10-25-2023, 08:05 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-01-2023, 08:34 AM by lemonoppy. Edited 3 times in total.)
Edit: Now with the FULL First Round
We are 11 weeks into Season 44 for the ISFL and 9 weeks in for the DSFL. The teams are battered and bruised, full of complaints, and sitting in ice baths and whirlpools. 5 Regular season games remain before the grueling playoffs. Now seems like a great time to re-evaluate the Round One ISFL draft picks. Were the picks smart choices or do they now look like futures busts. Let’s find out!
The evaluation of each pick comes down to 4 Criteria:
- Immediate Impact – Are they on the ISFL roster and do they play?
- Positional Depth Rank – Is this roster lacking talent at the position they player occupies?
- Age of Cohort – Are the rostered players that share the position ageing out?
- Gamechanger Potential & Personality
We’ll shorten this for the reviews to the following:
- II
- PDR
- AGE
- GPP
and rate them on a scale of ↑, ↔, and ↓. GPP will be either + or nothing.
Let’s dive in!
Pick 1) Tom Passarelli – New Orleans Second Line – WR
Tom was drafted first overall coming off a solid career in the DSFL as a Tight End. The team immediately added him to the roster as the 5th best receiver on the team by ranking. Dick Grayson has a higher overall ranking and is on the team roster but has not played in any games. By receiving yards, Tom ranks 5th on the team behind all other WRs who have played and their running back. Tom is tied for the 5th most targets with 50. 9.3 Yards per catch is attractive, but 1 TD leaves something to be desired. One note is that the two TEs on the team that do not typically catch passes are in their 6th and 8th seasons.
II ↔
PDR ↔
AGE ↑
GPP .
Grade: B-
--------------------
Pick 2) A Waffle – Chicago Butchers – LB
A Waffle has the pedigree to be a solid defensive captain. Last season in the DSFL, Waffle was 4th on total tackles and tied for 2nd in sacks with 12. 6 forced fumbles capped off an epic season. It’s clear to see what the team viewed in this breakfast carbohydrate. This year Waffle continues to dominate for the London Royals. This season the competition has caught up in the DSFL where Waffle stands around 6th or 7th overall in nearly every important statistical category. He is slightly overshadowed by the surprise success of rookie teammate Perry Passiveman. His cohorts in Chicago are playing well as a squad with most LBs on the younger side. Lack of immediate impact and the corps of young LBs on the roster and the additional draft pick of another stud LB in the same class make this pick a bit of a head scratcher when there are more pressing future needs at other positions.
II ↓
PDR ↔
AGE ↔
GPP +
Grade: C
--------------------
Pick 3) Orange Julius – San Jose SaberCats – WR
Orange Julius had a torrid rookie season with the 3rd most receiving yards in the league. This season OJ stayed on the London Royals for another chance at breaking records. This season OJ stands at 4th in receiving yards and 3rd in catches. OJ would be the 4th best WR on the roster if he were promoted. The SabreCats have a slim corps of three WRs, two of which are in their 3rd season. The final WR is loving life as an 8 year veteran, so it’s clear to see why WR was a priority for a future build. OJ is dealing with league punishment at the moment, which must be applied to the GPP portion of the ranking.
II ↓
PDR ↑
AGE ↑
GPP -
Grade: B
--------------------
Pick 4) Trent Thigpen – Austin Copperheads – DT
Trent Thigpen was drafted 4th overall as a Defensive Tackle, and their S43 numbers were good, but not great. 34 total tackles, a solid 8 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks stood out, but not in a capacity to be 4th overall by skills alone. Their current DT is a 6 year veteran, so it made sense to fill in at a position that can be a defensive lynchpin. The absolutely baffling strategic action that took place in the pre-season needs some explanation. Thigpen has changed positions to Cornerback, from Defensive Tackle. When you see the Copperheads roster, it makes more sense. Two total CBs are on the roster and in their 8th and 9th seasons. Even with Austin drafting a top notch CB in the later rounds, a second starting CB does need to emerge from this draft to protect the team from drastic drop-off. Their current roster basically makes any pick with a high TPE a layup as long as their willing to change position to fill a need.
