Are you a DSFL GM who wants to know who to target in the upcoming draft, someone who’s already made an impact or shown a lot of potential? Or maybe you’re an S21 rookie, looking to see how you compare to your draft classmates? Or an old hand in the league, wondering to see who might replace you as the clock rolls forward? Look no further than this S21 draft class primer. I’ll be looking at a number of prospects, mainly those who have played this year in the 2nd half of the season, and more will be added later on as this class get its chance to shine. This isn’t a mock draft but a continuation of my previous rankings.
I’ve endeavoured to rank on a fair mixture of play this season and potential in the future. This is fairly difficult given the small (or non-existent) sample size for many players and the limited time new recruits have had to improve so the rankings go to just 20 for now. I’ve included all available statistics (that I can find) including snap count for all players here so that there is a little more context. If there are no stats underneath the player, they haven't see any (significant) playing time yet.
1. Dax Frost, CB 84 TPE
-
372 snaps, 16 tkl, 7 PD, 2 Int, 67 Int Yds, 1 Def TD, 1 missed tackle
Frost remains top of the tree for now, though the gap has very much closed. He struggled again in coverage against Tijuana’s receiver, Randy Vuxta, in the conference championship, giving up a 29 yd reception on a double move and then he was beaten for Vuxtas TD as well. He stays top as he’s the only player to have multiple turnovers, as well as being the most advanced player in the class. He’s guaranteed to the Buccaneers 2nd round pick. The drafts not for another week but he might already be the biggest steal.
2. Jeffrey LaVert, S 64 TPE +4
235 snaps, 26 tkl, 3 PD, 1 Int, 30 Int Yds, 1 Def TD
LaVert, Frosts colleague in the MB secondary, is the player who has closed the gap. A mammoth performance in a tight loss to the Grey Ducks in the championship match is what brought him up the rankings. 11 tackles, 2 passes defended and a pick six. Not really much else he could have done. What I find impressive is that he has 26 tackles without a single missed tackle in his 3 games. Very active in the community, I think LaVert has to at least be in contention for someone to take in the 1st.
3. Baby Yoda, RB 77 TPE
-
254 snaps, 38 att, 199 yds, 5.2 ypc, 1 TD, 18 rec, 174 yds, 9.7 ypc, 6 drops, 3 pancakes
23 first downs (11 rec, 12 rushing)
A bit of a shift in my RB rankings this week. Baby Yoda jumps to top of the pile after I took a look at his efficiency in both the run and passing game (5.2 and 9.7 ypc) and he also scored his first touchdown, a 9 yard rush in the Conference game. One of the most unique prospects in this draft for his size and skills. Also, who is getting pancaked by this guy? He’s 5’6”. Good on the little guy.
4. Daniel Winkler, DE 74 TPE
-
440 snaps, 21 tkl, 7 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 missed tackles
Winkler stands pat at #4, but I really wanted to move him up. He got a TFL and a sack in the Ultimini, but I was more impressed by a TD saving tackle he made in the conference championship on 3rd and goal, causing the Buccaneers to kick a field goal. 2nd in tackles made behind LaVert. Leads in tackles for loss. A deserved edge #1.
5. Logan Noble Jr, RB 67 TPE
-3
192 snaps, 67 att, 345 yds, 5.2 ypc, 1 TD, 3 rec, 26 yds, 8.7 ypc, 3 drops, 1 pancake, 1 sack allowed
The first of our new Ultimini champions. It's incredibly harsh to move him down 3 spots given he's been a solid performer. In his 4 games he has been ultra-consistent and efficient with the ball in his hands, going for 5.2, 5.2 4.8 and 5.8 ypc in each of his games as he plays backup to Darrel Williams (he actually matched Williams efficiency in the Ultimini!). 2 very small knocks, he’s had as many drops as he’s had caught passes (3 each) and he did allow a sack in the Conference championship.
