2042 1st round draft review

The 22nd annual 1st round draft review is here! Like always, it's based solely on my opinions based on my player weights so anything said positively or negatively should be taken as such. I do this for entertainment purposes and it's not meant to insult or pick on any owner. Lord knows I've been very wrong many times!

MULTIPLE PICKS
PITTSBURGH ×2
GEM CITY ×2
PROVIDENCE ×2
MICHIGAN ×2
VANCOUVER ×2
BROOKLYN ×2

NO PICKS
BUFFALO
DAKOTA
MEMPHIS
CAROLINA
INDIANA
CINCINNATI

2042 1.1
Daytona
RB Robert Colunga 30/90
Vol 26
5' 10" 203 lbs
Ohio State

Daytona has never made the playoffs and Colunga is the total package that could be the catalyst for Daytona to break their 24 season drought. Colunga has no apparent weaknesses unless you want to nitpick and say he is a little underweight but that's a reach.

Grade A++

2042 1.2
Vancouver
CB Rufus Lehman 31/86
Vol 22
5' 11" 168 lbs
Appalachian State

It didn't take long for our first reach of the draft. While Lehman is definately a talented cover corner, scouts are alarmed by his weight being extremely undersized. Coupled with the fact he is coming out of a smaller program, scouts wonder if he can add enough weight to survive at the next level and what effect that will have on his speed.

Grade A-

2042 1.3
Seattle
TE Stuart Cooper 37/96
Vol 56
5' 9" 259 lbs
Louisiana-Laffeyette

Seattle has to be excites this player reached them at #3. Cooper is one of the highest rated players ever drafted in the XFL and he has the potential to play anywhere from TE, FB, RB or WR. If he even comes close to his potential, he could be an ALLPRO talent.

Grade A+

2042 1.4
Pittsburgh
WLB Nathan Morrison 30/89
Vol 24
6' 0" 251 lbs
Oklahoma

Considered by most scouts to be the most complete LB in the draft, Pittsburgh should have the future captain of their defense for the next 5-10 years.

Grade A+

2042 1.5
Brooklyn
DT Thomas Sullivan 32/93
Vol 100
6' 4" 291 lbs
Wake Forest

Brooklyn takes a DT with elite potential but off the field issues dropped his draft status in some teams eyes. If Sullivan can put concerns about work ethic and effort aside and reach his great potential then Brooklyn has found a real presence on their defensive front.

Grade A

2042 1.6
Michigan
FS William Blakes 31/85
Vol 52
5' 11" 231 lbs
Florida State

Blakes was a LB in college but considered a possible candidate to switch to safety or even corner in the XFL. He has elite speed and cover skills and if he drops some weight, he should become even faster.

Grade A+

2042 1.7
Saint Paul
WR Carlos Scott 33/89
Vol 64
5' 11" 178 lbs
Brigham Young

Scott was considered one of the two top wide receivers in the draft by most scouts. He has all the potential to be elite and a possible duel threat rushing the ball but there are concerns about his weight and his ability to hold up physically in the XFL. He will most certainly gain some weight which will effect his speed but even so, he should remain a top-end WR if he can make the transition to the pros and reach his full potential.

Grade A

2042 1.8
New York
LG Anthony Edwards 32/94
Vol 10
6' 2" 300 lbs
Texas A&M

Anthony Edwards may be a nerd but scouts believe he is the most complete offensive lineman in the draft. He has the complete package of size, speed, strength, quick feet, discipline and football IQ along with elite potential run & pass blocking potential to reach an ALLPRO level in the XFL.

Grade A+

2042 1.9
Tampa Bay
CB Steven Holloman 38/81
Vol 38
5' 10" 193 lbs
Colorodo State

Holloman was considered by some scouts to be the best cover corner in the draft based on his size and elite speed and quickness despite some concerns about his ceiling in cover abilities. Tampa Bay has to be excited to land this defensive playmaker at #9 in the draft.

Grade A

2042 1.10
Miami
C James Woolfolk 34/92
Vol 22
6' 1" 282 lbs
Nebraska

Miami lands the Outland trophy winner for best college center in this selection at #10 in the 1st round. It's no coincidence he comes from Nebraska who is known for producing great centers. He has great size, speed, strength and elite intelligence to call protections and become a staple of Miami's offensive line for years to come.

Grade A

2042 1.11
Zehlendorf
WR James Ramsey 35/85
Vol 100
5' 10" 200 lbs
Mississippi Valley State

Ramsey is one of a half dozen or so 1st round WRs in the draft. He doesn't have the overall potential that some of the others in the draft have but his combination of size & speed plus his potential to be a duel threat in the rushing game pushed him up the board despite some off the field issues.