II ↓
PDR ↑
AGE ↑
GPP +
Grade: A-
--------------------
Pick 5) Ryan McBean – Orange County Otters – DT
The Otters must have been dancing when the previous pick was announced, knowing that the top DT available in the draft become available to them. Ryan had more TPE and more total tackles than draft classmate Thigpen. S43 displayed to the world a talent worth 5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one recovered. With no other Defensive Tackles on the roster, this position was a great need. Ryan is already starting for the Otters. 4 Sacks this season in the upper league is nothing to scoff at for a DT, especially for a rookie.
II ↑
PDR ↔
AGE ↑
GPP -
Grade: A+
--------------------
Pick 6) Thor Dangerson – Yellowknife Wraiths – LB
Thor Dangerson is a real specimen of a LB. S43 showed off the versatility of this monster player: 11 Sacks, 2 INTs, 12 passes deflected, and a touchdown. Yellowknife added a great player that is understandable even if positional need isn’t a priority. And to be fair, it isn’t quite an organizational need at the moment. 4 are on the roster, including a 10 year veteran. Clearly this is the replacement their looking to make next season to run 4 LB defensive sets. Their current role on the Portland Pythons shows that they have no signs of slowing down: 9 tackles for loss, 2 FF, 11 Sacks, and 9 passes defended.
II ↓
PDR ↑
AGE ↓
GPP +
Grade: C+
--------------------
Pick 7) Jamie Orion – Sarasota Sailfish – S
Jamie Orion was the first safety off the board in the S44 Draft. Orion is a scrappy player and showed it at SS in S43. 1 FF and 2 recovered fumbles can’t be overlooked. But it is odd that the top safety had a grand total of 0 interceptions. 59 total tackles is solid, but not anything worth spotlighting. 247 TPE is always a solid get at 7th overall. Jamie is 1 of 3 safeties on the Sailfish roster and the only SS. Jamie is leading that position with 9 passes deflected, and combined with his teammate’s 10 PDs, is shaping up to be a nice little pair of safeties.
II ↑
PDR ↑
AGE ↓
GPP .
Grade: B
--------------------
Pick 8) Tua Turndaballova – Berlin Fire Salamanders – QB
The first QB off the board is going to be scrutinized more than any other choice in every draft. Tua topped the passing stats for many categories in S43 as a rookie: pass attempts, completions, yards, and (shocker) tied for tops in interceptions too. They were middle of the pack for completion percentage, and third lowest in QB rating. Efficiency didn’t seem to be the Grey Ducks’ concern. This season is much of the same: middle of the pack statistics save for most passing yards. Interceptions have improved. To be fair, the run game behind Tua was not great, but has been improved in S44. Berlin’s current 7th year QB is aging, but statistically a solid slinger. It’s clear that Berlin needed another QB in the pipeline, and they’re not the only team that will need one soon. What’s unclear is what Tua has that the other available QBs don’t. This pick may age better if there is a frenzy in the next two drafts to fill too many QB positions with not enough prospects.
II ↓
PDR ↔
AGE ↔
GPP .
Grade: D
--------------------
Pick 9) Pete Moss – Colorado Yeti – LB
Pete Moss had 12 Sacks and 99 tackles in S43. A workhouse, no doubt. 251 TPE shows wonderful potential. This season has shown much of the same drive, with 6 sacks and 72 tackles so far. It might be debatable that the Yeti skipped over the better LB by letting Joey Battle go to the Butchers in the next pick, but either way, it’s a solid player. The depth at LB doesn’t align with the pick though. 5 LBs on the current Yeti roster, including 3 drafted two seasons prior. There is a glaring need at DE with one 10 year veteran looking to retire soon. One can surmise that one of the LBs may make the transition to DE soon.
II ↓
PDR ↓
AGE ↓
GPP .
