They often say hindsight is 20/20; looking back at my rankings from just last season, I can’t help but agree. I’m returning to set the record straight. Here, for your reading pleasure, are my revised rankings for every position group in the season seventeen draft class.
Quarterbacks
1. Jordan McCann III, Tijuana Luchadores: Initially my sixth-ranked prospect at wide receiver, McCann waited until the draft to position switch to quarterback, and it paid dividends for him and his newfound team. The Luchadores, with McCann at the helm, claimed the Ultimini last season, and McCann projects to be the top quarterback taken in this season’s NSFL Draft. This is probably well-deserved, but given how quiet he’s been since the championship, who knows if we’ll see him perform at the same level next season.
2. Jim McMahon, San Antonio Marshals: McMahon was originally my top ranked quarterback, but that was before McCann joined the fray. I’d like to note that I’m not trying to snub McMahon by moving him to two; I still believe him to be a wonderful option for some team’s future at the quarterback position. However, with McCann exploding onto the scene and performing at the level he has, it is difficult to argue that McMahon is the better player, at least for the time being.
3. Franky LaFleur, Kansas City Coyotes: While the other two quarterbacks worked their way to the top of their respective depth charts, LaFleur rode the bench all last season, behind both Jay Longshaw and Apollo Lange. No doubt he remains the bottom of the list, shifting from second of two to third of three.
Running Backs
1. Ashley Owens, San Antonio Marshals: I originally ranked Owens second among running backs; I now realize that this was a horrendous mistake. Owens is in fact the real deal, and is widely believed to be the top prospect in the draft class; all of the numbers support that assertion. Owens presented a strong case to be the DSFL MVP this past season, giving surprising receiving numbers to accompany his rushing numbers, and his ticket is all but punched for Austin, Texas.
2. Octavius Godspeed, Kansas City Coytoes: The DSFL numbers suggest that maybe this spot should belong to Ducky Donut, but I will stand by my decision to leave Godspeed ahead of him, this time up a spot at number two. The measurables show that Godspeed is a better prospect, whose numbers may have been reduced by a more even timeshare than that which Donut had in Tijuana. Godspeed isn’t quite the eye-popping prospect Owens is, but expect him to go sooner rather than later to a team with need at the position.
3. Ducky Donut, Tijuana Luchadores: No, I don’t mean to disrespect Donut by only moving him up one in the rankings; he did just help lead Tijuana to an Ultimini, and that is absolutely nothing to sneeze at. However, Donut has been hard to find since that championship performance, and I fear his work ethic will suffer for it. There is a chance that Donut tops Godspeed yet, but we’ll have to see him earn it.
4. Chase Osborn, Tijuana Luchadores: Osborn is a newcomer to the field, and despite a small sample size, feels like the right fit for fourth on this revised list. Osborn quietly bided his time behind Ducky Donut, taking advantage of every snap he got, and, with the right work ethic, he could catch the prospects ahead of him. Expect a team to gamble on this sleeper sooner than you think.
5. Deejay Dallas, San Antonio Marshals: Dallas is the second newcomer to this crop, and, even behind Ashley Owens, managed to turn heads with the numbers he produced this season. However, he hasn’t been seen much since San Antonio’s early exit from the playoffs, and that spells concern for somebody who has never shown exemplary work ethic. San Antonio might be a permanent home for Dallas, if he isn’t careful.
6. Joe Bobgarter, Kansas City Coyotes: I would like to remind everybody that fullback lives matter, but oh how the mighty have fallen. I liked Bobgarter enough to have him at the top of my chart before last season’s draft, but he has tumbled to an unbelievable six after relinquishing most of his play time to Octavius Godspeed and Jay Quick. Bobgarter will struggle to ever make an NSFL roster, a true pity.
7. Daniel Woodenhead, Portland Pythons: As expected, Woodenhead once again sits at the back of the pack after a miserable showing in Portland. Woodenhead found himself buried on the depth chart from day one, and figures to be waiting a long time to hear his name called on draft day.
Wide Receivers
1. Dexter Banks II, Kansas City Coyotes: Originally, Banks sat second on this list, behind eventual teammate Max Lovote; since then, he’s proven to be one of the hardest workers in the class, gritting his way to the top spot on this list of wide receivers, and towards the top of the list of prospects. With a better option at quarterback, Banks may have had what it took to lift his team to an Ultimini; alas, it was not to be. He’ll get another chance at glory in the NSFL.
