05-11-2021, 05:17 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-13-2021, 04:11 PM by UltimateYeehaw.)
I have edited the post as I had Baltimore Hawks picking a Quarterback on 10, but as is mentioned in the article, that spot is being filled by Frick_Nasty and his recreate. As such, I have reworked picks 10-14.
I saw no major changes, but wanted to include this note if you're reading again.
When I started thinking about this media it was to be about the upcoming DSFL draft and what each of the 8 DSFL teams would need. However, I realised I would not be able to do that without looking at the ISFL teams and their needs with draft and call-ups. So, I figured why not make a media where I am way out of my league in terms of knowledge of the league and predict what each ISFL team would take for their draft first. I have been working on the piece for a few days and I hope I managed to include any new developments that came around.
I have not taken any personal relations into account here, so there may be some that are completely wrong, I have tried to account for GMs and co-GMs by using the ISFL Official Jobs List (https://forums.sim-football.com/showthread.php?tid=59), I hope I have not let anyone fall through the cracks... All the teams with a recreating GM or co-GM have a 2nd round pick, so I will assume those will be used on the recreating GM.
To make some sense of the positioning, I have used below as a baseline for what each team would need and want in terms of players.
Offense: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, and if complete 1-5 OL
Defence: 2 DT, 2 DE, 3 LB, 2 CB, and 2 S. Then the other 1-2 players can be flexible
With all the above said and done, welcome to my ISFL team review and (most likely) completely wrong mock draft where I pretend and try to be smart by looking at rosters and prospects. I am completely out of my depth and I have realised that more and more as I have done the review of the teams. It has not been uncommon for me to question my sanity and the project I tried to take on having been in the league around a week. Additionally, I have never been a GM, nor have I been in a war room, so I could (probably) be looking at it the wrong way around.
I have sorted the teams in order the appear on the home page, it could have been better to do by pick, but I am already done when adding this part, so I feel I have put enough time into this by now.
If I should point out any obvious flaws in my reviews, it is the lack of the personal relations aspect, but with my lack of knowledge about the league, the relative difficulty to find history on some teams when there was no Team Information page and the wiki not having old GMs etc I just could not include anything like that.
I welcome any comments on where and why I am wrong, and I doubt I will use this as the complete guide for my own mock draft.
Enough blabbering let’s start with the review!
Baltimore Hawks
First round picks: 1st, 3rd, 10th & 13th
GMs Hallmonitor_20 and Frick_Nasty find themselves in a position where they struggle as they are lowest team in each TPE category. They have traded picks so now they do have 4 first round picks for the upcoming draft and should be able to secure some good talent! They also have a relatively young team, only 4 of their players just hitting regression (after Dermot Lavelle Jr. retired after a long career).
Looking at their team, they are sitting comfortably on most positions, they could do with picking up another Wide Receiver as they only have 2 there. However, with the 2 Tight Ends they have, it is not a strict need but as the 2nd Tight End, Donatello Arrabiata, is inactive and will with regression be down at around 290 TPE which is in line with the top earners for the draft class. So, I would not be surprised for them to pick up a Tight End early. Their Quarterback, Luke Skywalker, is another inactive and while his 733 TPE post regression is still ahead of the current class, that position is secured though as they will pick co-GM Frick_Nasty, most likely in the 2nd round per the GM Draft rule. They have no active players on the Offensive Line but have used bots so far, and with no Offensive Line prospects high up in the TPE ranking, I do not think it is something they will target early.
With all above, I think Baltimore Hawks will go into the draft looking for 1 Tight End and then Best Pick available to fill up on prospects to secure their future.
So, for the first pick of the draft, my prediction is: Lip Gallagher – Cornerback
I would have guessed Chevvy Bronko here had it not been for his weak bank account, I think they will go for fever95 who’s top TPE and has also shown he can earn money to secure training and with that future TPE.
The question I have for pick 1/3, is if Baltimore will select Quinton Crash already at 1st and bet that New Orleans Second Line will not pick Lip Gallagher in 2nd and in that way boost their Wide Receiver pool and have someone step into the roster early, or if they will stick Lip in 1st and then move to best available. I do not think they will take the gamble and with that Lip remains first.
For their 2nd pick, 3rd overall I think they will look at Running Backs Dante King & Jay Cue Jr. and the Linebacker Marcus Jones. All three have solid bank accounts and are close in TPE, so it will probably be scouting or personal relations that will be the deciding factor. I am leaning towards Marcus Jones as he is the Linebacker with the best bank and there are other Running Backs coming later that have solid banks are not too far behind TPE wise.
The following picks, pick 10 & 13 will depend more on what the other teams ahead pick, but my predictions based on my below assessments are (skip below if you want to read in order to see why certain players are available):
With the available players I think the Baltimore Hawks will take a Tight End on 10 to replace the previously mentioned inactive Donatello Arrabiata. The best available Tight End for the Baltimore Hawks is Gronku Muerto.