6. Ed Barker, RB 74 TPE -1
207 snaps, 85 att, 379 yds, 4.5 ypc, 4 rec, 9 yds, 2.3 ypc, 1 FUM, 3 drops
The 3rd RB in the top 6. I may be over ranking them, but there’s little doubt they’ve played a big role in each of their teams offence sine they joined. I’ve gone back and forth with Ed Barker, and so have his performances. He’s alternated between average to good (3.3, 6.1, 3.5, 6.1, 3.7, 5 ypc in his 6 games) and he’s yet to get his first touchdown. One big plus for Barker is he performed admirably in comparison to his more established partner Podolak in the Ultimini (Podolak scores 2 touchdowns but only managed 20 yds on 11 carries). Barker did have a fumble in the Ultimini but he recovered this himself. These 3 RB’s are really quite close and I’d expect them to switch around multiple times during the next season.
7. Raheem Okusi, WR 59 TPE -
317 snaps, 14 rec, 163 yds, 11.6 ypc, 2 TD, 1 drop
Okusi still heads the WR class in pretty much every category. I’m impressed by him having only 1 drop and 14 receptions. He seems to get a mix of very short passes (only 4 of his 14 catches have gone for first downs) and decent mid-long range passes (longs of 30, 20, 27 yds in 3 of his games). If he doesn’t get any of these long passes his stats might look a little bit less impressive, but he did get them. Hoping to see him keep the efficiency up but with more receptions once he gets a bit more trust from his team.
8. Richard Gardner, OL (Center) 57 TPE -
300 snaps, 13 pancakes
Another couple of pancakes in the Ultimini in a game where the defences were tough to deal with. He was an anchor on the line, not allowing any sacks on 300 snaps. OL #1 still.
9. Pete Miller, DT 65 TPE +1
235 snaps, 11 tkl, 1 sack, 2 missed tackles
Miller got his first sack and maintained his place at DT 1. He needs to be wary though, he missed 2 tackles in the Conference championship (made 3) and Otis Allen is very close behind in these rankings.
10. Immanuel Blackstone, DE 64 TPE New
379 snaps, 16 tkl, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 missed tackle
Blackstone just cracks the top 10 after an impressive conference championship match against Tijuana (5 tackles, 1 for loss). He’s only missed 1 tackle (in his first game, none since then). Still lagging behind Winkler a little bit.
11. Otis Allen, DT 74 TPE New
208 snaps, 11 tkl, 3 sacks
3 sacks in 6 games is a good return for an interior lineman. However, 2 of those came against the Seawolves, but he disappeared in the layoffs, registering a solitary tackle. There were 2 games in the regular season as well where he didn’t record anything. Is blowing hot & cold at the moment. If he can pull it together every game then we could see some big numbers, there’s so much potential here.
12. Matt Murphy, S 64 TPE New
249 snaps, 14 tkl, 1 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 missed tackles
The only defensive starter for the champion Grey Ducks. It was a slow start for Murphy, with only 2 tackles in each of his first 2 games. He warmed up a little in the playoffs, registering 5 tackles in both, and crucially forcing a fumble when tackling Tijuanas receiver McCann, and recovering the fumble as well. Only 1 pass defended so far. The gap to LaVert is pretty large, both an increase in tackles and big plays will be needed to truly challenge at the top end of the class.
13. Austin Brehio, RB 74 TPE New
187 snaps, 4 att, 23 yds, 5.8 ypc, 4 rec, 23 yds, 5.8 ypc, 2 drops, 2 pancakes
Brehio has been very tough for me to place. I think he has the same potential as the 3 running backs ahead of him, but he’s just not had many chances yet. He’s been on the field a lot, but not running the ball. His times when he has had the ball have been decently efficient but the sample size is too small. 2 pancakes in pass protection though and no sacks is nice to see given how much he’s been asked to block.
14. Rico Sauve, S 50 TPE -5
235 snaps, 17 tkl, 1 sack
Good tackle numbers from Rico. His stats might suggest his future is at the linebacker position, or perhaps if we saw some development in his ability to make plays on the ball.
15. Jay Palmer, DE 74 TPE New
Not really given much to do as Minnesota instead relied on their established EDGE players to help bring them the championship. A bit similar to Brehio in that he’s as talented as the top guys in the list, but not had the opportunities yet. I’d still expect him to be drafted fairly high and to have a good year come next season.
