09-12-2021, 10:42 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-12-2021, 10:46 PM by JayWhy75. Edited 1 time in total.)
DEFENSIVE LINE
While I would typically separate these positions, with just three total defensive line prospects in the draft it is pretty clear that this is more of a group thing this time around. The defensive line has the same job realistically, to disrupt everything the offense does by any means necessary. If that means breaking through a pocket to get the quarterback moving or down, that’s going to typically be the job of the defensive ends. Defensive tackles are more likely to be the run stopper that really stuffs things up and holds it together, or draws in more blockers to help the linebackers get to their guy.
1. Morpheus Czargyros, DE, MINN
262 TPE, $8,606,150 Bank, 0 Former Players
Defensive Statistics: 43 Tackles, 3 TFL, 10 Sacks
This is a pretty easy ranking to make. Czargyros is one of the TPE leaders of the class, and arguably the best defensive prospect in the draft as a whole. He has a solid bank, and as a first-generation user is probably moldable as I’ve said for others. He has the ability to be a big addition to a locker room, and has shown that he is definitely committed to making himself one of the best players in this draft at the very least. Czargyros is extremely impressive as a player and user, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go very early in the draft at this point. This just isn’t even a debate among the defensive linemen.
On the field, Czargyros continues to be extremely impressive. His 43 tackles are a solid amount for a defensive lineman, it’s hard to be a legitimate force that way when you’re only able to get involved in about half the plays naturally and are the force fighting through blocks the most. Speaking of fighting through blocks, he was fantastic at it with 10 sacks that were among the league leaders, just fourth in the entire league and the best of any rookies this season. He is a physical force to be reckoned with for Minnesota, and showed that he is impressive in every single way this season.
The only negative to potentially bring up for Czargyros is that he isn’t the only Czargyros in the draft, and the question will always be there if he would leave to join his brother or vice versa. Realistically, you have to take that risk when you get an opportunity at a massive talent like this, and just hope that you make a big enough impact to hold on to them and maybe even draw the other in. Nonetheless, this is a pretty clear future superstar in the league, and it won’t take long to hear his name in the draft.
2. Lennay Kekua, DT, LON
132 TPE, $12,163,165 Bank, 2 Former Players (Max TPE 432, Min TPE 304)
Defensive Statistics: 45 Tackles, 4 TFL, 2 FF, 1 FR
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for defensive line, this is a pretty big step down. Kekua has a solid bank account, and should be able to build a perfectly fine player. But what we see in the history of this user is a very low tpe, low impact player. Kekua is going to be a long-time DSFL send-down at the least, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it be a full career thing potentially. That isn’t a bad thing exactly, but shows that this is not the guy to plan on building a defense around like you need. This is the top defensive tackle in the draft, so if you’re looking for help in the middle of your line, you may want to start working on back-up options.
The good news with Kekua is that he was a very good player defensively for London this year. His 45 tackles were sixth among defensive tackles, including behind one of his own teammates running a two defensive tackle system. He wasn’t super explosive, with only four tackles for a loss, but it is hard from the middle of the line to break through and blow up a play at any point. What he was able to do is still incredible, and his ability to force fumbles and even recovering one of them, shows he has incredible strength and competitiveness to force mistakes. He had a very good year and it was truly impressive.
Kekua is probably going to be fine, but he’s really the only defensive tackle worth taking in this draft and so you need to be working on other plans where you can. Only one team can get him, and even then he’s a work in progress to say the least. He has the bank to be able to build a fine player, but don’t expect a superstar out of him.
3. Johnny Bravo, DT, TIJ
81 TPE, $4,400,000 Bank, 0 Former Players
Defensive Statistics: 33 Tackles, 6 TFL
The last of the “actives” on the defensive line here is Bravo, who has not done much this season. He’s at only 81 TPE, and while he has been relatively active, I don’t know that we’ll see that continue. He only has seven minutes on the site in the week prior to the draft and made one post in that time. The commitment is something you have to draw into question there. His bank is fine, nothing spectacular, but it doesn’t appear to have been used much. Overall, he’s a throwaway pick at the end of the draft that you hope comes around and does something but I wouldn’t advise expecting anything out of him coming up.
This is unfortunate as on the field, Bravo was a fine player. His 33 tackles aren’t exactly spectacular, but definitely are good for a defensive tackle who really can only get so involved in the game at times. He was definitely a more explosive player to a degree, as he was able to get six tackles for loss instead, but he doesn’t have the power that Kekua had. He can’t really break players down as much, but he has the ability to blow past people at times. He was a steady player for a good defense, and did his job well and that’s all you ask really.
This is an unfortunate situation, but that’s all you have here is a fine player that just doesn’t appear to want to push themselves for updates when they have the ability to make an alright player still at the ISFL level. Hopefully they get picked and come back, but if nothing else, this is worth giving a shot.
LINEBACKERS
This can be the most important position to any defense at times, as the coach is trusting this player to be the guy calling the shots on the field. At some point, the headset cuts out and you have to hope you have the right people on the field and the linebacker is the one that will keep everyone in the game and doing the right things. You need smart and competitive players, and this season this position is absolutely stacked.