For 13th, I could see the Baltimore Hawks taking another Linebacker, but I think they will try to widen their position coverage and will as such take Kicker / Punter Jean-Jacques Leroy
Pick 1: Lip Gallagher – Cornerback
Pick 3: Marcus Jones – Linebacker
Pick 10: Gronku Muerto – Tight End
Pick 13: Jean-Jacques Leroy – Kicker / Punter
Berlin Fire Salamanders
First round picks: 11th
Berlin Fire Salamanders GM pair Highhaschdi and Dewalt27 has assembled a squad that’s high mid-range for TPE totals, both offensively and defensively. They have a solid, but aging, roster with no real gaps in the roster. Berlin Fire Salamanders only have one S27 and one S26 on their roster with the remainder older players. Their prospect pool, which at first glance looks healthy, is mostly low earning or inactive, the 3 top earners are all Quarterbacks, leaving them with a potential rebuild time in a few seasons. They have Dewalts player, the Defensive Tackle, Conner Craig Jr. as a recreate that they will take with their 2nd round pick.
With their own 1st round pick at 11th place, they are not looking for anything specific but to boost their prospect pool and will most likely pick best player available once it is their turn to pick. The choice will most likely be between Linebackers Tre’ Mendus Johnson and David Frank, Quarterback Kazimir Oles JR and Defensive End Lucid Dreams. With their QB situation sorted with the S28 Quarterback Dexter Zaylren, I think it will fall on scouting and relations for the Linebacker.
For their first pick, 11th overall, my prediction is: Tre’ Mendus Johnson – Linebacker
Chicago Butchers
First round picks: 5th
The GM pair for Chicago Butchers, Bayley and TheCC, has a large complete roster with 24 signed players out of their 27 on the roster. The core of the team is nearing regression and not too many young players to fill the gaps.
They could do with a new Running Back, as both their older Running Backs are inactive, that gap will be filled by picking up Bayleys S29 Running Back, Rejoignez LOrdreSombre, in round 2. S21 Tight End Tree Gelbman has signed for the season post regression and will remain competitive and the team’s first choice. Inactive Daniel George does not have an active contract and as such Tight End is where I can see the team looking to pick someone up during the draft. Both to secure someone for upcoming season as Tree Gelbman only signed a 1 year contract, but also to secure it for seasons to come.
I could also see them picking up a Quarterback or a Cornerback, but I would think that’s lower priority and would as such come in the later rounds. As there are 4 available Tight End players for their pick Gronku Muerto, who is slightly ahead but with a negative bank balance, Chevvy Bronko, Joey Marston and Buffalo Hunter. I think they will go for Joey Marston due to him having a slightly healthier bank account than the 2 players with slightly more TPE. Also, he is a known face for Bayley from the SHL, so while he is new in ISFL, I think that will tip the scales in his favour.
My prediction for their first pick, 7th overall is: Joey Marston – Tight End
Colorado Yeti
First round picks: 7th
Colorado Yetis GM duo, Sylphreni and SchwarzNarr has assembled a solid roster. They have a few active prospects already that can be called up to replace aging players, but it looks like it is lacking on the Defensive Tackle and Wide Receiver positions. Especially after their Defensive Tackle pick last season, Henrik Von Pigeon has gone inactive.
Offensive Line Dorfus Jimbo Jr retired this offseason and will as such play one last season with the team, but I do not foresee replacing that position to be a 1st round pick. Another factor to my belief he will not be replaced by a 1st round pick is Sylphrenis Offensive Line player, Emperor de Pengu, who will be drafted during the 2nd round.
Recent retirement announcement by Kicker Silver Banana leaves the team without a rostered Kicker for the season, as they do not have anyone to fill his shoes in their prospect pool either. First available Kicker in the draft is Jean-Jacques Leroy, but I don’t think they will look to fill the position with their first pick.
I believe they will look at a Tight End, Defensive Tackle, or a Wide Receiver for their pick at 7th, first available Defensive Tackle for their pick is Will "Brick Wall" Smyth and Wide Receiver is Ivan Toastovich and I could see them stretching to pick either of those up with their pick. They might also take a shot at Chevvy Bronko who has been left unpicked so far, much due to his weaker bank account. Or they will look at one of the 2 Tight Ends not too far behind, Gronku Muerto and Buffalo Hunter.
My prediction for their first pick, 7th overall is: Buffalo Hunter – Tight End
Philadelphia Liberty
First round picks: 4th
Punter715 and ShnarlyDude has picked well and has 4 active prospects, which is lucky as they have lost 3 Running Backs in the offseason. The remainder of the roster is in a relatively good spot with most positions filled and most player a few seasons from regression. With their 4th pick in the first round, I could see them looking for a Defensive Tackle as the only have 1 active, Honky-Tonk Haywood, but unfortunately for the Philadelphia Liberty there are no available Defensive Tackles among the top 20 prospects TPE wise.
