03-14-2024, 07:37 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-19-2024, 09:22 AM by wetwilleh. Edited 1 time in total.)
Day 1/3 of the DSFL Prospect Bowl took place on Wednesday 13th March between the Carolina Reapers and South Beach Sting.
I’m going to start this review by giving a brief summary of the three games before I go into a bit more detail about the individual prospects. I’ve added screenshots of the data tables if anyone is interested, they should all be at the start of the corresponding sections except the tightends which are on the same table as the WRs.
Hope you guys enjoy reading the summaries!
Game Summaries:
Game 1:
To put it simply, game 1 was a blowout. South Beach went ahead early after a 6 yard TD run from Blundetto and never really looked back, adding a receiving touchdown to Old Man Walker in the 2nd to go into the half up 14-0. The Sting kept their foot on the gas in the second half, scoring another TD, 2 FGs and 2 safeties in what became a pretty embarrassing rout of the Reapers.
Outgained 343 to 205, winning the turnover battle 2-1 and dominating the clock with almost 40 minutes of possesion, this game was only ever gonna end one way.
Carolina Reapers 0 - 31 South Beach Sting
OPOG - J Qiller (QB)
DPOG - L Adebisi (DT)
Game 2:
Funnily enough, the story of game 2 was similar, but completely reversed as the Reapers won to zero. Guille put them ahead in the 1st with a 10 yard TD run before they added a field goal in the 2nd. 10-0 up at halftime, a 71 yard rushing TD from QB Hirsch sealed the game before they added a second field goal in the 4th quarter.
The script flipped completely as the Reapers came out of game 2 on top in terms of first downs, total yardage, turnovers, time of possession and penalties. It was a crushing performance from the Reapers offense, putting up over 300 yards on the ground in what was ultimately a blowout.
Carolina Reapers 20 - 0 South Beach Sting
OPOG - G Hirsch (QB)
DPOG - B Patsfield (LB)
Game 3:
Game 3 was by far the most competitive game of the series, and was therefore also the most entertaining. There was a lot on the line coming into this one, with each team having won 1 game each.
The game got off to a slow start, with a field goal for Carolina the lone points of the first quarter, but it did not stay quiet for long. South Beach burst to life in the 2nd, replying with a FG of their own before CB Tyler Oles III scored a pick-6 inside the 2 minute warning if the first half to put the Sting up 10-3 at the half.
The Reapers came out after the half swinging, answering with a TD of their own in the form of a 29 yard run from QB Hirsch but the Sting quickly replied with Christian Door catching a 4 yard TD.
South Beach relied on their defence to see the game out, making it a 2 score game in the 4th with a safety that put the game out of reach of Carolina.
Despite the final score line this was a competitive game, Carolina outgained the Sting 375 to 294 with another dominant performance on the ground (234 total rushing yards). They also gained more first downs than the sting (15 vs 13). Where the Sting really made up for this was on the defensive side of the ball and with their discipline, winning the turnover battle 2-1 and having a third of the penalty yards Carolina had.
Caroline Reapers 10 - 19 South Beach Sting
OPOG - N Claflin Jr (RB)
DPOG - T Oles III (CB)
Prospects:
Quarterbacks:
There were 2 QBs featured in this game; Greg Hirsch for the Carolina Reapers, and Jamarcus Qiller for South Beach.
As you can see from the stats above, these 2 prospects couldn’t differ in styles much more; think Phillip Rivers vs Justin Fields, Peyton Manning vs Lamar Jackson.
Greg Hirsch showed across all 3 games that he can be a formidable threat on the ground, putting up 149 yards and 2 TDs on 11 rushing attempts. Unfortunately for Hirsch, this success did not carry over to the passing game as Hirsch completed just 20% of his passing attempts for a total of 361 yards, 0 TDs and 2 picks. Hirsch also showed himself to be a bit of a sack magnet, as he was brought down behind the line of scrimmage 11 times for a total loss of 83 yards.
Hirsch definitely has big play potential on the ground, and any team that drafts him should look to build around that. He will be hoping to prove that he can be a more effective passer in the second set of prospect bowl games, as well as looking to eliminate the negative plays that plagued his first outing.