Grade: F
--------------------
Pick 10) Joey Battle – Chicago Butchers – LB
Joey is an absolute stud. The winner of the DSFL S43 Defensive Rookie of the Year needs very little introduction. Battle had 6 forced fumbles and 12 sacks as a rookie and somehow ended up as only the 10th overall pick and 4th linebacker selected. Joey is on a depleted Birddogs team and still showing great promise in spite of the lack of LB talent around him. Like the 2nd overall LB pick by Chicago, it’s a bit head-scratching to prioritize this position, but the 10th overall pick makes more sense than the 2nd. Especially when Joey would have been justified as the 2nd overall pick too. If value were a bigger factor in the rankings, this would be a slam dunk, but since it’s not, I have to question why two LBs went to this team in the top 10 picks.
II ↓
PDR ↔
AGE ↓
GPP +
Grade: D+
--------------------
Pick 11) Jordan Bamford – Arizona Outlaws – WR
Jordan Bamford had a fabulous rookie season as one of the two dominant WRs in Portland to catch the ball at least 60 times. The low TD numbers can be explained by the 11 earned by his counterpart. 12 yds per catch isn’t anything to brag about, but among the other stats it indicates that Jordan is a workhorse, perfect for moving inside the slot and over the middle the get first downs. That’s valuable for a team like Arizona who currently rosters only 3 WRs including 2 in their 10th season. LB is another obvious position that needs to be addressed, but with four linebackers already off the board at pick 11, this selection choice was very easy. I doubt they expected to take their first or second choice WR at pick 11.
II ↓
PDR ↑
AGE ↑
GPP .
Grade: B+
--------------------
Pick 12) Carter Goad – Baltimore Hawks – OL
Carter Goad built up a solid 238 TPE while bolstering the Offensive Line for the revered Dallas Birddogs in S43. Since the draft, Carter has jumped to the other side of the ball and rushes the QB at Defensive Tackle, still with Dallas. In evaluating Baltimore’s champion roster, offensive line is fairly strong and young with 4 of 5 players in their 5th season or younger. Defensive tackles are ageing, but it doesn’t stand out as an immediate need. The best teams make sure they never have an immediate need, and Baltimore is proving to be one of the best. Running Back is more pressing, but was addressed in this draft just two picks later and in the S43 Draft. The only position I see that appears to be equally important in addressing is Cornerback. Carter gives the Hawks options, and that’s something that any team yearns for.
II ↓
PDR ↔
AGE ↔
GPP +
Grade: C
--------------------
Pick 13) Triceracop – Chicago Butchers – OL
Triceracop had a crappy rookie season with Bondi Beach in S43. There’s no sugarcoating it. He was basically on par with the aptly named BOT Runch Crap towards the bottom of the list in pancakes, and towards the top of the list in Sacks Allowed. O-Line is a tough position to scout and draft for, but I’m going to have to give Chicago a lot of credit for taking a change on the exuberant dinosaur officer. Season 44 is shaping up to be a great one. Tri is leading the league in Pancakes and has allowed a big fat 0 sacks so far this season. Chicago has literally 1 Offensive Lineman on the roster with 4 bots filling in the rest. They are so desperate for talent at the position that it’s hard to overstate how vital it was to select this player. And to somehow scout the potential Most Improved Player at the same time? The Windy City scouts deserve a round of applause.
II ↓
PDR ↑
AGE ↑
GPP +
Grade: A+
--------------------
Pick 14) Joe Bazooka – Baltimore Hawks – RB
The first Running Back barely stays in the first round as the 14th and last pick of the First dance. He was the top rookie runner in S43 with the 5th most rushing yards and receiving yards of all running backs. There’s no question that any team that needs more rushing would be scouting this bell cow. As we stated just two picks ago, Baltimore needed to address their running back corps who are ageing out of the league quickly. It is a bit interesting to me that their 12th and 14th round selections weren’t flip flopped. From a value perspective I’d think that would make more sense, but perhaps they were worried about losing their OL guy to Chicago, who did ultimately select for that need. Value isn’t part of these rankings, but isn’t lost on me that this was an excellent skill position that fell later than I may have predicted.