As such, with the loss of 3 Running Backs, I would not be surprised to see them pick up one of the 2 Running Backs we have spoken about earlier, Dante King and Jay Cue Jr. again, I believe the choice will be down to scouting and personal relations. So, I am going with Dante King for 4th pick.
My prediction for their first pick, 4th ovarall is: Dante King - Running Back
Sarasota Sailfish
Sarasota Sailfish’s GMs Frostbite and sakrosankt does not have a first round pick so I will not predict who they will take, I will however look at the team and try to predict what positions they will be looking at when it comes to their turn to draft!
The Sailfish has only one Defensive Tackle in their organization, S22 player Fawn Dillmiballs, and it would be beneficial for them to be able to pick up another Defensive Tackle during the draft. Should that not be possible, they are not really struggling for anything and will probably just default to whatever player they have had the best interaction with, be it scouting now or old, know, players.
Yellowknife Wraiths
First round picks: 14th
Our current Ultimus Champion, the Yellowknife Wraiths are led by GMs flyeaglesfly29 and PMoney. I think first order of thins demands a congratulations for the title win!
The Yellowknife Wraiths is yet another team that has some holes in the roster after the season and they only have 2 Wide Receivers and 1 Defensive Tackle. While the Wraiths do have 3 Linebackers, they find themselves facing a situation where their prospect Luke Watterson is lower in TPE than the best available prospects.
Given the lack of Wide Receivers and best available Defensive Tackle being Will "Brick Wall" Smyth at 188 TPE, whereas the Linebackers available are Tre’ Mendus Johnson with 247 TPE and David Frank at 233 TPE. I think they will be tempted by the Brick Wall as there are more Linebackers available for later picks and there really are not too many Defensive Tackles available.
My prediction for their first pick, 14th overall: Will "Brick Wall" Smyth – Defensive Tackle
Arizona Outlaws
First round picks: 12th
GMs Z-Whiz and Crunk were hard hit with retirements, finding themselves with no Tight Ends and only 1 Defensive End, Glenn Smart who they will most likely call up. Additionally, they have 2 Kickers in their prospect pool and will call up one of them to take the spot of retired J.J. “Jay” Jay-Jaymison. Apart from the 2 mentioned missing positions, they are in a relatively good spot.
Looking at the available prospect pool when it is their turn, the top 2 TPE wise are Linebackers, a position where they currently have 4 players, 2 older and 1 inactive, but not the priority for the first round. That leaves Defensive End Lucid Dreams as the third highest TPE prospect.
With all said and done, I think the availability of the Defensive End Lucid Dreams as one of the best picks available will be what sways them and makes them take a Defensive End with their first round pick.
My prediction for their first pick, 12th overall is: Lucid Dreams – Defensive End
Austin Copperheads
The GMs for Austin Copperheads Amidships and Kyle does not have a first round pick so I will not predict who they will take, I will however look at the team and try to predict what positions they will be looking at when it comes to their turn to draft!
Unlike most other teams, they have enough Defensive Tackles in their pool of players. The Copperheads have a relatively complete team without major (obvious) holes. Should it be something they would prioritize I think it’d be a Defensive End as both of their current Defensive Ends are S22 and Slinky Claxton being inactive will force him to retire in a not too distant future. Otherwise, it would probably be a Linebacker as their 3 current rostered players are nearing or just hit regression. But it is definitely a good season for the Copperheads to not have a first round pick.
Honolulu Hahalua
First round picks: 8th
Honolulu Hahalua GMs Attopax and siddhus find themselves without a clear starting Quarterback after Chika Bombs retired after the conclusion of the season. They are sitting with only 2 Wide Receivers in the organization, so like many of the other teams they could use another one. With only 1 Tight End, I could see them adding another Tight End in the draft as there is a lack of Wide Receivers in the draft. The 2 most interesting Tight Ends remaining are Chevvy Bronko and Gronku Muerto. The Hahalua have 3 Defensive Tackles in their organisation, and with Big Edd hitting regression it is another area they could benefit to pick up a prospect, had there been any early. They only have 3 Linebackers with Griffin Porter being inactive, combine that with 2 of the top remaining prospects being Linebackers it is definitely a direction I can see them go.
Running Back Tristian Hex is starting to regress and the Hahaluas only Running Back in the prospect pool is seemingly inactive. With that a Running Back is something I believe they will pick up during the draft, but not with their first pick.
