With the final 10 players revealed in the top 50 players, I wanted to take a look at where each of those top 10 players went in the first NSFL draft. Some of these players were high draft picks, and became valuable members to the team. Other players were taken in the middle rounds of the first draft. Two of the players had no draft data available, due to their ties with the team they went to. Also, all team listings will be for the team they ended with, the same as the top 50 players list.
The Top 10 Players
Number 10: Omar Wright, RB for the Orange County Otters, 49th Overall draft selection. First up is Omar Wright, we see that he was taken around the middle of the draft. He is the first RB on the list, and he is the 2nd overall RB. He was underrated going into the draft, as shown by his lower draft position, he worked for everything he earned and as such he was able to show every team that didn’t take him why he should have been much higher on the board.
Number 9: Mark Ramrio, DT for the Yellowknife Wraiths, 14th Overall draft selection. A much higher pick than the previous entry, Ramrio showed his value for the team and showed why he was an early round pick. He was a monster in the trenches and brought fear to the hearts of the offensive linemen he faced every time he stepped foot on the field. He is the second highest pick in the draft that landed among the top 10 players. He is the highest rated DT on the list and the 1st of 4 Wraiths to populate the top 10.
Number 8: Chris Orosz, QB for the Yellowknife Wraiths, 59th overall draft selection. We don’t have to go far for the next player to populate the top 10, Orosz is 1 of 2 QBs to make the top 10. Commanding the Wraiths dominant offense, the pieces around him are no slouches themselves. Orosz could be a product of something special for years to come on the offense of the Wraiths. He is the 2nd overall QB, and 2nd Wraith to be on the list.
Number 7: Jayce Tuck, DE for the Arizona Outlaws, 18th overall draft selection. The only DE on the list, and another monster in the trench, a dominant cog to the dominant defense that was part of the Outlaw’s championship season. A great end can wreak havoc on the offense and when OL are a hot commodity people like Tuck show why you need to be able to win the fight for the trenches. The first of 2 outlaws on this list, he is the highest rated DE.
Number 6: Jonathan Saint, LB for the Colorado Yetis, 58th overall draft selection. The only LB on the list, Saint commanding the defense for the Yetis and is the premier LB to play the game right now. Having a great LB to lead the defense helps, so to have someone like Saint helps the defense of the Yetis to be better in every way. Another low draft pick, another miss for every team not named the Yetis. He is the top rated LB on the list, and the 1st of 2 Yetis on the list.
Number 5: Isaiah Rashad, S for the Arizona Outlaws, 103rd overall draft selection. The lowest pick to populate the top 10, Rashad made QBs pay every step of the way. Rashad truly was a diamond in the rough and has turned out to be by far the biggest steal in the draft. While he was traded to the Las Vegas Legion shortly after the season ended, the Outlaws got more than enough out of their defensive star who comes out to be the best defensive player on the top 50. He is the highest rated defensive back, safety, defensive player, and Outlaw on this list. (What was Arizona thinking when trading him?)
Number 4: Josh Garden, WR for the Yellowknife Wraiths, 2nd overall selection. The highest pick in the inaugural NSFL draft, he impressed early and never looked back. He quickly became the premier WR on the premier offense in the NSFL. Garden turns out to be the best rated prospect out of the NSFL draft. He is the only one who was taken in the first round to also be a part of the top 10 players. He is the highest rated WR, the 2nd highest rated Wraith, and the highest pick to be on the top 10 list.
Number 3: Logan Noble, QB for the Colorado Yetis, GM ties. The first of two players who were not taken in the draft due to ties with the GM. Noble had the best QB season, and was rewarded with the highest spot on the list among QBs. He was able to lead the Yetis to their first championship game, beating the Wraiths high powered offense in the process. Noble is the highest rated QB on the list, the highest rated Yeti, and 1 of 2 players who were not picked that are on the list.
Number 2: Angus Winchester, OL for the Orange County Otters, 25th overall draft selection. I’ve said it in the defensive lineman reviews, OL is a hot commodity, and for the Otters, they had the best OL in the league. Rated number 2 overall, he was the premier trench player, and while OL may not be the shiniest position, it is one of the most necessary positions in the league. Without good blocking, the best QB in the world wouldn’t have the time to show his skills, so the Otters are in a great position with this big man. He is the highest rated OL, and highest rated Otter.
Number 1: Bubba Nuck, RB for the Yellowknife Wraiths, GM ties. The best player and he wasn’t even available for draft, due to GM ties. Considered to be the best player in the league, and by far the best RB, he was a fun player to watch last season and was part of the high-powered Wraiths offense. Bubba Nuck is the premier player in the NSFL right now and will bring a huge following wherever he goes. He is the highest rated offensive player, RB, Wraiths player, and the highest rated player in the league.