Jamarcus Qiller showed himself to be capable of being an effective passer, completing 54% of his passes for 566 yards, 3 TDs and no interceptions. While these might not be MVP rates of production, Qiller was efficient, averaging 6.2 yards per attempt and, more importantly, looked after the football. Qiller was not much of a factor on the ground, compiling 67 yards on 29 attempts over the 3 games, an average of 2.3 yards. While these aren’t great numbers, they show he is willing to try and make something happen when the play breaks down, and he showed he is able to avoid sacks, only taking 4 for 25 total yards over the 3 games.
Qiller is a pocket passer at this point in his football career, and has proven he can be somewhat effective while minimising negative plays. He will look to show he can be explosive and game changing in the next round of prospect bowl games.
Running Backs:
Over the 3 games a total of 6 RBs featured in day 1 of the prospect bowl, each to varying degrees across the running game, passing game, and as returners.
Nathan Claflin Jr made a strong case for RB1 of this class as he put up 287 yards on the ground on 46 attempts. He was efficient with the ball in his hands, rushing for over 6.2 yards per attempt. Claflin caught 1 of his 3 targets for 6 yards, and will want to show he can be a factor in the passing game as well as the rushing game on day 2. Claflin will also want to show he can be a factor in the red zone, and finding pay dirt on day 2 would go a long way to helping that.
2 RB prospects were able to find the end zone in their first outing; Animal Blundetto and Dazen Guile. These two prospects actually had pretty similar outings on day 1. Blundetto rushed for 155 yards on 42 attempts, average gain of 3.7 yards per carry and added 1 catch for 12 yards through the air while Guile amassed 193 yards on 46 carries, working at 4.2 yards per attempt and adding 1 catch for 9 yards. They both proved they can handle a big workload, but I will have to give the edge to Guile when it comes to making plays as he had multiple runs over 10 yards, including one for 21 yards. Both also showed they can be contributors on special teams, each returning multiple kickoffs with Blundetto averaging nearly 15 yards per return and Guile averaging 17.
Guile will want to prove he can be a legitimate threat in the passing game next time out, while Blundetto will look to be more efficient with his carries and get closer to that 4 yard per attempt mark.
Next up we have an intriguing prospect in Zigzag Zipstep, one of the higher TPE RB prospects in this class. Over the 3 games Zigzag recorded a 4.7 yards per attempt average over 36 attempts, giving him a total of 169 yards on the ground. He was also able to add 2 catches for 14 yards through the air. Zipstep showed good efficiency with the ball in his hands and I would like to see why he can do with an increased role, if he can keep those efficiency numbers with an increased number of carries things look good for Zigzag as we look towards the draft.
The final 2 RB prospects I have to talk about didn’t see much action in the first set of games, and will definitely look for more opportunities as we look towards day 2. SoDo MoJo and Jag McQueen did not feature much in the running game this time out, with Mojo racking up 15 yards on 4 carries and McQueen not getting a carry. Both prospects showed they have special teams value, both contributing with kick returns, Mojo averaging 18 yards per return and McQueen averaging 17. One stat that did intrigue me about McQueen were his numbers in the receiving game. Jag was the only running back to catch more than 50% of his targets and ended up with 7 catches for 63 yards. These numbers are swayed by a 42 yard reception in game 3, but he clearly has some dynamic ability and it would be great to see him in an increased role on day 2. It’s difficult to say much about Mojo, we need to see more of him as the draft process continues.
Wide Receivers:
There was a clear standout in the WR class on day 1 of the prospect bowl. Old Man Walker amassed a total of 237 yard on 14 catches with a TD, averaging almost 17 yards per reception. These are potentially elite numbers, and the only negative there is with his performance on Wednesday was that there wasn’t more. Walker was this productive while only catching 14 of 22 passes thrown his way. What more could he have done if he caught the other 8?
One prospect that caught my eye was Nick DeFanco out of Penn State. DeFanco is explosive, putting up 114 yards on 4 catches, an average yards per reception of 28.5! Now I know this is a small sample size, and there were a number of targets he didn’t come down with, but there’s potential here that is at the very least intriguing. I want to see more of Nick, looking forward to seeing what he does on day 2.
