With the season four draft in the books we are here to take a look at the draftees and their teams from what is widely regarded as the shallowest draft in the NSFL's short history. But is it truly as bad as the mainstream sports media is making it out to be?
Fair warning, I'm not here to give grades. I think grading drafts is stupid. Instead I'm here to talk about the upsides and downsides of each pick and how they fit. I will let their performance in seasons to come be the ultimate judge of the pick.
With the first overall pick the Arizona Outlaws select Noah Goodson. Having received this draft pick from the Las Vegas Legion the outlaws made the obvious first choice in picking up the linebacker with a coverage specialty. The Outlaws have always had a nose for finding the best rookies and with their selection of Goodson they appear to still have the talent. The coverage specialist out of North Carolina State will attempt to fill the hole that has been (possibly) left by their former outstanding talent Jaylon Lee. The Outlaws appear to be enamored with linebackers who excel in pass coverage. Their current starter Harrif Ernston possesses a very similar skillset and has been a reliable performer since season one. The one knock against Goodson is his strength. With the incoming androids to opposing offensive lines he will need to improve his strength to stay competitive.
With the second overall pick the Las Vegas Legion select Blackford Oakes. I love this pick. Oakes has been an extremely hard worker who has shown very high enthusiasm for the sport. Las Vegas will see an immediate boost to their secondary with this selection, and I would not be surprised to see him skip the developmental league and hit the roster in week one. The center field safety has excellent hands and agility, good football instincts, and decent quickness. We would expect Las Vegas to be putting Oakes through numerous reps in the weight room and sideline sprints as he develops to get his speed and strength up professional sim football level.
With the third overall pick the Colorado Yeti select Haruki Ishigawa. Most analysts had Ishigawa pegged to join the Colorado Yeti with this pick. Another coverage specialist like #1 pick Goodson Ishigawa can expect to be a week one starter at the professional level in Colorado. Ishigawa does not have the physical attributes of the defenders selected before him, he is slower and less agile with clunkier hands. But his instincts in the game are outstanding. He has shown an uncanny ability to jump routes and to plug the right holes. Ishigawa will need to improve physically to be able to stand up to the high octane offenses found in his conference, but if he keeps up the work ethic he has pro-bowl potential.
With the fourth overall pick the Las Vegas Legion select Steven O'Sullivan. Although the player himself is an excellent choice, the fit is somewhat questionable. No doubt slated to be a top performing tight end, O'sullivan would be overshadowed by the already excellent tight end play by teammate Connor Tanner. With the team running very few two tight end sets one wonders why the Legion did not instead opt for receiving talent William Sean. Fate would have it that shortly after the draft the Las Vegas Legion would be feeling similarly and look to unload the first round pick to fill a bigger hole on their offense. Still, O'sullivan is a great balanced tight end with good performance in both the receiving and blocking roles. He is a player to keep an eye on.
With the fifth overall pick the Orange County Otters select William Sean. The wide receiver out of Auburn was selected very likely as best player available for the Orange County Otters. Leaks of their draft board indicate that O'Sullivan had been their primary target with the fifth pick, however with him off the board they were still happy to land a talent like Sean. During his time at Auburn and in the DSFL he showed excellent hands and his incredible size makes him a perfect fit for catching 50/50 jump balls. After losing tight end George Wright Jr. to the defensive line they had a big hole for a large receiver to slot in at tight end, and Sean fit perfectly. But it wasn't long before they found an opportunity to move the versatile weapon to the legion in exchange for their top target O'Sullivan.
With the sixth overall pick, their third of the round, the Las Vegas Legion select Trey Lonzac. This pick shocked many analysts, mostly because everyone expected Andreas Waiters to be picked first. But either way they go to the same team. The All-Around cornerback out of San Diego State is the second secondary selection to find his way onto the Las Vegas roster. It is curious to go with another defensive back here when the next season's draft class is purported to be the strongest defensive back class in history, but Lonzac represented another choice of best player available. He's a no-nonsense pick with good physical attributes and strong fundamentals. If the Legion can continue to develop the young defensive back to improve his speed and agility they will have a solid addition to their roster.
With the seventh overall pick the Las Vegas Legion select Andres Waiters. Waiters was the only defensive end available in this draft. Many people had mocked him to Las Vegas one pick earlier, some are rumbling that the co-GM got his draft cards reversed. Either way the Run Stopping defensive end out of Uconn reminds us of a young Jayce Tuck. He has good baseline talent with potential to grow in strength and speed. But the Legion will need to keep him engaged and focus on his training to make sure he lives up to his first round expectations.
With the eighth overall pick, the last of the round and the fifth for the team, the Las Vegas Legion select Shawn Ariel. Ariel was an excellent performer as a late season addition to the DSFL. He had excellent games during his time in the playoffs, and secured a spot in the first round of the draft. A lightning-fast speed back out of Texas Christian University he makes for a great backup behind starter Ardie Savea and could possibly work his way into a timeshare for the Legion. Having focused on his speed from a young age the one-cut back can gash you when he hits his final gear. There are some concerns about his work ethic but this writer believes that Ariel has a bright future in the NSFL and the coaches of the Legion can make him into a champion.
And there you have it, the first round of the season four NSFL draft. Only time will tell if it is as devoid of talent as many have claimed. The pieces are certainly there for many of these players to lead the league at their respective positions one day. It will come down to proper coaching, positive locker room culture, and strong work ethic.
GRADED
Fair warning, I'm not here to give grades. I think grading drafts is stupid. Instead I'm here to talk about the upsides and downsides of each pick and how they fit. I will let their performance in seasons to come be the ultimate judge of the pick.