Now that we have the list and where they were drafted, the first thing to look at is the team breakdown. The Yellowknife Wraiths had 4 players; Nuck, Garden, Orosz, and Ramrio. Among these players, 3 of them were offensive, and one defensive. They had the most players on the top 10 list.
The Arizona Outlaws had 2 players; Rashad, and Tuck. Both players were defensive players.
The Orange County Otters had 2 players; Winchester, and Wright. Both players were offensive players.
The Colorado Yetis had 2 players; Noble, and Saint. One player was offensive, one was defensive.
Now that we have a breakdown of what each team had.
First let’s look at the Wraiths, who had the most players on the list. Their 4 players lead the league, but for some reason they couldn’t win the championship. They had a high powered offense, but when facing the Outlaws dominant defense they faltered. Was it jitters in their first ever playoff game, or was it facing off against a good defense in Colorado? No one will know for sure, but what we do know is that the Wraiths have a great core and the ability to dominant games and dictate the pace of play with their offense.
The Outlaws had 2 players, both on defense. They won the championship for a reason, and part of that reason was Rashad and Tuck dominated the opponents along with the rest of the defense. They were able to stop any offense in their path on the way to being the reigning champions. The Outlaws showed that they have the best defense, and the best team, even with the roster turnover that has happened, and we know what they are capable of after the inaugural season of the NSFL.
The Otters had 2 players, both offensive. They’ve already traded Wright away, and they were able to
make the playoffs last season before facing off against the Outlaws. I don’t know what this team is really capable of, they’re confusing to me, they look like a team that might not be good, and had some QB controversy, but then they go and make the playoffs and seem to be building a good roster.
The Yetis had 2 players, one on offense and one on defense. This team has the ability to go far, and if not for the Outlaws defense they could have won the championship. Noble is the best QB in the league, and will be able to lead the team to a championship pretty soon. Saint is a great LB as well, and will anchor a very capable defense. I don’t have any doubts about this team, and feel like they will be a good team for a while.
Which team had the best draft of the four? I’m down to two teams here, the Wraiths had 3 drafted players in the top 10, while the Outlaws had 2, one of which was the steal of the draft looking back on it. The Wraiths had a player from the 1st round, 3rd round, and 10th round make the top 10, and had the most drafted players, and that doesn’t go unnoticed. It shows they were able to get a lot out of their players throughout the draft, and that they were able to spot talent in any part of the draft. As for the Outlaws, they had Rashad, the lowest pick in the draft, who made the top 10 at number 5, along with Tuck, a 3rd rounder. I’d have to give the edge to the Outlaws here, since they were able to find the diamond in the rough and make the most out of the later rounds of the draft. Rashad provided the most value for the pick, and taking into consideration Garden, the 2nd overall pick, it makes it easier to choose the team with such a low pick coming in at such a high ranking. It’s expected of Garden to make the top 10, since he was a 1st round pick, it was never expected of Rashad.
So, what can each team do to improve? First off, trading top 10 talents away is a bad idea, as multiple players in the top 10 were traded already (and more could still be on the move). These teams need to keep their young cores intact, and build around the pieces they already have. For the Wraiths it’s easy, help your defense, we know what the offense is capable of, it isn’t a fluke that 3 players make the top 10. If the Wraiths can add some pieces to the defense they could turn out to be the most dominant team in the league. For the Outlaws, it is simple as well, keep the defense strong and build an offense. Same sentiment, different sides of the ball. We know the Outlaws can dominant on defense, if they can dominant on offense we could have Wraiths vs Outlaws each championship for the foreseeable future. For the Otters, it’s hard for me to determine, they are such an enigma to me that I don’t know how they’re going to turn out. They’ve already made moves to make the team better, and they could be one of the better teams, but something seems weird about the team itself. And finally, for the Yetis, they need to build around Noble. They have the best QB in the league, and with that should come the best offense once they add a few more pieces to the puzzle. If they are able to build around Noble on offense and Saint on defense they will be champions one day.
Now we turn our attention to drafting. With the way the top 10 turned out there is still a lot of work to be done on the science of drafting in the NSFL. It is a bit of a mystery on who will turn out to be stars and who will flunk out, and you can find a star in any round of the draft. There is still more work to be done on how to scout players, and how to tell what player is your next Josh Garden or Isaiah Rashad. With the 2nd NSFL draft coming up, the process is sure to be refined and will surely be a bit better than it was in the previous draft, but there is still a lot of work to be done before players will truly be equal to their values in their draft positions.