2. Saba Donut, Portland Pythons: I’d like to start by formally apologizing to Donut, who has been hounding me since the day I ranked him as the class’s fifth best receiver. His drive is absolutely astounding, and he has slowly worked his way into the second spot on this list, taking Portland within inches of an Ultimini. Alas, he’ll have to settle for the possibility of earning an Ultimus.
3. Action Jackson, Portland Pythons: Jackson remains at three on my list, a spot he rightfully deserves. I still contend that this prospect could be an incredible tight end, but he also has merit if his NSFL team elects to play him at wide receiver. Despite struggling to get playing time, Jackson made a real impact for the runners-up, and I expect his stock will be higher in this draft than it was last time around.
4. Max Lovote, Kansas City Coyotes: Lovote originally held the top spot on my list, and he must have taken that as an excuse to slack off for half the season, dropping him to fourth among his fellow wide receiver prospects. That said, a team could do far worse than reaching for Lovote, who by all means appears to have righted the ship by now. This could be a sneaky sleeper pick, or a team might actually grab Lovote early. At this point, who knows?
5. Jackson Valadez, Tijuana Luchadores: Valadez drops one sport from his originally fourth in this revised set of rankings, for much the same reason as Max Lovote. However, despite struggles with work ethic, Tijuana never gave up on Valadez, and now that he, too, seems to have begun correcting the problem, he could be another sneaky sleeper at wide receiver. We’ll see if teams like his value as much as others in the class.
6. Bryce Molnar, San Antonio Marshals: Molnar spent his season in San Antonio riding the bench, and although he has technically moved up in the rankings from seventh to sixth, this is only because Jordan McCann III made the move to quarterback for Tijuana. You can expect Molnar to tumble down the draft.
7. Kyle Grimly, Tijuana Luchadores: Grimly, like Molnar, shifts up two spots in the rankings, but again, that boon is only because of a handful of position switches ahead of him. Grimly was the most disappointing wide receiver in his rookie class, and will likely find himself towards the bottom of the NSFL draft.
Tight Ends/Offensive Line
A quick ode to the fallen offensive lineman, LilCringer Kendrick; your brave sacrifice is not all for naught.
1. Brennen Biletnikoff, Kansas City Coyotes: Despite being my top ranked tight end in these rankings, Biletnikoff has not done much to impress anybody. He has only found his way to the top due to a position switch, something not unfamiliar to those of you who didn’t skip past the wide receiver section of this article. Neither tight end should be an early pick in this draft.
2. Michael Doud, Portland Pythons: Last season’s Mr. Irrelevant figures to fall to that spot again, as he rode the bench behind a plethora of quality receiving options this past season. Expect Doud to remain a silent presence in the league.
Defensive Line
1. Bubba Thumper, San Antonio Marshals: Unexpectedly, Thumper rose quite quickly to the top of this class of defensive linemen. Despite not putting up the numbers he may have hoped for, Thumper has arguably the best measurables of any defensive line prospect, and has been the subject of whispers as one of the draft’s top prospects. No doubt we have not seen the best of Thumper yet; he has a chip on his shoulder after rising from fifth in these rankings, and his future is bright.
2. Brayden Ennis, Kansas City Coyotes: As for Thumper, so for Ennis. The defensive tackle was originally last in these rankings, but spent all season busting his ass to prove me wrong, and although the numbers don’t exactly suggest that much improvement, all of his measurables do. This is another player expected to go early in this season’s draft, and for good reason.
3. Shane Masters, Tijuana Luchadores: Masters actually drops a spot in these rankings, but not from a lack of performance, as he put up the best numbers of any rookie defensive lineman. However, he has struggled to keep up in terms of training, so while the numbers show him at the top, his measurables hold him back from that spot. There’s always a chance this prospect can work his way back to second or even first, so a team should be taking a chance on him early.
4. Albert Garrett, San Antonio Marshals: Garrett maintains his original spot in these rankings, but the drop is much sharper than it used to be. Really, Garrett is the first of the crop of defensive linemen who should expect to fall in the draft; the only reason he’ll go sooner rather than later is because of how desperately the league needs defensive linemen.
