01-23-2024, 04:47 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-30-2024, 04:32 PM by lemonoppy. Edited 2 times in total.)
I started putting together info for this mock a week ago, but then I think 8 more prospects got added, people changed positions, we crossed over from S45 to S46 and TPE went all wackadoo, and I became discouraged. However, there was a light at the end of the tunnel: a slow Tuesday at work. BOOM! New data, new sheets, and the mock draft is back on baby! Just in time for the real draft to come out in 2 days and this thing is completely irrelevant!
I did my best to assess team needs based on what I saw in the team roster sub-forums. If there were players still listed there that should have been moved due to callups, that ain’t on me. Bad GMs, BAD. But for the most part that looked pretty accurate.
What I attempted to do here was to augment the data in the TPE tracker with some things that felt relevant to me, a first gen idiot.
Added columns:
First Gen or Recreate – Much has been said about the first round of the DSFL draft and first gen vs recreate. I’ve heard that draft position doesn’t matter, so recreates typically go later. Looking at the S45 DSFL draft, the first round was split 50/50 between first gen players and recreates. This was probably influenced by the two QBs taken in the first round, Lasse Zeigler and Billy Van Goff. With a smaller pool of QBs, that became a position of immense importance for teams with shoes to fill under center.
Update Thread TPE – With the freeze on updates for prospects, I was forced to do the unthinkable. I cross referenced the TPE tracker to each prospect’s most recent unprocessed update post in their update thread. We can really see some big swings here since there was so much TPE to claim in the gap between updates. Also, I have seen how sloppy some of yall’s update threads are. Shame on you! Since these are from unprocessed updates, there is a chance the user did something wrong and miscounted. Not my problem.
Equipment – Since I was already going through update threads, I just noted whether the user had purchased S46 equipment yet and what tier if they had. This is more of a leading indicator for first gens than veterans since most of the veterans are sitting on truly immense hoards of cash Scrooge McDuck style. They can cover T6 at any time, whereas first gens will need to demonstrate earning potential in order to get there. But even claiming lower equipment early is a good sign of an active user.
Bank – Not super helpful to be honest, but it can break a tie if two players are similar in TPE. More bank means less likely to miss a week of training.
Team Needs
Big shout outs to @ImSatanJunior for their mock draft which was a big inspiration for this mock. I really liked the team needs section they did, so I “borrowed” it here.
NOR – CB, LB 1st priority; WR 2nd priority
Norfolk is entering S45 with the #1 overall pick, but only a couple holes on their roster as far as headcounts go. No cornerbacks and no linebackers on the roster lead me to believe they will go defense early. Only 1 wide receiver, so they could upgrade there. Could also improve their DL, or just take more LBs or CBs to fill out the defense depth chart.
LON – DL, CB 1st priority; S 2nd priority
London currently has zero active players on the DL, and zero in their secondary. I honestly think they may want to trade down for more picks here in case another team wants to move up. Getting more bodies in those empty spots seems better than getting the #2 overall pick of the draft here.
MIN- DL, LB 1st priority; QB 2nd priority
Similar to London, Minnesota’s front seven is currently a front zero. So, they should look to grab a quality LB, DT, or DE here. They will be losing their QB next year, so with a strong QB class this year the Ducks could line up Tuna’s successor. It depends on who is available when in this draft. Knowing when to go QB will be an important part of draft strategy for any teams looking at that position.
BBB – QB, LB 1st priority; DE 2nd priority
The Buccs are without a quarterback, which in football terms is “sus”. Like mentioned above, this is a strong class for QB’s though. So, BBB could pass on a QB in the first round, and upgrade another position. They have no linebackers to start S46. Also, adding a DE would improve their D-line but is not as urgent as either of the other positions.
POR – RB 1st priority; WR 2nd priority
The Pythons have nobody slotted to carry the rock for S46, so they should plan on taking the best RB available as soon as possible. Its not a deep class this year. Portland looks to have decent headcount across most of the other positions, so I think a 2nd active WR would help their offensive threat.
DAL – LB, CB 1st priority; DE 2nd priority
Dallas has no LBs or CBs rostered at the moment, so they should look to grab quality users there based on availability first. They are pretty loaded on offense, so I would guess DE could be a 2nd priority to fill if they get who they want at linebacker and corner.
KCC – WR, S, DL 1st priority; DL 2nd priority
KCC’s only big hole at the moment is at safety, but they also have an aging wide receiver corps that could use some new bodies. On the other side of the ball, there is only 1 DE Coyote. So, adding multiple DT’s or DE’s would help that unit as well. Out of all the teams I think KCC has the most flexibility to go best player available with their first few picks.
