With the S6 draft now in the books, I want to share my own feedback. I’m sure more of these will pop up and I’m very interested to see different viewpoints on yesterday’s draft class, so I encourage you to post your own if you’re reading this and have a different take on the draft.
This was my first real draft as a GM, which is my main motivation for writing so in-depth about this draft. I first stepped into the role a day or two before the S5 draft, at which point most of the groundwork was already done. Having just taken the position, I was only vaguely familiar with the candidates, so I wisely deferred to Bzerkap and followed his lead. This year, I had the opportunity to really contribute and started reaching out to the draftees a few weeks in advance. I was thoroughly impressed with many of the candidates that I spoke to and knew this was going to be a great draft class. With quality players available in both the Second and even Third rounds, this could potentially be the best draft class that we’ve had on years. Many teams had the opportunity to pick up 2-3 actives, which is a step in the right direction for the league. And I can only hope that we’ll continue to see more drafts like this in the future.
Credit for the level of talent in this draft goes to the Recruitment Team and the S6 rookies themselves, who have put in so much work during their time in the DSFL. I also think the DSFL GMs deserve a shout-out, especially PDXBaller, who went out of his way to speak with all of the NSFL GMs and keep us informed. As an S1 prospect and an S2 rookie that came up before the DSFL was conceived, I feel the DSFL serves an important function in preparing rookies for the NSFL. Hopefully, the new recruits are excited to be part of a new team and enjoying their locker room experience so far. The current NSFL players are excited to meet their new teammates. And, with regression only a few seasons away, we find ourselves with a draft class that could help define the next generation of the league. With that in mind, I’ll be sharing some of my own experience as a GM in reviewing these picks. As I go through the Draft Order, I will try to share a “Behind the Scenes” look and help guide you through my own mindset as the picks unfolded.
ROUND 1
#1 - Brian Mills - LB - PaytonM34
A great pick, but not an unexpected one. Mills was a worthy #1 pick and is exactly the type of player that the NOLA locker room needs. Honestly, he’s a player that we would have loved to draft, but I knew the chances of that happening were practically impossible. Mills will immediately become the Second Line’s LB3 and will likely be their LB2 by the end of the season.
Mock Draft Note – Everyone saw Mills as the clear #1 pick and it’s hard to argue with that. Obviously, Bovo and Ben felt the same way. Good choice.
#2 - Cordell Joshua - DL – Drizzy
Drizzy is active in a few other leagues and was extremely high on my radar after we spoke. Unfortunately, I also knew that he was probably going to fall out of reach for us and seeing him go early was hardly a surprise. However, seeing SJS trade up to make the pick was a surprise. And, from the outside looking in, it’s a hard one to grasp. Yeti had a big need at WR2, making it almost guaranteed that they would take Dwayne Aaron, the only active WR in this draft and a candidate who was also well-deserving of the #2 pick. Joshua is also a high-value pick and COL was also in need of a DL3, but the consensus seemed to be clear that Aaron was going to the Yeti. That said, we don’t know the conversations that took place between the COL and SJS GMs. Perhaps COL had every intention of taking Joshua away from the Sabercats. Perhaps Aaron was going to be their pick all-along and they simply bluffed well. It’s even possible that another team was negotiating to take the #2 spot and San Jose moved in to cut them off and guarantee that Joshua went to them. Regardless of whether SJS really had to trade up to get Joshua, though, Joshua is still a strong player that will benefit the Sabercats for years to come and I don’t think the trade should take the spotlight off of him. SJS knew the player that they wanted and they were willing to make bold moves to get him. At the very least, that deserves some credit.
Mock Draft - No one saw this coming. Aaron was the logical expectation and most mock drafts predicted him. Trades make Draft Day unpredictable, but you can’t fault anyone for being blindsided by this trade.
#3 - Dwayne Aaron - WR – SuperSquare
The other side of the coin for the SJS/COL trade. Aaron is a great player that’s likely to lend some much-needed aid to the Yeti’s Wide Receiver line-up. This pick just makes sense. Aaron was another player that YKW was very high on, but we knew very quickly that he wasn’t going to fall past COL and made the decision not to get attached to him too early.
Mock Draft – The SJS/COL made this one unpredictable. Tough break.
#4 - Normal Bagwell - DL – Bagwell
Another smart pick. Philly already has a strong Defensive Line, but Bagwell slots in well as a DT2 and provides them with a player that will hopefully be reliable for several seasons to come. Along with the first 3 picks, Bagwell rounds out a top four that I considered to be a lock. I didn’t initially know who would go where, but I had a strong feeling that Mills, Joshua, Aaron, and Bagwell would be the first four to go regardless of the order. Bagwell is a player worthy of that #4 pick and was too good to pass up. Fortunately for Philly, they have a strong core and were only in need of a good flex, making Bagwell both the right player and a positional need.
Mock Draft – Many people seemed to agree that Bagwell would go #4. Makes sense to me.
#5 Poopyface Tomatonose - TE – Speculadora
The strange tale of the man with the strange name. As Bzerkap revealed on the draft stream last night, I’m not a fan of the name itself, but I am a big fan of this player. Up until recently, the top four was pretty much a lock, but there wasn’t a lot of consensus on who would follow. Over the last two weeks, PFTN has done a lot to raise awareness for himself and it’s clearly paid off, elevating himself to the #5 pick. To me, it’s a smart move by the newly re-named Second Line. They already have a strong Tight End in Joseph Askins, but they lack a clear WR2 and could easily slot a TE into that spot. Together, I think Askins and Tomatonose will make a mean combo and add another much-needed layer to NOLA’s offense. On a personal level, I had some excellent conversations with Speculadora and quickly grew to like him. The toughest part for me as a GM was that I could see his growing activity slowly carrying him out of my range, but I’m also a strong believer in encouraging league members to be more active and I knew that this was good for the league, even if it weren’t good for my team. And that’s okay. Shout-out to PFTN for elevating his status in the span of only 2-3 weeks. S7 players looking to go in the first round should take notice.