Christian Dorr should walk away happy from a job well done on day 1 of the prospect bowl, catching 75% of his 16 targets for a total of 114 yards. Dorr proved he is a reliable pair of hands, with by far the highest completion percentage when targeted of the class. It would be ready to see him gets some deeper targets, averaging less than 10 yards per reception but nonetheless this was a solid day at the office for Dorr, and a TD in game 3 must have felt like the icing on the cake.
I’m going to talk about Jayson Reyes and Seer Ial together, as I have the same concerns about both guys. These guys can clearly get open as they demand targets, averaging close to 8 targets a game each! The issue comes with what they do when the ball arrives. Ial caught 33% of passes thrown his way, while Reyes caught just 21%. These guys have potential to be big time WRs if they can just learn to catch the damn ball!
There were another 2 receivers who featured in the prospect bowl that we just didn’t see enough of, both Moses DeWitt and Pranks Schofield caught 1 of 3 targets for 17 yards and contributed as return men, Schofield for both kickoffs and punts. We just need to see what they look like when more involved in the game plan, it would be unfair to pass judgement on a player who has received so few opportunities. I look forwards to seeing what they can offer on day 2.
Tightends:
There were 2 TEs featured in the prospect bowl; Cleetus Beauregard and Kurt Wagner. While both received a decent number of targets, 11 and 12 respectively, neither was able to make a big impact on the games as they combined for a total of 35 yards on 7 catches.
There were positive signs for Wagner, who was able to catch 5 of 12 targets for 22 yards, but it wasn’t a great day at the office for Beauregard who was only able to bring in 2 of his 11 targets for a total of 13 yards.
Defensive Tackles:
This seasons prospect bowl only had 2 defensive linemen rostered, and they both happened to be DTs: Lheorvine Adebisi and GCBWRNW Princess Donut (from here on referred to as Donut).
Both prospects are currently sat at 85 TPE and had similar prospect bowls, both amassing a total of 9 tackles across the 3 games. Adebisi also recorded a sack and safety, while Donut managed to record 2 TFLs, a sack and a FF. While Donut was more productive, all of this production came in a dominant performance in game 1, raising concerns about his commitment and attitude. While he wasn’t noted to take snaps off in college, could his lack of production in games 2 and 3 comparatively hint at half hearted effort once he thought he’d already made a splash?
Adebisi made some splash plays, especially the safety to ice game 3, but he will need to show more consistent production on a down to down basis if he wants to be considered DT1 in this class.
These guys are both talented and I can’t wait to see them both play again in day 2, it’s between the 2 of them for DT1 in this class and it will be exciting to see who takes that opportunity by the scruff of the neck and runs with it. It should be an exciting battle.
Linebackers:
A total of 6 linebackers competed on day 1 of the prospect bowl, noticeably missing Willeh Strong, recently mocked number 1 overall for the upcoming DSFL draft. All in all this is looking to be a really strong LB class, with some of the top TPE earners in the class within the group and more recruits added almost every day.
Finn Murphy led the group in tackles, compiling 26 tackles over the 3 games including 1 TFL. Murphy also recorded 2 pass breakups when in coverage, showing himself to be a versatile piece on defence. Murphy certainly didn’t hurt his draft stock with this performance, though scouts will want to see him producing more big plays further along in the process as he failed to register a sack or turnover.
Mac Mannheim is one of the most intriguing prospects in this strong LB cohort. Ran by a rookie, Mannheim lacks the experience of some of his peers, but he makes up for that in passion for the game. After a quiet game 1 where Mannheim was barely involved, he turned it on in games 2 and 3, ultimately compiling 15 tackles, a TFL, a sack and he showed his prowess in coverage with 2 PBUs. Mannheim showed his versatility on day 1, contributing to the run defence, pass rush and coverage in a meaningful manner, as well as making numerous meaningful stops on 3rd down. If Mac can continue his trajectory throughout the draft process he could really be one to watch around draft time. It will be exciting to see what he does on day 2 and 3 of the prospect bowl.