1. Omni Man, TIJ
256 TPE, $21,159,357 Bank, 1 Former Player (Max TPE 1250)
Defensive Statistics: 86 Tackles, 8 TFL, 1 FR, 8 Sacks, 2 INT, 4 PD
This is probably the most contested position in the draft, as realistically I could name off seven players who easily could make an argument to be first round talents and another two who have the ability to become stars in the league still down the line. My choice is ultimately to take Omni Man at the top mostly because the top two are such similar people and there is one thing that is a difference. Both Omni Man and Orpheus Czargyros have 256 TPE, leading all linebackers in the class. Both of them have around $21-million in their bank, with a difference of around $200,000 between their banks and that is entirely negligible. The only differences is in their histories, Omni Man has only had one player before and was a 1250 TPE player. That is a stunningly good player, and you can expect that to be the case again seeing him already among the top in his class here again. This is an incredibly difficult decision, and I don’t blame anyone for having it flipped, but Omni Man is the top of the linebackers to me.
In terms of production, Omni Man has very few contemporaries. He led all linebackers in sacks and tackles for loss, showing that he is an explosive player that can really make plays happen and force teams to have to gameplan around him. You see all the time, defenses have to move players like Omni Man around because teams are literally going to change direction or adjust play calls just to stay away from him as much as possible. He was a threat at all levels, and it really shows just how incredible he was. A bunch of tackles, a lot of sacks and the ability to cover the pass and get interceptions when he needs to sit back just shows that this is one of the best athletes in the game.
This decision was so difficult, and ultimately just comes down to one small difference between Omni Man and Orpheus Czargyros. Omni Man has a slightly better history, and even that is just not a major difference. Still, in a paper-thin margin, I give it to Omni Man. I can agree with any argument you have for any of the next few to be here, but how do you not give it to a literal god among men?
2. Orpheus Czargyros, DAL
256 TPE, $20,944,965 Bank, 3 Former Players (Max TPE 971, Min TPE 179)
Defensive Statistics: 90 Tackles, 6 TFL, 2 FF, 5 Sacks, 1 INT, 8 PD, 1 Defensive TD
I already talked him up above a bit, but let’s actually dig into the numbers here. Orpheus has the same TPE and relatively same bank as Omni Man. His best player thus far has fell about 300 TPE less than Omni Man’s best and that’s really the difference there. Beyond that, he has had two other players and one of them was a DSFL lifer type of player, but that isn’t a bad thing really. At this point, he’s a highly active user that just in the last two weeks before the draft was on for over four hours. He is a very connected person it seems, and now has another Czargyros in the draft as well. This could be a good two-for-one down the line, or could be a great point of contention between the two. It will be interesting as time will tell, but for me Czargyros just narrowly falls to second on the board, but by the thinnest of margins possibly ever.
On the field, Czargyros continued to shine just like Omni Man did. He had a huge 90 tackles, was second in tackles for loss and third in sacks for linebackers in the draft and in possibly the more impressive statistic, tied for the most passes defended as well. Czargyros is basically no different from what you saw above, and to some may even be more athletic, more dangerous and that shined through when he managed to get a touchdown on the defensive side of the ball. It is not an easy feat to read the play and be able to find open space once you get the ball to move forward with. He is going to be an incredible force wherever he goes, and he really showed that he can do it all here.
This is a legitimate debate, and I have no issue saying that I may be wrong in my rankings here. It is so hard to judge. There are many other great options below this as well, but this just feels like an incredible top two that really highlights just how deep this group of linebackers is. Czargyros could go top two, could go later first, and I have no idea. But wherever he goes, I think this is going to be his best player ever and he is going to be a legitimate superstar here.
3. Sconnie McHits, NOR
221 TPE, $13,261,963 Bank, No Former Players
Defensive Statistics: 135 Tackles, 4 TFL, 3 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT, 4 PD, 1 Defensive TD
Here is where things get even more interesting, as it becomes a different kind of debate. While the top two were almost identical in all ways, the rankings from three through six are a lot of people with vast differences but ones that can mean it all depends on what you value most. In this case, I put up Sconnie McHits here at third because of activity. He is a first-generation user, so he is the perfect type to be blinded by the light and really commit hard to this and becoming the best player ever, and that’s fantastic. You want that out of a player. It seems like it’s already hit him pretty well too, as he has spent over 15 hours on the site in the two weeks prior to the draft. That is an INSANE amount of activity, and is fantastic to see. While his bank is a bit low compared to some below him, and his TPE may not be the third best, he is so committed to being great and it shows in his activity that I think it’s undeniable to put him high on the board.
This is the tackles leader for the season. That’s right, McHits is the guy who had the most tackles in the DSFL this season and it wasn’t even close. He had 24 more tackles than the next guy. Now there’s the negative of that, as to get tackles that means your team doesn’t have the ball, but there’s the positive of in spite of not having the ball, they were never really out of it because this guy could go sideline to sideline and make a play anytime. McHits is an incredibly dangerous player on the defense, able to decimate opponents. He didn’t manage a sack, but that isn’t because he couldn’t. It’s because he wasn’t asked to. When given the chance, he blew up run plays, forced fumbles, defended the pass and even scored a touchdown himself. He is an all-around threat that can canvas the field however you need him to.
A super active user, McHits is definitely committed. There is burnout concern here, as I believe he also created in PBE and SHL as well and at some point you can be stretched too thin. He does need to work on his bank a bit, but he is such a great user that you take that risk and hope to make it that if he does have to cut back somewhere, it won’t be in the ISFL. The right team is going to be important, but ultimately whatever team he goes to is getting a player that will legitimately become the face of the franchise from day one.