16. Osiris Firestorm-Fjord, TE 50 TPE New
101 snaps, 2 rec, 15 yds, 7.5 ypc, 3 drops, 4 pancakes
More drops than catches; not a good sign for his receiving abilities, but that’s not his main focus. Osiris is a blocking tight end and he’s done admirably there. 4 pancakes on 101 snaps is a pretty good rate for a TE, and no sacks allowed. He’s doing his job there. Improve his hands a little bit for when he’s called on and he’ll be guaranteed TE #1 off the board.
17. Jerome Davis, WR 57 TPE New
81 snaps, 4 rec, 45 yds, 11.3 ypc, 1 drop
Minnesota picked up 3 rookie wide receivers off of waivers (Davis + Woodward & Everett). For the most part these receivers struggled to get established in Minnesota’s very much run-centric offensive scheme. Davis managed to reverse this for the Ultimini game, being a top target (admittedly Vega only made 12 passes), catching 3 passes for 30 yds on 4 targets (1 drop). This is enough to put Davis as the WR #2 in this WR class that has struggled to stand out so far.
18. Sardine Beaner, DT 67 TPE New
128 snaps, 2 tkl
The potential is there for Beaner, but they’re yet to make a big impact. For now, Beaner lags behind Miller and Allen on the DT rankings.
19. Dougie Smalls, K 67 TPE New
Not given anything to do yet. Hopefully we’ll see Smalls as the starting kicker for a team next season, they’re the most talented kicker registered for the draft at this point.
20. George O’Donnell, QB 57 TPE New
It’s a tough road for a QB in this league. You’re looking at a long wait to even get a start in the minors, and then probably multiple years before being pulled up to the majors. It’s difficult to show your worth to a team under these circumstances, but O’Donnell has found another way for now. O’Donnell has been a key part of the special teams unit in Minnesota during the playoffs, being the holder for the kicking game. The kicking game that was perfect during the playoffs and helped propel them to a first Ultimini in their first year in Minnesota. GMs take note, if you want your kicker to be perfect next year, maybe O’Donnell is the secret ingredient to add.
The season is over, there’s not really a chance for players to impress before the DSFL draft. There are many more players who I’ve not been able to include on this list, but will be added as they see playing time next year and we switch focus to the main event, the S21 NSFL draft. This class already stands at over 60 prospects, with the expectation that there’ll be a last minute flurry before the DSFL draft takes place next week.
The next part of this series will either be done following the draft, or once the pre-season has completed. If you have any questions, suggestions or complaints about these rankings, please post them down below.
Thanks for reading.
~Mr Sombrero
I’ve endeavoured to rank on a fair mixture of play this season and potential in the future. This is fairly difficult given the small (or non-existent) sample size for many players and the limited time new recruits have had to improve so the rankings go to just 20 for now. I’ve included all available statistics (that I can find) including snap count for all players here so that there is a little more context. If there are no stats underneath the player, they haven't see any (significant) playing time yet.
1. Dax Frost, CB 84 TPE
- 372 snaps, 16 tkl, 7 PD, 2 Int, 67 Int Yds, 1 Def TD, 1 missed tackle
Frost remains top of the tree for now, though the gap has very much closed. He struggled again in coverage against Tijuana’s receiver, Randy Vuxta, in the conference championship, giving up a 29 yd reception on a double move and then he was beaten for Vuxtas TD as well. He stays top as he’s the only player to have multiple turnovers, as well as being the most advanced player in the class. He’s guaranteed to the Buccaneers 2nd round pick. The drafts not for another week but he might already be the biggest steal.
2. Jeffrey LaVert, S 64 TPE
+4235 snaps, 26 tkl, 3 PD, 1 Int, 30 Int Yds, 1 Def TD
LaVert, Frosts colleague in the MB secondary, is the player who has closed the gap. A mammoth performance in a tight loss to the Grey Ducks in the championship match is what brought him up the rankings. 11 tackles, 2 passes defended and a pick six. Not really much else he could have done. What I find impressive is that he has 26 tackles without a single missed tackle in his 3 games. Very active in the community, I think LaVert has to at least be in contention for someone to take in the 1st.
