NSFL Season 9 Draft Review
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Now that the NSFL's Season 9 Draft is in the books, let's look back at how it went down. This won't be about grading the picks but rather about looking at how they will fit on their teams and about why their teams picked them. (This is just for the first round)
#1
|| Xavier Flash - WR - 196 TPE
With the first overall selection in the draft, the Sabercats decide that Xavier Flash is their guy. This pick makes sense for the direction that the Sabercats franchise is taking. After selecting Brad Pennington last season to be their quarterback of the future, they are looking to build around him. They need to add young weapons so that Pennington can grow to reach his full potential, so taking the top receiver in the draft makes sense as they can pair Flash and Pennington together long term to create a dynamic duo in their passing attack. This pick makes even more sense considering that the Sabercats lost their top receiver, Mayran Jackson, in free agency, so Flash will be able to fill an immediate need and make an impact right away. Flash is a promising prospect and is a logical fit for the Sabercats' needs both short term and long term.
#2
|| Bucky Barnes - S - 256 TPE
With the second pick, the Outlaws are able to bring in a player who many viewed as the top prospect in this class. Bucky Barnes is a player who had a standout season in the DSFL and is one of the fastest growers in this draft class. His build provides some versatility as he is well suited to play safety but also has the size to be a potential fit at linebacker as well. Safeties are even more valuable right now with recent buffs making safeties around the league have all around higher potential. The Outlaws are looking to start rebuilding as most of their top players are aging now and they haven't had a lot of picks to add younger talent in the last couple talents. So for them, it makes a lot of sense to add a promising player like Barnes who looks like a future defensive cornerstone. Pairing Barnes with Darren Morris will give the Outlaws one of the best safety duos in the league a few seasons from now and will give them an identity to focus on as they rebuild their defense. The best course of action for the Outlaws right now is to focus on adding young talent, and with Barnes they were able to bring in a future stud.
#3
|| Marquise Brown - RB - 214 TPE
The Libery had a big choice to make with the third pick as they look for the first piece of their rebuild. They traded away most of their roster midway through the season to gain some draft capital to kickstart a rebuild as they look to build a younger team. With this pick, they would be looking to bring in a foundational piece to help them start their rebuild. They decided that running back Marquise Brown was the best player to bring in with this pick. At first it may seem surprising to see the Liberty bring in a running back as Carter Bush was one of the only bright spots for them after their midseason trades, but this move makes a lot of sense with Bush's draft day announcement that he will be switching to wide receiver full time. By picking Brown, the Liberty add another young playmaker that will help them build up a strong running game, which will be helpful as they will eventually look to transition in their quarterback of the future. Brown has looked good so far during his time in the DSFL and could be a future star at the NSFL level if he continues to develop well. Marquise Brown gives the Liberty another young offensive playmaker to build around as one of the future cornerstones of their offense.
#4 || Kolby Deringer - LB - 249 TPE
With their second pick in the top four, the Sabercats opt to bring in linebacker Kolby Deringer. After using their first pick on an offensive player, they decide to boost their defense with their second first round pick. Derringer was one of the later prospects to join this class, but he quickly made a name for himself with his fast progression. This pick is an easy fit for a Sabercats team that is thin at linebacker. This is the second year in a row that the Sabercats have taken a linebacker in the first round of the draft after bringing in Ben Horne last year. The Sabercats now have two young pieces to build around in the front seven as they look to rebuild their defense going forward. Kolby Deringer will be able to make an instant impact on the Sabercats' defense and grow into one of its future leaders.
#5
|| Declan Harp - TE - 262 TPE
The Hawks surprised some people with the fifth pick of the draft by deciding to select tight end Declan Harp. It's not a surprise to see Harp picked in the first round considering that he is the second highest TPE player in this class, so his talent is undeniable. However, it is interesting to see the Hawks use another high pick on a tight end after using a high pick on Verso L'Alto two seasons ago. This could be an indication that one of those players is planning to switch positions or could be insurance in case L'Alto decides to leave in free agency. The other possibility is that the Hawks plan to use both players together. Two tight end sets have been becoming more popular around the league lately and it could make sense for the Hawks to use as these two tight ends have differing play styles that could complement each other. L'Alto's Balanced archetype makes him a more traditional tight end with better blocking skills, while Harp's Possession archetype makes him more skilled as a receiver. These two could form a nice tandem if they see the field together and both play to the strengths of their play style. While another tight end might not seem to fill a big need for the Hawks, they decided to take the best player available and find a way to make him fit in their scheme. Whatever role Declan Harp ends up playing on the Hawks, he is a very promising prospect and looks like a future star in the making.
