It’s been a while since I’ve done a mock draft writeup, and with the NSFL mock draft falling flat due to not enough involvement from the public, I figure I’ll do my own and see just how wrong I am. I’ll only focus on the first round of the draft as well, honestly that’s all I feel like doing and with that being the most important round because of mock draft prediction TPE I figure it’s best to focus on this round and give my full thoughts on where each team may go. With that being said, lets jump right into it and get started on what I believe will happen when the draft is aired, and we find out where everyone has gone.
1.
- Immanuel Blackstone - Nunccoepi - DE - 
The Otters have their pick of the litter, choosing whoever they want in this draft. Right away a few prospects jump out at me, Prince Vegeta, Immanuel Blackstone, Dax Frost, and Chris Kross. The Otters have a need at DL and they have the ability to take one of the best DL prospects in a while. The Otters Defensive Line is not in a good spot right now, looking at their team page they have two on their roster, both of whom are not very good. This is an extremely easy pick to make on multiple fronts, it fills a specific need for them, and it allows them to pick one of the most informed users that you can. Nunc is one of the best users in the NSFL in terms of knowledge, and with two newer GMs as Speculadora has stepped down they can use all the guidance they can get. The Otters shouldn’t overthink their pick, and they shouldn’t look at other options, I’d take multiple DL in this draft if I was the GM, and I’d start off with Blackstone to anchor the line for a long time. The Otters may need some offensive playmakers for the future, especially at RB, but DL is an extremely rough spot that they need to address ASAP if they want to have success in the future.
2.
- Prince Vegeta – Jeffie43 – S - 
With Tyler Swift and Jorel Tuck dying on the field, and multiple failed Safety picks previously, the SaberCats take another shot by grabbing Prince Vegeta, who may be the best prospect in this draft. Had it not been for the absolute need at DL for the Otters, I’d have him going to Orange County, instead he gets to make San Jose his home for the future. CKroyal may be a forever safety, but he needs another one alongside him, and Prince Vegeta has shown a lot of promise and potential. The user seems to be one of the best new users in this class, I see him a lot in discord, so I trust that he will have a better fate than the past safeties taken by the SaberCats. The SaberCats have a lot of needs, but I ultimately see only 3 people with a shot at calling San Jose home, Immanuel Blackstone, Prince Vegeta, and Otis Allen. All 3 are defensive players, and San Jose has focused on building a defensive minded team to win their championship, so I could see that strategy being employed again for the team to be successful again. I could see the SaberCats playing a dangerous game like they have in the past, taking Quaid here as they have a need at LB as well, but hoping Vegeta falls to 4 is a tough task, as the Liberty could easily turn around and trade their pick to the highest bidder. The Murphy retirement makes Vegeta that much more valuable, so they definitely shouldn’t take their chance if they saw the retirement before they made their pick.
3.
- Douglas Quaid – Hendrix 2.0 – LB - 
To me, the Liberty only have 1 choice here. With the new rule preventing Safeties playing LB, they absolutely need to draft at least 1 Linebacker in this draft. Much like the Otters, this a glaring need that they absolutely must fill in some way, and Quaid is the top LB in this draft. Add in the relationship that Iamslm22 had with Hendrix before he left the league originally, and I see this as an easy match to make. Slm has surely given a glowing review of his former GM, and since they have such a need there is no way I see Quaid making it past the Liberty, unless he has told them he will absolutely not play for them under any circumstances. Quaid being available for the Liberty checks all the boxes for them, and they should gladly jump on the opportunity to draft him. Like I mentioned in the SJS pick, Liberty could look to trade this pick for some future draft capital if Vegeta is available and Quaid is taken, but in this scenario at least I’d jump at the opportunity to draft Hendrix and bring Quaid to Philadelphia.
4. - hehateme Picksix - Vorshayla - CB -
The SaberCats have a lot of needs, and with their second pick, they could go for any defensive position. Holden Summers, Picksix, Otis Allen, all of these players would instantly fill a hole for the SaberCats who need to bring in a lot of talent. Ultimately, they have a major need at CB, and with their second pick I think they have to jump on Picksix. With adding both Vegeta and Picksix in the draft the San Jose secondary becomes an immediate strength long term, and with the amount of CB prospects who look good in S22 they should have a dominant secondary for a long time. The SaberCats could easily hope that they can get a top flight CB next season and go for Otis Allen here, but I think that’s a risky proposition when they already have a decent enough defensive line, and can draft some filler players for the time being. Great CBs are a luxury and a necessity, so San Jose would not be wrong to go with Picksix here and have a dominant defensive backfield in the future.
