their way to #1 in the North had Lyle ended up on another team, he is THAT good! Figgy is quite active on the forums and turns in his tasks almost immediately after earning opportunities are posted. I have no doubt that Lyle would be a great addition to any team as the Wraith take a good fit.
(Grade: B - Not a ton of NEED on the roster, but the Wraiths are packed out at LB. Lyle is one of our best Ducks, but I don't think this is a fit here when you can grab Gunner to bolster DT -- but there isn't a ton of TPE value outside of LB at this point in the draft.)
2.09 CTC – - GoTo http://imnegs.net/ - @negs - DT -
GM Pick. This link gave my computer cyber-leprosy.
(Grade: GM)
2.10 SAR - Bean Beanman II - @Seymour - LB -
With Sarasota's first pick of the draft, they decide to go with a user who has a lot of history. Bean Beanman III is a strong LB candidate, a position that the Sarasota Sabrecats desperately need. This helps continue the Beanman family legacy, set by Bean Beanman and Bean Beanman II. He is top 5 in tpe for his position and gets drafted right after his dsfl linebacking partner. When told about being mocked to Sarasota and what it means, he responded emphatically saying
Quote:"Sure! The Beans are happy to continue the Beanman legacy in Sarasota. This reminds me of a good joke?He is clearly in very high spirits after seeing he gets to continue his family legacy in the ISFL. He seems like a consistent earner, who just puts his head down and plays. He doesn't seem to get involved as much in the discord as others, but his forum activity is noted. Sarasota should be ecstatic with a LB of this quality late into the second round.
Why did the vacationing mathematician go to Sarasota?
To work on his tan-gent!"
Grade: C - They also have Leopold Roy in the DSFL ranks, and unless there are position swaps in the future, this is a tough hang. SAR is pretty well-rounded, but Soul King Brook could be a good fit here.
2.11 - BAL - KC Gordon - @SwankyPants31 - LB -
GM Pick
Grade: GM
2.12 - BAL - Speed Hawk - @PMoney - LB -
Doubling up on LB here! I'm taking a second linebacker because this is maybe about where my LB tier starts drying up. Linebackers are always valuable, and being able to line up in 3-4 with Speed Hawk and KC Gordon should time up nicely with Sledge Hammer retiring. I think there is merit in saying that this is a luxury pick, but we've got 3 2nds, we can afford a little of that, plus, any star defensive player is worth their weight in gold.
Grade B: The GM pick makes this a little redundant you can't change that. A really solid linebacker pick in a team that could use an extra boost in a 3-4. Good pick.
2.13 - AZ - Upcetti Spaghetti - @Agent Chaos - LB -
After grabbing a LB in the first round, I think the draft opens up quite a bit for AZ. They could look to find their heir apparent to Donovan Winters under center, potentially add a RB to the mix to eventually help spell BMP and Nedelko, or, they may swing OL to shore up the full Human OLine and help their cap situation. However, I would argue that their LB core is so old that it needs all the help it can get. I have them talking Agent Chaos here as more assurance that the defense continues to excel while the offense is in its prime. If you wanted to argue another position, I'd be totally on board, but grabbing another max user at an impactful position is hard to pass up.
Grade: B - Similar to the write up, I keep looking at the board for a different pick -- but can't talk myself into a surefire alternative. A good value play.
2.14 - BAL - Soul King Brook - @TwoSocks - RB -
I think this is my second time taking Socks, maybe I'm showing who I like in the draft too much! With an IA 250 TPE RB behind Anakin, we've got an immediate Day 1 upgrade who'll probably shoot out of the DSFL in their first season.
Socks probably should have been the pick at 2.12 but I didn't think that Arizona would take a RB, but they'd be interested in an LB, leading to me being able to grab some ephemeral "draft equity".
Grade: A - I'm so mad at how good the draft is shaking out for the Hawks. Socks is a great user, and the end to end this slew of picks with a great RB is an awesome fit.
Round 3
3.01 - HON - Tyler Higbee II - @SensibleDictator - TE -
WOOOOOOOOO! TIGHT END DRAFTED! LETS GO! In all seriousness, the activity in the discord alone gets him drafted in the 3rd round. I understand that the tight end position is, realistically, the worst position apart from kicker and fullback. I also know that Higbee II will not switch positions so you are drafting a full on tight end. However, Higbee II has been the most active person in the discord since he joined. He smashed the chat record almost right as he joined. He is basically always online (kinda worrying). With Higbee II, you will basically guarantee yourself a max earner who will get T6 equipment purely from yap checks. Even though tight end as a whole is awful, I don't see a user of this caliber falling any further than the 3rd round. When told he got mocked to go to Honolulu in the 3rd round, Higbee II replied:
Quote: “It stinks that my value falls off purely because I am a tight end. However, I am looking to change that viewpoint. To all my fellow tight ends, join me in bringing respect back to our glorious position. Viva la revolucion and Roque 4 commish.”