4. Nick Kaepercolin Jr., MINN
218 TPE, $93,409,515 Bank, 1 Former Player (Max TPE 1526)
Defensive Statistics: 75 Tackles, 3 TFL, 1 FR, 2 Sacks, 2 INT, 8 PD
Things just get harder here even, as this could be literally either of the two behind him and I would not argue with you about that placement. In this situation, Nick Kaepercolin Jr has the bank and the pedigree to justify being in this spot and even justify being a spot higher by chance. Being just below $100-million, he has the fourth highest bank in the entire draft class and the highest among linebackers in the class. His past player just happened to be a maximum earner basically, and he is set up to be able to do it again. He seems like a perfect option for anybody needing a linebacker, as he should have a pretty good network in the league already and is going to become a high earning player yet again pretty easily.
As usual, we continue to see linebackers who just absolutely shined on the field this season. Kaepercolin is similar to McHits, he did what was specifically asked of him. He was a five-tool kind of player, getting consistent tackles, breaking up plays in the backfield, blitzing when needed, and defending the pass incredibly well. He has a quarterback’s mind, able to identify just about any play coming and make it work to his benefit every time. He tied for the top in passes defended, and is another one of those sideline-to-sideline type of players that can make a play happen anywhere. Opposing offenses gameplan specifically around players like this. Kaepercolin is a fantastic player, and will be incredibly dangerous in the future.
This is difficult, the call is extremely hard. His TPE isn’t the best among the class, but he has the bank to be able to make up that difference and then some. He seems like someone who will guaranteed be a superstar just like everyone above and a few more below him. I don’t know how teams can make such a difficult decision, this is like being told to pick between the best flavors of ice cream and being given flavors like literal gold and sugar-free literal gold.
5. Ray the Manta Ray, BBB
213 TPE, $81,367,950 Bank, 2 Former Players (Max TPE 1217, Min TPE 246)
Defensive Statistics: 81 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FR, 2 Sacks, 1 INT, 5 PD
Once again, just such a hard choice to make. In this case, Ray has the history and the bank to set him apart just slightly. While Kaepercolin has the highest bank in the linebacker position, Ray is the second highest and has also had success with a former player having had a player nearly hit the DSFL cap at the worst and then making a player over 1200 TPE. This is a tough debate to have because again this is a player who is a bit behind in TPE compared to some others, specifically the guy immediately following him on this list, and it just comes down to that pedigree and the incredible bank that really gives a clear path to making a superstar player yet again.
Ray was yet again the clear best player on the defense for Bondi Beach, as expected for a linebacker. He put up a ton of tackles, was still able to break through blockers and was solid in pass defense. He wasn’t someone as spectacular as some of them above him, but he showed legitimate athleticism and skill with the ability to make plays at all levels of the defense. This is the first time that we have someone that was just good, not spectacular, and so it feels a little underwhelming, but make no mistake that Ray is still an amazing player who has the ability to develop really well. There is no reason to doubt he could still be a superstar player on the defense of whatever team picks him up.
Realistically, this is where the decisions are toughest sometimes. While you hope for the top to be difficult, and it was, the middle is just as hard as you have three people who have their own individual flaws and you need to debate them and find the happy middle ground. In this case, Ray is the middle as though he has the low TPE, he has a good history and a great bank and can make up the differences over time.
6. DeCarr Rek, KCC
235 TPE, $20,350,976 Bank, 1 Former Player (Max TPE 390)
Defensive Statistics: 66 Tackles, 5 TFL, 1 FF, 7 Sacks, 2 INT, 5 PD
Onward we go to DeCarr Rek, where once again we can easily argue he should be two spots higher even. He has the third highest TPE of the linebackers in this draft class, and yet here he falls to sixth on my board because his bank is unspectacular, his activity is fine with just around an hour in two weeks on the site before the draft, and he has a history where he made an alright player that just didn’t really set him apart. There are flaws here, that need to be addressed. Ultimately, the bank is still fine. The history is something that can be ignored with the right work from Rek. The activity is good enough to do the tasks, and the TPE is already there showing some level of commitment here as it is. I am in no way saying he’s a bad player or anything, I’m just pointing out that these factors led me to drop him down my list, but if we look back in a few seasons and he’s at the top of the linebackers in this class, I wouldn’t be surprised.
On field play, it’s clear that Rek was used in all situations as well, but his biggest impact was as a pass rusher. Rek was incredible at battling through blocks, and pass blocking is a very different beast in terms of how you get through. Rek has the ability to power through or finesse his way, and it shows that he was great at breaking it down with his seven sacks being the second most among linebackers. His five tackles for a loss really help highlight this part of his game as well. He wasn’t just a one-note player, he had his strengths in pass coverage, but it is clear that he was making the highlight reels because he has an innate ability to get behind the line and break things up before they even begin.
Like I was saying, Rek has an easy argument to be way higher on this list, but has some question marks that come up as you look deeper. By no means is he a bad pick, and I would still rate him as a first round value in terms of the player you’re getting, I just have him a little lower on this list currently. Rek is going to be dangerous defensively, and really make a major impact on how teams play in the long run, I have no doubts about that.