(2149 words, ready to be graded)
Graded
The Top 10 Players
Number 10: Omar Wright, RB for the Orange County Otters, 49th Overall draft selection. First up is Omar Wright, we see that he was taken around the middle of the draft. He is the first RB on the list, and he is the 2nd overall RB. He was underrated going into the draft, as shown by his lower draft position, he worked for everything he earned and as such he was able to show every team that didn’t take him why he should have been much higher on the board.
Number 9: Mark Ramrio, DT for the Yellowknife Wraiths, 14th Overall draft selection. A much higher pick than the previous entry, Ramrio showed his value for the team and showed why he was an early round pick. He was a monster in the trenches and brought fear to the hearts of the offensive linemen he faced every time he stepped foot on the field. He is the second highest pick in the draft that landed among the top 10 players. He is the highest rated DT on the list and the 1st of 4 Wraiths to populate the top 10.
Number 8: Chris Orosz, QB for the Yellowknife Wraiths, 59th overall draft selection. We don’t have to go far for the next player to populate the top 10, Orosz is 1 of 2 QBs to make the top 10. Commanding the Wraiths dominant offense, the pieces around him are no slouches themselves. Orosz could be a product of something special for years to come on the offense of the Wraiths. He is the 2nd overall QB, and 2nd Wraith to be on the list.
Number 7: Jayce Tuck, DE for the Arizona Outlaws, 18th overall draft selection. The only DE on the list, and another monster in the trench, a dominant cog to the dominant defense that was part of the Outlaw’s championship season. A great end can wreak havoc on the offense and when OL are a hot commodity people like Tuck show why you need to be able to win the fight for the trenches. The first of 2 outlaws on this list, he is the highest rated DE.
Number 6: Jonathan Saint, LB for the Colorado Yetis, 58th overall draft selection. The only LB on the list, Saint commanding the defense for the Yetis and is the premier LB to play the game right now. Having a great LB to lead the defense helps, so to have someone like Saint helps the defense of the Yetis to be better in every way. Another low draft pick, another miss for every team not named the Yetis. He is the top rated LB on the list, and the 1st of 2 Yetis on the list.
Number 5: Isaiah Rashad, S for the Arizona Outlaws, 103rd overall draft selection. The lowest pick to populate the top 10, Rashad made QBs pay every step of the way. Rashad truly was a diamond in the rough and has turned out to be by far the biggest steal in the draft. While he was traded to the Las Vegas Legion shortly after the season ended, the Outlaws got more than enough out of their defensive star who comes out to be the best defensive player on the top 50. He is the highest rated defensive back, safety, defensive player, and Outlaw on this list. (What was Arizona thinking when trading him?)
Number 4: Josh Garden, WR for the Yellowknife Wraiths, 2nd overall selection. The highest pick in the inaugural NSFL draft, he impressed early and never looked back. He quickly became the premier WR on the premier offense in the NSFL. Garden turns out to be the best rated prospect out of the NSFL draft. He is the only one who was taken in the first round to also be a part of the top 10 players. He is the highest rated WR, the 2nd highest rated Wraith, and the highest pick to be on the top 10 list.
Number 3: Logan Noble, QB for the Colorado Yetis, GM ties. The first of two players who were not taken in the draft due to ties with the GM. Noble had the best QB season, and was rewarded with the highest spot on the list among QBs. He was able to lead the Yetis to their first championship game, beating the Wraiths high powered offense in the process. Noble is the highest rated QB on the list, the highest rated Yeti, and 1 of 2 players who were not picked that are on the list.
Number 2: Angus Winchester, OL for the Orange County Otters, 25th overall draft selection. I’ve said it in the defensive lineman reviews, OL is a hot commodity, and for the Otters, they had the best OL in the league. Rated number 2 overall, he was the premier trench player, and while OL may not be the shiniest position, it is one of the most necessary positions in the league. Without good blocking, the best QB in the world wouldn’t have the time to show his skills, so the Otters are in a great position with this big man. He is the highest rated OL, and highest rated Otter.
Number 1: Bubba Nuck, RB for the Yellowknife Wraiths, GM ties. The best player and he wasn’t even available for draft, due to GM ties. Considered to be the best player in the league, and by far the best RB, he was a fun player to watch last season and was part of the high-powered Wraiths offense. Bubba Nuck is the premier player in the NSFL right now and will bring a huge following wherever he goes. He is the highest rated offensive player, RB, Wraiths player, and the highest rated player in the league.