Higbee II is adamant about the tight end position finally being respected. Not sure how this will affect his draft position. All I know is that Honolulu just found themselves another max earner. In my eyes, that marks the fourth from this class alone.
(Grade: A - SD's restraint to wait until the third round earns him an A. He'll make a great WR for Honolulu.)
3.02 - BER - Tony Scaletta - @Starboy - LB -
Another LB? I swear I have love for other positions, but this one felt too perfect to pass up. Starboy recently finished their career with Armor Queen and BER, and are potentially looking to go back there and help give the Fire Salamanders another run at the title. Obviously, as we've discussed earlier, LB is a big need for Berlin, so the pick here still makes a ton of sense, giving BER 2 max earning LBs to eventually take over the front 7 and completely remake the defense.
I could potentially see Berlin going another route, with Maurice Gunner still on the board at DT, or even looking to grab a another WR in Julian Rose. But so far, I think this has been a very solid draft for BER.
Grade: A - For two drafts in a row 3.02 may have my steal of the draft. Berlin's patience with LB nets them a huge value in the third round. A great user with GM experience, a boon to the locker room, and would insight to any warrom.
3.03 - NOLA - Maurice "Mo Money" Gunner - @agorka - DT -
Back again with this stacked young NOLA roster. We touched on the D-Line earlier in that only Liv will be regressing next season. Their massive TPE will still make them an effective DE, so regression doesn't mean an instant death for our group. But the D-Line could use a prospect here that can get a callup in 2 years to provide some depth. In S48, both Liv and Bruce White will be regressing. Again, they are both still going to be pretty elite even post-regression. But taking a D-line prospect here ensures NOLA has someone who can plug right in if the regression is too hard to keep up with. Also, if either of the other rostered D-Line go IA, it would be nice to have someone who can come in quickly. That's why I went with Mo here, as they were the best TPE available on the DL. They've shown activity since coming back from suspension, so this pick could be a steal long-term.
(Grade: C - Agorka is going to most likely be a highly involved user, which puts him in good company with the team that has the most GMs on it. However, they already have two DT's (S41 and S42) and there's probaby more value in snatching a WR to pair with Andre Benn in the future when Eli Prince hits deep regression.)
3.04 - :Yeti: COL :Yeti: - Julian Rose - @Gage2 - WR -
Luckily WR position in this draft class is very stacked so for third Colorado pick we can take WR Julian Rose, while their wide receivers corps situation isn't horrible with one veteran and one superstar in prime it definitely could be better and since their latest pick is probably not living up to the expectations. Veteran user Gage2, pretty active on discord, it remain to be seen if he'll keep dropping big bucks graphics but with steady cash and TPE earnings seems perfect choice this late in draft.
(Grade: A - Great job waiting on this by Araa. Gage is a high-value user that due to the depth of the position falls to third. A great pick to bolster the WR stable.)
3.05 - NYS Dason Dehorn - @modpro - CB -
I really wanted a CB for NYS, sure you can drop one of your 4 safeties into the CB spot, but you've still got problems at LB to fill then, just not enough bodies. Being able to take the top CB in the mid-earner section is fantastic, and I think that modpro is going to be more involved in the ISFL as they are in the Minny LR.
With this pick, I've shored up some of the biggest positions of need, and since no one has taken a QB yet, and with 4 big QBs in the draft, I'm very comfortable to wait until the top of the 4th to pick one.
This is a pretty good draft for NYS, I think we've gotten some fantastic users, but we'll also have to hit on the next draft to finish restocking the roster. It's going to be sad times for these DSFL teams as I expect a lot of immediate call-ups.
Grade: B - I get the hedge on LB, but I would still strike on the depth of the LBs in this class. Modpro is an active user, a good Duck, and a good value at this pick if you really think an LB is coming from within the roster.