7. Anya Mind, LON
182 TPE, $15,700,000 Bank, No Former Players
Defensive Statistics: 90 Tackles, 2 TFL, 1 FF, 3 Sacks, 1 INT, 5 PD
Well, this is an interesting one. Anya Mind to me makes it in the tier of those above, but is really on the edge and realistically is a tier of their own. Mind has a fairly good bank, at least good enough to show that they’ve been working on it and that they can probably ride for a couple of seasons when contracts get deposited as well. The TPE may not be super high, but it’s a good amount and definitely shows a commitment. This player did have some struggles with activity, as they barely appeared online for the two weeks prior to the draft, and it is entirely possible they drop pretty significantly if they don’t pull it together a bit. But with their TPE, they seem like they’ve been pretty committed and may have just had a rough week or two. With no history to go off of, we really are kind of in the dark on that kind of thing.
Mind is at least another good, but not great, player when it comes to statistics. Mind was able to put up a great amount of tackles, being tied for ninth in the DSFL in one fewer game than everybody else. They showed some solid ability, getting a few sacks and tackles for loss, but nothing too spectacular. They also performed fine in pass coverage. Ultimately, this is what you hope for out of a linebacker if they aren’t going to be an absolute superstar at one thing, this is basically a jack of all trades kind of line. Mind is a good player, maybe not a superstar, but is good and can definitely be serviceable enough to make a team not feel the need to think about their defense much in the middle.
If they can get their activity back on track, Mind is a great pick up later in the draft that has a ton of potential with a solid bank and that first-generation mentality. If they don’t, they end up probably the worst of the linebackers, but that is a debate to have in war rooms and who knows what happens. This is the ultimate boom or bust pick to make.
8. Nathan Claflin, NOR
97 TPE, $7,244,050 Bank, No Former Players
Defensive Statistics: 79 Tackles, 3 TFL, 1 FF, 3 FR, 6 Sacks, 4 PD
We get into the bottom tier of the linebackers, but that isn’t a commentary on these users at all, both have been legitimately fine but with their TPE so far below the others they just fall to the bottom of these rankings. In this case, I have Claflin landing in the eighth spot among linebackers for a variety of reasons. While he has no history, I have stated that can be a big positive to me realistically. His TPE is the lowest among the class, but not by that much, and his bank is also low but the odd numbers shows that he has completed some media and is working on it at least. The ultimate decider was activity, Claflin is someone who put up over an hour per week in the two weeks before the draft, has been consistent in posting and doing tasks, and is somebody that you can trust to keep it up. With over six hours on the site thus far, I fully believe that Claflin is going to be a good pick-up for whatever team does decide to take him and should skyrocket up this board in no time once he gets some more time in.
Similar to Rek, Claflin is a pass rusher, outside linebacker type of player. He is disruptive as can be, getting three tackles for loss and six sacks. His four passes defended show that he isn’t exactly inept in the pass coverage, but when it’s a passing down, you should expect him running at that line and breaking his way through or at least disrupting the pocket in some way. He also has a nose for the ball and good hands, as he seems very competent at recovering fumbles in particular which takes a good amount of awareness of the field around you really. He is a steady player, who was overshadowed by being on a team with Sconnie McHits and thus without any fault of his own just had fewer tackles, but definitely showed an ability to make a serious impact on the field.
Claflin is a great late-round pick up to make and somebody that legitimately could break out and be a solid contributor to a really good defense down the line. He has everything you need, and specifically, he is an active user who seems to be committed to trying to get better however he can.
9. Erick Bolanos, TIJ
116 TPE, $11,000,000 Bank, No Former Players
Defensive Statistics: 66 Tackles, 3 TFL, 3 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT, 4 PD, 1 Defensive TD
The last guy on the list, but not a bad pick up still. Bolanos is second-lowest in TPE, and has a fine bank at $11-million. He has been online for about an hour combined over the past two weeks, though, which is really the difference here between eight and nine. Bolanos comes around, does what he can, but doesn’t pop off the page much in terms of going above and beyond like Claflin did. That doesn’t mean Bolanos isn’t good, he should be a fine pick-up for any team, just that he may be a bit lower on the totem pole to a degree. With no history to show for, nobody knows what you’re getting exactly, but he seems to be a fine option still if a team needs a linebacker down the line.
Statistically, Bolanos had a solid season. He was effective in pass coverage, and was another player to get a defensive touchdown himself. He wasn’t really involved in blitzing, but not everybody can be. He was still a disruptive force, mostly on running downs, where he was great at getting through and forcing fumbles. His three forced fumbles were the most of any linebacker in this class, showing he has a talent there. He is a competitive player, at the very least. He has talent, he has skill, it’s just going to be about putting it together consistently.
Bolanos is a fine pick-up if you’re looking for a linebacker in a few seasons, because he is going to need time to develop. He’s going to be someone that plays extra seasons down, and that is perfectly fine. You don’t have to rush anybody, and I think Bolanos has a lot of potential with a solid bank. We just have to see him put it all together.
SECONDARY
Here we go, combining the cornerbacks and safeties again. I understand, this group definitely has the depth to separate them. However, they have overlapping skills to a degree as both need to be quick and intelligent, able to read the quarterback or their man and make a play in the air at the right time. They have a hard job, in a mental and physical battle that takes a lot of strength, stamina, speed and intelligence combined.
1. Cedric Wilkins II, CB, LON
256 TPE, $129,280,855 Bank, 1 Former Player (Max TPE 1297)
Defensive Statistics: 54 Tackles, 2 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT, 13 PD
This should be a hard decision at the top, right? I mean, you have two players who have the same TPE, in the same position, both just some of the best of the best in this entire class. Yet, I feel like this is a pretty clear ranking actually. Wilkins has over double the bank of the number two on this list, with over $129-million, and has had one player who was nearly 1300 TPE. That is a great player, a ton of money to make another great player, and no reason to believe they won’t become arguably the best cornerback in the league. I’m sure an argument can be made either way, realistically, between the top two in this section. However, I see no way that I wouldn’t be jumping at Wilkins pretty early in the draft all things considered. He just has a lot of positives, and I have yet to see the red flags that may bring him down.