5. Balec Taylor, Tijuana Luchadores: Taylor drops two spots in these rankings, and probably only rests here because he won a ring. No reason to get worked up over this prospect.
6. Dallas Decker, San Antonio Marshals: Decker falls from the top of the rankings to nearly the bottom; San Antonio’s struggles certainly didn’t help him as a prospect. No expectation that he will go early, either.
7. Michael Brown, Portland Pythons: Brown only drops a spot in the rankings, but falling to dead last can’t help his stock. Another late round flyer, here.
Linebackers
1. Honda Edmond, Tijuana Luchadores: From top tight end, to top linebacker, Edmond seems to be dominant wherever he plays, and helped lead Tijuana to the Ultimini. Edmond likes to sleep on himself, and has said more than once that he expects to fall to the second round of the draft, but no wise GM will let that happen. This prospect is an absolute stud, and he should be off the board sooner rather than later, even with the midseason position switch.
2. Ronald Watkins, San Antonio Marshals: Watkins had incredible numbers at the linebacker position this past season, and makes a strong case to be defensive player of the year for the DSFL; however, his commitment to the game has been lacking, so instead of rising to the top of the rankings, he rests comfortably at second. If he can find his focus, he could be an excellent sleeper pick.
3. Jason Carver, Tijuana Luchadores: Carver dips from two to three in these rankings, but Watkins is now distinctly farther ahead of him than he was ahead of Watkins. Carver, like Watkins, saw a drop in commitment, but it does not seem to have returned as of now, so we should expect to watch Carver drop down the draft.
4. Tyrone Baker, San Antonio Marshals: Baker enjoyed a surprisingly good season numbers-wise in San Antonio, but like Carver ahead of him, we haven’t seen commitment from the prospect since early in the season. No reason to expect him to go high in this season’s draft, although his stock is strangely up from where I had it last season this time.
5. Nate Oliver, Kansas City Coyotes: Oliver was originally at the top of this group; after a disappointing season, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see him so near the bottom of the list. This is another prospect you shouldn’t expect much from.
6. Daniel Glisack, Portland Pythons: A fall from four to five would have been painful enough; with the addition of Honda Edmond, Glisack instead drops to six. This does a real number on his stock; expect him to go very late.
Defensive Backs
1. Tyron Brackenridge, Kansas City Coyotes: I originally had Brackenridge third among defensive backs, right behind Jordan Andrews; now, I have him first, just ahead of the very same Jordan Andrews. Most people will question why I’m giving Brackenridge the edge here, and my argument is simple; although the measurables point to Jordan Andrews as the top defensive back, Brackenridge appears to me to have greater commitment, and sounds like an excellent locker room presence. Nobody should sleep on Brackenridge.
2. Jordan Andrews, Tijuana Luchadores: Andrews holds the second spot on this list quite comfortably; he has the best measurables of any defensive back in the class, and he helped bring the Ultimini to Tijuana. I mean no disrespect to this prospect by placing him behind Tyron Brackenridge; I absolutely expect he will still go exceptionally early in the draft. But, he shall remain at two.
3. Mervin Leonard, Portland Pythons: Leonard jumps from fifth in these rankings to third, and work ethic has absolutely everything to do with it. Leonard played exemplary football for Portland this season, likely in part due to the work he put in across from their crowded receiver room, and it appears to have paid off, as he finds himself in the conversation for a first-round pick. He should be an interesting prospect to watch continue his rise.
4. Takeda Okura, San Antonio Marshals: Okura is another prospect maintaining his originally ranking, at four. I really like Okura as a prospect, and he had a decent season for San Antonio, but he only just barely held the newest addition to this list, Julian McMorris, from taking his place. His work ethic is good, but he sometimes struggles to meet the standards set by other defensive backs. Hopefully the right team to help push him will pick him up come Wednesday.
5. Julian McMorris, Kansas City Coyotes: I originally had McMorris ranked eight among nine wide receivers; the switch to corner back seems to have helped him immensely, as he just barely missed claiming the fourth spot in the class. I expect teams to like him as much as I do, but value Okura slightly lower, so expect McMorris to go early in the second, maybe even late in the first, as a solid member of this top-heavy class of defensive backs.