Mako Mendonca Jr put himself on the map, after being overlooked by the latest big boards, racking up 23 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 FF and 3 PDs. Mendonca Jr showed himself to be a versatile athlete that can contribute across the field.
Robot Sunfish is one of the highest TPE LB prospects in this draft and is also a re-create with a known dependable user. Sunfish had a solid day at the prospect bowl, recording 15 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL and 2 PDs he showed himself to be a Jack of all trades, and reassured scouts that he deserves to be in conversations for the first LB off the board. Already a strong contender, Sunfish’s draft process is as much about ensuring he does not damage his stock, and his performance on Wednesday absolutely did not do that, a solid day at the office for the bionic sea-lover.
Bradan Patsfield showed himself to be a force against the run, racing up 4 TFLs as part of his 18 total tackles. Slated as predominantly a coverage guy, Patsfield showed flashes of raw athleticism that allowed him into the opposing back field with alarming regularity. Could Patsfield be a dark horse as we move into draft season?
Finally, rounding out the prospect bowl LB room is Adolin Collins, a versatile LB out of University of Rithiru. While Collins racked up the fewest number of tackles of all the LBs that played on day 1, he flashed at times and recorded 2 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 FF and 2 PDs. If Collins can put himself in situations more often where he can use his natural playmaking ability he could be a really promising prospect, but there are concerns that he disappears at times. These concerns are ones he will want to address moving through the draft process.
Defensive Backs:
A total of 5 defensive backs played in day 1 of the prospect bowl, 2 safety’s and 3 CBs.
Safety Leroy Jenkins out on a SHOW, and gave scouts good reason to list him as S1 as we get closer to the DSLF draft. Over the 3 games, Jenkins recorded 17 tackles and 2 FRs, showing that he has a nose for the football and can come downhill to contribute against the run. A versatile safety known for his ball-hawking tendencies in college, I can’t wait to see more out of Jenkins, the guy just flys around the field and is always around the football. He’s an exciting prospect for those teams in need at safety, that’s for sure.
Alexandros Sotiris showed himself to be a true force in coverage, racking up 3 PDs and an interception to go with his 6 tackles. While there may be size concerns about Sotiris and how that may effect his ability to defend the run and tackle in the box, he was known as a centre fielder while at college in Miami. Hailed for his coverage ability, it will be interesting to see how Sotiris gets on against the run at the next level.
Tyler Oles III, come on down! My word, what a way to make a statement to the whole scouting world. Controlled by a user known for his CB cresting prowess, Oles III burst on to the scene on day 1 of the prospect bowl and (in my eyes) cemented himself as CB1 in this class. 7 PDs and 2 INTs (including a pick six) across 2 games in coverage is just silly. I’m not sure what else I can say about Oles III, wow, what a performance, although the less said about his returning efforts the better.
Rookie sensation Sam Coverdale also put in a promising performance, and I imagine many of you will have already read a breakdown of this posted immediately after the prospect bowl ended (and that definitely isn’t biased, like not even a little bit). While there were a few plays where Coverdale struggled, though I’m told this was either the coaches fault and/or the sun was in his eyes, Coverdale generally impressed in coverage, recording 4 PDs. He also showed himself to be a willing contributor against the run, recording 9 tackles and a FF. I imagine Coverdale’s performance will have moved him up many draft boards.
The final CB prospect is Jet Larsen, and let me tell you: Jet by name, Jet by nature. This guy lives up to his hype as a ‘physical corner’ as his lightning speed allows him to fly around the field making plays. While he can get lost occasionally in coverage, he showed he is the best run defending corner in this class recording 13 tackles. He also showed his footballing instincts, managing to find himself in the right place at the right time on 3 separate occasions to recover a fumble. Larsen will look to continue this strong trajectory on day 2, where he will want to show he can be a lockdown 1-on-1 corner as well as everything else he bring to the table.
In summary, I think this is shaping up to be a really strong draft class for the DSFL, with promising and/or intriguing prospects at many areas of need across the league, namely: LB, CB, DT and S with other valuable contributors likely available out of the RB and WR pools. It will be interesting to see how these guys develop over this draft process, and I look forward to watching them again on day 2 of the prospect bowl.