On the field, Wilkins continued to be great. The fun of a position like this is that you only get statistics if somebody plays toward you basically. The quarterback has to decide to put the ball in your direction, and in a sign of respect really, Wilkins didn’t seem to face much really. Only one interception and 13 passes defended, that isn’t a lot for the talent and skill level of Wilkins. However, he likely just didn’t have the opportunity like others would have to make plays on the ball much. When he did, he made the most of it and kept quarterbacks from getting the ball to the receiver or kept receivers from making a big play. This is the Revis Island kind of play, and I have a ton of respect for it. Wilkins is an absolute stud, that’s clear.
I know that there is a debate to be had here, but I got blinded by a massive bank and a great history in this league. Yes, there is a good debate to be had as neither of the top two on this board have any red flags popping up. Both can become arguably the best at their position by their peaks. I just see Wilkins as even more of a sure-thing, and I fully believe that Wilkins is going to be a shutdown corner one day.
2. Tessie Garciaparra, CB, KCC
256 TPE, $50,993,705 Bank, 1 Former Player (Max TPE 1106)
Defensive Statistics: 91 Tackles, 7 FF, 5 FR, 3 INT, 21 PD
No offense to Tessie Garciaparra, as she has been an incredible player overall. They have a great bank at over $50-million, good enough to easily carry deep into a career as a high-earning defensive force. They have the history of building a player over 1100 TPE, and so while that 200 TPE is a difference, that isn’t a huge difference between Garciaparra and Wilkins in terms of their pedigree. Both have very high TPE. This is the best case scenario for teams needing help in pass coverage, as no matter which way you go, you’re getting a fantastic user and player. Garciaparra ends up second here, but is definitely in line to be a great, great player in no time.
When looking statistically, you can see the skill level of Garciaparra. It really looks like a stat line of a linebacker or maybe even a safety, but Garciaparra was just a dominant force as a cornerback. The 91 tackles is a very high number for somebody in the secondary, and typically means that the pass coverage wasn’t great. But in the case of Garciaparra, they’re such a great sideline-to-sideline kind of player that it wouldn’t surprise me to find that they’re just making up for the mistakes of others on the team. Seven forced fumbles is remarkable, and shows a legitimate skill, and the five fumble recoveries is intelligence and hands combined. They still were great in pass coverage, with one of the highest passes defended numbers in the class, and still had three interceptions as well. Garciaparra was dangerous on the field, and really made life hell for opposing offenses.
This is a 1A/1B kind of situation, realistically. While I think Wilkins is the top dog, Garciaparra has shown a great ability to earn and be successful. There is no doubt in my mind that both Wilkins and Garciaparra will be superstars, and I really think both should be top-five picks considering everything here.
3. Amari Springer, S, TIJ
250 TPE, $9,354,515 Bank, 1 Former Player (Max TPE 1331)
Defensive Statistics: 60 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 Sack, 1 INT, 4 PD
Springer has an argument to make here that they should go up a bit, being a 250 TPE player who has a history of having a player over 1300 TPE. However, that bank is just not great and having recreated in the SHL personally, I know that sometimes it is hard to bring that back up. That motivation may not be there as well as it was before to drive you to that 1300 TPE player the first time. There is a lot to like here, and I think Springer is going to be perfectly fine. A great pedigree and great earning rate already kind of sets them up right from the get go. They just need to work on that bank a little and they’d be in that top two conversation as well.
This is an interesting one to look at statistically. Springer was involved in a lot of plays, but did not get much after the tackles and even the tackles were low. Springer definitely was lined up in a way to play a little deeper on the field, and let the play develop and come to them more so, and it didn’t get to them much. They got one sack, so they did get involved in getting up tight on the line at some points, but just that one time to get behind the line. They had an interception and a few passes defended, but nothing spectacular. This seems like Springer was really just a rover on the defense, and didn’t get super involved, but was definitely in a great position to help get the team moving in the right direction on that side of the field.
Springer should be fine, and is a great pick to make in the first round considering the history and the TPE now. I just would raise a flag at the bank, and would probably bump him to lower in the first round personally. If you need a safety, he’s the one to go for, clearly. He should be just the same as Wilkins and Garciaparra, and he could get there perfectly fine. Once again, time will tell, but I just have a bit of a concern here.
4. Sakeem Webb, CB, DAL
247 TPE, $65,809,530 Bank, 7 Former Players (Max TPE 393, Min TPE 50)
Defensive Statistics: 81 Tackles, 1 TFL, 4 FF, 2 FR, 5 INT, 29 PD
Speaking of a concern, here we are with another clear player that should be in that top-two conversation but just falls short because of a red flag. Webb has a great bank, over $65-million is a massive total. He has the TPE to compete with them all, 247 is less than 10 behind the leaders in this position grouping. So much here that is really, legitimately great and can justify being up near the top and even be justified being above Springer, who is only 3 TPE above him. The issue here is they’ve had seven former players. That is a LOT of former players, and shows some serious commitment issues. The highest they’ve gotten is to 393 TPE, and sometimes they’ve had players they just created and left. At seven, it’s a legitimate and serious trend and I debated pushing them down the board because of it. I don’t blame teams for having Webb ranked as low as eight or nine in the position group. However, I gave some leeway thanks to the consistent earning now, in hopes that this is them turning a corner.