3. Baby Yoda, RB 77 TPE
-254 snaps, 38 att, 199 yds, 5.2 ypc, 1 TD, 18 rec, 174 yds, 9.7 ypc, 6 drops, 3 pancakes
23 first downs (11 rec, 12 rushing)
A bit of a shift in my RB rankings this week. Baby Yoda jumps to top of the pile after I took a look at his efficiency in both the run and passing game (5.2 and 9.7 ypc) and he also scored his first touchdown, a 9 yard rush in the Conference game. One of the most unique prospects in this draft for his size and skills. Also, who is getting pancaked by this guy? He’s 5’6”. Good on the little guy.
4. Daniel Winkler, DE 74 TPE
-440 snaps, 21 tkl, 7 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 missed tackles
Winkler stands pat at #4, but I really wanted to move him up. He got a TFL and a sack in the Ultimini, but I was more impressed by a TD saving tackle he made in the conference championship on 3rd and goal, causing the Buccaneers to kick a field goal. 2nd in tackles made behind LaVert. Leads in tackles for loss. A deserved edge #1.
5. Logan Noble Jr, RB 67 TPE
-3192 snaps, 67 att, 345 yds, 5.2 ypc, 1 TD, 3 rec, 26 yds, 8.7 ypc, 3 drops, 1 pancake, 1 sack allowed
The first of our new Ultimini champions. It's incredibly harsh to move him down 3 spots given he's been a solid performer. In his 4 games he has been ultra-consistent and efficient with the ball in his hands, going for 5.2, 5.2 4.8 and 5.8 ypc in each of his games as he plays backup to Darrel Williams (he actually matched Williams efficiency in the Ultimini!). 2 very small knocks, he’s had as many drops as he’s had caught passes (3 each) and he did allow a sack in the Conference championship.
6. Ed Barker, RB 74 TPE
-1207 snaps, 85 att, 379 yds, 4.5 ypc, 4 rec, 9 yds, 2.3 ypc, 1 FUM, 3 drops
The 3rd RB in the top 6. I may be over ranking them, but there’s little doubt they’ve played a big role in each of their teams offence sine they joined. I’ve gone back and forth with Ed Barker, and so have his performances. He’s alternated between average to good (3.3, 6.1, 3.5, 6.1, 3.7, 5 ypc in his 6 games) and he’s yet to get his first touchdown. One big plus for Barker is he performed admirably in comparison to his more established partner Podolak in the Ultimini (Podolak scores 2 touchdowns but only managed 20 yds on 11 carries). Barker did have a fumble in the Ultimini but he recovered this himself. These 3 RB’s are really quite close and I’d expect them to switch around multiple times during the next season.
7. Raheem Okusi, WR 59 TPE
-317 snaps, 14 rec, 163 yds, 11.6 ypc, 2 TD, 1 drop
Okusi still heads the WR class in pretty much every category. I’m impressed by him having only 1 drop and 14 receptions. He seems to get a mix of very short passes (only 4 of his 14 catches have gone for first downs) and decent mid-long range passes (longs of 30, 20, 27 yds in 3 of his games). If he doesn’t get any of these long passes his stats might look a little bit less impressive, but he did get them. Hoping to see him keep the efficiency up but with more receptions once he gets a bit more trust from his team.
8. Richard Gardner, OL (Center) 57 TPE
-300 snaps, 13 pancakes
Another couple of pancakes in the Ultimini in a game where the defences were tough to deal with. He was an anchor on the line, not allowing any sacks on 300 snaps. OL #1 still.
9. Pete Miller, DT 65 TPE
+1235 snaps, 11 tkl, 1 sack, 2 missed tackles
Miller got his first sack and maintained his place at DT 1. He needs to be wary though, he missed 2 tackles in the Conference championship (made 3) and Otis Allen is very close behind in these rankings.
10. Immanuel Blackstone, DE 64 TPE
New379 snaps, 16 tkl, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 missed tackle
Blackstone just cracks the top 10 after an impressive conference championship match against Tijuana (5 tackles, 1 for loss). He’s only missed 1 tackle (in his first game, none since then). Still lagging behind Winkler a little bit.
11. Otis Allen, DT 74 TPE
New208 snaps, 11 tkl, 3 sacks
3 sacks in 6 games is a good return for an interior lineman. However, 2 of those came against the Seawolves, but he disappeared in the layoffs, registering a solitary tackle. There were 2 games in the regular season as well where he didn’t record anything. Is blowing hot & cold at the moment. If he can pull it together every game then we could see some big numbers, there’s so much potential here.