3.06 - CHI - Long Snapper - @Gadget - OL -
When discussing CHI's earlier picks, I went into more detail between why we went WR first and OL second. I didn't quite address the rest of the roster. QB and K are both areas the Butchers need upgrades for, but K is likely not getting addressed this draft. The best K is under 100 TPE. QB options are awesome, but likely safe until round 4. So where else do the Butchers want youth? The secondary is aging a little bit but still avoiding regression for another season. There is also another Safety prospect ready to come up in Dewey Greenbeans (S44). We would need to make room for them as there are already 2 CBs and 3 S's rostered. None of the active S46 secondary is regressing but Greenbeans would be close in TPE to 2 of them. So adding more prospects there makes no sense. RB is another position that is well sorted thanks to Corey Trevor (S46) coming up next year to fill in as RB2 behind Jake Jefferson (S41). The Linebacker corps is the youngest position group on the whole roster, and this draft class has tons of good LBs. I would be happy to take one later, maybe even after we get our future QB. Believe it or not, I think I go OL again here and get Long Snapper, the TE who has been public about their intention to swap to OL. That gives the Butchers two solid OL prospects who could come up together in another season. The TPE tradeoff may not be exactly right to bring them both up at the same time. But this pick gives CHI some insurance to cover Ojeisndiwoseodj, Ivanov, and Reynolds in case any of those three fall behind in earning.
Grade: B - I don't hate it! If you think a WR will fall to later rounds, getting Gadget on the team is always a win.
3.07 - SAR - Anthony Simmons III - @Starchychaff - DT -
Anthony Simmons III is one of my favorite underrated users. He may not post a lot but you are guaranteed a glorious NFL mock draft. Simmons III fills in a desperate need at the defensive tackle position for the Sarasota Sabrecats. The only defensive tackle the Sabrecats currently have has a contract that expires at the end of this season. Simmons III will serve as their replacement and the DT for the future. This also keeps the defensive tackle and linebacker pair for the Minnesota Bird Dogs together in the ISFL with Simmons III here and Beanman III in the 2nd round. These 2 should continue to mesh together nicely in the ISFL. After being told he was mocked to go to Sarasota in the 3rd round, Simmons III replied "going in the third round is a bit disappointing however that just means teams over looked me and I have to work harder to prove myself, in terms of the team I don't know much about Saratoga however I believe if they want me I will give 110% to prove why I was worth it." Simmons III seems like he would be slightly disappointed but would only use this for motivation. I would expect him to have a bedside notebook with all of the players drafted ahead of him in it that he reads every night.
(Grade: B - A really solid pick. Starchy is a good Duck and, as the write-up noted, LOVES a mock draft. I hope he agrees with his spot in this mock draft.)
3.08 - YKW - D’Glester Hardunkichud - @ConnorM123 - LB -
Back to back linebackers! Am I losing my mind? Possibly. Do I think it's the best fit for what remains? Yeah absolutely. Do I think Connor should have picked a name that isn't going to be a pain to commentate on in the ISFL fastest recaps? Yeah >:[ Connor has been around for 4 years now and is a great users that you don't have to worry about going inactive. Even if he may not be the best ideal fit, as the Wraith just took a LB, his activity is more important. Hardunkichefcurryud has 64 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks, and 4 PDs. He is a powerful partner next to Beard for Kansas City's defense. While I'm not 100% sure he'll be available at this pick in the actual draft, I do know that the Wraith would be thrilled to pick him here!
Grade: D - THE GRADES WILL GO DOWN UNTIL YOU STOP PICKING LINEBACKERS! A WR would have been my pick here to hedge against some of the IA/lower earning WR still on the roster. Thank God YKW is out of picks for this mock so someone else can draft a Linebacker. [ConnorM -- this is not your fault. You deserve to flourish on a team that doesn't already have 5 LBs].)
3.09 – CTC - South West - @Honoredmexican - LB -
The Crash have a solid LB corps as-is, but there's never a bad time to prepare for the future. South West is an absolute steal at 3.09 and according to SeaWolves GM Tmoney, "everyone, including myself, should be ashamed of themselves for letting him fall so far. Brad Woof is a genius." A powerful and correct statement.
South West is a great pick for the future of the Crash. Current LBs Onyxgut and Willis aren't quite at the point of regression and still have a few seasons left before we start to see any drop-off, so West has the luxury of time to develop and gain TPE before being called up. I would expect a couple of seasons in the DSFL still for West, but once the Crash are ready to move on him, he and Juran Riley will be firing on all cylinders and CTC won't have lost a step on defense.
Grade: C - There are only two rostered WRs and the DSFL call-ups aren't earning at a strong clip. Pulling a WR at this point would be a better leverage play for the roster, even if they have a lower TPE than the LBs.