6. Willie Woodson, San Antonio Marshals: Woodson holds firm at six in these rankings after a quiet, but decent season in San Antonio. The biggest concern here is that he appears to have gone off the grid since the season ended, so nobody knows exactly what his draft stock should look like.
7. A.C. Payton, Portland Pythons: Payton originally topped my rankings of defensive backs, but concerns about commitment tanked his stock, and he’s plummeted to seventh of ten. If he pulls his act together, he has a shot to really be something in the NSFL, but that seems doubtful at this point.
8. Dominic Schultz, Kansas City Coyotes: Schultz is new to the party, and made a meteoric rise late in the season to hit eighth on this list; unfortunately, like Willie Woodson, we haven’t heard much from him since the season ended, so his stock could be sitting just about anywhere.
9. Koda Adok, Portland Pythons: Adok slides down two spots in the rankings due to two new additions to the crop; nothing truly of note about that. Adok’s stock should be low in this draft.
10. Bishop Berrian, San Antonio Marshals: Despite weirdly high numbers in San Antonio, ditto Koda Adok.
Kickers/Punters
1. Kicky Bobby, Portland Pythons: Bobby rises from third in the rankings to claim this spot. He already looks like he could be one of the better kickers in the NSFL, and he hasn’t stopped putting in work towards that goal quite yet. Expect him to be the only kicker to go sooner rather than later.
2. Joshua Jones II, Tijuana Luchadores: If you have to take a flyer on a kicker, go with Jones, who remains in the second spot in these rankings. You won’t want to take a flyer, but you could do far worse than Jones, I suppose.
3. Michael Locatelli, Kansas City Coyotes: Locatelli was last in these rankings just last season; unfortunately, third now is not much better than last then. Teams should be avoiding Locatelli until late in the draft.
4. Darius Ruckerberg, San Antonio Marshals: Ruckerberg takes fourth in these rankings after not appearing at all last season; the late joiner is only so high because he took time from the other prospect on San Antonio’s depth chart, Landebert Strauss.
5. Landebert Strauss, San Antonio Marshals: It was a rough season for Strauss, who was at the top of these rankings last season; after falling behind Ruckerberg on the depth chart, expect Strauss to be one of the last picks of the draft.
Quarterbacks
1. Jordan McCann III, Tijuana Luchadores: Initially my sixth-ranked prospect at wide receiver, McCann waited until the draft to position switch to quarterback, and it paid dividends for him and his newfound team. The Luchadores, with McCann at the helm, claimed the Ultimini last season, and McCann projects to be the top quarterback taken in this season’s NSFL Draft. This is probably well-deserved, but given how quiet he’s been since the championship, who knows if we’ll see him perform at the same level next season.
2. Jim McMahon, San Antonio Marshals: McMahon was originally my top ranked quarterback, but that was before McCann joined the fray. I’d like to note that I’m not trying to snub McMahon by moving him to two; I still believe him to be a wonderful option for some team’s future at the quarterback position. However, with McCann exploding onto the scene and performing at the level he has, it is difficult to argue that McMahon is the better player, at least for the time being.
3. Franky LaFleur, Kansas City Coyotes: While the other two quarterbacks worked their way to the top of their respective depth charts, LaFleur rode the bench all last season, behind both Jay Longshaw and Apollo Lange. No doubt he remains the bottom of the list, shifting from second of two to third of three.
Running Backs
1. Ashley Owens, San Antonio Marshals: I originally ranked Owens second among running backs; I now realize that this was a horrendous mistake. Owens is in fact the real deal, and is widely believed to be the top prospect in the draft class; all of the numbers support that assertion. Owens presented a strong case to be the DSFL MVP this past season, giving surprising receiving numbers to accompany his rushing numbers, and his ticket is all but punched for Austin, Texas.
2. Octavius Godspeed, Kansas City Coytoes: The DSFL numbers suggest that maybe this spot should belong to Ducky Donut, but I will stand by my decision to leave Godspeed ahead of him, this time up a spot at number two. The measurables show that Godspeed is a better prospect, whose numbers may have been reduced by a more even timeshare than that which Donut had in Tijuana. Godspeed isn’t quite the eye-popping prospect Owens is, but expect him to go sooner rather than later to a team with need at the position.