Mock Draft – A lot of people also had PFTN at #5. He stepped up and the league took notice.
#6 - Austin Roenick - QB – Leafer
Another curious case. Roenick is a star player in the making and the only reason that he fell this far was because he’s in an overcrowded position. He could have easily gone #1 overall or fell to the back of the second round. He’s not an immediate need for any team at his current position, but he’s a special player that I felt had the potential to lead the next generation of Quarterbacks. Avon Blocksdale is as consistent of a QB as they come, but regression is coming soon and six of the league’s starting QBs are from S1 or S2. A high-earning QB could be a big difference-maker for any team if they’re ready to step up when the starters of today begin to step down. As a league, we see a lot of new players create QBs without a proper understanding of the level of dedication that the role requires. To be a starting QB, you absolutely have to be one of the top earners in the league. However, Roenick is a rare player that was well-equipped for the position he’s taken on. My hope was that whoever ended up taking him in the draft understood that and would give him a chance to develop into the starting QB that he deserves to be. And yet instead he’s being position switched to a linebacker. I don’t know Roenick’s feelings on the matter, but based on my conversations with him before the draft, QB was the position that he wanted to play. Baltimore did use their first-round pick to select this player and, admittedly, they have the right to ask him to position switch if he is willing to do so, but to me, this decision feels wrong. RIP Roenick. You were the chosen one.
Mock Draft – Practically impossible to predict. A lot of people saw McPoyal or Enchant going here, which was a safe, smart choice. Sometimes, the safe, smart choice ends up being the wrong choice, but I don’t fault anyone for playing it safe on the mock draft. This pick surprised me, too.
#7 - Borro Gore - RB – Goretron
An odd choice, I admit. Especially when one of the team’s GMs (me) is a Running Back with almost 700 TPE and at least a few seasons left before regression. But Borro is a player whose activity was off the charts and we took notice of that very quickly. If you calculate the TPE earned by each player every week since creation, Borro easily takes the lead and it’s not even close. He doesn’t fill an immediate need for our team, but when a player is that good, you find a way to fit him into your line-up. Much like Roenick, Borro was an exceptional talent at an over-populated position. We had no clue if he’d get drafted early or fall further down the board. And, when the chance to bring him to the Wraiths presented itself, we chose to act on it. In drafting Borro, I honestly believe we’ve drafted the successor to Nuck and myself. When we’re both gone and retired, Borro has what it takes to one day be the best Running Back in the league and, when he’s topping the charts one day, we want him doing it in a Wraiths uniform. I know that it will be seen as risky from the outside, which is understandable, and I’m sure the other draft recaps will reflect that. On the surface, it seems a little redundant given how the rest of the draft unfolded, but sometimes a player is special enough that you simply have to take them. This was one of those times.
Mock Draft – Almost everyone predicted us Forfeit, who I’ll reflect on when we get to him. Kicker is a need for us, but there were also two solid kickers in this draft and a lot of break-out players that could have easily gone in the first-round. Had this been a situation like last year where there was only one active kicker on the board, then Forfeit would have been more of a lock, but that wasn’t the case.
#8 - Elvin Enchant - LB – ElvinEnchant
I don’t mind saying that Elvin Enchant was high on our list. He seemed to be a player that was reliable and filled an important need. His activity wasn’t quite up to the level of a player like Brian Mills, but he has a great build that served him well in the DSFL and I firmly believe that he’ll play a large role in this league for years to come. I think some people might take YKW passing on Elvin for another RB as a snub, but that was hardly our intent. Elvin is absolutely worthy of a first-round pick, but we thought there was a chance of him making it to #9 and took that chance. I’m not saying it was likely, but it was possible given the other players on the board at the time. On the other hand, we simply didn’t see Borro falling past #8 if we picked up someone else. Their current starter, Jordan Yates, is being used as a receiver and commanded a high price tag for only 2 seasons, suggesting that the Otters could benefit from a solid-earner at RB that they can count on in the future. I also saw them in need of a TE like McPoyal or possibly even a strong DB like Bobby Ruckus. In drafting, you take risks and, sometimes, they don’t pan out, but that’s okay. In joining the Otters, Elvin now counters himself among the defending Ultimus champions and is in good company. He’ll serve an immediate function as the team’s LB4 and has the potential to help lead the next generation of Otters on top of any immediate value he brings to their defense. They’ve added a great player to their roster that would be a fine addition to any locker room. I don’t know for sure if they were really targeting Gore as everyone predicted, but this was a smart response if their initial strategy going into the draft.
Mock Draft – A lot of people predicted Borro going here, but he was already picked by YKW. Sorry, guys. As mentioned above, I do think Borro would have been picked by OCO if he made it to #8, so that was a wise call.
ROUND 2
#9 - Glenn McPoyal - TE - Alfredo_Pasta
McPoyal has been a stand-out at his position and easily could have been a first-rounder. In fact, many mock drafts had put him going around the 6th or 7th round and I thought that there was a good chance he might get taken at the #6 or #8 pick.
