*S22's DSFL Defensive Draftees - Round One

[Mysa]

[div align=\\\"center\\\"]S23's DSFL Defensive Draftees - Round One[/div]

Last week I went over the position groups for offense in the now-complete DSFL draft - but it felt like a bit of an ineffective, non-inclusive way to discuss players that had put so much time and effort into their earning and story. Plus, I prefer defense anyways (can you tell?), so it only makes sense for my first (genuinely) long-form article to be about the better half of the ball. While not every round is quite as defensively-oriented as this first one, the first eight picks did give me a solid number of players to write about.

In this article, I'll quickly review relevant draft background, likely intended player builds (ubiquitous speed notwithstanding), and finish off by assessing whether the player fit an absolute need for a team. This'll be especially important provided call-ups from last season and pending ones for the upcoming games.

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[1.1] S Greedy Sly (@Sylphreni) 182 TPE, London Royals [/div]
In a draft where defense dominated early picks, we waited through six picks for a single offensive player; that trend would continue through the first 25 picks, of which just 5 were slated for the offensive side of the ball. Sly was the first player off the board, the first of five safeties taken in the first six rounds, and was projected to be one of the top three selections. He joins a London squad desperate for players in the defensive backfield – where just one of the Royals’ three safety selections from last season panned out – and should become an immediate starter, as he is already one of the highest-rated players in their secondary.

Though the Royals could have opted for a cornerback at this stage in the game, this draft’s talent at safety is unmistakable, and Sly has a little more than 30 TPE on the best guy at corner. The London depth at linebacker made selections like Kackpoo, Woods, and McCringleberry all viable selections for first overall provided London’s defensive state, but Sly felt like the best pick here. He’s got top-end speed to spare (80) and, frankly, has enough lateral agility and backpedaling speed to play corner (70). While he needs some time to develop his game sense (40 intelligence), he is a solid tackler and can keep up with some of the best the DSFL has to offer. Throw on top of this that he’s a first generation player (at least for the NSFL), and this selection becomes all the more promising.

Like many other draftees, Greedy was a multi-sport athlete, initially playing more basketball than football before picking up football skills under Ohio State University coach Walter Thompson. A handful of drills later, Ohio State had its new defensive leader – and an explanation for Sly’s remarkable agility provided his playing time at point guard in high school.

Overall, we’d regard Greedy Sly as a safety yet to be differentiated – but we’d slot him in as a man cover guy at present. He’ll be able to lock down slot receivers and tight ends as necessary in any scheme and can easily be flexed to corner if defensive staff call for it.

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[1.2] DT Tyler Montain (@Amidships) 182, Dallas Birddogs [/div]
The first defensive lineman off the board, “The Mountain” has a bit of playing tape to work with after being brought in as a pinch defensive tackle for the Tijuana Luchadores late in Season 21. Unlike Sly, Montain is a long-time football starter that lettered in all four years for the Los Alamitos High School Griffins, accumulating 115 tackles per season on average. Add to that powerlifting and track/field, and this brand-new Birddog will likely throw unsuspecting centers and guards off their feet from the get-go.

Tyler Montain was the highest-rated defensive lineman come draft time, showing off some brand-new cutting-edge equipment in some of his combine drills. But coaches weren’t seeking out this defensive lineman for his new helmet or shoulder pads – his startling strength and speed off the snap struck scouts as unusual for DSFL prospects. His pre-draft stock was slightly lower than during the draft, as he appeared significantly stronger (82) and faster (75) than most mock drafts projected. With regards to fit, Montain is a desperately needed boost to a limited Birddogs roster; and provided his earning total so far (and recent boost), this seems like a slam-dunk pick for Dallas.

Like many DSFL teams, the Birddogs had a depleted defense after a few of their players were promoted to the NSFL. And really, Dallas could have opted for almost any defensive position at this stage - they didn’t have any NSFL-ready defensive linemen on the roster. With respect to draft strategy, they smartly opted to go for a position with significant drop-off: though they likely need linebackers, Dallas noted the plethora of 110+ TPE players at that position (which couldn’t be said for tackle, a high-demand position without supply to match) and decided to bide their time. After all, it was highly unlikely that four or five linebackers would go in the next round alone – and man, did that decision pay off.

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[1.3] Adélie de Pengu (@IsaStarcrossed) 128, Norfolk Seawolves [/div]
Though the raw TPE number doesn’t necessarily correlate to a third overall pick, Adélie de Pengu is a raw safety prospect virtually guaranteed to hit his full potential and thus merits a top-five selection. With tight ties to New Orleans Second Line management, de Pengu has experienced intense training with Bjørn Ironside to improve the physical aspects of the game while living in Antarctica. Perhaps a bit of an unorthodox prospect, de Pengu spent the vast majority of his youth fishing, waddling, and huddling with his fellow penguins for warmth until being distracted by a small pebble and being lost from his penguin family.