3. Ducky Donut, Tijuana Luchadores: No, I don’t mean to disrespect Donut by only moving him up one in the rankings; he did just help lead Tijuana to an Ultimini, and that is absolutely nothing to sneeze at. However, Donut has been hard to find since that championship performance, and I fear his work ethic will suffer for it. There is a chance that Donut tops Godspeed yet, but we’ll have to see him earn it.
4. Chase Osborn, Tijuana Luchadores: Osborn is a newcomer to the field, and despite a small sample size, feels like the right fit for fourth on this revised list. Osborn quietly bided his time behind Ducky Donut, taking advantage of every snap he got, and, with the right work ethic, he could catch the prospects ahead of him. Expect a team to gamble on this sleeper sooner than you think.
5. Deejay Dallas, San Antonio Marshals: Dallas is the second newcomer to this crop, and, even behind Ashley Owens, managed to turn heads with the numbers he produced this season. However, he hasn’t been seen much since San Antonio’s early exit from the playoffs, and that spells concern for somebody who has never shown exemplary work ethic. San Antonio might be a permanent home for Dallas, if he isn’t careful.
6. Joe Bobgarter, Kansas City Coyotes: I would like to remind everybody that fullback lives matter, but oh how the mighty have fallen. I liked Bobgarter enough to have him at the top of my chart before last season’s draft, but he has tumbled to an unbelievable six after relinquishing most of his play time to Octavius Godspeed and Jay Quick. Bobgarter will struggle to ever make an NSFL roster, a true pity.
7. Daniel Woodenhead, Portland Pythons: As expected, Woodenhead once again sits at the back of the pack after a miserable showing in Portland. Woodenhead found himself buried on the depth chart from day one, and figures to be waiting a long time to hear his name called on draft day.
Wide Receivers
1. Dexter Banks II, Kansas City Coyotes: Originally, Banks sat second on this list, behind eventual teammate Max Lovote; since then, he’s proven to be one of the hardest workers in the class, gritting his way to the top spot on this list of wide receivers, and towards the top of the list of prospects. With a better option at quarterback, Banks may have had what it took to lift his team to an Ultimini; alas, it was not to be. He’ll get another chance at glory in the NSFL.
2. Saba Donut, Portland Pythons: I’d like to start by formally apologizing to Donut, who has been hounding me since the day I ranked him as the class’s fifth best receiver. His drive is absolutely astounding, and he has slowly worked his way into the second spot on this list, taking Portland within inches of an Ultimini. Alas, he’ll have to settle for the possibility of earning an Ultimus.
3. Action Jackson, Portland Pythons: Jackson remains at three on my list, a spot he rightfully deserves. I still contend that this prospect could be an incredible tight end, but he also has merit if his NSFL team elects to play him at wide receiver. Despite struggling to get playing time, Jackson made a real impact for the runners-up, and I expect his stock will be higher in this draft than it was last time around.
4. Max Lovote, Kansas City Coyotes: Lovote originally held the top spot on my list, and he must have taken that as an excuse to slack off for half the season, dropping him to fourth among his fellow wide receiver prospects. That said, a team could do far worse than reaching for Lovote, who by all means appears to have righted the ship by now. This could be a sneaky sleeper pick, or a team might actually grab Lovote early. At this point, who knows?
5. Jackson Valadez, Tijuana Luchadores: Valadez drops one sport from his originally fourth in this revised set of rankings, for much the same reason as Max Lovote. However, despite struggles with work ethic, Tijuana never gave up on Valadez, and now that he, too, seems to have begun correcting the problem, he could be another sneaky sleeper at wide receiver. We’ll see if teams like his value as much as others in the class.
6. Bryce Molnar, San Antonio Marshals: Molnar spent his season in San Antonio riding the bench, and although he has technically moved up in the rankings from seventh to sixth, this is only because Jordan McCann III made the move to quarterback for Tijuana. You can expect Molnar to tumble down the draft.
7. Kyle Grimly, Tijuana Luchadores: Grimly, like Molnar, shifts up two spots in the rankings, but again, that boon is only because of a handful of position switches ahead of him. Grimly was the most disappointing wide receiver in his rookie class, and will likely find himself towards the bottom of the NSFL draft.