With the first overall pick the Arizona Outlaws select Noah Goodson. Having received this draft pick from the Las Vegas Legion the outlaws made the obvious first choice in picking up the linebacker with a coverage specialty. The Outlaws have always had a nose for finding the best rookies and with their selection of Goodson they appear to still have the talent. The coverage specialist out of North Carolina State will attempt to fill the hole that has been (possibly) left by their former outstanding talent Jaylon Lee. The Outlaws appear to be enamored with linebackers who excel in pass coverage. Their current starter Harrif Ernston possesses a very similar skillset and has been a reliable performer since season one. The one knock against Goodson is his strength. With the incoming androids to opposing offensive lines he will need to improve his strength to stay competitive.
With the second overall pick the Las Vegas Legion select Blackford Oakes. I love this pick. Oakes has been an extremely hard worker who has shown very high enthusiasm for the sport. Las Vegas will see an immediate boost to their secondary with this selection, and I would not be surprised to see him skip the developmental league and hit the roster in week one. The center field safety has excellent hands and agility, good football instincts, and decent quickness. We would expect Las Vegas to be putting Oakes through numerous reps in the weight room and sideline sprints as he develops to get his speed and strength up professional sim football level.
With the third overall pick the Colorado Yeti select Haruki Ishigawa. Most analysts had Ishigawa pegged to join the Colorado Yeti with this pick. Another coverage specialist like #1 pick Goodson Ishigawa can expect to be a week one starter at the professional level in Colorado. Ishigawa does not have the physical attributes of the defenders selected before him, he is slower and less agile with clunkier hands. But his instincts in the game are outstanding. He has shown an uncanny ability to jump routes and to plug the right holes. Ishigawa will need to improve physically to be able to stand up to the high octane offenses found in his conference, but if he keeps up the work ethic he has pro-bowl potential.
With the fourth overall pick the Las Vegas Legion select Steven O'Sullivan. Although the player himself is an excellent choice, the fit is somewhat questionable. No doubt slated to be a top performing tight end, O'sullivan would be overshadowed by the already excellent tight end play by teammate Connor Tanner. With the team running very few two tight end sets one wonders why the Legion did not instead opt for receiving talent William Sean. Fate would have it that shortly after the draft the Las Vegas Legion would be feeling similarly and look to unload the first round pick to fill a bigger hole on their offense. Still, O'sullivan is a great balanced tight end with good performance in both the receiving and blocking roles. He is a player to keep an eye on.
With the fifth overall pick the Orange County Otters select William Sean. The wide receiver out of Auburn was selected very likely as best player available for the Orange County Otters. Leaks of their draft board indicate that O'Sullivan had been their primary target with the fifth pick, however with him off the board they were still happy to land a talent like Sean. During his time at Auburn and in the DSFL he showed excellent hands and his incredible size makes him a perfect fit for catching 50/50 jump balls. After losing tight end George Wright Jr. to the defensive line they had a big hole for a large receiver to slot in at tight end, and Sean fit perfectly. But it wasn't long before they found an opportunity to move the versatile weapon to the legion in exchange for their top target O'Sullivan.
With the sixth overall pick, their third of the round, the Las Vegas Legion select Trey Lonzac. This pick shocked many analysts, mostly because everyone expected Andreas Waiters to be picked first. But either way they go to the same team. The All-Around cornerback out of San Diego State is the second secondary selection to find his way onto the Las Vegas roster. It is curious to go with another defensive back here when the next season's draft class is purported to be the strongest defensive back class in history, but Lonzac represented another choice of best player available. He's a no-nonsense pick with good physical attributes and strong fundamentals. If the Legion can continue to develop the young defensive back to improve his speed and agility they will have a solid addition to their roster.
With the seventh overall pick the Las Vegas Legion select Andres Waiters. Waiters was the only defensive end available in this draft. Many people had mocked him to Las Vegas one pick earlier, some are rumbling that the co-GM got his draft cards reversed. Either way the Run Stopping defensive end out of Uconn reminds us of a young Jayce Tuck. He has good baseline talent with potential to grow in strength and speed. But the Legion will need to keep him engaged and focus on his training to make sure he lives up to his first round expectations.
With the eighth overall pick, the last of the round and the fifth for the team, the Las Vegas Legion select Shawn Ariel. Ariel was an excellent performer as a late season addition to the DSFL. He had excellent games during his time in the playoffs, and secured a spot in the first round of the draft. A lightning-fast speed back out of Texas Christian University he makes for a great backup behind starter Ardie Savea and could possibly work his way into a timeshare for the Legion. Having focused on his speed from a young age the one-cut back can gash you when he hits his final gear. There are some concerns about his work ethic but this writer believes that Ariel has a bright future in the NSFL and the coaches of the Legion can make him into a champion.
And there you have it, the first round of the season four NSFL draft. Only time will tell if it is as devoid of talent as many have claimed. The pieces are certainly there for many of these players to lead the league at their respective positions one day. It will come down to proper coaching, positive locker room culture, and strong work ethic.
GRADED
![[Image: XSfVUgo.png]](https://i.imgur.com/XSfVUgo.png)
Hank Winchester (S25 - Current) - Scrub
Angus Winchester (S1-S12) - 4x Ultimus Champ - #2 Career Sacks - Hall of Fame
Cooter Bigsby (S14-S23) - S23 Ultimus Champ - #4 Career Yards - #4 Career TDs - 2x MVP - Hall of Fame