II ↓
PDR ↑
AGE ↑
GPP +
Grade: A+
We are 11 weeks into Season 44 for the ISFL and 9 weeks in for the DSFL. The teams are battered and bruised, full of complaints, and sitting in ice baths and whirlpools. 5 Regular season games remain before the grueling playoffs. Now seems like a great time to re-evaluate the Round One ISFL draft picks. Were the picks smart choices or do they now look like futures busts. Let’s find out!
The evaluation of each pick comes down to 4 Criteria:
- Immediate Impact – Are they on the ISFL roster and do they play?
- Positional Depth Rank – Is this roster lacking talent at the position they player occupies?
- Age of Cohort – Are the rostered players that share the position ageing out?
- Gamechanger Potential & Personality
We’ll shorten this for the reviews to the following:
- II
- PDR
- AGE
- GPP
and rate them on a scale of ↑, ↔, and ↓. GPP will be either + or nothing.
Let’s dive in!
Pick 1) Tom Passarelli – New Orleans Second Line – WR
Tom was drafted first overall coming off a solid career in the DSFL as a Tight End. The team immediately added him to the roster as the 5th best receiver on the team by ranking. Dick Grayson has a higher overall ranking and is on the team roster but has not played in any games. By receiving yards, Tom ranks 5th on the team behind all other WRs who have played and their running back. Tom is tied for the 5th most targets with 50. 9.3 Yards per catch is attractive, but 1 TD leaves something to be desired. One note is that the two TEs on the team that do not typically catch passes are in their 6th and 8th seasons.
II ↔
PDR ↔
AGE ↑
GPP .
Grade: B-
--------------------
Pick 2) A Waffle – Chicago Butchers – LB
A Waffle has the pedigree to be a solid defensive captain. Last season in the DSFL, Waffle was 4th on total tackles and tied for 2nd in sacks with 12. 6 forced fumbles capped off an epic season. It’s clear to see what the team viewed in this breakfast carbohydrate. This year Waffle continues to dominate for the London Royals. This season the competition has caught up in the DSFL where Waffle stands around 6th or 7th overall in nearly every important statistical category. He is slightly overshadowed by the surprise success of rookie teammate Perry Passiveman. His cohorts in Chicago are playing well as a squad with most LBs on the younger side. Lack of immediate impact and the corps of young LBs on the roster and the additional draft pick of another stud LB in the same class make this pick a bit of a head scratcher when there are more pressing future needs at other positions.
II ↓
PDR ↔
AGE ↔
GPP +
Grade: C
--------------------
Pick 3) Orange Julius – San Jose SaberCats – WR
Orange Julius had a torrid rookie season with the 3rd most receiving yards in the league. This season OJ stayed on the London Royals for another chance at breaking records. This season OJ stands at 4th in receiving yards and 3rd in catches. OJ would be the 4th best WR on the roster if he were promoted. The SabreCats have a slim corps of three WRs, two of which are in their 3rd season. The final WR is loving life as an 8 year veteran, so it’s clear to see why WR was a priority for a future build. OJ is dealing with league punishment at the moment, which must be applied to the GPP portion of the ranking.
II ↓
PDR ↑
AGE ↑
GPP -
Grade: B
--------------------
Pick 4) Trent Thigpen – Austin Copperheads – DT
Trent Thigpen was drafted 4th overall as a Defensive Tackle, and their S43 numbers were good, but not great. 34 total tackles, a solid 8 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks stood out, but not in a capacity to be 4th overall by skills alone. Their current DT is a 6 year veteran, so it made sense to fill in at a position that can be a defensive lynchpin. The absolutely baffling strategic action that took place in the pre-season needs some explanation. Thigpen has changed positions to Cornerback, from Defensive Tackle. When you see the Copperheads roster, it makes more sense. Two total CBs are on the roster and in their 8th and 9th seasons. Even with Austin drafting a top notch CB in the later rounds, a second starting CB does need to emerge from this draft to protect the team from drastic drop-off. Their current roster basically makes any pick with a high TPE a layup as long as their willing to change position to fill a need.
