(S23) - PT2 - Draft Day

[mithrandir]

The S22 NSFL draft was the single biggest and most exciting draft in league history. With a record class of over 250 people, the results of this draft affected draftees and league veterans alike, as nailing this draft would set the team up for success in the future. I had previously been selected 28th overall in the DSFL draft, the 4th pick of the 4th round, which would be equivalent to the 4th pick in the 3rd round in the 12-team NSFL. I hoped that I could at least place as well in this draft as I had in the last. I was doubtful that that would be the case, though, as leading up to the draft, I had been projected by nearly every mock draft as a fourth or fifth rounder. This was due to two main factors: first, I missed some TPE opportunities early on that meant that many other players had more than I did. Second, I was in an absolutely loaded cornerback class that had multiple first round prospects. I wrote some good media leading up to the draft, and I saw myself climbing into the 3rd round in mock drafts, and even late into the second in one. I was really hoping to land in New Orleans with my good friend Jay_Doctor, but NOLA already had a loaded secondary. Additionally, they did not have any picks in the third round, and I didn't think I would be taken as early as 24th or as late as 48th, so I thought that I would probably go elsewhere. It seemed that everyone had NOLA's first round picks pegged as surefire things: Magnus Rikiya would go 2nd overall and Ben Slothlisberger 12th overall. To everyone's amazement, NOLA drafted me instead with the 12th overall pick! When I saw that, my heart pounded in my chest and I was shocked but incredibly happy. Not only did I get taken with a first round pick, which not a single person had predicted in their mock draft, but I was taken by the team I most wanted to go to. I am incredibly grateful to TomHanks and IsaStarcrossed for selecting me and it was the definitive highlight of my sim league experience so far.