TIJ – QB, DL, LB 1st priority; K, DL/LB 2nd priority
No signal caller for the Luchadores means that’s something that HAS to be addressed quickly. Can they afford to wait for round 2? Round 3?? TIJ also has no active DL players and no active LB players. Could they look to trade down to fill more spots?
Round 1
Pick 1 - Roquefort Cotswald CB – NOR
With CB being a major area of need for the SeaWolves, Norfolk goes with the active first gen user dylparl to jumpstart the defense. Cotswald was the second highest earning first gen at the time of writing, getting up to T5 equipment. Norfolk could have gone LB here, however there are a lot more options there in this draft class. Its more likely that the top CBs would no longer be available by the 9th pick.
Pick 2 – Dunkler Sowerwine DE – LON
London has nobody on the DL and no one in the secondary. With the 2nd highest earning first gen gone with the first pick, London grabs Dunkler here at 2. London is looking to get a consistent earner for the future here. Dunkler was the only first gen prospect to already have T6 equipment on their update page at the time of writing.
Pick 3 - Maurice Gunner DE – MIN
This was a tough one to predict and I kind of deferred to what I’ve been TOLD, that first gen’s will go earlier than recreates. Minnesota needs DL and goes with another active DE user in agorka. One awkward part about this mock is that both LON and MIN had post TDL DE’s join their teams in S45 that are available in this draft. Dunkler for MIN and Rach-Pizza Pizza-Man for LON. LON could have just gotten their Pizza boy at 2 and MIN go for Dunkler at 2, but this is sticking with that First Gen going early logic.
Pick 4 – Huge Yakman LB – BBB
Bondi Beach goes for the first gamble of the draft, NOT choosing to go QB in the first round despite lacking one on their roster. They instead go for Yakman at LB. Its much more likely that BBB still has solid QB options in round 2 than it is there are still elite LB’s available.
Pick 5 - Soul King Brook RB – POR
Everything lines up great for the Pythons and they grab the safe option at RB in Soul King Brook. Reginald Hammerfall was also a solid RB available with more TPE than Brook and a first gen too! However the negative bank account and only T3 equipment so far makes me want to go for Brook instead.
Pick 6 – Walter Yensid CB – DAL
Dallas goes for another first gen CB in Yensid here over filling up at LB. The LB class has a lot of solid recreates, so Dallas is being patient to upgrade there. Instead they go for an active first gen who looks like they have a plan to start earning that T6 equipment money.
Pick 7 – Eric Beaty Jr. S – KCC
Probably the most stone cold killer move of the first round, KCC goes for one of two recreates at Safety. I wrote earlier that KCC is flexible in how they can draft and this move only furthers that position. They dip into a position not very deep in the draft, and stay patient to upgrade elsewhere.
Pick 8 – Rush Hardman LB – TIJ
Tijuana follows Bondi Beach’s lead and rolls the dice on drafting a QB. Instead they go for a solid LB recreate to start building out that front seven. It feels like TIJ and BBB are playing a game of chicken when it comes to drafting a QB.
Round 2
Pick 9 - Maria Teresa de la Rosa WR – NOR
Surprised to see them fall out of the first round, Norfolk goes a little off plan and adds de la Rosa to their wide receiver room. De la Rosa had some explosive plays in the Prospect Bowl for the Grizzlies, and it looks like it impressed the SeaWolves.
Pick 10 - Sewage Joe Fantringham DT – LON
London goes for another defensive lineman with their second pick and takes a great DT prospect. Surprisingly, there are only two DT prospects in this class! It feels like we may see some DE’s move or play at DT for awhile in the DSFL.
Pick 11 – AtCCs Mercy DT – MIN
Minnesota was in a similar position as London, and they follow suit here as well taking the other natural DT prospect in the draft. It should be noted that both DT’s were excellent choices coming in at over 125 TPE each.
Pick 12 – Ranch-Pizza Pizza-Man DE – BBB
The game of “First to pick a QB Loses” continues as BBB tries to maximize their picks and value by going for a high TPE DE. Still no QB to speak of for BBB, but they’ve gotten some great pieces on defense this draft so far.
Pick 13 – Edith Nickelback K – POR
We haven’t talked about kickers much, but this feels like it makes sense here for the Pythons. They got exactly what they wanted in the first round, and they don’t have any really glaring holes elsewhere. So they grab a new kicker that’s shown some promise earning to round out their roster.
Pick 14 – K.C. Gordon LB – DAL
Dallas crosses off their other biggest need at LB by taking the strong LB prospect Gordon. They could have gone for some other positions like TE or Kicker, but shoring up the middle of that defense feels like the responsible thing to do first.