Yes, we did take a strong gamble in passing on Elvin in favor of Gore, but once the Hawks passed on McPoyal in favor of Roenick, we knew we had a strong player waiting for us at #9 no matter who OCO picked. McPoyal struck me as a team player that wanted to excel at his role. YKW currently has a 400+ S3 TE that will be around for a long time, but receivers have surprisingly become a commodity over the last few drafts and a strong TE can easily fill that role. We see great long-term value in McPoyal and are very pleased to call him one of our own. YKW has a strong offense, but it’s an older offense that will need some fresh faces once regression kicks in. We expect McPoyal to serve a large role over the next few seasons.
#10 - Bobby Ruckus - S – Ghostfacethrilla
I’m honestly surprised that Ruckus fell this far. I considered him first-round material. However, he was the only high TPE earner that didn’t respond when I reached out, so it wasn’t possible for us to really gauge the user behind the player, which was a major factor in the two picks that we did make. Of course, it’s possible that he was bombarded with messages from other GMs or that he simply wasn’t interested in YKW, but whatever the reason, it made our first two decisions a little easier. Regardless, he seems like an active earner and this pick will help bolster the Yeti Secondary as he appears to be walking into a starting role. This seems to be a solid pick and rounds off a group of about 10 players that could easily have been part of the first round.
#11 - Arbin Asipi Jr. - QB – DeathonReddit (GM Pick)
Automatic pick since Asipi is a co-GM. Asipi’s hinted that he’s likely to position change, but his activity has been a lot stronger since recreation and I think he’s on pace to become a difference-maker for the Outlaws at any position he takes on. That said, he’s shown that can handle the type of activity that the Quarterback position demands, which is no easy task.
#12 - Bogdan Wojcik - DT – Squamish
I really enjoyed speaking with this user and saw a lot of potential in him as a second-round pick. He’s got a great attitude and is passionate about a position that the league needs, which quickly caught our attention. Had OCO not taken him, we were pretty keen on taking him with the #13 pick. He can easily be a contributor to OCO’s future success and fills an important position. Alongside Elvin, he helps add an additional layer to the Otters’ already dominant defense. It will take some time for Wojcik to catch up with the rest of the Otters’ d-line and he may spend a season or two in the DSFL, but this may prove to be an excellent pick with long-term value if he remains a consistent earner.
#13 - Jack Dwyer - LB – Neckbishop
Another reliable earner at a needed position. This felt like the right pick at the time and helped us potentially fill a need. After taking two offensive players in a row, a defensive pick seemed like it was well overdue for the Wraiths. He later went to the Outlaws via a trade that was offered a few picks later and is likely to become see a lot of play as a starting Linebacker. His TPE is a bit low for a starting role in the NSFL, but at this point, the Outlaws have reputation of turning underrated player into key contributors.
#14 - Robby Rainey – RB - Ahriman
A player that would ultimately end up in our hands. I assume that the Outlaws picked him up initially with the intention of making him the long-term successor to current starter Reg Mackworthy, which he is definitely capable of. That said, thanks to a trade that took place a few picks later, we had a chance to pick up a great player and I believe Rainey will play a large role in the league one way or another. There are too many variables at play to know exactly what that role will be. Afterall, we’ve learned that long-term player activity can be unpredictable. If both Gore and Rainey remain active and devoted to their role, though, YKW will find itself with an embarrassment of riches at the offensive level. Yellowknife proved that it can successfully juggle two RBs back when Nuck and myself were both competing for the role, so fans of Rainey can rest assured that the team will find a way to effectively utilize both players.
#15 – QB - Borkus Maximus III. – Bovovovo (GM Pick)
Watch out for this guy because he’s about to make people take notice. As a GM, Bovo becomes NOLA’s automatic pick, but there’s no chance he would have fallen out of the first round if he had not been tied to a GM role. Bovo is a dedicated member of the league who is missed dearly by his former teammates in Yellowknife and I believe he’ll serve his new team well as both a GM and a Quarterback. It’s going to take time to turn the Second Line into the team it needs to be, but I’m very confident we’ll look back on this pick as a game-changer.
#16 - Blessed Storm – WR - RavensFanFromOntario (GM Pick)
The third and final automatic GM Pick. As the only active Wide Receiver in the draft behind Dwayne Aaron, this is a solid pick, but he got a late start after recreating a second time and he’s going to have to put up a lot more TPE if he wants to keep pace with both of the other GM players in this draft. That said, RFFO hasn’t updated since January 20th, so perhaps there’s a monster update waiting in the wings.
ROUND 3
#17 - Rob Anderson - LB - Robigo_
The #17 pick originally belonged us, but the Outlaws offered us Robby Rainey plus their #23 pick, S7 1st Round Pick, and S8 1st Round Pick in exchange for Jack Dwyer and this pick. Apparently, the chat room during the draft thought we gave up two 1st rounds for a RB after picking up Borro Gore, but it was actually the other way around. We liked Dwyer and were ready to grab Anderson, but there was absolutely no way we could pass up this deal. ARI really wanted these two players and we couldn’t deny them that opportunity for the price they were willing to pay. Anderson struck me as someone who wasn’t a high earner yet, but came across as a really good guy and someone who could easily develop into a strong player with the right team behind him. With the Outlaws, he’ll have a shot at a LB4 with the potential to quickly move up from there. A lot of people are questioning this trade and it seems like a one-sided trade on paper. Like I said, there was no way we could pass it up. However, the Outlaws have made some controversial trades before and come out better for it, so maybe they see something in these two players that everyone else is missing. On a personal note, I wish Dwyer and Anderson well and hope that this trade works out well for Arizona. These two players should certainly feel valued considering the faith that their GMs have put in them.
