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+---- Thread: *A lookback on the Dallas Birddogs S22 draft (/showthread.php?tid=22432)
*A lookback on the Dallas Birddogs S22 draft - KenitohMenara - 05-25-2020
They have only been a team for two seasons, yet Dallas has developed a reputation for excellent drafting. Whether it's the obvious first round pick or the hidden gems they find in later rounds, the Birddog front office finds a way to capitalize on its scouting reports and turns players into core contributors with proper guidance and training. With their season over and an improvement to 7-7 overall, an improvement of two more victories over last year, let's look back over their Season 22 draft class and what has happened to them as they approach in NSFL draft.
Round 1, Pick #2: Tyler Montain, DT, LSU
Greedy Sly and Tyler Montain were effectively neck and neck going into the draft, so it was obvious that whoever went first, the other would go second. The DSFL has always been a run heavy league so drafting the highest rating Defensive Tackle made sense for the Birddogs at second overall. So far, he’s paid early dividends for Dallas as he would anchor the swiftly growing stronger defensive line. He would end the season with 5 sacks, 2nd out of all DT’s by one sack and 35 tackles. The only really knock against Tyler is that he ended the season with no Tackles For Loss, then again it was tough for any DT’s to really get many of those last season so its not as big a deal as one might think. If Tyler is still with Dallas after the NSFL draft as a send-down, he will be a huge part of the Birddog’s potential championship ambitions.
Round 2, Pick #10: Hingle McCringleberry, LB, Penn State
With Griffin Porter and Tyrone Woods gone in the first round, McCringleberry was the highest rated Linebacker available. The man is one of the highest working linebakers coming out of college so it was an easy choice for Dallas with this pick. With a pressing need to protect their QB, McCringleberry would be given his baptism of fire very early in the season. A legitimate contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year, Hingle would collect 17 Tackles for Loss (leading all Linebackers in the league), 16 Pass Deflections (tied for league leader with Sackson Sr), 5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. He’s been the biggest bang for the buck in Dallas and has entered the DSFL with no slow down in his game. He is part of the reason why Dallas has such a scary defense.
Round 3, Pick #18: Tomage McGullager, TE, Delaware
Tomage really wanted to be drafted by Dallas that night and got his wish. McGullager’s family and the front office at Dallas apparently had a long standing relationship before Tomage entered college. With Jeffrey Phillips being called up to the big leagues, McGullager filled a pressing need at TE for Dallas. He wouldn’t however stay at that position because he would be moved to Cornerback before the season started. He had a solid season for Dallas with 13 pass deflections and 2 interceptions and a Forced fumble and recovery. Tomage continues to adapt to the defensive side of the ball but there are fears he might fall off unless he picks it up soon. He’s been a good pick for Dallas but he will need to continue working hard to be successful in the big leagues.
Round 4, Pick #26: Raphael d’Alcott, WR, Ohio State
The surprise of the draft for Dallas. They had predicted that d’Alcott would have been off the board a round ago by this point and took him immediately when he was there. Raphael has caused quite a stir amongst the GMs in the league with his draft interviews with Norfolk reportedly wanting to take him with pick 27. Like McGullager, the former Ohio State standout wide receiver would not stay on the offensive side, converting to Safety before the season started. With this conversion, Dallas would gain the reputation of the “No Fly Zone” as d’Alcott would put on a season to remember. Another contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year, Raphael would finish the season with a tackle for loss, a fumble recovery, 3 interceptions, 10 pass deflections (leading all free safeties in the league) and a pick six in the final game of the season. d’Alcott has rocketed up draft boards recently to the point where he is predicted to go in the first round, a far cry from being a 4th round selection. It goes to show that while you can judge a player's numbers, you cannot judge his work ethic and heart. With this pick, Dallas was laughing all the way to the bank.
Round 5, Pick #39: Byron Blackwell, CB, LSU
Blackwell was a player that Dallas liked enough to trade up for. After making the trade with Minnesota, they took the former LSU Cornerback in the fifth round. However, if there was one draft pick that Dallas might choose to take a Mulligan for, it would be this one. 1 interception and 3 pass deflections is all Blackwell has to show for the season which ranks him near the bottom of all cornerbacks in the DSFL Blackwell has also seemingly grown distant from the Birddogs as he his training sessions have not been consistent according to coaching staff. We of course Blackwell can turn things around but at this stage, with new players on the horizon and d’Alcott all but taking over that second cornerback position down the stretch, it’s highly unlikely.
Round 6, Pick 42: Luca Scabbia, WR, Syracuse
A Wide Receiver that would actually stay at Wide Receiver, Scabbia was drafted late to give Dallas another offensive weapon at a cheap price. Scabbia is the latest stand out player out of the Famed Enigmatic training camp and the fact he was looked over by so many teams for so long was shocking to many people. Scabbia would become a secondary receiver in the Dallas core and it would put excellent numbers for where he was drafted. Ending the season with 584 yards, 12.2 yards per attempt and four touchdowns. A hard working man who wants to keep the Enigmatic legacy preserved, Scabbia is projected high in the NSFL draft but questions remain about whether he remains a Wide Receiver. The Season 22 DSFL class had many wideout options and most of them converted to defensive positions before the DSFL season started. Only time will tell with Scabbia but regardless of that, he had a strong season in his rookie performance.
Round 8, Pick 58: Yuuto Kira Cloudera, DT, Gakuin University
With Montain taking the spotlight at DT it was hard for Kira Cloudera to get a chance to prove himself. To his credit, the Gakuin Graduate proved that there is raw talent that can be converted at the next level. With 30 tackles, a forced fumble, two sacks and a safety, Yuuto proved that he could get it done when called into action. What Cloudera needs is consistency and unlike other higher rated players from this class, Yuuto is keeping active in training sessions and trying to work his way up the depth chart. It might be a while before he gets his time to shine but he’s a hard worker who when push comes to shove, can get it done give proper development time and planning.
Round 9, Pick 66: Bradley Owens, QB, LSU
Just goes to show that late round choices can be just as important as 1st rounders. Originally a Quarterback, Owens was convinced to become a Linebacker by the Dallas front office as they believed he could convert his raw athleticism and strength at this level. He would not disappoint. 11th in tackles overall at 118 total recorded, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery and 5 total sacks paint a very pretty picture for a 9th round pick. There is a fear that Owens is giving it his all when it comes to training sessions, as some in the dallas camp have noted that he seems to leave training earlier than other prospects but that can be cured if the front office sits him down and reminds him just what is at stake. If they are able to drill it into Owen's head that he could be an all time great linebacker if he keeps on developing, it might just work out for the former LSU stand out.
Conclusion:
As we can see here, most of the players from this draft were great choices for Dallas, with a combination of grit, determination and willpower to push through anything. While some fell away, others thrived at new positions and became highly touted prospects for the NSFL. There is a hope that if the majority of them can be sent down, they will dominate the DSFL next year and bring the Birddogs not only to the playoffs but also to the Ultimini title, which would be massive for the expansion team. We look forward to seeing how Dallas drafts in the future and what future stars await until the big and bright stars of Texas.
**1513 words - x2 Draft media**