Pick 15 – Brad Woof WR – KCC
KCC is happy to get a WR prospect they felt could have gone in the first round in Brad Woof. KCC’s strategy to go safety in round 1 pays off big time.
Pick 16 – Elijah Dyson QB – TIJ
The Luchadores break the seal and take the first QB of the draft at the end of the second round. Tijuana can now breathe a little easier knowing they’ve got their biggest need addressed.
Round 3
Pick 17 – Speed Hawk LB – NOR
Norfolk has now seen 3 linebackers taken and none of them are SeaWolves. There are multiple options here for them, but they are happy to get a prospect already with T6 equipment and a bank that can carry them through the rest of the season.
Pick 18 - SkibidiGyat OhioRizzler CB – LON
After going back to back d-line picks, London has to address the secondary at the start of the 3rd round. OhioRizzler is a great pick as the other prospects are quite a bit behind in TPE. They’ve also already hit T6 equipment and have a solid bank balance.
Pick 19 - Puddles O'Duck QB – MIN
DUCK DUCK DUCK DUCK. If Puddles doesn’t end up on Minnesota, what are we even doing people? This will be the 2nd QB for Minnesota, but it means Puddles will 100% have the job come S47. Minnesota takes the QB now in a solid class, letting them be flexible with next year’s early picks.
Pick 20 – Bugs QB – BBB
It feels like Bondi Beach’s gamble with their first two picks pays off as they still get a solid QB in the third. Time will tell whether Bugs was their preferred QB, or if going for two other positions earlier was the smarter move.
Pick 21 - Lane Wilson WR – POR
Portland could have gone a number of ways here, but this felt like a best player available pick that does make them better. Wilson is firmly in the top 3 WR prospects of the draft, so getting him this late is a steal.
Pick 22 - Swantavius Stack OL – DAL
Maybe my first gen naivety is showing and Stack will go MUCH earlier, but this feels like a slam dunk pick for the Birddogs in the 3rd round.
Pick 23 - Russell Jimmies QB – KCC
The 4th QB off the board, Jimmies will look to take over playcalling duties next year in KCC. Similar to the move the Ducks made this round, KCC is shoring up their future in a draft with good QB prospects.
Pick 24 - Luke Laraque DE – TIJ
I mentioned in the first round that the DE’s could get shuffled around a bit based on factors you’d only know if you were in the war room. Laraque could just as easily go in the first round as here. So if you are Tijuana you are happy to have him.
Im stopping the mock there as my fingers hurt and everyone is bullying me to finish. Are you happy now?!?
I did my best to assess team needs based on what I saw in the team roster sub-forums. If there were players still listed there that should have been moved due to callups, that ain’t on me. Bad GMs, BAD. But for the most part that looked pretty accurate.
What I attempted to do here was to augment the data in the TPE tracker with some things that felt relevant to me, a first gen idiot.
Added columns:
First Gen or Recreate – Much has been said about the first round of the DSFL draft and first gen vs recreate. I’ve heard that draft position doesn’t matter, so recreates typically go later. Looking at the S45 DSFL draft, the first round was split 50/50 between first gen players and recreates. This was probably influenced by the two QBs taken in the first round, Lasse Zeigler and Billy Van Goff. With a smaller pool of QBs, that became a position of immense importance for teams with shoes to fill under center.
Update Thread TPE – With the freeze on updates for prospects, I was forced to do the unthinkable. I cross referenced the TPE tracker to each prospect’s most recent unprocessed update post in their update thread. We can really see some big swings here since there was so much TPE to claim in the gap between updates. Also, I have seen how sloppy some of yall’s update threads are. Shame on you! Since these are from unprocessed updates, there is a chance the user did something wrong and miscounted. Not my problem.
Equipment – Since I was already going through update threads, I just noted whether the user had purchased S46 equipment yet and what tier if they had. This is more of a leading indicator for first gens than veterans since most of the veterans are sitting on truly immense hoards of cash Scrooge McDuck style. They can cover T6 at any time, whereas first gens will need to demonstrate earning potential in order to get there. But even claiming lower equipment early is a good sign of an active user.
Bank – Not super helpful to be honest, but it can break a tie if two players are similar in TPE. More bank means less likely to miss a week of training.
Team Needs
Big shout outs to @ImSatanJunior for their mock draft which was a big inspiration for this mock. I really liked the team needs section they did, so I “borrowed” it here.
NOR – CB, LB 1st priority; WR 2nd priority
Norfolk is entering S45 with the #1 overall pick, but only a couple holes on their roster as far as headcounts go. No cornerbacks and no linebackers on the roster lead me to believe they will go defense early. Only 1 wide receiver, so they could upgrade there. Could also improve their DL, or just take more LBs or CBs to fill out the defense depth chart.