#18 - Micycle McCormick - K/P - infinitempg
The first kicker finally goes off the board. McCormick joins Peg Leg as the Yeti’s second active kicker/punter. The league has a lot of inactive/semi-active kickers, so perhaps the Yeti is looking to create trade opportunities once both men build up a bit more TPE. McCormick struck me as a really good guy and I hope this move leads to good things for him. It’s always great to see kickers stay active in this league. You guys are the true heroes.
#19 - None Forfeit - K/P KimJungBigDong
With the other kicker finally off the board and the Wraiths badly in need of one, we finally draft Forfeit into our ranks. A lot of people expected us to pick Forfeit at #7, so the fact that he fell all the way to #19 was a welcome surprise. It was always our intent to draft a kicker, but with several close picks and two strong kickers in this draft, we were confident that we wouldn’t have to reach for one. At the same time, though, we knew we had to act if one of them was taken and seized that chance once McCormick was off the board. There were honestly scenarios in mind that could have had us taking a kicker at any of our earlier picks. We knew we had to take one of them, but we were satisfied enough with the two choices that we were willing to wait as long as possible. The part that surprised us was McCormick going first. Our expectation was always that waiting too long could cost us Forfeit and we honestly debated whether that was a risk we were willing to take. Fortunately for us, we ended up with our #1 choice in the third round. Again, we liked both options, but Forfeit was a week behind in creation and still ended up with more TPE. We’re very excited to add him to our ranks and he joins the league with more than a 30 TPE jump on our old kicker, making him a true upgrade in spite of Joseph Lombardi’s decision to leave for New Orleans. For us, this has to be our steal of the draft.
#20 - Willy Nyquist - RB – Sleepy
Here’s where the draft gets interesting. As the third RB taken by the Wraiths (thanks to the Arizona trade), this pick surprised a lot of people and seemed questionable at first, but you have to look at who’s still left on the board. At this point, Nyquist was practically the only actively updating player left on the board at draft time and we will always welcome an active over an inactive regardless of position. And if this season proved anything, it’s that RBs can function in a variety of roles, so we’re certain that we can find something for Nyquist if he stays active. Plus, with 3 RBs waiting in the wings, you know the Wraiths won’t be left empty-handed at that vital position. If anything, the fact that there was even an active player left at the #20 spot is just proof of how deep this draft class was.
#21 - Storm Woods - CB – Sopath
Storm Woods is the first of a few players who stopped logging in, only to log back onto the site shortly before the draft started. On top of that, he had never responded to our attempts to reach out, which is why we let him slip past us. That said, it’s hard to say if we could have incorporated him into our defense anytime soon. On the other hand, even with Bobby Ruckus being added, the retirement of CB Brice Boggs has created a lot of opportunity in the Yeti Secondary. This pick could will easily lead to Woods seeing some time on the field in Colorado if he does start updating again. It’s always a positive to see a player become active again, so I’m just happy to see him back.
#22 - Michael Vick - QB - mvick
Vick was still logging in, but had low TPE and didn’t respond when we reached out. From the reports I’ve seen, he seemingly became discouraged when the Marshalls picked him up and he began to struggle. I’m in the camp of believing that the DSFL is more about making the league enjoyable for rookies than racking up wins. I’d much rather see an inactive struggle and slowly improve on the field than see an inactive coast by on TPE from a seasons ago. However, those struggles highlight the importance of the QB position and illustrate why new QBs have to stay on top of their TPE. In fairness to Vick, he created during the S6 season and was thrown into a difficult position. Ideally, he’ll be sent back down to the DSFL, where he’ll get a fair shot shot at proving himself next season if he becomes active again.
#23 - Gustav Rodriguez - DT – samee
With an aging d-line and the top DEs/DTs going to other teams, we turned to samee with the hope that he might return. Fortunately, he turned out to be one of the inactives returning to the league once the draft started, so he has a chance to be better than any #23 pick has any right to pull be. With the re-signing of Fuego Wozy, the Wraith’s Defensive Line is dominated by three S1 veterans and Egor Medved is currently holding down the DT2 spot, but there’s room for Rodriguez to step into a big role once regression starts to take effect. He’s already become an active part of our discord and is gelling well with the team, so I see a lot of upside here.
#24 - Antonio Legion - WR – Keyg_an
When we picked Sleepy, oddly enough, I saw several people start posting about Keyg_an, who was part of the infamous Yeti Mass Retirement. We’ll probably never know his true role in that, but even if we take him at his word and assume that he didn’t lead the charge, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s been inactive since December. Oddly enough, he’s now back with the Legion under a new name. I’m not sure if Bovo picked him up with any long-term expectations, but he logged in after the draft ended, so maybe he’ll become active again and provide some extra support for his old team.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, it was a weird draft that didn’t quite play out the way everyone expected, but it was also a deep draft for the Wraiths that could very well define our team over the next few seasons. Our first pick was an unexpected one and perhaps we might have gone with a defensive player like Enchant if we had known that so many great offensive players would fall to us later on, but we also walked away with an extraordinary great player. Personally, I don’t think anyone’s going to look back at Borro Gore as a player that anyone should passed on. The team’s foundation remains strong going into the new season and we had the luxury of using our picks to help pave the way for the next generation of Wraiths. Hopefully, if the motivation behind any of our picks was unclear, this should shed some light on that. Only time will tell if we made the right choices, but I’m proud of the picks that we’ve made and excited to have some many fresh faces join our locker room.
Furthermore, as indicated in my opening, I’m very proud of this draft class in general. I think this is a sign of good things to come for the league and I hope to see another strong draft class in S7 and S8. We also saw a few inactives come back around draft time and get picked up in the third and fourth round. Hopefully, being under the wing of a larger team will lead to them being active again, which is good for not only the teams that drafted them, but the league as a whole. Congratulations to all of the S6 draftees and best of luck to you in the seasons to come.