Trade #1:
Receive: #8 Pick, Marcus Kane
Receive: #6 Pick
The Otters decide to drop back later in the first round rather than pick at #6 as they either think they can still get their guy at #8 or they don't feel like there's much of a drop off between the next three players on the board. Either way, they are able to add a new piece to their defense in Marcus Kane. Kane is aging but is a versatile player who can play both safety and linebacker, so he should be able to make some good contributions on the Otters' defense this year. The Otters downgrade a bit on the younger player they will add for a player that will help them immediately as this year may be their last chance to make a run with Mike Boss. The Wraiths lose Kane from their defense but have the talent at safety and linebacker to withstand this loss and are able to give up an aging player in exchange for moving up a few spots so that they can select a higher rated young prospect (Or to get a better return when trading this pick to another team looking to add a young player at #6).
Trade #2:
Receive: $15M in Season 9 Cap Space, 
Season 10 3rd Round Pick, Season 11 2nd Round Pick, Season 11 3rd Round Pick
Receive: #6 Pick
The Wraiths don't hold on to the #6 Pick for long as they trade it away immediately after obtaining it in the previous trade. Rather than look to add a young player with the pick, the Wraiths opt to focus on the present by bringing in a large chunk of cap space for next season. This allows them to capitalize while their current core is still intact after winning the championship last season as they look to repeat as champions this year. The additional cap space will give them room to bring in some more players or to purchase a stronger offensive line for Season 9 and should help their chances of contending again this year. They also pick up a haul of future later round picks, that should help them to rebuild as their current core continues to age and could be pretty valuable as a wave of recreates could cause those drafts to be deeper. For the Yeti, they look to keep building their young core by making this move. They believe they are on the brink of being a contender and look to add one more piece that will help solidify their future. With the amount of cap space they gave up, they will have trouble making a push to the playoffs this year, but they are willing to make that sacrifice in order to solidify their future. They give up a package of future picks, but they would prefer to add one premium player now rather to fill one of their few remaining holes rather than taking multiple later round players in the future.
#6 || Oskar Ludvig - CB - 184 TPE
After trading for the sixth pick in the draft, the Yeti used it to select corner back Oskar Ludvig. This was an easy pick for the Yeti as their secondary is the most glaring weakness on their current roster. They have one of the best cornerbacks in the league in Andre Bly Jr. but nobody to play across from him on the other side. The trade allows the Yeti to secure the only active cornerback in the draft. Ludvig should be able to make an immediate impact in the Yeti's secondary and will give them a dominant cornerback duo to build around long term by pairing him with Bly. Ludvig has a lot of potential and could develop into a future shut down cornerback for the Yeti.
#7 || Alexandre Thibault - S - 143 TPE
With the seventh pick in the first round, the Yeti addressed their secondary again with their second consecutive pick by selecting safety Alexandre Thibault. The Yeti went all in on building up their secondary in this draft as they used both first round picks on defensive backs. The Yeti had a big need for a second safety to play next to Michael Tillman, so Thibault was an obvious pick as the only active safety remaining on the board. Thibault will be a great piece for the Yeti's defense going forward as their secondary now looks like it could be a strength for them in a few years as they now have four active players for them. Thibault will be a nice playmaker in the defensive backfield for the Yeti if he continues to develop.
#8 || Ricky Adams - RB - 177 TPE
After trading back, the Otters made their first selection of the draft with the eighth pick by selecting running back Ricky Adams. After focusing more on defense in the last few drafts, the Otters add a young play maker on the offensive side of the ball this year. Running back is not an immediate need for them, but with Jordan Yates starting regression this year and Erlich Burnsman entering regression next season, they are going to need a new running back within a couple years so they are able to address that need early by bringing in a young running back now. The Otters have been using speed based running backs in the last few years, so it will be interesting to see how they build around Ricky Adams who is a power oriented runner. The Otters have always been innovative with running backs, using a committee in their early days and later being one of the first teams to play a running back at receiver with Jordan Yates, so they'll find a way to use Ricky Adams' talents well and he'll be a good fit on their offense going forward.
Overall it looks like it was a pretty good draft as a lot of talented players were selected and they all seem to be good fits for their teams.