5.
- Otis Allen - KoltClassic - DT - 
Originally, I had Chris Kross landing in Baltimore with the first offensive player off the board, but after taking a closer look at the Hawks I noticed a lack of a good DT. They have some good DEs but could certainly use a good Defensive Tackle for the future. Otis Allen fits the bill perfectly, he’ll be a great defensive tackle for seasons to come, and the Hawks will definitely benefit from having him anchor the defensive line as they move to make it younger. I thought to give the Hawks a WR, with Errol Maddox past his prime and a young Asher Quinn, adding Kross as the 3rd option, with Quinn and Kross making an excellent pair in the future, but there will always be a need on the defensive line, and that need gets filled with this pick. We wait to see if an offensive player will go in the first round, but ultimately defense is strong in this draft and many teams will be vying to build their defense around this class and next class.
6.
- Chris Kross - Voltaqe - WR -
Of course, after talking about the defensive heavy class that this is I mock the first offensive player of the draft. He’ll immediately pair with Sean O’Leary and give a great second option to Rose Jenkins, and eventually be a dominant pair once Vega is in the league as the Butchers QB. Chris Kross is the best offensive prospect for the Butchers, as they now have Ryan Leaf Jr taking the handoffs in the backfield. Had it not been for the Leaf Jr switch I would have Dax Frost going here, but ultimately they go for the Coyotes Wide Receiver who slides down the board a little bit as teams are chomping at the bit in order to get their next defensive superstar. Him and O’Leary should make a great pairing in the future, and it’s always nice to have some top tier weapons for your QB, especially when the switch is made to a young Vega who will be looking for all the help he can get.
7.
- Sardine Beaner - Josh30601 - DT -
With the Defensive Line prospects looking thin at the top level, the Yeti don’t take any chances and grab the next available tackle in Sardine Beaner. While he isn’t at Blackstone or Allen level, he is still a very capable DT and will be a very capable player in the league, and one of the Yeti’s biggest holes (besides their trophy case) is at DT. They have Bubba Thumper, Terry Taffy, and Steco Ocewilder on the DL, but adding Beaner fills that 4th slot for them. This is somewhat of a luxury addition, but honestly, they don’t have many spots where they have a glaring need. I was between LB and DT here, with either Holden Summers or Sardine Beaner getting picked, but ultimately I think adding that final piece to the line is a much bigger priority than adding the final LB that they would need with Acsolap’s activity waning. They couldn’t go wrong with either pick, or with trading down for future picks or a good player, but if they don’t make a trade I see Beaner making his way to Colorado where they hope that they can finally get over the hump that they’ve been struggling with for so long.
8.
- Chip Otle - Mcast55 - DE
Chip Otle trades his purple in for purple. He’s the 4th defensive lineman taken in the draft, in part because of need and partly because the DL class is pretty good this season. Add in that some of the other positions are a bit weak (CB is a major one, I only see 1 first round CB now that Frost switched positions), add in that teams can never have enough defensive lineman and you see a run on them early. All of these defensive linemen deserve it though, there may be guys with more TPE, but the defensive line is a huge need and always will be a need, so their value is higher than what others may be. Offensive players are being left on the board in this draft, with Frost, Osiris Firestorm-Fjord, Leon Mcdavid, Jerome Davis, and Dougie Smalls all being good prospects, but the draft is shaking out to have a run on defense and teams will panic and take their guy if they feel they can’t wait. Chip Otle is that guy for New Orleans, and really his name feels like it’s right for the Second Line, so I see this as a good match for the team and player.
9.
- Osiris Firestorm-Fjord - Halfeatenonionbagel - TE -
They hype man himself goes 9oa as the second offensive player off the board. The Wraiths are a team with very few needs, but for the life of me I don’t know if they have a Tight End anywhere near Yellowknife. With that being said, they bring the hype man all the way up north and give him a frozen tundra and haunted stadium to share his voice, and play, with the NSFL. For me, I think this is their biggest need, and I think OFF would go off with Cooter throwing him the rock. Fjord would be a great addition to the offense for the Wraiths and would be a great target for both Cooter and the future QB Jack when he is eventually in the league. This is a luxury addition and well the Wraiths could do anything with this pick. They have a plethora of riches right now and may be in the best position of any team for their long-term future with how the GMs have planned, so Fjord will be a great addition and will definitely hype up the team.