(5,020 Words)
Ready for Grading
This was my first real draft as a GM, which is my main motivation for writing so in-depth about this draft. I first stepped into the role a day or two before the S5 draft, at which point most of the groundwork was already done. Having just taken the position, I was only vaguely familiar with the candidates, so I wisely deferred to Bzerkap and followed his lead. This year, I had the opportunity to really contribute and started reaching out to the draftees a few weeks in advance. I was thoroughly impressed with many of the candidates that I spoke to and knew this was going to be a great draft class. With quality players available in both the Second and even Third rounds, this could potentially be the best draft class that we’ve had on years. Many teams had the opportunity to pick up 2-3 actives, which is a step in the right direction for the league. And I can only hope that we’ll continue to see more drafts like this in the future.
Credit for the level of talent in this draft goes to the Recruitment Team and the S6 rookies themselves, who have put in so much work during their time in the DSFL. I also think the DSFL GMs deserve a shout-out, especially PDXBaller, who went out of his way to speak with all of the NSFL GMs and keep us informed. As an S1 prospect and an S2 rookie that came up before the DSFL was conceived, I feel the DSFL serves an important function in preparing rookies for the NSFL. Hopefully, the new recruits are excited to be part of a new team and enjoying their locker room experience so far. The current NSFL players are excited to meet their new teammates. And, with regression only a few seasons away, we find ourselves with a draft class that could help define the next generation of the league. With that in mind, I’ll be sharing some of my own experience as a GM in reviewing these picks. As I go through the Draft Order, I will try to share a “Behind the Scenes” look and help guide you through my own mindset as the picks unfolded.
ROUND 1
#1 - Brian Mills - LB - PaytonM34
A great pick, but not an unexpected one. Mills was a worthy #1 pick and is exactly the type of player that the NOLA locker room needs. Honestly, he’s a player that we would have loved to draft, but I knew the chances of that happening were practically impossible. Mills will immediately become the Second Line’s LB3 and will likely be their LB2 by the end of the season.
Mock Draft Note – Everyone saw Mills as the clear #1 pick and it’s hard to argue with that. Obviously, Bovo and Ben felt the same way. Good choice.
#2 - Cordell Joshua - DL – Drizzy
Drizzy is active in a few other leagues and was extremely high on my radar after we spoke. Unfortunately, I also knew that he was probably going to fall out of reach for us and seeing him go early was hardly a surprise. However, seeing SJS trade up to make the pick was a surprise. And, from the outside looking in, it’s a hard one to grasp. Yeti had a big need at WR2, making it almost guaranteed that they would take Dwayne Aaron, the only active WR in this draft and a candidate who was also well-deserving of the #2 pick. Joshua is also a high-value pick and COL was also in need of a DL3, but the consensus seemed to be clear that Aaron was going to the Yeti. That said, we don’t know the conversations that took place between the COL and SJS GMs. Perhaps COL had every intention of taking Joshua away from the Sabercats. Perhaps Aaron was going to be their pick all-along and they simply bluffed well. It’s even possible that another team was negotiating to take the #2 spot and San Jose moved in to cut them off and guarantee that Joshua went to them. Regardless of whether SJS really had to trade up to get Joshua, though, Joshua is still a strong player that will benefit the Sabercats for years to come and I don’t think the trade should take the spotlight off of him. SJS knew the player that they wanted and they were willing to make bold moves to get him. At the very least, that deserves some credit.
Mock Draft - No one saw this coming. Aaron was the logical expectation and most mock drafts predicted him. Trades make Draft Day unpredictable, but you can’t fault anyone for being blindsided by this trade.
#3 - Dwayne Aaron - WR – SuperSquare
The other side of the coin for the SJS/COL trade. Aaron is a great player that’s likely to lend some much-needed aid to the Yeti’s Wide Receiver line-up. This pick just makes sense. Aaron was another player that YKW was very high on, but we knew very quickly that he wasn’t going to fall past COL and made the decision not to get attached to him too early.
Mock Draft – The SJS/COL made this one unpredictable. Tough break.
#4 - Normal Bagwell - DL – Bagwell
Another smart pick. Philly already has a strong Defensive Line, but Bagwell slots in well as a DT2 and provides them with a player that will hopefully be reliable for several seasons to come. Along with the first 3 picks, Bagwell rounds out a top four that I considered to be a lock. I didn’t initially know who would go where, but I had a strong feeling that Mills, Joshua, Aaron, and Bagwell would be the first four to go regardless of the order. Bagwell is a player worthy of that #4 pick and was too good to pass up. Fortunately for Philly, they have a strong core and were only in need of a good flex, making Bagwell both the right player and a positional need.
Mock Draft – Many people seemed to agree that Bagwell would go #4. Makes sense to me.
#5 Poopyface Tomatonose - TE – Speculadora
The strange tale of the man with the strange name. As Bzerkap revealed on the draft stream last night, I’m not a fan of the name itself, but I am a big fan of this player. Up until recently, the top four was pretty much a lock, but there wasn’t a lot of consensus on who would follow. Over the last two weeks, PFTN has done a lot to raise awareness for himself and it’s clearly paid off, elevating himself to the #5 pick. To me, it’s a smart move by the newly re-named Second Line. They already have a strong Tight End in Joseph Askins, but they lack a clear WR2 and could easily slot a TE into that spot. Together, I think Askins and Tomatonose will make a mean combo and add another much-needed layer to NOLA’s offense. On a personal level, I had some excellent conversations with Speculadora and quickly grew to like him. The toughest part for me as a GM was that I could see his growing activity slowly carrying him out of my range, but I’m also a strong believer in encouraging league members to be more active and I knew that this was good for the league, even if it weren’t good for my team. And that’s okay. Shout-out to PFTN for elevating his status in the span of only 2-3 weeks. S7 players looking to go in the first round should take notice.