On the field, wow was Webb spectacular. 81 tackles is high for a player who primarily is used in pass coverage, but still shows that even if somebody gets past them, they can catch up. The five interceptions and 29 passes defended shows a player that really knows how to read a play and has the intelligence to play a tough position on the field and be successful in it. Webb was targeted quite a bit, mostly because it was possible to get the ball into your receivers hands on that side, but he really made it hard on them to get that to happen and if it did even managed to force four fumbles and recover two. Webb was very much an all-around player who really made a major impact for Dallas.
If it weren’t for that history of failed players, Webb would be third and could make an argument for the top-two. Instead, they fall in this fourth position, and are someone that I considered dropping to eight even. This is a player that has every reason to be successful, and it would only be the user that determines whether that happens. This could be the time they pull it all together, and I genuinely hope it is. However I don’t blame teams who are going to naturally be more risk-averse, putting him at the bottom of their list and just waiting to take him late and letting him prove he’s worth this spot.
5. Jay Spears, S, POR
227 TPE, $16,744,550 Bank, 1 Former Player (Max TPE 639)
Defensive Statistics: 66 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 INT, 3 PD, 1 Defensive Touchdown
I’m only just now recognizing something here – this is the last of the players in this group that has any kind of pedigree to them. Spears has a former player who was solid, nothing spectacular, but a good player at just over 600 TPE. He has a good bank at over $16-million, and has been a good earner. 227 TPE is nothing to scoff at, and actually falls fifth in a very deep group here. Ultimately, if that TPE was higher to show consistent earning, he easily passes Webb for the fourth spot, and has a legitimate argument to do so already with just 20 TPE behind. This is going to be a great pick that probably can be made later in the draft and would be a mistake by a team needing a safety to wait on.
His numbers are fine, he was involved in the play pretty often. This is a lot like Springer, showing that safeties just sometimes don’t get the respect they deserve for what they do. Spears was involved at times in pass coverage, getting two interceptions even and getting a touchdown at one point. The thing is, he just didn’t get a lot of action at his level. The safety is the third level of the defense and really the last line of defense you have. Because of that, they just don’t get a lot of involvement. They don’t usually have a man in man coverage, they don’t really have someone that they intrinsically cover and just rove around the field. And Spears did well doing that.
Spears is a fine option, and really kind of sets apart this group at this point of the recreates of the class. He has steady enough earning, just isn’t something special there. He had a good former player, but not great. He has a fine bank to carry for a bit, but needs some work to get really far. This is the perfect good, not great, prospect. There is nothing wrong with taking Spears, and could be a great option earlier in the draft than you’d think. They have a lot in the tank, and will be a consistent piece for any team.
6. Spike Daniels, S, NOR
218 TPE, $5,926,190 Bank, No Former Players
Defensive Statistics: 50 Tackles, 4 INT, 11 PD
We move to the players with no history in this league, starting at Spike Daniels. Why Spike Daniels here, you ask? Well, the bank is basically identical to the next guy on the list, a roughly $700-thousand diference. That does mean this is the highest bank remaining in the class, though. Daniels also has the most TPE remaining in this group, at 218 TPE, and has been a consistent earner. While there isn’t a history to base anything off of, you can clearly see somebody committed to being in the league, having had over 10 hours of time on site in the two weeks prior to the draft. Daniels definitely could be up higher on this board, and really just suffers from the lack of bank ultimately, but if they work on that steadily, they could be the steal of this draft and to me shine as a diamond in the rough.
On the field is pretty simple here, Daniels at safety did only so much. The 50 tackles is a fine number, but shows that he wasn’t super involved. Granted, like I was saying above about being the third line of defense, when you’re standing behind Sconnie McHits and his insane number of tackles, it’s hard to even get an opportunity to make a play. Nothing wrong with it, as Daniels was a bit more free to play the pass and didn’t have to be as prepared for run plays. Daniels was less likely to jump at play-action, and that’s when a safety is super important as if anybody ahead jumps, they’re the ones that have to pick up their man and the four interceptions and 11 passes defended shows that Daniels was great at picking up the play and making something happen.
All-in-all, Daniels is a great option to pick up that I think teams should really be considering highly. While here I rank him sixth because I’m basing off the empirical evidence, if the conversations went well in scouting, I would expect to put Daniels at third in this group on my board really and I could see down the line looking back and seeing that Daniels is actually the best safety or one of the best players in the secondary of this class easily.
7. Siaosi Multiauaopele, S, POR
192 TPE, $5,238,950 Bank, No Former Players
Defensive Statistics: 52 Tackles, 5 FF, 3 FR, 4 Sacks, 2 PD
Onward we go with Siaosi Multiauaopele, and I will say that I am not going to type that name often and am copy and pasting it like any reasonable person would. What we can see here is a player that isn’t far off the bank of Daniels, but is a little bit lower, and the bank just isn’t anything special really. The TPE is a clear step down from those above, and there isn’t a history to tell us if Multiauaopele is going to be a consistent earner or not but is showing well in it so far. They have had nearly four hours on the site in the last two weeks before the draft, showing a commitment here, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them build that bank up a bit and find some more success. However, with the numbers I have as of the week of the draft, this is a tricky one to really rank any higher.