Now that the NSFL's Season 9 Draft is in the books, let's look back at how it went down. This won't be about grading the picks but rather about looking at how they will fit on their teams and about why their teams picked them. (This is just for the first round)
#1
|| Xavier Flash - WR - 196 TPE With the first overall selection in the draft, the Sabercats decide that Xavier Flash is their guy. This pick makes sense for the direction that the Sabercats franchise is taking. After selecting Brad Pennington last season to be their quarterback of the future, they are looking to build around him. They need to add young weapons so that Pennington can grow to reach his full potential, so taking the top receiver in the draft makes sense as they can pair Flash and Pennington together long term to create a dynamic duo in their passing attack. This pick makes even more sense considering that the Sabercats lost their top receiver, Mayran Jackson, in free agency, so Flash will be able to fill an immediate need and make an impact right away. Flash is a promising prospect and is a logical fit for the Sabercats' needs both short term and long term.
#2
|| Bucky Barnes - S - 256 TPE With the second pick, the Outlaws are able to bring in a player who many viewed as the top prospect in this class. Bucky Barnes is a player who had a standout season in the DSFL and is one of the fastest growers in this draft class. His build provides some versatility as he is well suited to play safety but also has the size to be a potential fit at linebacker as well. Safeties are even more valuable right now with recent buffs making safeties around the league have all around higher potential. The Outlaws are looking to start rebuilding as most of their top players are aging now and they haven't had a lot of picks to add younger talent in the last couple talents. So for them, it makes a lot of sense to add a promising player like Barnes who looks like a future defensive cornerstone. Pairing Barnes with Darren Morris will give the Outlaws one of the best safety duos in the league a few seasons from now and will give them an identity to focus on as they rebuild their defense. The best course of action for the Outlaws right now is to focus on adding young talent, and with Barnes they were able to bring in a future stud.
#3
|| Marquise Brown - RB - 214 TPE The Libery had a big choice to make with the third pick as they look for the first piece of their rebuild. They traded away most of their roster midway through the season to gain some draft capital to kickstart a rebuild as they look to build a younger team. With this pick, they would be looking to bring in a foundational piece to help them start their rebuild. They decided that running back Marquise Brown was the best player to bring in with this pick. At first it may seem surprising to see the Liberty bring in a running back as Carter Bush was one of the only bright spots for them after their midseason trades, but this move makes a lot of sense with Bush's draft day announcement that he will be switching to wide receiver full time. By picking Brown, the Liberty add another young playmaker that will help them build up a strong running game, which will be helpful as they will eventually look to transition in their quarterback of the future. Brown has looked good so far during his time in the DSFL and could be a future star at the NSFL level if he continues to develop well. Marquise Brown gives the Liberty another young offensive playmaker to build around as one of the future cornerstones of their offense.
#4
|| Kolby Deringer - LB - 249 TPE With their second pick in the top four, the Sabercats opt to bring in linebacker Kolby Deringer. After using their first pick on an offensive player, they decide to boost their defense with their second first round pick. Derringer was one of the later prospects to join this class, but he quickly made a name for himself with his fast progression. This pick is an easy fit for a Sabercats team that is thin at linebacker. This is the second year in a row that the Sabercats have taken a linebacker in the first round of the draft after bringing in Ben Horne last year. The Sabercats now have two young pieces to build around in the front seven as they look to rebuild their defense going forward. Kolby Deringer will be able to make an instant impact on the Sabercats' defense and grow into one of its future leaders.
#5
|| Declan Harp - TE - 262 TPE The Hawks surprised some people with the fifth pick of the draft by deciding to select tight end Declan Harp. It's not a surprise to see Harp picked in the first round considering that he is the second highest TPE player in this class, so his talent is undeniable. However, it is interesting to see the Hawks use another high pick on a tight end after using a high pick on Verso L'Alto two seasons ago. This could be an indication that one of those players is planning to switch positions or could be insurance in case L'Alto decides to leave in free agency. The other possibility is that the Hawks plan to use both players together. Two tight end sets have been becoming more popular around the league lately and it could make sense for the Hawks to use as these two tight ends have differing play styles that could complement each other. L'Alto's Balanced archetype makes him a more traditional tight end with better blocking skills, while Harp's Possession archetype makes him more skilled as a receiver. These two could form a nice tandem if they see the field together and both play to the strengths of their play style. While another tight end might not seem to fill a big need for the Hawks, they decided to take the best player available and find a way to make him fit in their scheme. Whatever role Declan Harp ends up playing on the Hawks, he is a very promising prospect and looks like a future star in the making.