Mock Draft – A lot of people also had PFTN at #5. He stepped up and the league took notice.
#6 - Austin Roenick - QB – Leafer
Another curious case. Roenick is a star player in the making and the only reason that he fell this far was because he’s in an overcrowded position. He could have easily gone #1 overall or fell to the back of the second round. He’s not an immediate need for any team at his current position, but he’s a special player that I felt had the potential to lead the next generation of Quarterbacks. Avon Blocksdale is as consistent of a QB as they come, but regression is coming soon and six of the league’s starting QBs are from S1 or S2. A high-earning QB could be a big difference-maker for any team if they’re ready to step up when the starters of today begin to step down. As a league, we see a lot of new players create QBs without a proper understanding of the level of dedication that the role requires. To be a starting QB, you absolutely have to be one of the top earners in the league. However, Roenick is a rare player that was well-equipped for the position he’s taken on. My hope was that whoever ended up taking him in the draft understood that and would give him a chance to develop into the starting QB that he deserves to be. And yet instead he’s being position switched to a linebacker. I don’t know Roenick’s feelings on the matter, but based on my conversations with him before the draft, QB was the position that he wanted to play. Baltimore did use their first-round pick to select this player and, admittedly, they have the right to ask him to position switch if he is willing to do so, but to me, this decision feels wrong. RIP Roenick. You were the chosen one.
Mock Draft – Practically impossible to predict. A lot of people saw McPoyal or Enchant going here, which was a safe, smart choice. Sometimes, the safe, smart choice ends up being the wrong choice, but I don’t fault anyone for playing it safe on the mock draft. This pick surprised me, too.
#7 - Borro Gore - RB – Goretron
An odd choice, I admit. Especially when one of the team’s GMs (me) is a Running Back with almost 700 TPE and at least a few seasons left before regression. But Borro is a player whose activity was off the charts and we took notice of that very quickly. If you calculate the TPE earned by each player every week since creation, Borro easily takes the lead and it’s not even close. He doesn’t fill an immediate need for our team, but when a player is that good, you find a way to fit him into your line-up. Much like Roenick, Borro was an exceptional talent at an over-populated position. We had no clue if he’d get drafted early or fall further down the board. And, when the chance to bring him to the Wraiths presented itself, we chose to act on it. In drafting Borro, I honestly believe we’ve drafted the successor to Nuck and myself. When we’re both gone and retired, Borro has what it takes to one day be the best Running Back in the league and, when he’s topping the charts one day, we want him doing it in a Wraiths uniform. I know that it will be seen as risky from the outside, which is understandable, and I’m sure the other draft recaps will reflect that. On the surface, it seems a little redundant given how the rest of the draft unfolded, but sometimes a player is special enough that you simply have to take them. This was one of those times.
Mock Draft – Almost everyone predicted us Forfeit, who I’ll reflect on when we get to him. Kicker is a need for us, but there were also two solid kickers in this draft and a lot of break-out players that could have easily gone in the first-round. Had this been a situation like last year where there was only one active kicker on the board, then Forfeit would have been more of a lock, but that wasn’t the case.
#8 - Elvin Enchant - LB – ElvinEnchant
I don’t mind saying that Elvin Enchant was high on our list. He seemed to be a player that was reliable and filled an important need. His activity wasn’t quite up to the level of a player like Brian Mills, but he has a great build that served him well in the DSFL and I firmly believe that he’ll play a large role in this league for years to come. I think some people might take YKW passing on Elvin for another RB as a snub, but that was hardly our intent. Elvin is absolutely worthy of a first-round pick, but we thought there was a chance of him making it to #9 and took that chance. I’m not saying it was likely, but it was possible given the other players on the board at the time. On the other hand, we simply didn’t see Borro falling past #8 if we picked up someone else. Their current starter, Jordan Yates, is being used as a receiver and commanded a high price tag for only 2 seasons, suggesting that the Otters could benefit from a solid-earner at RB that they can count on in the future. I also saw them in need of a TE like McPoyal or possibly even a strong DB like Bobby Ruckus. In drafting, you take risks and, sometimes, they don’t pan out, but that’s okay. In joining the Otters, Elvin now counters himself among the defending Ultimus champions and is in good company. He’ll serve an immediate function as the team’s LB4 and has the potential to help lead the next generation of Otters on top of any immediate value he brings to their defense. They’ve added a great player to their roster that would be a fine addition to any locker room. I don’t know for sure if they were really targeting Gore as everyone predicted, but this was a smart response if their initial strategy going into the draft.
Mock Draft – A lot of people predicted Borro going here, but he was already picked by YKW. Sorry, guys. As mentioned above, I do think Borro would have been picked by OCO if he made it to #8, so that was a wise call.
ROUND 2
#9 - Glenn McPoyal - TE - Alfredo_Pasta
McPoyal has been a stand-out at his position and easily could have been a first-rounder. In fact, many mock drafts had put him going around the 6th or 7th round and I thought that there was a good chance he might get taken at the #6 or #8 pick.
Yes, we did take a strong gamble in passing on Elvin in favor of Gore, but once the Hawks passed on McPoyal in favor of Roenick, we knew we had a strong player waiting for us at #9 no matter who OCO picked. McPoyal struck me as a team player that wanted to excel at his role. YKW currently has a 400+ S3 TE that will be around for a long time, but receivers have surprisingly become a commodity over the last few drafts and a strong TE can easily fill that role. We see great long-term value in McPoyal and are very pleased to call him one of our own. YKW has a strong offense, but it’s an older offense that will need some fresh faces once regression kicks in. We expect McPoyal to serve a large role over the next few seasons.