Statistically, once again we see a safety not getting super involved, however Multiauaopele was given a very different role than the other safeties in this class. While they had 52 tackles, they were super effective with them. They got to be involved in the blitz a ton for Portland, showing that their strategy really utilizes that rover ability of a safety, getting four sacks. When they did get some tackles in, they also stripped the ball, getting five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries showing great hands and awareness. Multiauaopele is able to make big impact plays happen at any given moment, and that is a great skill to have when you’re that last line of defense and when you’re roving around the defense just looking for opportunity. Multiauaopele is utilized perfectly for their skill set, and it really showed here.
This is one that could easily be higher ranked, truthfully. Unfortunately, that bank and the lower TPE just doesn’t do enough to pull them up the ranking. I have no doubt that this ranking by the time it’s even posted is already outdated and Multiauaopele is a bonafide stud, a diamond in the rough. I just have no way of seeing it right now off the numbers I have available, and without interviews, I can only do so much. Multiauaopele could be a really great pick up for any team.
8. Ben Delabaguette, CB, DAL
181 TPE, $1,050,000 Bank, No Former Players
Defensive Statistics: 64 Tackles, 2 FF, 6 INT, 22 PD
I am hopeful that this name is a reference to Ben DeLaCreme, the legendary drag queen who is my favorite from RuPaul’s Drag Race. Because of that, I am referring to this player exclusively as Dela for this article and if I find out that this is a reference, I will immediately befriend this person. Anyway, once again a player who has no history here, but somebody who has lower TPE and a very low bank at just over $1-million. That just isn’t going to cut it usually at higher levels, and I am hopeful to see them put something out and get those numbers up as soon as possible. Dela has opportunity here, but needs to put in a bit of work to show that commitment considering the just under two-hours of time online in the last two weeks before the draft.
As a cornerback, Dela has a clear target of what to do. They can clearly do it also. Like I said, you don’t get targeted when you’re a great cornerback. Dela may not be great, but was definitely very good with a strong six interceptions and 22 passes defended. That leaves Dela tied for first in interceptions in this group of the draft class, and really showing off incredible ball skills. High tackle numbers show that Dela wasn’t the best at stopping their man from getting the ball, but with two forced fumbles we again see that they have great hands and compete and can really fight for every inch as well. Dela isn’t some spectacular, superstar player, but is definitely a good player who can make a difference for a defense.
If only that bank was higher, Dela would be competing for a higher spot in this ranking. Instead, falling toward the bottom of this ranking, there is some work to be done here. I see potential here, somebody who is trying for sure and can be a very good player at corner by their peak. It just is going to take some elbow grease, and we will see if that comes together.
9. Doc Holliday, CB, TIJ
205 TPE, $-1,200,000 Bank, No Former Players
Defensive Statistics: 82 Tackles, 5 FF, 3 FR, 6 INT, 17 PD
Speaking of elbow grease, here we are with somebody that really needs to put in some work on media or graphics or something. Contracts can only take you so far in these kinds of leagues, and this kind of shows how far it takes you. Doc Holliday is one of two people on this entire list, not just in this section, but the whole draft who is in the negatives in the bank. That is not a great sign. He has fine TPE totals, at 205 showing consistency with updating and doing tasks. It just isn’t enough to do that sometimes, and we really need to see some money coming in. That contract dried up quick, and it doesn’t seem they did the rookie tasks to get them some extra money to work with either. If they could just go the extra step, not even the extra mile, and do a short media or two, they’d be ranking two spots higher most likely.
On the field, Holliday was definitely the targeted corner in Tijuana. A huge 82 tackles is wild for a cornerback, but is to be expected sometimes. Holliday was still a good player, getting six interceptions to tie for first in the class and putting up 17 passes defended to show that there is some serious skill there. He also has a high compete level, as he had five forced fumbles and the ability to be agile and get the recovery on three of them is pretty huge. It takes strength and skill to get a fumble, because that ball can go anywhere, all over the field. Holliday has clear skill, just isn’t able to always be consistent in putting it together. Hopefully with time that comes together a bit more.
Holliday is a fine player, nothing too special but nothing that bad. If he can get some money in, he’s going to be a very good player in this league and he is committed here, putting up nearly three hours on the site in the two weeks prior to the draft. It just takes some time, and hopefully we will see him pulling it together on getting some money in and being able to make a legitimately good player in the long run.
KICKER/PUNTER
We are to the last section, and we go with the players that often have the least respect but the most pressure at times. They get put into the game being asked to change field positions, being asked to make the big kick, being asked to endure the vitriol of thousands while remaining calm and being the only player to use their foot in football to actually make something happen. This is a very difficult position to be in, and really takes a lot of mental fortitude at the least.
1. IKick Ballz, TIJ
174 TPE, $13,600,000 Bank, 2 Former Players (Max TPE 50, Min TPE 50)
Kicking Statistics: 43/43 XPM, 19/27 FGM (70.4%), Long 49 Yards
Punting Statistics: 69 Punts, 42.8 Yard Avg, 29 Inside the 20, Long 60 Yards
This was actually a tough one. While Ballz has the highest TPE in this grouping, and has by far the best bank in the group, he also has a really bad history with a clear trend of not really getting anywhere. The interesting thing here is that the history shown is to create and never update. Well, what do you do when that person suddenly updates when they create? All that history is out the window and you really have nothing to go off of that way. Could this be the time that he breaks through and builds a great player? Nobody really knows, but I mean, anything can happen right? I’m going to lean on that and say that this is the time it all comes together, and I have faith that with the consistent updating already and the good bank, Ballz is on track to really have a solid career as a kicker.
