(S22) - PT3 - Boom or Bust

[Baron1898]

There’s a lot of infamous busts in NSFL History - JJ Reigns with the very first pick of the entire league, any of the four draftees of the Yeti that one year, Morgan Marshall in S15 (lol), but I would like to focus on a more contemporary example: Marcella Toriki, selected fifth overall by the San Jose Sabercats in the S18 NSFL Draft. Picking Toriki was a no brainer for the Sabercats, with her user Bex being one of the most active rookies in the entire league and eventual league commissioner, and she was set to become a huge part of their team both on and off the field. But it didn’t last. No one was ever convicted (because the evidence was deleted) but it’s basically a known fact at this point that Toriki was tampered by the New Orleans Second Line after only one year in her rookie contract. The reasoning may never be known, but having your first round star running back abandon your team after only one season in the pros is a devastating loss for the Sabercats. Regardless of how well Toriki’s career plays out outside of New Orleans, she qualifies as a massive draft bust because of the wasted draft capital and opportunity cost that undoubtedly set back San Jose’s rebuild.