Now that we have the list and where they were drafted, the first thing to look at is the team breakdown. The Yellowknife Wraiths had 4 players; Nuck, Garden, Orosz, and Ramrio. Among these players, 3 of them were offensive, and one defensive. They had the most players on the top 10 list.
The Arizona Outlaws had 2 players; Rashad, and Tuck. Both players were defensive players.
The Orange County Otters had 2 players; Winchester, and Wright. Both players were offensive players.
The Colorado Yetis had 2 players; Noble, and Saint. One player was offensive, one was defensive.
Now that we have a breakdown of what each team had.
First let’s look at the Wraiths, who had the most players on the list. Their 4 players lead the league, but for some reason they couldn’t win the championship. They had a high powered offense, but when facing the Outlaws dominant defense they faltered. Was it jitters in their first ever playoff game, or was it facing off against a good defense in Colorado? No one will know for sure, but what we do know is that the Wraiths have a great core and the ability to dominant games and dictate the pace of play with their offense.
The Outlaws had 2 players, both on defense. They won the championship for a reason, and part of that reason was Rashad and Tuck dominated the opponents along with the rest of the defense. They were able to stop any offense in their path on the way to being the reigning champions. The Outlaws showed that they have the best defense, and the best team, even with the roster turnover that has happened, and we know what they are capable of after the inaugural season of the NSFL.
The Otters had 2 players, both offensive. They’ve already traded Wright away, and they were able to
make the playoffs last season before facing off against the Outlaws. I don’t know what this team is really capable of, they’re confusing to me, they look like a team that might not be good, and had some QB controversy, but then they go and make the playoffs and seem to be building a good roster.
The Yetis had 2 players, one on offense and one on defense. This team has the ability to go far, and if not for the Outlaws defense they could have won the championship. Noble is the best QB in the league, and will be able to lead the team to a championship pretty soon. Saint is a great LB as well, and will anchor a very capable defense. I don’t have any doubts about this team, and feel like they will be a good team for a while.
Which team had the best draft of the four? I’m down to two teams here, the Wraiths had 3 drafted players in the top 10, while the Outlaws had 2, one of which was the steal of the draft looking back on it. The Wraiths had a player from the 1st round, 3rd round, and 10th round make the top 10, and had the most drafted players, and that doesn’t go unnoticed. It shows they were able to get a lot out of their players throughout the draft, and that they were able to spot talent in any part of the draft. As for the Outlaws, they had Rashad, the lowest pick in the draft, who made the top 10 at number 5, along with Tuck, a 3rd rounder. I’d have to give the edge to the Outlaws here, since they were able to find the diamond in the rough and make the most out of the later rounds of the draft. Rashad provided the most value for the pick, and taking into consideration Garden, the 2nd overall pick, it makes it easier to choose the team with such a low pick coming in at such a high ranking. It’s expected of Garden to make the top 10, since he was a 1st round pick, it was never expected of Rashad.
So, what can each team do to improve? First off, trading top 10 talents away is a bad idea, as multiple players in the top 10 were traded already (and more could still be on the move). These teams need to keep their young cores intact, and build around the pieces they already have. For the Wraiths it’s easy, help your defense, we know what the offense is capable of, it isn’t a fluke that 3 players make the top 10. If the Wraiths can add some pieces to the defense they could turn out to be the most dominant team in the league. For the Outlaws, it is simple as well, keep the defense strong and build an offense. Same sentiment, different sides of the ball. We know the Outlaws can dominant on defense, if they can dominant on offense we could have Wraiths vs Outlaws each championship for the foreseeable future. For the Otters, it’s hard for me to determine, they are such an enigma to me that I don’t know how they’re going to turn out. They’ve already made moves to make the team better, and they could be one of the better teams, but something seems weird about the team itself. And finally, for the Yetis, they need to build around Noble. They have the best QB in the league, and with that should come the best offense once they add a few more pieces to the puzzle. If they are able to build around Noble on offense and Saint on defense they will be champions one day.
Now we turn our attention to drafting. With the way the top 10 turned out there is still a lot of work to be done on the science of drafting in the NSFL. It is a bit of a mystery on who will turn out to be stars and who will flunk out, and you can find a star in any round of the draft. There is still more work to be done on how to scout players, and how to tell what player is your next Josh Garden or Isaiah Rashad. With the 2nd NSFL draft coming up, the process is sure to be refined and will surely be a bit better than it was in the previous draft, but there is still a lot of work to be done before players will truly be equal to their values in their draft positions.
(2149 words, ready to be graded)
Graded
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