Tight Ends/Offensive Line
A quick ode to the fallen offensive lineman, LilCringer Kendrick; your brave sacrifice is not all for naught.
1. Brennen Biletnikoff, Kansas City Coyotes: Despite being my top ranked tight end in these rankings, Biletnikoff has not done much to impress anybody. He has only found his way to the top due to a position switch, something not unfamiliar to those of you who didn’t skip past the wide receiver section of this article. Neither tight end should be an early pick in this draft.
2. Michael Doud, Portland Pythons: Last season’s Mr. Irrelevant figures to fall to that spot again, as he rode the bench behind a plethora of quality receiving options this past season. Expect Doud to remain a silent presence in the league.
Defensive Line
1. Bubba Thumper, San Antonio Marshals: Unexpectedly, Thumper rose quite quickly to the top of this class of defensive linemen. Despite not putting up the numbers he may have hoped for, Thumper has arguably the best measurables of any defensive line prospect, and has been the subject of whispers as one of the draft’s top prospects. No doubt we have not seen the best of Thumper yet; he has a chip on his shoulder after rising from fifth in these rankings, and his future is bright.
2. Brayden Ennis, Kansas City Coyotes: As for Thumper, so for Ennis. The defensive tackle was originally last in these rankings, but spent all season busting his ass to prove me wrong, and although the numbers don’t exactly suggest that much improvement, all of his measurables do. This is another player expected to go early in this season’s draft, and for good reason.
3. Shane Masters, Tijuana Luchadores: Masters actually drops a spot in these rankings, but not from a lack of performance, as he put up the best numbers of any rookie defensive lineman. However, he has struggled to keep up in terms of training, so while the numbers show him at the top, his measurables hold him back from that spot. There’s always a chance this prospect can work his way back to second or even first, so a team should be taking a chance on him early.
4. Albert Garrett, San Antonio Marshals: Garrett maintains his original spot in these rankings, but the drop is much sharper than it used to be. Really, Garrett is the first of the crop of defensive linemen who should expect to fall in the draft; the only reason he’ll go sooner rather than later is because of how desperately the league needs defensive linemen.
5. Balec Taylor, Tijuana Luchadores: Taylor drops two spots in these rankings, and probably only rests here because he won a ring. No reason to get worked up over this prospect.
6. Dallas Decker, San Antonio Marshals: Decker falls from the top of the rankings to nearly the bottom; San Antonio’s struggles certainly didn’t help him as a prospect. No expectation that he will go early, either.
7. Michael Brown, Portland Pythons: Brown only drops a spot in the rankings, but falling to dead last can’t help his stock. Another late round flyer, here.
Linebackers
1. Honda Edmond, Tijuana Luchadores: From top tight end, to top linebacker, Edmond seems to be dominant wherever he plays, and helped lead Tijuana to the Ultimini. Edmond likes to sleep on himself, and has said more than once that he expects to fall to the second round of the draft, but no wise GM will let that happen. This prospect is an absolute stud, and he should be off the board sooner rather than later, even with the midseason position switch.
2. Ronald Watkins, San Antonio Marshals: Watkins had incredible numbers at the linebacker position this past season, and makes a strong case to be defensive player of the year for the DSFL; however, his commitment to the game has been lacking, so instead of rising to the top of the rankings, he rests comfortably at second. If he can find his focus, he could be an excellent sleeper pick.
3. Jason Carver, Tijuana Luchadores: Carver dips from two to three in these rankings, but Watkins is now distinctly farther ahead of him than he was ahead of Watkins. Carver, like Watkins, saw a drop in commitment, but it does not seem to have returned as of now, so we should expect to watch Carver drop down the draft.
4. Tyrone Baker, San Antonio Marshals: Baker enjoyed a surprisingly good season numbers-wise in San Antonio, but like Carver ahead of him, we haven’t seen commitment from the prospect since early in the season. No reason to expect him to go high in this season’s draft, although his stock is strangely up from where I had it last season this time.
5. Nate Oliver, Kansas City Coyotes: Oliver was originally at the top of this group; after a disappointing season, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see him so near the bottom of the list. This is another prospect you shouldn’t expect much from.
6. Daniel Glisack, Portland Pythons: A fall from four to five would have been painful enough; with the addition of Honda Edmond, Glisack instead drops to six. This does a real number on his stock; expect him to go very late.