Statistically, Ballz was actually fairly good as a kicker. He managed to be perfect on extra points, which is obviously not a given considering he was one of three to play every game and manage that feat. He made over 70% of his field goals, and while you would like to see more, that is a respectable number at least. His long of 49 yards shows that he doesn’t have the most kick power, but he definitely isn’t bad at it. Punting he got a good bit of word, and showed some great skill with getting that ball to soar in the air. His ability to get the ball to land inside the twenty landed him second in the DSFL for the season, and while he had a shorter average, he was pretty accurate with those kicks.
Ballz should be the first kicker off the board to me, but it is a fair debate to be had to say that Monitor is very good and could easily usurp him at the top. Either way, we have a couple good kickers in this draft thankfully, and this is the time that we’ve really seen somebody turn things around and become consistent. I’m very impressed, and think we’ll see pretty great work from him down the road.
2. Paul Monitor, BBB
170 TPE, $4,842,507 Bank, 2 Former Players (Max TPE 679, Min TPE 541)
Kicking Statistics: 43/46 XPM, 15/21 FGM (71.4%), Long 50 Yards
Punting Statistics: 55 Punts, 42.7 Yard Avg, 21 Inside the 20, Long 59 Yards
I’ll be honest, at times I look at this list and say this is the number one kicker. That is how close it is between these top two. Monitor has a lot to go off of, but with slightly less TPE and a lower bank, it leaves you with the history to base things off of. Monitor has been very consistent, two players who broke 500 TPE, with a difference of just over 100 TPE between the best and the worst of them. This is the safe pick, and I can’t blame teams for being a bit risk-averse and saying I know what I’m getting here and taking someone who has historically done very well with earning. Especially at a position like kicker where a lot of top teams have someone who is in that 500 TPE range, you can expect Monitor will have a fine career over the long term.
Statistically, Monitor only missed a couple extra points but had the best made field goal percentage of any players who played in all 14 games this season. He has the accuracy, and with his long of 50 yards has some leg power to him too, even going perfect 4/4 in kicks that were from 40-49 yards out. His punting game was extremely similar to Ballz above, just with fewer going inside the 20 but only a yard difference in their longest punts and a point-1 yard difference on average. You aren’t seeing any real differences on the field, but Monitor was a good kicker and a solid punter and really that’s all you can ask of him.
I fully think that a team will jump on Monitor before they do Ballz, and it is possible that’s the right option. Ballz is a bit more of a mystery to me, while Monitor is definitely a you get what you pay for, or what you see is what you get type of option. He should be a good option for whatever team does make the decision to take him. This is the higher ceiling, lower floor versus lower ceiling, higher floor debate, and in a position like kicker I can really see the higher floor debate winning.
3. Billy Doornob, LON
90 TPE, $-2,000,000 Bank, No Former Players
Kicking Statistics: 25/26 XPM, 9/16 FGM (56.2%), Long 52 Yards
Finally, the last player on the board, Billy Doornob. He’s a fine prospect, he updated at least a time or two to get to 90 TPE, but that is not a lot of TPE at the time of the draft. He has appeared on the site for about an hour and a half over the course of the two weeks before the draft, so he does have that going for him, and has been consistently posting on the site so should be able to complete tasks. It just seems he hasn’t been doing much to build the bank, didn’t complete rookie tasks and may not be much of an earner. It’s always worth a shot, but he is clearly the third option in a three-man race.
He also didn’t punt, compared to the others, which is interesting to see. That’s perfectly fine, and honestly between kicking and punting, I think I would rather kick. Doornob did fine, missed only one extra point, however he definitely struggled as he hit just below 60% of his kicks. He has power, as shown by his 52-yard long which was the third longest of the season in the DSFL. He just needs to work on that accuracy, getting the ball to land between the uprights is a huge impact and can really make a difference for a team.
Doornob is the clear third option, just a pick-up to make late and hope that it comes together. He appears online at times, and definitely is around and seems somewhat committed. It just is going to be difficult if he isn’t taking the steps to have some money in the bank, as the contract can only take you so far and eventually you kind of grind to a halt with updating without it. I hope to see him manage to get consistent and earn some money, but I won’t be holding my breath on it, I’ll say.
That’s that for the big board of the S31 class, and while I know it comes pretty late after the draft, unfortunately that is just how time works sometimes. I have had a lot going on, but made my rankings the week of the ultimus just before the draft presumably started in private. It has been a fun ride, just like last season, as I’ve gotten to know the prospects in the draft and get to make my own little predictions to a degree. I am sure a lot of these rankings will be different from team-to-team, and honestly a lot of it comes to needs, availability, and the interviews that are had with players.
Keep in mind, I did not speak with any players or teams for this, this is entirely my own rankings just based on the statistical evidence presented with earning, a user’s bank, their history and the time they spend on the site or their post counts. I may be way off the mark to some of you, and that’s fair and understandable. I hope to be, actually, because that difference of opinion is a good thing to have. What I hope to get out of this is that we all had fun and were all able to enjoy our time here. I don’t want to disparage anyone, everyone has their positives and negatives, and I fully believe these are going to be some amazing players in the future.