I’m going to start this review by giving a brief summary of the three games before I go into a bit more detail about the individual prospects. I’ve added screenshots of the data tables if anyone is interested, they should all be at the start of the corresponding sections except the tightends which are on the same table as the WRs.
Hope you guys enjoy reading the summaries!
Game Summaries:
Game 1:
To put it simply, game 1 was a blowout. South Beach went ahead early after a 6 yard TD run from Blundetto and never really looked back, adding a receiving touchdown to Old Man Walker in the 2nd to go into the half up 14-0. The Sting kept their foot on the gas in the second half, scoring another TD, 2 FGs and 2 safeties in what became a pretty embarrassing rout of the Reapers.
Outgained 343 to 205, winning the turnover battle 2-1 and dominating the clock with almost 40 minutes of possesion, this game was only ever gonna end one way.
Carolina Reapers 0 - 31 South Beach Sting
OPOG - J Qiller (QB)
DPOG - L Adebisi (DT)
Game 2:
Funnily enough, the story of game 2 was similar, but completely reversed as the Reapers won to zero. Guille put them ahead in the 1st with a 10 yard TD run before they added a field goal in the 2nd. 10-0 up at halftime, a 71 yard rushing TD from QB Hirsch sealed the game before they added a second field goal in the 4th quarter.
The script flipped completely as the Reapers came out of game 2 on top in terms of first downs, total yardage, turnovers, time of possession and penalties. It was a crushing performance from the Reapers offense, putting up over 300 yards on the ground in what was ultimately a blowout.
Carolina Reapers 20 - 0 South Beach Sting
OPOG - G Hirsch (QB)
DPOG - B Patsfield (LB)
Game 3:
Game 3 was by far the most competitive game of the series, and was therefore also the most entertaining. There was a lot on the line coming into this one, with each team having won 1 game each.
The game got off to a slow start, with a field goal for Carolina the lone points of the first quarter, but it did not stay quiet for long. South Beach burst to life in the 2nd, replying with a FG of their own before CB Tyler Oles III scored a pick-6 inside the 2 minute warning if the first half to put the Sting up 10-3 at the half.
The Reapers came out after the half swinging, answering with a TD of their own in the form of a 29 yard run from QB Hirsch but the Sting quickly replied with Christian Door catching a 4 yard TD.
South Beach relied on their defence to see the game out, making it a 2 score game in the 4th with a safety that put the game out of reach of Carolina.
Despite the final score line this was a competitive game, Carolina outgained the Sting 375 to 294 with another dominant performance on the ground (234 total rushing yards). They also gained more first downs than the sting (15 vs 13). Where the Sting really made up for this was on the defensive side of the ball and with their discipline, winning the turnover battle 2-1 and having a third of the penalty yards Carolina had.
Caroline Reapers 10 - 19 South Beach Sting
OPOG - N Claflin Jr (RB)
DPOG - T Oles III (CB)
Prospects:
Quarterbacks:
There were 2 QBs featured in this game; Greg Hirsch for the Carolina Reapers, and Jamarcus Qiller for South Beach.
As you can see from the stats above, these 2 prospects couldn’t differ in styles much more; think Phillip Rivers vs Justin Fields, Peyton Manning vs Lamar Jackson.
Greg Hirsch showed across all 3 games that he can be a formidable threat on the ground, putting up 149 yards and 2 TDs on 11 rushing attempts. Unfortunately for Hirsch, this success did not carry over to the passing game as Hirsch completed just 20% of his passing attempts for a total of 361 yards, 0 TDs and 2 picks. Hirsch also showed himself to be a bit of a sack magnet, as he was brought down behind the line of scrimmage 11 times for a total loss of 83 yards.
Hirsch definitely has big play potential on the ground, and any team that drafts him should look to build around that. He will be hoping to prove that he can be a more effective passer in the second set of prospect bowl games, as well as looking to eliminate the negative plays that plagued his first outing.