10.
- Holden Summers - SemiCharmedMike - LB - 
With the final pick of the first round we see another defensive player go off the board. This time, the first Grey Duck flies to his new home as Summers makes his way to Austin. The Copperheads could use a 3rd Linebacker for the future, with Bakshi on the other side of his prime, and Summers fills that need perfectly. Linebacker becomes of much greater need especially now that Safety can’t play at that position, so Summers could be a beneficiary of that and go even higher, but ultimately I have the Ultimus victors landing a promising LB prospect who should fill what is their greatest need. Having what they hope to be one of the best LBs in his prime, Summers will be a building block for the next generation of the Copperheads, a team that’s looking to get younger in some key positions while their top players are reaching their peak. This team could easily win another title or two in the next few seasons, and Summers figures to be the best prospect they could take to fill a need instantly and provide a good player who can fit their window. He won’t be expected to anchor the defense early, instead just to flourish alongside Bakshi and Edmond. I could also see Pete “Plop” Miller going at this spot, since the Copperheads do have a need at DL, but I think they could wait, or make a move in the second round, and get a DL while still getting a good LB prospect.
Right now, there are a few players who I think are surefire NSFL superstars. Immanuel Blackstone and Prince Vegeta immediately jump out as two such players, both will be great in the NSFL no matter where they end up, but I see no way either one is there when the 3rd selection of the draft is being made. I also believe Hehateme Picksix has been the biggest beneficiary of the draft leadup, as Frost position switched and Murphy retired. Picksix went from a borderline first round player to being a top 5 pick in my mind, in part because of the very weak DB class, and that he is still a good player in his own merits. Looking through, offense is definitely a weird side of the ball this time around, there are some real good prospects, but the defensive prospects are not only good, but needed for many of the teams. A lot of teams need to focus on getting some defensive building blocks and getting a good foundation in place, so I could see a very defensive heavy draft playing out like in my mock. I could see this being a very interesting draft, and I could honestly see some interesting trades going doing when the draft is airing.
(2508 words, and I guess this counts for 1.5 media, and of course it's ready for grading)
1.
- Immanuel Blackstone - Nunccoepi - DE - The Otters have their pick of the litter, choosing whoever they want in this draft. Right away a few prospects jump out at me, Prince Vegeta, Immanuel Blackstone, Dax Frost, and Chris Kross. The Otters have a need at DL and they have the ability to take one of the best DL prospects in a while. The Otters Defensive Line is not in a good spot right now, looking at their team page they have two on their roster, both of whom are not very good. This is an extremely easy pick to make on multiple fronts, it fills a specific need for them, and it allows them to pick one of the most informed users that you can. Nunc is one of the best users in the NSFL in terms of knowledge, and with two newer GMs as Speculadora has stepped down they can use all the guidance they can get. The Otters shouldn’t overthink their pick, and they shouldn’t look at other options, I’d take multiple DL in this draft if I was the GM, and I’d start off with Blackstone to anchor the line for a long time. The Otters may need some offensive playmakers for the future, especially at RB, but DL is an extremely rough spot that they need to address ASAP if they want to have success in the future.
2.
- Prince Vegeta – Jeffie43 – S - With Tyler Swift and Jorel Tuck dying on the field, and multiple failed Safety picks previously, the SaberCats take another shot by grabbing Prince Vegeta, who may be the best prospect in this draft. Had it not been for the absolute need at DL for the Otters, I’d have him going to Orange County, instead he gets to make San Jose his home for the future. CKroyal may be a forever safety, but he needs another one alongside him, and Prince Vegeta has shown a lot of promise and potential. The user seems to be one of the best new users in this class, I see him a lot in discord, so I trust that he will have a better fate than the past safeties taken by the SaberCats. The SaberCats have a lot of needs, but I ultimately see only 3 people with a shot at calling San Jose home, Immanuel Blackstone, Prince Vegeta, and Otis Allen. All 3 are defensive players, and San Jose has focused on building a defensive minded team to win their championship, so I could see that strategy being employed again for the team to be successful again. I could see the SaberCats playing a dangerous game like they have in the past, taking Quaid here as they have a need at LB as well, but hoping Vegeta falls to 4 is a tough task, as the Liberty could easily turn around and trade their pick to the highest bidder. The Murphy retirement makes Vegeta that much more valuable, so they definitely shouldn’t take their chance if they saw the retirement before they made their pick.