#10 - Bobby Ruckus - S – Ghostfacethrilla
I’m honestly surprised that Ruckus fell this far. I considered him first-round material. However, he was the only high TPE earner that didn’t respond when I reached out, so it wasn’t possible for us to really gauge the user behind the player, which was a major factor in the two picks that we did make. Of course, it’s possible that he was bombarded with messages from other GMs or that he simply wasn’t interested in YKW, but whatever the reason, it made our first two decisions a little easier. Regardless, he seems like an active earner and this pick will help bolster the Yeti Secondary as he appears to be walking into a starting role. This seems to be a solid pick and rounds off a group of about 10 players that could easily have been part of the first round.
#11 - Arbin Asipi Jr. - QB – DeathonReddit (GM Pick)
Automatic pick since Asipi is a co-GM. Asipi’s hinted that he’s likely to position change, but his activity has been a lot stronger since recreation and I think he’s on pace to become a difference-maker for the Outlaws at any position he takes on. That said, he’s shown that can handle the type of activity that the Quarterback position demands, which is no easy task.
#12 - Bogdan Wojcik - DT – Squamish
I really enjoyed speaking with this user and saw a lot of potential in him as a second-round pick. He’s got a great attitude and is passionate about a position that the league needs, which quickly caught our attention. Had OCO not taken him, we were pretty keen on taking him with the #13 pick. He can easily be a contributor to OCO’s future success and fills an important position. Alongside Elvin, he helps add an additional layer to the Otters’ already dominant defense. It will take some time for Wojcik to catch up with the rest of the Otters’ d-line and he may spend a season or two in the DSFL, but this may prove to be an excellent pick with long-term value if he remains a consistent earner.
#13 - Jack Dwyer - LB – Neckbishop
Another reliable earner at a needed position. This felt like the right pick at the time and helped us potentially fill a need. After taking two offensive players in a row, a defensive pick seemed like it was well overdue for the Wraiths. He later went to the Outlaws via a trade that was offered a few picks later and is likely to become see a lot of play as a starting Linebacker. His TPE is a bit low for a starting role in the NSFL, but at this point, the Outlaws have reputation of turning underrated player into key contributors.
#14 - Robby Rainey – RB - Ahriman
A player that would ultimately end up in our hands. I assume that the Outlaws picked him up initially with the intention of making him the long-term successor to current starter Reg Mackworthy, which he is definitely capable of. That said, thanks to a trade that took place a few picks later, we had a chance to pick up a great player and I believe Rainey will play a large role in the league one way or another. There are too many variables at play to know exactly what that role will be. Afterall, we’ve learned that long-term player activity can be unpredictable. If both Gore and Rainey remain active and devoted to their role, though, YKW will find itself with an embarrassment of riches at the offensive level. Yellowknife proved that it can successfully juggle two RBs back when Nuck and myself were both competing for the role, so fans of Rainey can rest assured that the team will find a way to effectively utilize both players.
#15 – QB - Borkus Maximus III. – Bovovovo (GM Pick)
Watch out for this guy because he’s about to make people take notice. As a GM, Bovo becomes NOLA’s automatic pick, but there’s no chance he would have fallen out of the first round if he had not been tied to a GM role. Bovo is a dedicated member of the league who is missed dearly by his former teammates in Yellowknife and I believe he’ll serve his new team well as both a GM and a Quarterback. It’s going to take time to turn the Second Line into the team it needs to be, but I’m very confident we’ll look back on this pick as a game-changer.
#16 - Blessed Storm – WR - RavensFanFromOntario (GM Pick)
The third and final automatic GM Pick. As the only active Wide Receiver in the draft behind Dwayne Aaron, this is a solid pick, but he got a late start after recreating a second time and he’s going to have to put up a lot more TPE if he wants to keep pace with both of the other GM players in this draft. That said, RFFO hasn’t updated since January 20th, so perhaps there’s a monster update waiting in the wings.
ROUND 3
#17 - Rob Anderson - LB - Robigo_
The #17 pick originally belonged us, but the Outlaws offered us Robby Rainey plus their #23 pick, S7 1st Round Pick, and S8 1st Round Pick in exchange for Jack Dwyer and this pick. Apparently, the chat room during the draft thought we gave up two 1st rounds for a RB after picking up Borro Gore, but it was actually the other way around. We liked Dwyer and were ready to grab Anderson, but there was absolutely no way we could pass up this deal. ARI really wanted these two players and we couldn’t deny them that opportunity for the price they were willing to pay. Anderson struck me as someone who wasn’t a high earner yet, but came across as a really good guy and someone who could easily develop into a strong player with the right team behind him. With the Outlaws, he’ll have a shot at a LB4 with the potential to quickly move up from there. A lot of people are questioning this trade and it seems like a one-sided trade on paper. Like I said, there was no way we could pass it up. However, the Outlaws have made some controversial trades before and come out better for it, so maybe they see something in these two players that everyone else is missing. On a personal note, I wish Dwyer and Anderson well and hope that this trade works out well for Arizona. These two players should certainly feel valued considering the faith that their GMs have put in them.
#18 - Micycle McCormick - K/P - infinitempg
The first kicker finally goes off the board. McCormick joins Peg Leg as the Yeti’s second active kicker/punter. The league has a lot of inactive/semi-active kickers, so perhaps the Yeti is looking to create trade opportunities once both men build up a bit more TPE. McCormick struck me as a really good guy and I hope this move leads to good things for him. It’s always great to see kickers stay active in this league. You guys are the true heroes.