My prediction for their first pick, 8th overall is: Sam Squanch - Linebacker
New Orleans Second Line
1st round picks: 2nd
After New Orleans Second Lines only Tight End, Austin McCormick, announced his retirement, GMs ddrector and Mithrandir was in a position where they had no Tight End available in the team or in the prospect pool. Luckily, Wide Receiver Adam C. Spencer stepped up and announced he would fill the position and swap from WR to TE. With that issue solved they still have the issue of only 1 Defensive Tackle, but much like Philadelphia Liberty the lack of high earning Defensive Tackles will probably mean they will wait to pick up another one until the later rounds.
The Second Line has active prospects to call up on quite 4 different positions and are with that in a relatively good spot. As ddrector recently recreated and his Cornerback, Sir Peter Jackson, among the top TPE earners they do not need to worry there yet. With McCormicks move to Tight End, the team has 2 WR, both getting older. Therefore, I could see them looking at a Wide Receiver in the next draft. Luckily for the Second Line, there is one available to them, Quinton Crash. I could see them looking at the 2 available Running Backs, Dante King and Jay Cue Jr. but as they already have 2 RB prospects, they will pass on them. Linebacker Marcus Jones could also be of interest, but I believe with their current LB players being a few seasons from regression, he will not be picked 2nd overall.
My prediction for their first pick, 2nd overall is: Quinton Crash – Wide Receiver
New York Silverbacks
New York Silverbacks GMs zaynzk and TheRocheLimit does not have a first round pick so I will not predict who they will take, I will however look at the team and try to predict what positions they will be looking at when it comes to their turn to draft!
The Silverbacks have a relatively complete roster without any obvious holes. One of the positions they will probably be watching closely is Kicker / Punter as their current prospect Rotor Wash is inactive and current rostered player Dougie Smalls is S21. It would also be beneficial if they could find a Defensive Tackle, but with the current draft pool, I do not think that is too likely.
Orange County Otters
First round picks: 6th
GMs Blasoon and Memento Mori has a full roster with few inactive players, most notably is that 2 of their Running Backs are fully or semi inactive as well as losing 2 of their Safety players this off season, with Prince Vegeta playing another season prior to his retirement. They have a few prospects ready to be called up, Offensive Lineman Maiteers Rico-Shea and Cornerback Anton Bruckner being the 2 with highest TPE. While the Orange County Otters do have 3 Running Backs, neither of the 3 is very high TPE, and with Jeffrey Phillips being inactive I could see them looking for a Running Back. Luckily for them, based on my other assessments they will have a Running Back waiting for them, Jay Cue Jr. While I think they will be looking for a Safety and potentially a Offensive Line, there are no options that would warrant passing on the previously mentioned Running Back.
My prediction for their first pick, 6th overall is: Jay Cue Jr. – Running Back
San Jose SaberCats
First round picks: 9th
Our final team in this review, San Jose SaberCats, led by GMs ckroyal92 and Matty7478 find themselves with only 17 players under contract for the upcoming season, and while they do have most positions mostly covered, they need a Wide Receiver, a Defensive End and a Defensive Tackle. To add to their woes, Running Back Jameson Vermillion is inactive and Jamar Lackson, while good for many seasons to come, has hit regression. The Sabercats need quantity rather than quality right now to secure a strong team going forward.
San Joses only Tight End prospect is inactive, and their starting Tight End James Lewandowski is already 2 seasons into regression. With that and the players available, I think they will look at the available Tight Ends for the first round pick.
Given the available prospects when it’s their turn to pick, I think they will take the chance on previously overlooked Chevvy Bronko as he has already overtaken the inactive Bobby Tarantino in TPE.
My prediction for their first pick, 9th overall is: Chevvy Bronko – Tight End
This concludes my review of all the teams and the first round of the draft. I’m looking forward to the results that will be announced on Thursday the 13th of May!
Finally, the list of the mock draft prediction:
1 – Baltimore Hawks: Lip Gallagher – Cornerback
2 – New Orleans Secondline: Quinton Crash Wide Receiver
3 – Baltimore Hawks: Marcus Jones - Linebacker
4 – Philadelphia Liberty: Dante King – Running Back
5 – Chicago Butchers: Joey Marston – Tight End
6 – Orange County Otters: Jay Cue Jr. – Running Back
7 – Colorado Yeti: Buffalo Hunter – Tight End
8 – Honolulu Hahalua: Sam Squanch - Linebacker
9 – San Jose Sabercats: Chevvy Bronko – Tight End
10 – Baltimore Hawks: Gronku Muerto – Tight End
11 – Berlin Fire Salamanders: Tre’ Mendus Johnson – Linebacker
12 – Arizona Outlaws: Lucid Dreams – Defensive End
13 – Baltimore Hawks: Jean-Jacques Leroy – Kicker / Punter
14 – Yellowknife Wraiths: Will "Brick Wall" Smyth – Defensive Tackle
I used the TPE Tracker, the bank spreadsheet, budget sheet to compile all into an excel which I then filtered:
Top 50 S29 prospects ranked by TPE
I do have the Excel sheet if anyone is interested, just ping me on Discord!