3.10 - HON - Jonathan Irons - @jadda123876 - WR -
Honolulu picks up another weapon on the offensive side of the ball to build around. Jonathan Irons has been a consistent earner so far, yet again with max earner potential. That is the biggest part of this Honolulu draft, going after the best earners possible with each pick. Somebody who stops at 500 isn't going to be good enough for a possible future Ultimus. They need elite talent and they need it now. Irons gets to join his TE at Portland right now, Tyler Higbee II, at Honolulu. There seems to be a great connection between those 2, with rumors of an attempted gameday hosting together but Higbee II being unable to do so. With a receiving room of Teresa de la Rosa, Higbee II, and Irons, Honolulu should be good at those positions for many seasons to come unless they feel the need to add a WR3. Irons, after being informed of where he was mocked to, stated "Huh?". Irons is clearly confused on what led to his fall into the late 3rd round. However, Honolulu and Icebear don't question it and take Irons here in the 3rd.
(Grade - A: I had this grade as something lower until I realized that Hon is pretty much replacing their entire WR room. Higbee better practice running routes.)
3.11 – AUS - Meo Stickyhands-McGee - @dhoop - WR -
I've played sim with dhoop before and he would be an absolute gem with Austin. Meo has had an up and down season primarily due to being paired with one of the best receivers in the league who deserves all her targets. Meo still managed 46 receptions for 580 yards and 4 touchdowns. A strong mix of speed, agility, and hands allows Meo to secure targets with ease. While he may not blow by the defense he has great footwork that allows him to get open for some beautiful YAC. Speaking of YAC, when I was a kid I thought it was YAK as in the animal. Fun fact about yaks, while the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, yak milk is the powerhouse of the milk industry. It contains more amino acids, calcium, and vitamin A than cow's milk. Meo will use his Stickyhands to milk some yards and receptions out of the defense en route to a smart route for multiple touchdowns. Congrats Austin, you got a great Ally.
(Grade: A - THEY PULLED IT OFF! I talked a lot of cash in round one about not drafting a WR, and they did two rounds later. Apologies, Walter.)
3.12 - OCO - Brandon Johnson - @roastfuego - RB -
Second pick comes for the Otters late in third round. Their current star RB1 will stay in this position for a good few more seasons but I think it's a good time to think about the future since their second RB will soon blink out of existence being S35 with 250 TPE and their receiving corps is pretty solid and they still may snatch a decent WR or TE later, meanwhile RB class is not that deep this season. That's why we're going with Brandon. Returning veteran roastfuego, who joined late this season but looks to be pretty active, getting those discord, media and graphics money. Let's just hope he doesn't lose all his money in casino.
(Grade: B - This is a good spot to grab a RB and RoastFuego is making a splash on the discord and forum scene. Gives Reg a breather, allows him to be RB1, and creates a succession plan for the future.)
3.13 - AZ - Puddles O'Duck - @Z-Whiz - QB -
Finally, a non-LB, and it might just be one of the most unsurprising picks of the draft. Z-whiz would be a great fit for AZ, and I believe has some history there, so it's a matchmade in heaven. Winters probably has 3-4 seasons of solid play left, which is just enough time for AZ to groom a QB down in the DSFL to eventually take their place.
I think the real question for this pick is when does it happen? I have it occurring late in the third simply because it was a layup of a pick and wanted to make sure I covered the major bases for AZ. Realistically though, I don't think this occurs until much later in the draft, potentially at the end of round 4. Either way, a great add by AZ to ensure that there's no lapse in talent for when Winters eventually retires.
(Grade: A - Okay, I haven't been here long enough to know when QBs go in the ISFL draft. However, the late 3rd feels like a good spot to get your guy when there aren't a ton of holes to fill or no-brainer picks around. Also, while I'm new here, I think it's safe to say that Z-Whiz has "some history" with AZ.)
3.14 - SJS - Dee Fernandez - @fetty- WR -
Dee Fernandez is my insurance against Diego Lopez de Castillo leaving in FA after being placed on the trade block. There are some great users left, I was looking at Bunny or Honorius Salvator in the safety spot but no top OL left and being able to make a safe hedge makes me happy. I'm excited about Fetty and finding them a spot in a great Baltimore team.
Kronkowski falling out of the 3rd round is more a testament to the position and the fact that we aren't looking at position swaps in this draft. Higbee should also go undrafted :dogekek:
(Grade: B - A good pick to hedge your bets on FA attrition! No grade on the TE shade.)
I have no idea if we'll do this again without getting hit with a leak penalty -- but who knows!
Thanks for reading! Direct all concerns and issues with the Mock to the Hudz Presser!