II ↓
PDR ↑
AGE ↑
GPP +
Grade: A-
--------------------
Pick 5) Ryan McBean – Orange County Otters – DT
The Otters must have been dancing when the previous pick was announced, knowing that the top DT available in the draft become available to them. Ryan had more TPE and more total tackles than draft classmate Thigpen. S43 displayed to the world a talent worth 5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one recovered. With no other Defensive Tackles on the roster, this position was a great need. Ryan is already starting for the Otters. 4 Sacks this season in the upper league is nothing to scoff at for a DT, especially for a rookie.
II ↑
PDR ↔
AGE ↑
GPP -
Grade: A+
--------------------
Pick 6) Thor Dangerson – Yellowknife Wraiths – LB
Thor Dangerson is a real specimen of a LB. S43 showed off the versatility of this monster player: 11 Sacks, 2 INTs, 12 passes deflected, and a touchdown. Yellowknife added a great player that is understandable even if positional need isn’t a priority. And to be fair, it isn’t quite an organizational need at the moment. 4 are on the roster, including a 10 year veteran. Clearly this is the replacement their looking to make next season to run 4 LB defensive sets. Their current role on the Portland Pythons shows that they have no signs of slowing down: 9 tackles for loss, 2 FF, 11 Sacks, and 9 passes defended.
II ↓
PDR ↑
AGE ↓
GPP +
Grade: C+
--------------------
Pick 7) Jamie Orion – Sarasota Sailfish – S
Jamie Orion was the first safety off the board in the S44 Draft. Orion is a scrappy player and showed it at SS in S43. 1 FF and 2 recovered fumbles can’t be overlooked. But it is odd that the top safety had a grand total of 0 interceptions. 59 total tackles is solid, but not anything worth spotlighting. 247 TPE is always a solid get at 7th overall. Jamie is 1 of 3 safeties on the Sailfish roster and the only SS. Jamie is leading that position with 9 passes deflected, and combined with his teammate’s 10 PDs, is shaping up to be a nice little pair of safeties.
II ↑
PDR ↑
AGE ↓
GPP .
Grade: B
--------------------
Pick 8) Tua Turndaballova – Berlin Fire Salamanders – QB
The first QB off the board is going to be scrutinized more than any other choice in every draft. Tua topped the passing stats for many categories in S43 as a rookie: pass attempts, completions, yards, and (shocker) tied for tops in interceptions too. They were middle of the pack for completion percentage, and third lowest in QB rating. Efficiency didn’t seem to be the Grey Ducks’ concern. This season is much of the same: middle of the pack statistics save for most passing yards. Interceptions have improved. To be fair, the run game behind Tua was not great, but has been improved in S44. Berlin’s current 7th year QB is aging, but statistically a solid slinger. It’s clear that Berlin needed another QB in the pipeline, and they’re not the only team that will need one soon. What’s unclear is what Tua has that the other available QBs don’t. This pick may age better if there is a frenzy in the next two drafts to fill too many QB positions with not enough prospects.
II ↓
PDR ↔
AGE ↔
GPP .
Grade: D
--------------------
Pick 9) Pete Moss – Colorado Yeti – LB
Pete Moss had 12 Sacks and 99 tackles in S43. A workhouse, no doubt. 251 TPE shows wonderful potential. This season has shown much of the same drive, with 6 sacks and 72 tackles so far. It might be debatable that the Yeti skipped over the better LB by letting Joey Battle go to the Butchers in the next pick, but either way, it’s a solid player. The depth at LB doesn’t align with the pick though. 5 LBs on the current Yeti roster, including 3 drafted two seasons prior. There is a glaring need at DE with one 10 year veteran looking to retire soon. One can surmise that one of the LBs may make the transition to DE soon.
II ↓
PDR ↓
AGE ↓
GPP .