Any questions, concerns, or comments, please do let me know!
krazko
I saw no major changes, but wanted to include this note if you're reading again.
When I started thinking about this media it was to be about the upcoming DSFL draft and what each of the 8 DSFL teams would need. However, I realised I would not be able to do that without looking at the ISFL teams and their needs with draft and call-ups. So, I figured why not make a media where I am way out of my league in terms of knowledge of the league and predict what each ISFL team would take for their draft first. I have been working on the piece for a few days and I hope I managed to include any new developments that came around.
I have not taken any personal relations into account here, so there may be some that are completely wrong, I have tried to account for GMs and co-GMs by using the ISFL Official Jobs List (https://forums.sim-football.com/showthread.php?tid=59), I hope I have not let anyone fall through the cracks... All the teams with a recreating GM or co-GM have a 2nd round pick, so I will assume those will be used on the recreating GM.
To make some sense of the positioning, I have used below as a baseline for what each team would need and want in terms of players.
Offense: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, and if complete 1-5 OL
Defence: 2 DT, 2 DE, 3 LB, 2 CB, and 2 S. Then the other 1-2 players can be flexible
With all the above said and done, welcome to my ISFL team review and (most likely) completely wrong mock draft where I pretend and try to be smart by looking at rosters and prospects. I am completely out of my depth and I have realised that more and more as I have done the review of the teams. It has not been uncommon for me to question my sanity and the project I tried to take on having been in the league around a week. Additionally, I have never been a GM, nor have I been in a war room, so I could (probably) be looking at it the wrong way around.
I have sorted the teams in order the appear on the home page, it could have been better to do by pick, but I am already done when adding this part, so I feel I have put enough time into this by now.
If I should point out any obvious flaws in my reviews, it is the lack of the personal relations aspect, but with my lack of knowledge about the league, the relative difficulty to find history on some teams when there was no Team Information page and the wiki not having old GMs etc I just could not include anything like that.
I welcome any comments on where and why I am wrong, and I doubt I will use this as the complete guide for my own mock draft.
Enough blabbering let’s start with the review!
Baltimore Hawks
First round picks: 1st, 3rd, 10th & 13th
GMs Hallmonitor_20 and Frick_Nasty find themselves in a position where they struggle as they are lowest team in each TPE category. They have traded picks so now they do have 4 first round picks for the upcoming draft and should be able to secure some good talent! They also have a relatively young team, only 4 of their players just hitting regression (after Dermot Lavelle Jr. retired after a long career).
Looking at their team, they are sitting comfortably on most positions, they could do with picking up another Wide Receiver as they only have 2 there. However, with the 2 Tight Ends they have, it is not a strict need but as the 2nd Tight End, Donatello Arrabiata, is inactive and will with regression be down at around 290 TPE which is in line with the top earners for the draft class. So, I would not be surprised for them to pick up a Tight End early. Their Quarterback, Luke Skywalker, is another inactive and while his 733 TPE post regression is still ahead of the current class, that position is secured though as they will pick co-GM Frick_Nasty, most likely in the 2nd round per the GM Draft rule. They have no active players on the Offensive Line but have used bots so far, and with no Offensive Line prospects high up in the TPE ranking, I do not think it is something they will target early.
With all above, I think Baltimore Hawks will go into the draft looking for 1 Tight End and then Best Pick available to fill up on prospects to secure their future.
So, for the first pick of the draft, my prediction is: Lip Gallagher – Cornerback
I would have guessed Chevvy Bronko here had it not been for his weak bank account, I think they will go for fever95 who’s top TPE and has also shown he can earn money to secure training and with that future TPE.
The question I have for pick 1/3, is if Baltimore will select Quinton Crash already at 1st and bet that New Orleans Second Line will not pick Lip Gallagher in 2nd and in that way boost their Wide Receiver pool and have someone step into the roster early, or if they will stick Lip in 1st and then move to best available. I do not think they will take the gamble and with that Lip remains first.
For their 2nd pick, 3rd overall I think they will look at Running Backs Dante King & Jay Cue Jr. and the Linebacker Marcus Jones. All three have solid bank accounts and are close in TPE, so it will probably be scouting or personal relations that will be the deciding factor. I am leaning towards Marcus Jones as he is the Linebacker with the best bank and there are other Running Backs coming later that have solid banks are not too far behind TPE wise.
The following picks, pick 10 & 13 will depend more on what the other teams ahead pick, but my predictions based on my below assessments are (skip below if you want to read in order to see why certain players are available):
With the available players I think the Baltimore Hawks will take a Tight End on 10 to replace the previously mentioned inactive Donatello Arrabiata. The best available Tight End for the Baltimore Hawks is Gronku Muerto.