In theory, a single impressive hit in a full-on belly slide against a skua shouldn’t be enough to spark the imagination of a football player – especially when said hit was made by a penguin. But in this case, further scouting revealed a skillset not dissimilar to the aforementioned Greedy Sly. de Pengu has excellent top end speed (85) and agility that allows them to keep up with good DSFL receivers (70). Though he doesn’t have quite the same technical ability that produces interceptions, Pengu is nonetheless a powerful threat to slap down passes with his flippers; the main goal for him at this point is learning positioning and how to read an offense, as those skills are largely underdeveloped.

Like Sly, Pengu likely falls in the “man-to-man safety” bucket, at least until his ability to read the field improves. But provided the support system around him, it’s extremely likely that improvement will come sooner rather than later, as his agent possesses some $500 million from the Ironside foundation to spend as he pleases on the young penguin. And provided Adélie is just 18 but is a 6’1” penguin, I suspect the hesitation opposing receivers and backs make when first seeing him will be more than enough to make him an effective enforcer.

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[1.4] Griffin Porter (@AsylumParty) 131, Tijuana Luchadores [/div]
In a pick that must have had the Dallas Birddogs feeling a little anxious, the Tijuana Luchadores selected Baltimore native Griffin Porter to start off linebacker selections. The University of Miami alumnus grew up a Ravens fan – modeling his game after Ray Lewis – and studying at Perry Hall while trying out and starting at linebacker for at least three of his four years in high school. Though he had a difficult freshman year at Miami, where he was a scholarship player, extensive training and tutelage under Gus Felder and Manny Diaz, respectively, he blossomed into a top linebacking prospect by his junior season and received a Dick Butkus award.

At 6’5” and 265 lbs., Porter is a remarkable physical prospect that is frankly a bit taller than most linebackers. He’s already among the faster (80) linebackers drafted but is also notable for his excellent strength (77) and tackling form (70) that allows him to operate as a run-stuffer and excellent block shedder. While in the developmental league, he’ll likely need to cap out his speed in order to keep up with faster tight ends and help him keep up with faster running backs (especially at the pro level); but he has some decision to make with regard to developing his physical attributes (agility, strength) versus technical and mental aspects of the game. Most players tend to improve these attributes stepwise, but it’ll help Porter more cleanly differentiate his game as a balanced vs. run-stopping vs. coverage linebacker.

Like Montain, Porter clearly fills a need for the Luchadores, who opted for a great many defensive players in the first six rounds. Tijuana had just two linebackers listed above 100 TPE: Season 18 prospect Junior Lopez and last season’s Nat Wright. Though the Luchadores have other competent selections, none are quite what they’re looking for. With Porter easily clearing the 130 TPE mark before this season even starts, an agent with multiple Ultimus Trophies to their name, and a wonderfully balanced build that allows for coverage, pass rushing, and run stuffing, he’s a solid selection at this point in the draft.

Some pundits have expressed their concerns that Porter could be a reach at the fourth pick – especially as the first linebacker off the board. Some mock drafts had him going as late as the third round, especially provided superstar prospects like Heinrich Kackpoo, Tyrone Woods, and Hingle McCringleberry were hotly debated selections for top five picks. As a result, Porter has lofty expectations to live up to while developing for the Luchadores – which AsylumParty is all too happy to smash.

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[1.5] DE CJ Riley (@Huskies311) 145, Portland Pythons [/div]
A few mock drafts were either dead-on or just one spot off of CJ Riley’s fifth-overall selection. And as a recreate and NSFL GM much like de Pengu, the floor for this defensive end is incredibly high. If there’s anything sim league management values, it’s consistency and high-level earning, both of which are a virtual guarantee for Huskies311’s pet project. After a monstrous 85 TPE earning period over the offseason, Riley went from “maybe a little lean” and “could use a little work” to top-earning prospect through blood, sweat, and tears.

With already-capped speed, strength nearly matching Montain, and excellent endurance, CJ Riley fits the bill of run-stopping defensive end to a T. Even most offensive tackles won’t be able to handle his strength at this level, and he has the ability to reach even running quarterbacks with relative ease. Though his tackling technique isn’t perfect, this young defensive end has plenty of time to work with coaches and fitness trainers to hone both aspects of his game. One thing’s relatively certain, though – give Riley a few weeks and he’ll notch more than plain tackles.