12. Matt Murphy, S 64 TPE
New249 snaps, 14 tkl, 1 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 missed tackles
The only defensive starter for the champion Grey Ducks. It was a slow start for Murphy, with only 2 tackles in each of his first 2 games. He warmed up a little in the playoffs, registering 5 tackles in both, and crucially forcing a fumble when tackling Tijuanas receiver McCann, and recovering the fumble as well. Only 1 pass defended so far. The gap to LaVert is pretty large, both an increase in tackles and big plays will be needed to truly challenge at the top end of the class.
13. Austin Brehio, RB 74 TPE
New187 snaps, 4 att, 23 yds, 5.8 ypc, 4 rec, 23 yds, 5.8 ypc, 2 drops, 2 pancakes
Brehio has been very tough for me to place. I think he has the same potential as the 3 running backs ahead of him, but he’s just not had many chances yet. He’s been on the field a lot, but not running the ball. His times when he has had the ball have been decently efficient but the sample size is too small. 2 pancakes in pass protection though and no sacks is nice to see given how much he’s been asked to block.
14. Rico Sauve, S 50 TPE
-5235 snaps, 17 tkl, 1 sack
Good tackle numbers from Rico. His stats might suggest his future is at the linebacker position, or perhaps if we saw some development in his ability to make plays on the ball.
15. Jay Palmer, DE 74 TPE
NewNot really given much to do as Minnesota instead relied on their established EDGE players to help bring them the championship. A bit similar to Brehio in that he’s as talented as the top guys in the list, but not had the opportunities yet. I’d still expect him to be drafted fairly high and to have a good year come next season.
16. Osiris Firestorm-Fjord, TE 50 TPE
New101 snaps, 2 rec, 15 yds, 7.5 ypc, 3 drops, 4 pancakes
More drops than catches; not a good sign for his receiving abilities, but that’s not his main focus. Osiris is a blocking tight end and he’s done admirably there. 4 pancakes on 101 snaps is a pretty good rate for a TE, and no sacks allowed. He’s doing his job there. Improve his hands a little bit for when he’s called on and he’ll be guaranteed TE #1 off the board.
17. Jerome Davis, WR 57 TPE
New81 snaps, 4 rec, 45 yds, 11.3 ypc, 1 drop
Minnesota picked up 3 rookie wide receivers off of waivers (Davis + Woodward & Everett). For the most part these receivers struggled to get established in Minnesota’s very much run-centric offensive scheme. Davis managed to reverse this for the Ultimini game, being a top target (admittedly Vega only made 12 passes), catching 3 passes for 30 yds on 4 targets (1 drop). This is enough to put Davis as the WR #2 in this WR class that has struggled to stand out so far.
18. Sardine Beaner, DT 67 TPE
New128 snaps, 2 tkl
The potential is there for Beaner, but they’re yet to make a big impact. For now, Beaner lags behind Miller and Allen on the DT rankings.
19. Dougie Smalls, K 67 TPE
NewNot given anything to do yet. Hopefully we’ll see Smalls as the starting kicker for a team next season, they’re the most talented kicker registered for the draft at this point.
20. George O’Donnell, QB 57 TPE
NewIt’s a tough road for a QB in this league. You’re looking at a long wait to even get a start in the minors, and then probably multiple years before being pulled up to the majors. It’s difficult to show your worth to a team under these circumstances, but O’Donnell has found another way for now. O’Donnell has been a key part of the special teams unit in Minnesota during the playoffs, being the holder for the kicking game. The kicking game that was perfect during the playoffs and helped propel them to a first Ultimini in their first year in Minnesota. GMs take note, if you want your kicker to be perfect next year, maybe O’Donnell is the secret ingredient to add.
The season is over, there’s not really a chance for players to impress before the DSFL draft. There are many more players who I’ve not been able to include on this list, but will be added as they see playing time next year and we switch focus to the main event, the S21 NSFL draft. This class already stands at over 60 prospects, with the expectation that there’ll be a last minute flurry before the DSFL draft takes place next week.
The next part of this series will either be done following the draft, or once the pre-season has completed. If you have any questions, suggestions or complaints about these rankings, please post them down below.
Thanks for reading.
~Mr Sombrero
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