For 13th, I could see the Baltimore Hawks taking another Linebacker, but I think they will try to widen their position coverage and will as such take Kicker / Punter Jean-Jacques Leroy
Pick 1: Lip Gallagher – Cornerback
Pick 3: Marcus Jones – Linebacker
Pick 10: Gronku Muerto – Tight End
Pick 13: Jean-Jacques Leroy – Kicker / Punter
Berlin Fire Salamanders
First round picks: 11th
Berlin Fire Salamanders GM pair Highhaschdi and Dewalt27 has assembled a squad that’s high mid-range for TPE totals, both offensively and defensively. They have a solid, but aging, roster with no real gaps in the roster. Berlin Fire Salamanders only have one S27 and one S26 on their roster with the remainder older players. Their prospect pool, which at first glance looks healthy, is mostly low earning or inactive, the 3 top earners are all Quarterbacks, leaving them with a potential rebuild time in a few seasons. They have Dewalts player, the Defensive Tackle, Conner Craig Jr. as a recreate that they will take with their 2nd round pick.
With their own 1st round pick at 11th place, they are not looking for anything specific but to boost their prospect pool and will most likely pick best player available once it is their turn to pick. The choice will most likely be between Linebackers Tre’ Mendus Johnson and David Frank, Quarterback Kazimir Oles JR and Defensive End Lucid Dreams. With their QB situation sorted with the S28 Quarterback Dexter Zaylren, I think it will fall on scouting and relations for the Linebacker.
For their first pick, 11th overall, my prediction is: Tre’ Mendus Johnson – Linebacker
Chicago Butchers
First round picks: 5th
The GM pair for Chicago Butchers, Bayley and TheCC, has a large complete roster with 24 signed players out of their 27 on the roster. The core of the team is nearing regression and not too many young players to fill the gaps.
They could do with a new Running Back, as both their older Running Backs are inactive, that gap will be filled by picking up Bayleys S29 Running Back, Rejoignez LOrdreSombre, in round 2. S21 Tight End Tree Gelbman has signed for the season post regression and will remain competitive and the team’s first choice. Inactive Daniel George does not have an active contract and as such Tight End is where I can see the team looking to pick someone up during the draft. Both to secure someone for upcoming season as Tree Gelbman only signed a 1 year contract, but also to secure it for seasons to come.
I could also see them picking up a Quarterback or a Cornerback, but I would think that’s lower priority and would as such come in the later rounds. As there are 4 available Tight End players for their pick Gronku Muerto, who is slightly ahead but with a negative bank balance, Chevvy Bronko, Joey Marston and Buffalo Hunter. I think they will go for Joey Marston due to him having a slightly healthier bank account than the 2 players with slightly more TPE. Also, he is a known face for Bayley from the SHL, so while he is new in ISFL, I think that will tip the scales in his favour.
My prediction for their first pick, 7th overall is: Joey Marston – Tight End
Colorado Yeti
First round picks: 7th
Colorado Yetis GM duo, Sylphreni and SchwarzNarr has assembled a solid roster. They have a few active prospects already that can be called up to replace aging players, but it looks like it is lacking on the Defensive Tackle and Wide Receiver positions. Especially after their Defensive Tackle pick last season, Henrik Von Pigeon has gone inactive.
Offensive Line Dorfus Jimbo Jr retired this offseason and will as such play one last season with the team, but I do not foresee replacing that position to be a 1st round pick. Another factor to my belief he will not be replaced by a 1st round pick is Sylphrenis Offensive Line player, Emperor de Pengu, who will be drafted during the 2nd round.
Recent retirement announcement by Kicker Silver Banana leaves the team without a rostered Kicker for the season, as they do not have anyone to fill his shoes in their prospect pool either. First available Kicker in the draft is Jean-Jacques Leroy, but I don’t think they will look to fill the position with their first pick.
I believe they will look at a Tight End, Defensive Tackle, or a Wide Receiver for their pick at 7th, first available Defensive Tackle for their pick is Will "Brick Wall" Smyth and Wide Receiver is Ivan Toastovich and I could see them stretching to pick either of those up with their pick. They might also take a shot at Chevvy Bronko who has been left unpicked so far, much due to his weaker bank account. Or they will look at one of the 2 Tight Ends not too far behind, Gronku Muerto and Buffalo Hunter.
My prediction for their first pick, 7th overall is: Buffalo Hunter – Tight End
Philadelphia Liberty
First round picks: 4th
Punter715 and ShnarlyDude has picked well and has 4 active prospects, which is lucky as they have lost 3 Running Backs in the offseason. The remainder of the roster is in a relatively good spot with most positions filled and most player a few seasons from regression. With their 4th pick in the first round, I could see them looking for a Defensive Tackle as the only have 1 active, Honky-Tonk Haywood, but unfortunately for the Philadelphia Liberty there are no available Defensive Tackles among the top 20 prospects TPE wise.