Grade: F
--------------------
Pick 10) Joey Battle – Chicago Butchers – LB
Joey is an absolute stud. The winner of the DSFL S43 Defensive Rookie of the Year needs very little introduction. Battle had 6 forced fumbles and 12 sacks as a rookie and somehow ended up as only the 10th overall pick and 4th linebacker selected. Joey is on a depleted Birddogs team and still showing great promise in spite of the lack of LB talent around him. Like the 2nd overall LB pick by Chicago, it’s a bit head-scratching to prioritize this position, but the 10th overall pick makes more sense than the 2nd. Especially when Joey would have been justified as the 2nd overall pick too. If value were a bigger factor in the rankings, this would be a slam dunk, but since it’s not, I have to question why two LBs went to this team in the top 10 picks.
II ↓
PDR ↔
AGE ↓
GPP +
Grade: D+
--------------------
Pick 11) Jordan Bamford – Arizona Outlaws – WR
Jordan Bamford had a fabulous rookie season as one of the two dominant WRs in Portland to catch the ball at least 60 times. The low TD numbers can be explained by the 11 earned by his counterpart. 12 yds per catch isn’t anything to brag about, but among the other stats it indicates that Jordan is a workhorse, perfect for moving inside the slot and over the middle the get first downs. That’s valuable for a team like Arizona who currently rosters only 3 WRs including 2 in their 10th season. LB is another obvious position that needs to be addressed, but with four linebackers already off the board at pick 11, this selection choice was very easy. I doubt they expected to take their first or second choice WR at pick 11.
II ↓
PDR ↑
AGE ↑
GPP .
Grade: B+
--------------------
Pick 12) Carter Goad – Baltimore Hawks – OL
Carter Goad built up a solid 238 TPE while bolstering the Offensive Line for the revered Dallas Birddogs in S43. Since the draft, Carter has jumped to the other side of the ball and rushes the QB at Defensive Tackle, still with Dallas. In evaluating Baltimore’s champion roster, offensive line is fairly strong and young with 4 of 5 players in their 5th season or younger. Defensive tackles are ageing, but it doesn’t stand out as an immediate need. The best teams make sure they never have an immediate need, and Baltimore is proving to be one of the best. Running Back is more pressing, but was addressed in this draft just two picks later and in the S43 Draft. The only position I see that appears to be equally important in addressing is Cornerback. Carter gives the Hawks options, and that’s something that any team yearns for.
II ↓
PDR ↔
AGE ↔
GPP +
Grade: C
--------------------
Pick 13) Triceracop – Chicago Butchers – OL
Triceracop had a crappy rookie season with Bondi Beach in S43. There’s no sugarcoating it. He was basically on par with the aptly named BOT Runch Crap towards the bottom of the list in pancakes, and towards the top of the list in Sacks Allowed. O-Line is a tough position to scout and draft for, but I’m going to have to give Chicago a lot of credit for taking a change on the exuberant dinosaur officer. Season 44 is shaping up to be a great one. Tri is leading the league in Pancakes and has allowed a big fat 0 sacks so far this season. Chicago has literally 1 Offensive Lineman on the roster with 4 bots filling in the rest. They are so desperate for talent at the position that it’s hard to overstate how vital it was to select this player. And to somehow scout the potential Most Improved Player at the same time? The Windy City scouts deserve a round of applause.
II ↓
PDR ↑
AGE ↑
GPP +
Grade: A+
--------------------
Pick 14) Joe Bazooka – Baltimore Hawks – RB
The first Running Back barely stays in the first round as the 14th and last pick of the First dance. He was the top rookie runner in S43 with the 5th most rushing yards and receiving yards of all running backs. There’s no question that any team that needs more rushing would be scouting this bell cow. As we stated just two picks ago, Baltimore needed to address their running back corps who are ageing out of the league quickly. It is a bit interesting to me that their 12th and 14th round selections weren’t flip flopped. From a value perspective I’d think that would make more sense, but perhaps they were worried about losing their OL guy to Chicago, who did ultimately select for that need. Value isn’t part of these rankings, but isn’t lost on me that this was an excellent skill position that fell later than I may have predicted.
II ↓
PDR ↑
AGE ↑
GPP +
Grade: A+