Jamarcus Qiller showed himself to be capable of being an effective passer, completing 54% of his passes for 566 yards, 3 TDs and no interceptions. While these might not be MVP rates of production, Qiller was efficient, averaging 6.2 yards per attempt and, more importantly, looked after the football. Qiller was not much of a factor on the ground, compiling 67 yards on 29 attempts over the 3 games, an average of 2.3 yards. While these aren’t great numbers, they show he is willing to try and make something happen when the play breaks down, and he showed he is able to avoid sacks, only taking 4 for 25 total yards over the 3 games.
Qiller is a pocket passer at this point in his football career, and has proven he can be somewhat effective while minimising negative plays. He will look to show he can be explosive and game changing in the next round of prospect bowl games.
Running Backs:
Over the 3 games a total of 6 RBs featured in day 1 of the prospect bowl, each to varying degrees across the running game, passing game, and as returners.
Nathan Claflin Jr made a strong case for RB1 of this class as he put up 287 yards on the ground on 46 attempts. He was efficient with the ball in his hands, rushing for over 6.2 yards per attempt. Claflin caught 1 of his 3 targets for 6 yards, and will want to show he can be a factor in the passing game as well as the rushing game on day 2. Claflin will also want to show he can be a factor in the red zone, and finding pay dirt on day 2 would go a long way to helping that.
2 RB prospects were able to find the end zone in their first outing; Animal Blundetto and Dazen Guile. These two prospects actually had pretty similar outings on day 1. Blundetto rushed for 155 yards on 42 attempts, average gain of 3.7 yards per carry and added 1 catch for 12 yards through the air while Guile amassed 193 yards on 46 carries, working at 4.2 yards per attempt and adding 1 catch for 9 yards. They both proved they can handle a big workload, but I will have to give the edge to Guile when it comes to making plays as he had multiple runs over 10 yards, including one for 21 yards. Both also showed they can be contributors on special teams, each returning multiple kickoffs with Blundetto averaging nearly 15 yards per return and Guile averaging 17.
Guile will want to prove he can be a legitimate threat in the passing game next time out, while Blundetto will look to be more efficient with his carries and get closer to that 4 yard per attempt mark.
Next up we have an intriguing prospect in Zigzag Zipstep, one of the higher TPE RB prospects in this class. Over the 3 games Zigzag recorded a 4.7 yards per attempt average over 36 attempts, giving him a total of 169 yards on the ground. He was also able to add 2 catches for 14 yards through the air. Zipstep showed good efficiency with the ball in his hands and I would like to see why he can do with an increased role, if he can keep those efficiency numbers with an increased number of carries things look good for Zigzag as we look towards the draft.
The final 2 RB prospects I have to talk about didn’t see much action in the first set of games, and will definitely look for more opportunities as we look towards day 2. SoDo MoJo and Jag McQueen did not feature much in the running game this time out, with Mojo racking up 15 yards on 4 carries and McQueen not getting a carry. Both prospects showed they have special teams value, both contributing with kick returns, Mojo averaging 18 yards per return and McQueen averaging 17. One stat that did intrigue me about McQueen were his numbers in the receiving game. Jag was the only running back to catch more than 50% of his targets and ended up with 7 catches for 63 yards. These numbers are swayed by a 42 yard reception in game 3, but he clearly has some dynamic ability and it would be great to see him in an increased role on day 2. It’s difficult to say much about Mojo, we need to see more of him as the draft process continues.
Wide Receivers:
There was a clear standout in the WR class on day 1 of the prospect bowl. Old Man Walker amassed a total of 237 yard on 14 catches with a TD, averaging almost 17 yards per reception. These are potentially elite numbers, and the only negative there is with his performance on Wednesday was that there wasn’t more. Walker was this productive while only catching 14 of 22 passes thrown his way. What more could he have done if he caught the other 8?
One prospect that caught my eye was Nick DeFanco out of Penn State. DeFanco is explosive, putting up 114 yards on 4 catches, an average yards per reception of 28.5! Now I know this is a small sample size, and there were a number of targets he didn’t come down with, but there’s potential here that is at the very least intriguing. I want to see more of Nick, looking forward to seeing what he does on day 2.