As such, with the loss of 3 Running Backs, I would not be surprised to see them pick up one of the 2 Running Backs we have spoken about earlier, Dante King and Jay Cue Jr. again, I believe the choice will be down to scouting and personal relations. So, I am going with Dante King for 4th pick.
My prediction for their first pick, 4th ovarall is: Dante King - Running Back
Sarasota Sailfish
Sarasota Sailfish’s GMs Frostbite and sakrosankt does not have a first round pick so I will not predict who they will take, I will however look at the team and try to predict what positions they will be looking at when it comes to their turn to draft!
The Sailfish has only one Defensive Tackle in their organization, S22 player Fawn Dillmiballs, and it would be beneficial for them to be able to pick up another Defensive Tackle during the draft. Should that not be possible, they are not really struggling for anything and will probably just default to whatever player they have had the best interaction with, be it scouting now or old, know, players.
Yellowknife Wraiths
First round picks: 14th
Our current Ultimus Champion, the Yellowknife Wraiths are led by GMs flyeaglesfly29 and PMoney. I think first order of thins demands a congratulations for the title win!
The Yellowknife Wraiths is yet another team that has some holes in the roster after the season and they only have 2 Wide Receivers and 1 Defensive Tackle. While the Wraiths do have 3 Linebackers, they find themselves facing a situation where their prospect Luke Watterson is lower in TPE than the best available prospects.
Given the lack of Wide Receivers and best available Defensive Tackle being Will "Brick Wall" Smyth at 188 TPE, whereas the Linebackers available are Tre’ Mendus Johnson with 247 TPE and David Frank at 233 TPE. I think they will be tempted by the Brick Wall as there are more Linebackers available for later picks and there really are not too many Defensive Tackles available.
My prediction for their first pick, 14th overall: Will "Brick Wall" Smyth – Defensive Tackle
Arizona Outlaws
First round picks: 12th
GMs Z-Whiz and Crunk were hard hit with retirements, finding themselves with no Tight Ends and only 1 Defensive End, Glenn Smart who they will most likely call up. Additionally, they have 2 Kickers in their prospect pool and will call up one of them to take the spot of retired J.J. “Jay” Jay-Jaymison. Apart from the 2 mentioned missing positions, they are in a relatively good spot.
Looking at the available prospect pool when it is their turn, the top 2 TPE wise are Linebackers, a position where they currently have 4 players, 2 older and 1 inactive, but not the priority for the first round. That leaves Defensive End Lucid Dreams as the third highest TPE prospect.
With all said and done, I think the availability of the Defensive End Lucid Dreams as one of the best picks available will be what sways them and makes them take a Defensive End with their first round pick.
My prediction for their first pick, 12th overall is: Lucid Dreams – Defensive End
Austin Copperheads
The GMs for Austin Copperheads Amidships and Kyle does not have a first round pick so I will not predict who they will take, I will however look at the team and try to predict what positions they will be looking at when it comes to their turn to draft!
Unlike most other teams, they have enough Defensive Tackles in their pool of players. The Copperheads have a relatively complete team without major (obvious) holes. Should it be something they would prioritize I think it’d be a Defensive End as both of their current Defensive Ends are S22 and Slinky Claxton being inactive will force him to retire in a not too distant future. Otherwise, it would probably be a Linebacker as their 3 current rostered players are nearing or just hit regression. But it is definitely a good season for the Copperheads to not have a first round pick.
Honolulu Hahalua
First round picks: 8th
Honolulu Hahalua GMs Attopax and siddhus find themselves without a clear starting Quarterback after Chika Bombs retired after the conclusion of the season. They are sitting with only 2 Wide Receivers in the organization, so like many of the other teams they could use another one. With only 1 Tight End, I could see them adding another Tight End in the draft as there is a lack of Wide Receivers in the draft. The 2 most interesting Tight Ends remaining are Chevvy Bronko and Gronku Muerto. The Hahalua have 3 Defensive Tackles in their organisation, and with Big Edd hitting regression it is another area they could benefit to pick up a prospect, had there been any early. They only have 3 Linebackers with Griffin Porter being inactive, combine that with 2 of the top remaining prospects being Linebackers it is definitely a direction I can see them go.
Running Back Tristian Hex is starting to regress and the Hahaluas only Running Back in the prospect pool is seemingly inactive. With that a Running Back is something I believe they will pick up during the draft, but not with their first pick.
My prediction for their first pick, 8th overall is: Sam Squanch - Linebacker
New Orleans Second Line
1st round picks: 2nd
After New Orleans Second Lines only Tight End, Austin McCormick, announced his retirement, GMs ddrector and Mithrandir was in a position where they had no Tight End available in the team or in the prospect pool. Luckily, Wide Receiver Adam C. Spencer stepped up and announced he would fill the position and swap from WR to TE. With that issue solved they still have the issue of only 1 Defensive Tackle, but much like Philadelphia Liberty the lack of high earning Defensive Tackles will probably mean they will wait to pick up another one until the later rounds.