Defensive Backs
1. Tyron Brackenridge, Kansas City Coyotes: I originally had Brackenridge third among defensive backs, right behind Jordan Andrews; now, I have him first, just ahead of the very same Jordan Andrews. Most people will question why I’m giving Brackenridge the edge here, and my argument is simple; although the measurables point to Jordan Andrews as the top defensive back, Brackenridge appears to me to have greater commitment, and sounds like an excellent locker room presence. Nobody should sleep on Brackenridge.
2. Jordan Andrews, Tijuana Luchadores: Andrews holds the second spot on this list quite comfortably; he has the best measurables of any defensive back in the class, and he helped bring the Ultimini to Tijuana. I mean no disrespect to this prospect by placing him behind Tyron Brackenridge; I absolutely expect he will still go exceptionally early in the draft. But, he shall remain at two.
3. Mervin Leonard, Portland Pythons: Leonard jumps from fifth in these rankings to third, and work ethic has absolutely everything to do with it. Leonard played exemplary football for Portland this season, likely in part due to the work he put in across from their crowded receiver room, and it appears to have paid off, as he finds himself in the conversation for a first-round pick. He should be an interesting prospect to watch continue his rise.
4. Takeda Okura, San Antonio Marshals: Okura is another prospect maintaining his originally ranking, at four. I really like Okura as a prospect, and he had a decent season for San Antonio, but he only just barely held the newest addition to this list, Julian McMorris, from taking his place. His work ethic is good, but he sometimes struggles to meet the standards set by other defensive backs. Hopefully the right team to help push him will pick him up come Wednesday.
5. Julian McMorris, Kansas City Coyotes: I originally had McMorris ranked eight among nine wide receivers; the switch to corner back seems to have helped him immensely, as he just barely missed claiming the fourth spot in the class. I expect teams to like him as much as I do, but value Okura slightly lower, so expect McMorris to go early in the second, maybe even late in the first, as a solid member of this top-heavy class of defensive backs.
6. Willie Woodson, San Antonio Marshals: Woodson holds firm at six in these rankings after a quiet, but decent season in San Antonio. The biggest concern here is that he appears to have gone off the grid since the season ended, so nobody knows exactly what his draft stock should look like.
7. A.C. Payton, Portland Pythons: Payton originally topped my rankings of defensive backs, but concerns about commitment tanked his stock, and he’s plummeted to seventh of ten. If he pulls his act together, he has a shot to really be something in the NSFL, but that seems doubtful at this point.
8. Dominic Schultz, Kansas City Coyotes: Schultz is new to the party, and made a meteoric rise late in the season to hit eighth on this list; unfortunately, like Willie Woodson, we haven’t heard much from him since the season ended, so his stock could be sitting just about anywhere.
9. Koda Adok, Portland Pythons: Adok slides down two spots in the rankings due to two new additions to the crop; nothing truly of note about that. Adok’s stock should be low in this draft.
10. Bishop Berrian, San Antonio Marshals: Despite weirdly high numbers in San Antonio, ditto Koda Adok.
Kickers/Punters
1. Kicky Bobby, Portland Pythons: Bobby rises from third in the rankings to claim this spot. He already looks like he could be one of the better kickers in the NSFL, and he hasn’t stopped putting in work towards that goal quite yet. Expect him to be the only kicker to go sooner rather than later.
2. Joshua Jones II, Tijuana Luchadores: If you have to take a flyer on a kicker, go with Jones, who remains in the second spot in these rankings. You won’t want to take a flyer, but you could do far worse than Jones, I suppose.
3. Michael Locatelli, Kansas City Coyotes: Locatelli was last in these rankings just last season; unfortunately, third now is not much better than last then. Teams should be avoiding Locatelli until late in the draft.
4. Darius Ruckerberg, San Antonio Marshals: Ruckerberg takes fourth in these rankings after not appearing at all last season; the late joiner is only so high because he took time from the other prospect on San Antonio’s depth chart, Landebert Strauss.
5. Landebert Strauss, San Antonio Marshals: It was a rough season for Strauss, who was at the top of these rankings last season; after falling behind Ruckerberg on the depth chart, expect Strauss to be one of the last picks of the draft.
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