LON – DL, CB 1st priority; S 2nd priority
London currently has zero active players on the DL, and zero in their secondary. I honestly think they may want to trade down for more picks here in case another team wants to move up. Getting more bodies in those empty spots seems better than getting the #2 overall pick of the draft here.
MIN- DL, LB 1st priority; QB 2nd priority
Similar to London, Minnesota’s front seven is currently a front zero. So, they should look to grab a quality LB, DT, or DE here. They will be losing their QB next year, so with a strong QB class this year the Ducks could line up Tuna’s successor. It depends on who is available when in this draft. Knowing when to go QB will be an important part of draft strategy for any teams looking at that position.
BBB – QB, LB 1st priority; DE 2nd priority
The Buccs are without a quarterback, which in football terms is “sus”. Like mentioned above, this is a strong class for QB’s though. So, BBB could pass on a QB in the first round, and upgrade another position. They have no linebackers to start S46. Also, adding a DE would improve their D-line but is not as urgent as either of the other positions.
POR – RB 1st priority; WR 2nd priority
The Pythons have nobody slotted to carry the rock for S46, so they should plan on taking the best RB available as soon as possible. Its not a deep class this year. Portland looks to have decent headcount across most of the other positions, so I think a 2nd active WR would help their offensive threat.
DAL – LB, CB 1st priority; DE 2nd priority
Dallas has no LBs or CBs rostered at the moment, so they should look to grab quality users there based on availability first. They are pretty loaded on offense, so I would guess DE could be a 2nd priority to fill if they get who they want at linebacker and corner.
KCC – WR, S, DL 1st priority; DL 2nd priority
KCC’s only big hole at the moment is at safety, but they also have an aging wide receiver corps that could use some new bodies. On the other side of the ball, there is only 1 DE Coyote. So, adding multiple DT’s or DE’s would help that unit as well. Out of all the teams I think KCC has the most flexibility to go best player available with their first few picks.
TIJ – QB, DL, LB 1st priority; K, DL/LB 2nd priority
No signal caller for the Luchadores means that’s something that HAS to be addressed quickly. Can they afford to wait for round 2? Round 3?? TIJ also has no active DL players and no active LB players. Could they look to trade down to fill more spots?
Round 1
Pick 1 - Roquefort Cotswald CB – NOR
With CB being a major area of need for the SeaWolves, Norfolk goes with the active first gen user dylparl to jumpstart the defense. Cotswald was the second highest earning first gen at the time of writing, getting up to T5 equipment. Norfolk could have gone LB here, however there are a lot more options there in this draft class. Its more likely that the top CBs would no longer be available by the 9th pick.
Pick 2 – Dunkler Sowerwine DE – LON
London has nobody on the DL and no one in the secondary. With the 2nd highest earning first gen gone with the first pick, London grabs Dunkler here at 2. London is looking to get a consistent earner for the future here. Dunkler was the only first gen prospect to already have T6 equipment on their update page at the time of writing.
Pick 3 - Maurice Gunner DE – MIN
This was a tough one to predict and I kind of deferred to what I’ve been TOLD, that first gen’s will go earlier than recreates. Minnesota needs DL and goes with another active DE user in agorka. One awkward part about this mock is that both LON and MIN had post TDL DE’s join their teams in S45 that are available in this draft. Dunkler for MIN and Rach-Pizza Pizza-Man for LON. LON could have just gotten their Pizza boy at 2 and MIN go for Dunkler at 2, but this is sticking with that First Gen going early logic.
Pick 4 – Huge Yakman LB – BBB
Bondi Beach goes for the first gamble of the draft, NOT choosing to go QB in the first round despite lacking one on their roster. They instead go for Yakman at LB. Its much more likely that BBB still has solid QB options in round 2 than it is there are still elite LB’s available.
Pick 5 - Soul King Brook RB – POR
Everything lines up great for the Pythons and they grab the safe option at RB in Soul King Brook. Reginald Hammerfall was also a solid RB available with more TPE than Brook and a first gen too! However the negative bank account and only T3 equipment so far makes me want to go for Brook instead.
Pick 6 – Walter Yensid CB – DAL
Dallas goes for another first gen CB in Yensid here over filling up at LB. The LB class has a lot of solid recreates, so Dallas is being patient to upgrade there. Instead they go for an active first gen who looks like they have a plan to start earning that T6 equipment money.