#19 - None Forfeit - K/P KimJungBigDong
With the other kicker finally off the board and the Wraiths badly in need of one, we finally draft Forfeit into our ranks. A lot of people expected us to pick Forfeit at #7, so the fact that he fell all the way to #19 was a welcome surprise. It was always our intent to draft a kicker, but with several close picks and two strong kickers in this draft, we were confident that we wouldn’t have to reach for one. At the same time, though, we knew we had to act if one of them was taken and seized that chance once McCormick was off the board. There were honestly scenarios in mind that could have had us taking a kicker at any of our earlier picks. We knew we had to take one of them, but we were satisfied enough with the two choices that we were willing to wait as long as possible. The part that surprised us was McCormick going first. Our expectation was always that waiting too long could cost us Forfeit and we honestly debated whether that was a risk we were willing to take. Fortunately for us, we ended up with our #1 choice in the third round. Again, we liked both options, but Forfeit was a week behind in creation and still ended up with more TPE. We’re very excited to add him to our ranks and he joins the league with more than a 30 TPE jump on our old kicker, making him a true upgrade in spite of Joseph Lombardi’s decision to leave for New Orleans. For us, this has to be our steal of the draft.
#20 - Willy Nyquist - RB – Sleepy
Here’s where the draft gets interesting. As the third RB taken by the Wraiths (thanks to the Arizona trade), this pick surprised a lot of people and seemed questionable at first, but you have to look at who’s still left on the board. At this point, Nyquist was practically the only actively updating player left on the board at draft time and we will always welcome an active over an inactive regardless of position. And if this season proved anything, it’s that RBs can function in a variety of roles, so we’re certain that we can find something for Nyquist if he stays active. Plus, with 3 RBs waiting in the wings, you know the Wraiths won’t be left empty-handed at that vital position. If anything, the fact that there was even an active player left at the #20 spot is just proof of how deep this draft class was.
#21 - Storm Woods - CB – Sopath
Storm Woods is the first of a few players who stopped logging in, only to log back onto the site shortly before the draft started. On top of that, he had never responded to our attempts to reach out, which is why we let him slip past us. That said, it’s hard to say if we could have incorporated him into our defense anytime soon. On the other hand, even with Bobby Ruckus being added, the retirement of CB Brice Boggs has created a lot of opportunity in the Yeti Secondary. This pick could will easily lead to Woods seeing some time on the field in Colorado if he does start updating again. It’s always a positive to see a player become active again, so I’m just happy to see him back.
#22 - Michael Vick - QB - mvick
Vick was still logging in, but had low TPE and didn’t respond when we reached out. From the reports I’ve seen, he seemingly became discouraged when the Marshalls picked him up and he began to struggle. I’m in the camp of believing that the DSFL is more about making the league enjoyable for rookies than racking up wins. I’d much rather see an inactive struggle and slowly improve on the field than see an inactive coast by on TPE from a seasons ago. However, those struggles highlight the importance of the QB position and illustrate why new QBs have to stay on top of their TPE. In fairness to Vick, he created during the S6 season and was thrown into a difficult position. Ideally, he’ll be sent back down to the DSFL, where he’ll get a fair shot shot at proving himself next season if he becomes active again.
#23 - Gustav Rodriguez - DT – samee
With an aging d-line and the top DEs/DTs going to other teams, we turned to samee with the hope that he might return. Fortunately, he turned out to be one of the inactives returning to the league once the draft started, so he has a chance to be better than any #23 pick has any right to pull be. With the re-signing of Fuego Wozy, the Wraith’s Defensive Line is dominated by three S1 veterans and Egor Medved is currently holding down the DT2 spot, but there’s room for Rodriguez to step into a big role once regression starts to take effect. He’s already become an active part of our discord and is gelling well with the team, so I see a lot of upside here.
#24 - Antonio Legion - WR – Keyg_an
When we picked Sleepy, oddly enough, I saw several people start posting about Keyg_an, who was part of the infamous Yeti Mass Retirement. We’ll probably never know his true role in that, but even if we take him at his word and assume that he didn’t lead the charge, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s been inactive since December. Oddly enough, he’s now back with the Legion under a new name. I’m not sure if Bovo picked him up with any long-term expectations, but he logged in after the draft ended, so maybe he’ll become active again and provide some extra support for his old team.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, it was a weird draft that didn’t quite play out the way everyone expected, but it was also a deep draft for the Wraiths that could very well define our team over the next few seasons. Our first pick was an unexpected one and perhaps we might have gone with a defensive player like Enchant if we had known that so many great offensive players would fall to us later on, but we also walked away with an extraordinary great player. Personally, I don’t think anyone’s going to look back at Borro Gore as a player that anyone should passed on. The team’s foundation remains strong going into the new season and we had the luxury of using our picks to help pave the way for the next generation of Wraiths. Hopefully, if the motivation behind any of our picks was unclear, this should shed some light on that. Only time will tell if we made the right choices, but I’m proud of the picks that we’ve made and excited to have some many fresh faces join our locker room.
Furthermore, as indicated in my opening, I’m very proud of this draft class in general. I think this is a sign of good things to come for the league and I hope to see another strong draft class in S7 and S8. We also saw a few inactives come back around draft time and get picked up in the third and fourth round. Hopefully, being under the wing of a larger team will lead to them being active again, which is good for not only the teams that drafted them, but the league as a whole. Congratulations to all of the S6 draftees and best of luck to you in the seasons to come.
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Ready for Grading
Thanks to Jangorhino for the sig.