Trade #1:
Receive: #8 Pick, Marcus Kane Receive: #6 Pick The Otters decide to drop back later in the first round rather than pick at #6 as they either think they can still get their guy at #8 or they don't feel like there's much of a drop off between the next three players on the board. Either way, they are able to add a new piece to their defense in Marcus Kane. Kane is aging but is a versatile player who can play both safety and linebacker, so he should be able to make some good contributions on the Otters' defense this year. The Otters downgrade a bit on the younger player they will add for a player that will help them immediately as this year may be their last chance to make a run with Mike Boss. The Wraiths lose Kane from their defense but have the talent at safety and linebacker to withstand this loss and are able to give up an aging player in exchange for moving up a few spots so that they can select a higher rated young prospect (Or to get a better return when trading this pick to another team looking to add a young player at #6).
Trade #2:
Receive: $15M in Season 9 Cap Space, Season 10 3rd Round Pick, Season 11 2nd Round Pick, Season 11 3rd Round Pick Receive: #6 Pick The Wraiths don't hold on to the #6 Pick for long as they trade it away immediately after obtaining it in the previous trade. Rather than look to add a young player with the pick, the Wraiths opt to focus on the present by bringing in a large chunk of cap space for next season. This allows them to capitalize while their current core is still intact after winning the championship last season as they look to repeat as champions this year. The additional cap space will give them room to bring in some more players or to purchase a stronger offensive line for Season 9 and should help their chances of contending again this year. They also pick up a haul of future later round picks, that should help them to rebuild as their current core continues to age and could be pretty valuable as a wave of recreates could cause those drafts to be deeper. For the Yeti, they look to keep building their young core by making this move. They believe they are on the brink of being a contender and look to add one more piece that will help solidify their future. With the amount of cap space they gave up, they will have trouble making a push to the playoffs this year, but they are willing to make that sacrifice in order to solidify their future. They give up a package of future picks, but they would prefer to add one premium player now rather to fill one of their few remaining holes rather than taking multiple later round players in the future.
#6
|| Oskar Ludvig - CB - 184 TPEAfter trading for the sixth pick in the draft, the Yeti used it to select corner back Oskar Ludvig. This was an easy pick for the Yeti as their secondary is the most glaring weakness on their current roster. They have one of the best cornerbacks in the league in Andre Bly Jr. but nobody to play across from him on the other side. The trade allows the Yeti to secure the only active cornerback in the draft. Ludvig should be able to make an immediate impact in the Yeti's secondary and will give them a dominant cornerback duo to build around long term by pairing him with Bly. Ludvig has a lot of potential and could develop into a future shut down cornerback for the Yeti.
#7
|| Alexandre Thibault - S - 143 TPE With the seventh pick in the first round, the Yeti addressed their secondary again with their second consecutive pick by selecting safety Alexandre Thibault. The Yeti went all in on building up their secondary in this draft as they used both first round picks on defensive backs. The Yeti had a big need for a second safety to play next to Michael Tillman, so Thibault was an obvious pick as the only active safety remaining on the board. Thibault will be a great piece for the Yeti's defense going forward as their secondary now looks like it could be a strength for them in a few years as they now have four active players for them. Thibault will be a nice playmaker in the defensive backfield for the Yeti if he continues to develop.
#8
|| Ricky Adams - RB - 177 TPE After trading back, the Otters made their first selection of the draft with the eighth pick by selecting running back Ricky Adams. After focusing more on defense in the last few drafts, the Otters add a young play maker on the offensive side of the ball this year. Running back is not an immediate need for them, but with Jordan Yates starting regression this year and Erlich Burnsman entering regression next season, they are going to need a new running back within a couple years so they are able to address that need early by bringing in a young running back now. The Otters have been using speed based running backs in the last few years, so it will be interesting to see how they build around Ricky Adams who is a power oriented runner. The Otters have always been innovative with running backs, using a committee in their early days and later being one of the first teams to play a running back at receiver with Jordan Yates, so they'll find a way to use Ricky Adams' talents well and he'll be a good fit on their offense going forward.
Overall it looks like it was a pretty good draft as a lot of talented players were selected and they all seem to be good fits for their teams.
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