Pick 7 – Eric Beaty Jr. S – KCC
Probably the most stone cold killer move of the first round, KCC goes for one of two recreates at Safety. I wrote earlier that KCC is flexible in how they can draft and this move only furthers that position. They dip into a position not very deep in the draft, and stay patient to upgrade elsewhere.
Pick 8 – Rush Hardman LB – TIJ
Tijuana follows Bondi Beach’s lead and rolls the dice on drafting a QB. Instead they go for a solid LB recreate to start building out that front seven. It feels like TIJ and BBB are playing a game of chicken when it comes to drafting a QB.
Round 2
Pick 9 - Maria Teresa de la Rosa WR – NOR
Surprised to see them fall out of the first round, Norfolk goes a little off plan and adds de la Rosa to their wide receiver room. De la Rosa had some explosive plays in the Prospect Bowl for the Grizzlies, and it looks like it impressed the SeaWolves.
Pick 10 - Sewage Joe Fantringham DT – LON
London goes for another defensive lineman with their second pick and takes a great DT prospect. Surprisingly, there are only two DT prospects in this class! It feels like we may see some DE’s move or play at DT for awhile in the DSFL.
Pick 11 – AtCCs Mercy DT – MIN
Minnesota was in a similar position as London, and they follow suit here as well taking the other natural DT prospect in the draft. It should be noted that both DT’s were excellent choices coming in at over 125 TPE each.
Pick 12 – Ranch-Pizza Pizza-Man DE – BBB
The game of “First to pick a QB Loses” continues as BBB tries to maximize their picks and value by going for a high TPE DE. Still no QB to speak of for BBB, but they’ve gotten some great pieces on defense this draft so far.
Pick 13 – Edith Nickelback K – POR
We haven’t talked about kickers much, but this feels like it makes sense here for the Pythons. They got exactly what they wanted in the first round, and they don’t have any really glaring holes elsewhere. So they grab a new kicker that’s shown some promise earning to round out their roster.
Pick 14 – K.C. Gordon LB – DAL
Dallas crosses off their other biggest need at LB by taking the strong LB prospect Gordon. They could have gone for some other positions like TE or Kicker, but shoring up the middle of that defense feels like the responsible thing to do first.
Pick 15 – Brad Woof WR – KCC
KCC is happy to get a WR prospect they felt could have gone in the first round in Brad Woof. KCC’s strategy to go safety in round 1 pays off big time.
Pick 16 – Elijah Dyson QB – TIJ
The Luchadores break the seal and take the first QB of the draft at the end of the second round. Tijuana can now breathe a little easier knowing they’ve got their biggest need addressed.
Round 3
Pick 17 – Speed Hawk LB – NOR
Norfolk has now seen 3 linebackers taken and none of them are SeaWolves. There are multiple options here for them, but they are happy to get a prospect already with T6 equipment and a bank that can carry them through the rest of the season.
Pick 18 - SkibidiGyat OhioRizzler CB – LON
After going back to back d-line picks, London has to address the secondary at the start of the 3rd round. OhioRizzler is a great pick as the other prospects are quite a bit behind in TPE. They’ve also already hit T6 equipment and have a solid bank balance.
Pick 19 - Puddles O'Duck QB – MIN
DUCK DUCK DUCK DUCK. If Puddles doesn’t end up on Minnesota, what are we even doing people? This will be the 2nd QB for Minnesota, but it means Puddles will 100% have the job come S47. Minnesota takes the QB now in a solid class, letting them be flexible with next year’s early picks.
Pick 20 – Bugs QB – BBB
It feels like Bondi Beach’s gamble with their first two picks pays off as they still get a solid QB in the third. Time will tell whether Bugs was their preferred QB, or if going for two other positions earlier was the smarter move.
Pick 21 - Lane Wilson WR – POR
Portland could have gone a number of ways here, but this felt like a best player available pick that does make them better. Wilson is firmly in the top 3 WR prospects of the draft, so getting him this late is a steal.
Pick 22 - Swantavius Stack OL – DAL
Maybe my first gen naivety is showing and Stack will go MUCH earlier, but this feels like a slam dunk pick for the Birddogs in the 3rd round.
Pick 23 - Russell Jimmies QB – KCC
The 4th QB off the board, Jimmies will look to take over playcalling duties next year in KCC. Similar to the move the Ducks made this round, KCC is shoring up their future in a draft with good QB prospects.
Pick 24 - Luke Laraque DE – TIJ
I mentioned in the first round that the DE’s could get shuffled around a bit based on factors you’d only know if you were in the war room. Laraque could just as easily go in the first round as here. So if you are Tijuana you are happy to have him.
Im stopping the mock there as my fingers hurt and everyone is bullying me to finish. Are you happy now?!?