Christian Dorr should walk away happy from a job well done on day 1 of the prospect bowl, catching 75% of his 16 targets for a total of 114 yards. Dorr proved he is a reliable pair of hands, with by far the highest completion percentage when targeted of the class. It would be ready to see him gets some deeper targets, averaging less than 10 yards per reception but nonetheless this was a solid day at the office for Dorr, and a TD in game 3 must have felt like the icing on the cake.
I’m going to talk about Jayson Reyes and Seer Ial together, as I have the same concerns about both guys. These guys can clearly get open as they demand targets, averaging close to 8 targets a game each! The issue comes with what they do when the ball arrives. Ial caught 33% of passes thrown his way, while Reyes caught just 21%. These guys have potential to be big time WRs if they can just learn to catch the damn ball!
There were another 2 receivers who featured in the prospect bowl that we just didn’t see enough of, both Moses DeWitt and Pranks Schofield caught 1 of 3 targets for 17 yards and contributed as return men, Schofield for both kickoffs and punts. We just need to see what they look like when more involved in the game plan, it would be unfair to pass judgement on a player who has received so few opportunities. I look forwards to seeing what they can offer on day 2.
Tightends:
There were 2 TEs featured in the prospect bowl; Cleetus Beauregard and Kurt Wagner. While both received a decent number of targets, 11 and 12 respectively, neither was able to make a big impact on the games as they combined for a total of 35 yards on 7 catches.
There were positive signs for Wagner, who was able to catch 5 of 12 targets for 22 yards, but it wasn’t a great day at the office for Beauregard who was only able to bring in 2 of his 11 targets for a total of 13 yards.
Defensive Tackles:
This seasons prospect bowl only had 2 defensive linemen rostered, and they both happened to be DTs: Lheorvine Adebisi and GCBWRNW Princess Donut (from here on referred to as Donut).
Both prospects are currently sat at 85 TPE and had similar prospect bowls, both amassing a total of 9 tackles across the 3 games. Adebisi also recorded a sack and safety, while Donut managed to record 2 TFLs, a sack and a FF. While Donut was more productive, all of this production came in a dominant performance in game 1, raising concerns about his commitment and attitude. While he wasn’t noted to take snaps off in college, could his lack of production in games 2 and 3 comparatively hint at half hearted effort once he thought he’d already made a splash?
Adebisi made some splash plays, especially the safety to ice game 3, but he will need to show more consistent production on a down to down basis if he wants to be considered DT1 in this class.
These guys are both talented and I can’t wait to see them both play again in day 2, it’s between the 2 of them for DT1 in this class and it will be exciting to see who takes that opportunity by the scruff of the neck and runs with it. It should be an exciting battle.
Linebackers:
A total of 6 linebackers competed on day 1 of the prospect bowl, noticeably missing Willeh Strong, recently mocked number 1 overall for the upcoming DSFL draft. All in all this is looking to be a really strong LB class, with some of the top TPE earners in the class within the group and more recruits added almost every day.
Finn Murphy led the group in tackles, compiling 26 tackles over the 3 games including 1 TFL. Murphy also recorded 2 pass breakups when in coverage, showing himself to be a versatile piece on defence. Murphy certainly didn’t hurt his draft stock with this performance, though scouts will want to see him producing more big plays further along in the process as he failed to register a sack or turnover.
Mac Mannheim is one of the most intriguing prospects in this strong LB cohort. Ran by a rookie, Mannheim lacks the experience of some of his peers, but he makes up for that in passion for the game. After a quiet game 1 where Mannheim was barely involved, he turned it on in games 2 and 3, ultimately compiling 15 tackles, a TFL, a sack and he showed his prowess in coverage with 2 PBUs. Mannheim showed his versatility on day 1, contributing to the run defence, pass rush and coverage in a meaningful manner, as well as making numerous meaningful stops on 3rd down. If Mac can continue his trajectory throughout the draft process he could really be one to watch around draft time. It will be exciting to see what he does on day 2 and 3 of the prospect bowl.