This off-season, the Pythons were devastated by drama that ultimately resulted in shuffling of personnel at the management level – a strong pick here could provide much-needed stability, especially if it filled a need. And GM Kanako added an excellent top-end DE to complement season 22’s Slinky Claxton, as well as a likely replacement for Jackmerius Tacktheritrix. Though some will argue the utility of starting Riley over Tacktheritrix with respect to raw talent, the writing for the latter is on the wall (especially since Tacktheritrix went inactive about a month ago): getting a “sure thing” of this quality is never a guarantee at any point after the first round. An argument could be made that the Portland should have gone for a top linebacker – especially provided Gregor Macgregor’s recent call-up to the ASFC’s Austin Copperheads. But this slithery change in personnel wouldn’t go unaddressed by Pythons management – it just took a few more picks before coming to the forefront. Portland already had a spooky-scary defensive line with multiple 200+ TPE players, but it’s just earned itself a shiny new toy.

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[1.6] DE Water Chestnut III (@ckroyal92) 103, Minnesota Gray Ducks [/div]
For those of you confused, yes: Walter Chestnut III had 103 TPE coming into the draft. But for those of you keeping track of management (or with more than a season or two in the league unlike me), this is the third NSFL GM of the top six selections. And although his start was slower than the top five picks’, there is no replacement for consistent, guaranteed earning. Indeed, there were some prospects at defensive end with more TPE than Chestnut (including Kansas City’s fifteenth overall pick Son Goku), but plenty of first-generation players end up flaming out, and drafting a GM is a solid insurance policy against that.

Like some of the defensive line prospects before him, Chestnut is bolstered by an excellent speed rating (at his cap, 80) and good strength, suggesting he’s forged himself carefully into a balanced end that relies more on bull rushes than swim/rip finesse. Overall, like most players early in their career, Chestnut III has the chance to either lean further into a power rusher archetype or balance things out by working on his agility. He’s likely to opt for the former rather than the latter, which should make him a solid run stopper; his speed should keep him relevant for pass rushing at least until he hits the better NSFL linemen.

Chestnut joins a defensive end corps that includes star Mario VonPebbles and a variety of slow-to-grow prospects; all things considered, he should be able to make an immediate impact in a starting role. He’ll be aided by longtime DSFL journeyman Tormund Bjornsson and classmate Joe Exotic on the interior line, giving the Gray Ducks a formidable defensive front.

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[1.8] LB Tyrone Woods (@Rindiee) 166, Myrtle Beach Buccaneers [/div]
With the lone offensive player (Kansas City QB Reginald Covington III) selected at pick seven, the first round is rounded out by linebacker Tyrone Woods – the second LB of the round and one of the highest-rated prospects available in the draft. Although Rindiee doesn’t hold a GM position, they hold two and a half (IRL) years of experience in the league and a solid track record – including discussion-evoking articles about the downsides of the DSFL (in 2017) and a stint with the Norfolk SeaWolves as management. Throw on top of that a controversial “draft destinations” article posted to one of the most prominent media sites on the ‘net, and suddenly the story around Woods becomes more interesting than at first glance – prizing loyalty (and an excellent DSFL team) over bridges with other teams.

Media aside, where does Woods fall with regards to role on the field? Provided his brief experience in the S21 DSFL, we can tell clearly that he has speed bordering on elite even relative to wideouts and corners (90) and has developed his strength to a competent level over the offseason. All things considered, his build isn’t necessarily surprising, but is a bit more polarized than one might expect from a position that requires the versatility that linebacker calls for. Regardless, speed is king in today’s game, and it’ll allow him both to get to the QB/RB and drop back into coverage, where he’ll likely be most effective. Beyond that, he’s a pretty raw prospect with solid tackling technique and adequate agility for covering TEs and most runners out of the backfield.

In the context of Myrtle Beach’s roster, Woods makes plenty of sense. The Bucs would insert this University of Washington alum in a starting role next to Trevor Mouseman on virtually every play. Throw him in with Mark Radson and Myrtle Beach has one of the most intimidating linebacking corps in the DSFL from day one. Some pundits argue that the Buccaneers could have used a corner with this pick – especially since they only have one on their entire roster (S22 draftee Rico Martinez) – but with a passable duo at safety they likely thought they could bide their time provided a low priority pool at corner.

[Jay_Doctor]

Can't wait to read up on the rest of them!

[Jason]

D-FENCE

[Rindiee]

nice work, and appreciate the kind words!

[AsylumParty]

Much appreciated. Your research on each prospect is impressive.

[Sylphreni]

Damn man, you went all the way to the Wikis? I'm suuuuper impressed.

Love this content, keep up the good work!

[Mysa]

Thanks for all the feedback!

And yeah, if you're going to put the work in, you bet I'm going to use it!