3.
- Douglas Quaid – Hendrix 2.0 – LB - To me, the Liberty only have 1 choice here. With the new rule preventing Safeties playing LB, they absolutely need to draft at least 1 Linebacker in this draft. Much like the Otters, this a glaring need that they absolutely must fill in some way, and Quaid is the top LB in this draft. Add in the relationship that Iamslm22 had with Hendrix before he left the league originally, and I see this as an easy match to make. Slm has surely given a glowing review of his former GM, and since they have such a need there is no way I see Quaid making it past the Liberty, unless he has told them he will absolutely not play for them under any circumstances. Quaid being available for the Liberty checks all the boxes for them, and they should gladly jump on the opportunity to draft him. Like I mentioned in the SJS pick, Liberty could look to trade this pick for some future draft capital if Vegeta is available and Quaid is taken, but in this scenario at least I’d jump at the opportunity to draft Hendrix and bring Quaid to Philadelphia.
4.
- hehateme Picksix - Vorshayla - CB - The SaberCats have a lot of needs, and with their second pick, they could go for any defensive position. Holden Summers, Picksix, Otis Allen, all of these players would instantly fill a hole for the SaberCats who need to bring in a lot of talent. Ultimately, they have a major need at CB, and with their second pick I think they have to jump on Picksix. With adding both Vegeta and Picksix in the draft the San Jose secondary becomes an immediate strength long term, and with the amount of CB prospects who look good in S22 they should have a dominant secondary for a long time. The SaberCats could easily hope that they can get a top flight CB next season and go for Otis Allen here, but I think that’s a risky proposition when they already have a decent enough defensive line, and can draft some filler players for the time being. Great CBs are a luxury and a necessity, so San Jose would not be wrong to go with Picksix here and have a dominant defensive backfield in the future.
5.
- Otis Allen - KoltClassic - DT - Originally, I had Chris Kross landing in Baltimore with the first offensive player off the board, but after taking a closer look at the Hawks I noticed a lack of a good DT. They have some good DEs but could certainly use a good Defensive Tackle for the future. Otis Allen fits the bill perfectly, he’ll be a great defensive tackle for seasons to come, and the Hawks will definitely benefit from having him anchor the defensive line as they move to make it younger. I thought to give the Hawks a WR, with Errol Maddox past his prime and a young Asher Quinn, adding Kross as the 3rd option, with Quinn and Kross making an excellent pair in the future, but there will always be a need on the defensive line, and that need gets filled with this pick. We wait to see if an offensive player will go in the first round, but ultimately defense is strong in this draft and many teams will be vying to build their defense around this class and next class.
6.
- Chris Kross - Voltaqe - WR - Of course, after talking about the defensive heavy class that this is I mock the first offensive player of the draft. He’ll immediately pair with Sean O’Leary and give a great second option to Rose Jenkins, and eventually be a dominant pair once Vega is in the league as the Butchers QB. Chris Kross is the best offensive prospect for the Butchers, as they now have Ryan Leaf Jr taking the handoffs in the backfield. Had it not been for the Leaf Jr switch I would have Dax Frost going here, but ultimately they go for the Coyotes Wide Receiver who slides down the board a little bit as teams are chomping at the bit in order to get their next defensive superstar. Him and O’Leary should make a great pairing in the future, and it’s always nice to have some top tier weapons for your QB, especially when the switch is made to a young Vega who will be looking for all the help he can get.
7.