Mako Mendonca Jr put himself on the map, after being overlooked by the latest big boards, racking up 23 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 FF and 3 PDs. Mendonca Jr showed himself to be a versatile athlete that can contribute across the field.
Robot Sunfish is one of the highest TPE LB prospects in this draft and is also a re-create with a known dependable user. Sunfish had a solid day at the prospect bowl, recording 15 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL and 2 PDs he showed himself to be a Jack of all trades, and reassured scouts that he deserves to be in conversations for the first LB off the board. Already a strong contender, Sunfish’s draft process is as much about ensuring he does not damage his stock, and his performance on Wednesday absolutely did not do that, a solid day at the office for the bionic sea-lover.
Bradan Patsfield showed himself to be a force against the run, racing up 4 TFLs as part of his 18 total tackles. Slated as predominantly a coverage guy, Patsfield showed flashes of raw athleticism that allowed him into the opposing back field with alarming regularity. Could Patsfield be a dark horse as we move into draft season?
Finally, rounding out the prospect bowl LB room is Adolin Collins, a versatile LB out of University of Rithiru. While Collins racked up the fewest number of tackles of all the LBs that played on day 1, he flashed at times and recorded 2 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 FF and 2 PDs. If Collins can put himself in situations more often where he can use his natural playmaking ability he could be a really promising prospect, but there are concerns that he disappears at times. These concerns are ones he will want to address moving through the draft process.
Defensive Backs:
A total of 5 defensive backs played in day 1 of the prospect bowl, 2 safety’s and 3 CBs.
Safety Leroy Jenkins out on a SHOW, and gave scouts good reason to list him as S1 as we get closer to the DSLF draft. Over the 3 games, Jenkins recorded 17 tackles and 2 FRs, showing that he has a nose for the football and can come downhill to contribute against the run. A versatile safety known for his ball-hawking tendencies in college, I can’t wait to see more out of Jenkins, the guy just flys around the field and is always around the football. He’s an exciting prospect for those teams in need at safety, that’s for sure.
Alexandros Sotiris showed himself to be a true force in coverage, racking up 3 PDs and an interception to go with his 6 tackles. While there may be size concerns about Sotiris and how that may effect his ability to defend the run and tackle in the box, he was known as a centre fielder while at college in Miami. Hailed for his coverage ability, it will be interesting to see how Sotiris gets on against the run at the next level.
Tyler Oles III, come on down! My word, what a way to make a statement to the whole scouting world. Controlled by a user known for his CB cresting prowess, Oles III burst on to the scene on day 1 of the prospect bowl and (in my eyes) cemented himself as CB1 in this class. 7 PDs and 2 INTs (including a pick six) across 2 games in coverage is just silly. I’m not sure what else I can say about Oles III, wow, what a performance, although the less said about his returning efforts the better.
Rookie sensation Sam Coverdale also put in a promising performance, and I imagine many of you will have already read a breakdown of this posted immediately after the prospect bowl ended (and that definitely isn’t biased, like not even a little bit). While there were a few plays where Coverdale struggled, though I’m told this was either the coaches fault and/or the sun was in his eyes, Coverdale generally impressed in coverage, recording 4 PDs. He also showed himself to be a willing contributor against the run, recording 9 tackles and a FF. I imagine Coverdale’s performance will have moved him up many draft boards.
The final CB prospect is Jet Larsen, and let me tell you: Jet by name, Jet by nature. This guy lives up to his hype as a ‘physical corner’ as his lightning speed allows him to fly around the field making plays. While he can get lost occasionally in coverage, he showed he is the best run defending corner in this class recording 13 tackles. He also showed his footballing instincts, managing to find himself in the right place at the right time on 3 separate occasions to recover a fumble. Larsen will look to continue this strong trajectory on day 2, where he will want to show he can be a lockdown 1-on-1 corner as well as everything else he bring to the table.
In summary, I think this is shaping up to be a really strong draft class for the DSFL, with promising and/or intriguing prospects at many areas of need across the league, namely: LB, CB, DT and S with other valuable contributors likely available out of the RB and WR pools. It will be interesting to see how these guys develop over this draft process, and I look forward to watching them again on day 2 of the prospect bowl.