With the recent change from a 13 game NSFL season to a 16 game NSFL season, there are plenty of records that recently looked unbreakable, but are now suddenly potentially within reach. One of those records is the career record for pass deflections. The current record is 249, held by hall of famer Dermot Lavelle. Until recently, this record seemed to be completely untouchable. No other player has ever even reached 200 career PDs (though S13 draftee Johnny Snuggles is threatening to change that). In fact, 2nd on the all time list is Marc Spector, with 187 in his career – 62 fewer than Lavelle. Lavelle played a full 13 season career (14 game seasons) and averaged 1.37 pass deflections per game over his career. For reference, only four players averaged more per game last season. As if this record wasn’t hard enough to break, the NSFL switched from 14 game seasons to 13 game seasons back in S16. This meant that in order to reach 250 career PDs, a player would need to average 1.48 PDs per game.
And that’s only in the case of a player that gets called up to play in the NSFL in their draft season, and goes on to play a full 13 season career before retiring. Let’s consider the more common scenario of a player that spends their draft season down in the DSFL, and then retires after playing 10 seasons in the NSFL. This player would be expected to average (slightly) more PDs per game, due to the fact that they would be spending less seasons in the NSFL with a low TPE total (their rookie season and high regression seasons at the end of their career). However, because of the lost seasons, this player would need to average an impossible 1.92 PDs per game in their career. No player has managed to do this in just a single season since S19.
Now that the season has been extended to 16 games, let’s see just how attainable this record has become. Let’s first consider the case of a player that plays 10 seasons in the NSFL. This player would need to average 1.56 PDs per game. This is a mark that two or three players seem to reach each season, though over an entire career is likely not possible. In fact, no active player is averaging over 1.5 PDs per game. Now let’s look at a player that players as long as the possibly can – 13 seasons. This player would need to average a much more achievable 1.20 pass deflections per game for their career. While still not easy, this is definitely possible. There are six active players that are currently averaging this to this point in their career – Tyler Oles Jr, Magnus Valdyr, AJ Lattimer, Zamir Kehla, Osiris Firestorm-Fjord, and Eldrick Avery. However, only one of them, AJ Lattimer, entered the league before S22 (technically Osiris Firestorm-Fjord did as well, but his only season in the NSFL before S22 was played as a tight end so that doesn’t count). This goes to show, that while it may not be so difficult to maintain this average for a season or two, it is much more difficult to do so over the course of an entire career. It is worth noting that 10 season NSFL veteran Johnny Snuggles just barely missed joining the six at 1.20 PDs per game or more. At this point in his career, he is just 2 pass deflections shy of 1.20 per game. While Snuggles will certainly make a run at 200 career PDs, due to the short seasons he played throughout his career, he is unlikely to approach 250.
The current active leader in career PDs per game is Tyler Oles Jr. With 35 PDs thus far in 24 games, Oles Jr is averaging an impressive 1.46 PDs per game. If he managed to maintain this pace, he would finish his career with a ridiculous 303 pass deflections (assuming he played the full 13 seasons). In fact, at this rate he would manage to break 250 for his career in just 11 seasons. Taking all of this into account, and considering all the active, high TPE earning corners that have been drafted from S21 – S23, the better question might be when, rather than if, someone reaches 250 career PDs to dethrone Lavelle.
Here’s a full list of active leaders for career pass deflections. Career games played and pass deflections per game are listed as well. Every active player with at least 1 PD in their career should be listed, but I’m sure I’ve made some mistakes in there somewhere.
![[Image: Qw59EB5.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Qw59EB5.png)
And that’s only in the case of a player that gets called up to play in the NSFL in their draft season, and goes on to play a full 13 season career before retiring. Let’s consider the more common scenario of a player that spends their draft season down in the DSFL, and then retires after playing 10 seasons in the NSFL. This player would be expected to average (slightly) more PDs per game, due to the fact that they would be spending less seasons in the NSFL with a low TPE total (their rookie season and high regression seasons at the end of their career). However, because of the lost seasons, this player would need to average an impossible 1.92 PDs per game in their career. No player has managed to do this in just a single season since S19.
Now that the season has been extended to 16 games, let’s see just how attainable this record has become. Let’s first consider the case of a player that plays 10 seasons in the NSFL. This player would need to average 1.56 PDs per game. This is a mark that two or three players seem to reach each season, though over an entire career is likely not possible. In fact, no active player is averaging over 1.5 PDs per game. Now let’s look at a player that players as long as the possibly can – 13 seasons. This player would need to average a much more achievable 1.20 pass deflections per game for their career. While still not easy, this is definitely possible. There are six active players that are currently averaging this to this point in their career – Tyler Oles Jr, Magnus Valdyr, AJ Lattimer, Zamir Kehla, Osiris Firestorm-Fjord, and Eldrick Avery. However, only one of them, AJ Lattimer, entered the league before S22 (technically Osiris Firestorm-Fjord did as well, but his only season in the NSFL before S22 was played as a tight end so that doesn’t count). This goes to show, that while it may not be so difficult to maintain this average for a season or two, it is much more difficult to do so over the course of an entire career. It is worth noting that 10 season NSFL veteran Johnny Snuggles just barely missed joining the six at 1.20 PDs per game or more. At this point in his career, he is just 2 pass deflections shy of 1.20 per game. While Snuggles will certainly make a run at 200 career PDs, due to the short seasons he played throughout his career, he is unlikely to approach 250.
The current active leader in career PDs per game is Tyler Oles Jr. With 35 PDs thus far in 24 games, Oles Jr is averaging an impressive 1.46 PDs per game. If he managed to maintain this pace, he would finish his career with a ridiculous 303 pass deflections (assuming he played the full 13 seasons). In fact, at this rate he would manage to break 250 for his career in just 11 seasons. Taking all of this into account, and considering all the active, high TPE earning corners that have been drafted from S21 – S23, the better question might be when, rather than if, someone reaches 250 career PDs to dethrone Lavelle.
Here’s a full list of active leaders for career pass deflections. Career games played and pass deflections per game are listed as well. Every active player with at least 1 PD in their career should be listed, but I’m sure I’ve made some mistakes in there somewhere.
![[Image: 8pzdMpM.png]](https://i.imgur.com/8pzdMpM.png)
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