- Sardine Beaner - Josh30601 - DT - With the Defensive Line prospects looking thin at the top level, the Yeti don’t take any chances and grab the next available tackle in Sardine Beaner. While he isn’t at Blackstone or Allen level, he is still a very capable DT and will be a very capable player in the league, and one of the Yeti’s biggest holes (besides their trophy case) is at DT. They have Bubba Thumper, Terry Taffy, and Steco Ocewilder on the DL, but adding Beaner fills that 4th slot for them. This is somewhat of a luxury addition, but honestly, they don’t have many spots where they have a glaring need. I was between LB and DT here, with either Holden Summers or Sardine Beaner getting picked, but ultimately I think adding that final piece to the line is a much bigger priority than adding the final LB that they would need with Acsolap’s activity waning. They couldn’t go wrong with either pick, or with trading down for future picks or a good player, but if they don’t make a trade I see Beaner making his way to Colorado where they hope that they can finally get over the hump that they’ve been struggling with for so long.
8.
- Chip Otle - Mcast55 - DE Chip Otle trades his purple in for purple. He’s the 4th defensive lineman taken in the draft, in part because of need and partly because the DL class is pretty good this season. Add in that some of the other positions are a bit weak (CB is a major one, I only see 1 first round CB now that Frost switched positions), add in that teams can never have enough defensive lineman and you see a run on them early. All of these defensive linemen deserve it though, there may be guys with more TPE, but the defensive line is a huge need and always will be a need, so their value is higher than what others may be. Offensive players are being left on the board in this draft, with Frost, Osiris Firestorm-Fjord, Leon Mcdavid, Jerome Davis, and Dougie Smalls all being good prospects, but the draft is shaking out to have a run on defense and teams will panic and take their guy if they feel they can’t wait. Chip Otle is that guy for New Orleans, and really his name feels like it’s right for the Second Line, so I see this as a good match for the team and player.
9.
- Osiris Firestorm-Fjord - Halfeatenonionbagel - TE - They hype man himself goes 9oa as the second offensive player off the board. The Wraiths are a team with very few needs, but for the life of me I don’t know if they have a Tight End anywhere near Yellowknife. With that being said, they bring the hype man all the way up north and give him a frozen tundra and haunted stadium to share his voice, and play, with the NSFL. For me, I think this is their biggest need, and I think OFF would go off with Cooter throwing him the rock. Fjord would be a great addition to the offense for the Wraiths and would be a great target for both Cooter and the future QB Jack when he is eventually in the league. This is a luxury addition and well the Wraiths could do anything with this pick. They have a plethora of riches right now and may be in the best position of any team for their long-term future with how the GMs have planned, so Fjord will be a great addition and will definitely hype up the team.
10.
- Holden Summers - SemiCharmedMike - LB - With the final pick of the first round we see another defensive player go off the board. This time, the first Grey Duck flies to his new home as Summers makes his way to Austin. The Copperheads could use a 3rd Linebacker for the future, with Bakshi on the other side of his prime, and Summers fills that need perfectly. Linebacker becomes of much greater need especially now that Safety can’t play at that position, so Summers could be a beneficiary of that and go even higher, but ultimately I have the Ultimus victors landing a promising LB prospect who should fill what is their greatest need. Having what they hope to be one of the best LBs in his prime, Summers will be a building block for the next generation of the Copperheads, a team that’s looking to get younger in some key positions while their top players are reaching their peak. This team could easily win another title or two in the next few seasons, and Summers figures to be the best prospect they could take to fill a need instantly and provide a good player who can fit their window. He won’t be expected to anchor the defense early, instead just to flourish alongside Bakshi and Edmond. I could also see Pete “Plop” Miller going at this spot, since the Copperheads do have a need at DL, but I think they could wait, or make a move in the second round, and get a DL while still getting a good LB prospect.
Right now, there are a few players who I think are surefire NSFL superstars. Immanuel Blackstone and Prince Vegeta immediately jump out as two such players, both will be great in the NSFL no matter where they end up, but I see no way either one is there when the 3rd selection of the draft is being made. I also believe Hehateme Picksix has been the biggest beneficiary of the draft leadup, as Frost position switched and Murphy retired. Picksix went from a borderline first round player to being a top 5 pick in my mind, in part because of the very weak DB class, and that he is still a good player in his own merits. Looking through, offense is definitely a weird side of the ball this time around, there are some real good prospects, but the defensive prospects are not only good, but needed for many of the teams. A lot of teams need to focus on getting some defensive building blocks and getting a good foundation in place, so I could see a very defensive heavy draft playing out like in my mock. I could see this being a very interesting draft, and I could honestly see some interesting trades going doing when the draft is airing.
(2508 words, and I guess this counts for 1.5 media, and of course it's ready for grading)
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