The Second Line has active prospects to call up on quite 4 different positions and are with that in a relatively good spot. As ddrector recently recreated and his Cornerback, Sir Peter Jackson, among the top TPE earners they do not need to worry there yet. With McCormicks move to Tight End, the team has 2 WR, both getting older. Therefore, I could see them looking at a Wide Receiver in the next draft. Luckily for the Second Line, there is one available to them, Quinton Crash. I could see them looking at the 2 available Running Backs, Dante King and Jay Cue Jr. but as they already have 2 RB prospects, they will pass on them. Linebacker Marcus Jones could also be of interest, but I believe with their current LB players being a few seasons from regression, he will not be picked 2nd overall.
My prediction for their first pick, 2nd overall is: Quinton Crash – Wide Receiver
New York Silverbacks
New York Silverbacks GMs zaynzk and TheRocheLimit does not have a first round pick so I will not predict who they will take, I will however look at the team and try to predict what positions they will be looking at when it comes to their turn to draft!
The Silverbacks have a relatively complete roster without any obvious holes. One of the positions they will probably be watching closely is Kicker / Punter as their current prospect Rotor Wash is inactive and current rostered player Dougie Smalls is S21. It would also be beneficial if they could find a Defensive Tackle, but with the current draft pool, I do not think that is too likely.
Orange County Otters
First round picks: 6th
GMs Blasoon and Memento Mori has a full roster with few inactive players, most notably is that 2 of their Running Backs are fully or semi inactive as well as losing 2 of their Safety players this off season, with Prince Vegeta playing another season prior to his retirement. They have a few prospects ready to be called up, Offensive Lineman Maiteers Rico-Shea and Cornerback Anton Bruckner being the 2 with highest TPE. While the Orange County Otters do have 3 Running Backs, neither of the 3 is very high TPE, and with Jeffrey Phillips being inactive I could see them looking for a Running Back. Luckily for them, based on my other assessments they will have a Running Back waiting for them, Jay Cue Jr. While I think they will be looking for a Safety and potentially a Offensive Line, there are no options that would warrant passing on the previously mentioned Running Back.
My prediction for their first pick, 6th overall is: Jay Cue Jr. – Running Back
San Jose SaberCats
First round picks: 9th
Our final team in this review, San Jose SaberCats, led by GMs ckroyal92 and Matty7478 find themselves with only 17 players under contract for the upcoming season, and while they do have most positions mostly covered, they need a Wide Receiver, a Defensive End and a Defensive Tackle. To add to their woes, Running Back Jameson Vermillion is inactive and Jamar Lackson, while good for many seasons to come, has hit regression. The Sabercats need quantity rather than quality right now to secure a strong team going forward.
San Joses only Tight End prospect is inactive, and their starting Tight End James Lewandowski is already 2 seasons into regression. With that and the players available, I think they will look at the available Tight Ends for the first round pick.
Given the available prospects when it’s their turn to pick, I think they will take the chance on previously overlooked Chevvy Bronko as he has already overtaken the inactive Bobby Tarantino in TPE.
My prediction for their first pick, 9th overall is: Chevvy Bronko – Tight End
This concludes my review of all the teams and the first round of the draft. I’m looking forward to the results that will be announced on Thursday the 13th of May!
Finally, the list of the mock draft prediction:
1 – Baltimore Hawks: Lip Gallagher – Cornerback
2 – New Orleans Secondline: Quinton Crash Wide Receiver
3 – Baltimore Hawks: Marcus Jones - Linebacker
4 – Philadelphia Liberty: Dante King – Running Back
5 – Chicago Butchers: Joey Marston – Tight End
6 – Orange County Otters: Jay Cue Jr. – Running Back
7 – Colorado Yeti: Buffalo Hunter – Tight End
8 – Honolulu Hahalua: Sam Squanch - Linebacker
9 – San Jose Sabercats: Chevvy Bronko – Tight End
10 – Baltimore Hawks: Gronku Muerto – Tight End
11 – Berlin Fire Salamanders: Tre’ Mendus Johnson – Linebacker
12 – Arizona Outlaws: Lucid Dreams – Defensive End
13 – Baltimore Hawks: Jean-Jacques Leroy – Kicker / Punter
14 – Yellowknife Wraiths: Will "Brick Wall" Smyth – Defensive Tackle
I used the TPE Tracker, the bank spreadsheet, budget sheet to compile all into an excel which I then filtered:
Top 50 S29 prospects ranked by TPE
I do have the Excel sheet if anyone is interested, just ping me on Discord!
Any questions, concerns, or comments, please do let me know!
krazko