Grade A

2042 1.12
Los Angeles
TE Chris Kerr 32/90
Vol 40
6' 2" 243 lbs
San Diego State

In most past drafts, Kerr may have been the top TE in the draft but unfortunately he can out the same year as TE Cooper whi was selected 3rd overall. He has elite potential across the board but scouts believe he should transition to FB at the next level due to his size, ball carrying skills and blocking. He would be more then just a run blocking FB who can run the ball and catch passes out of the backfield.

Grade A

2042 1.13
Gem City
RB Scott Battles 25/74
Vol 18
6' 3" 263 lbs
UCLA

Battles is a very unique and versatile player whose best position may actually be Center. Despite weighing in at over 260 pounds, Gem City believes he can lose some weight and become either a battering ram RB or FB and he could just become a lighter TE or bigger WR. The bottom line is Battles will be a versatile playmaker who can be used all over the offense.

Grade A+

2042 1.14
Oakland
RDE Jack Cumbie 31/89
Vol 26
6' 5" 303 lbs
Miami (Ohio)

Cumbie is a mountain of a man and while he played DT in college, he has the size, strength & speed to play either inside or outside on the defensive front. It looks like Oakland will ask him to lose a few pounds so he can become faster and use him at both DT or DE depending on down, distance and formation.

Grade A

2042 1.15
Washington
LDE Rolf Brown 31/91
Vol 8
6' 4" 266 lbs
Vanderbilt

Brown has the prototypical size, speed, strength and quickness to become a dominate defensive end in the XFL for years to come. Washington should be set at DE since their 1st round pick last season was LDE Livingston who posted 8 sacks in his rookie season.

Grade A

2042 1.16
Texas
RB Christopher Hofmeister 29/73
Vol 6
5' 9" 209 lbs
Jackson State

Texas takes a solid three down RB out of Jackson State. He is exceptional at any one thing but scouts rate him as solid across the board and he has a chance to become a part of Texas's backfield which is now four deep.

Grade A-

2042 1.17
New England
LG Frank Cartwright 37/87
Vol 56
6' 2" 311 lbs
Auburn

Cartwright is known as a road grater on run blocks and has adequate potential in pass blocking to become a starter in the XFL. It's a solid but not flashy pick.

Grade A-

2042 1.18
Montana
SS Jonathan Snyder 38/85
Vol 58
5' 11" 203 lbs
Penn State

Snyder was a safety in college but scouts believe he has the complete coverage skills to transition to corner but has the size and hard-hitting style to remain at safety too. He also has great speed & quickness plus he is versatile.

Grade A

2042 1.19
Kansas City
WR Barry Walker 38/76
Vol 16
5' 11" 201 lbs
Tennessee State

Another WR goes in the 1st and Walker has elite speed along with solid route running and the ability to get off the jam on the line of scrimmage. Scouts have concerns about his hands and he showed that in college with several drops of easy catches. Still KC made the postseason last season and adding a WR with elite speed adds a playmaker to the roster.

Grade A

2042 1.20
Vegas
DT Sam Hernandez 34/86
Vol 36
6' 1" 285 lbs
North Carolina State

Vegas had a down year after back to back Titles and they help sure up their defense with this college DT. Scouts view him as more of a DE in the XFL due to him being slightly undersized to play DT but his speed & strength could allow him to move from inside to outside depending on the play call.

Grade A

2042 1.21
Providence
RDE Armando Schumacher 35/81
Vol 66
6' 5" 261 lbs
South Carolina

Schumacher is a prototypical edge rushing based on his combination of size, speed and quick first step. Providence made the postseason last season and thier defense finished 12th in the league so the addition of this edge rusher may push them into the top 10.

Grade A

2042 1.22
Arizona
WR Leroy Perrotta 34/85
Vol 6
5' 11" 189 lbs
Northern Illinois

Perrotta won the Biletnikoff Award in college and scouts believe he is a safe bet to be a professional WR in the XFL. He may lack elite speed but his overall skills are fairly complete and he seems to be the most pro-ready WR in the draft.

Grade A

2042 1.23
Pittsburgh
SLB Christopher Murray 30/78
Vol 44
6' 1" 241 lbs
Florida

Murray is a solid outside linebacker with the ability to play off the line and in coverage plus he can play the edge and rush the passer. Now he teams up with #4 pick Morrison to add to Pittsburgh defense that ranked #9 last season.

Grade A

2042 1.24
Houston
QB Bruce Shadrick 26/82
Vol 20
6' 2" 220 lbs
Michigan

The first quarterback finally comes off the board at pick #24 to Houston who won the toughest division in the XFL last season. They were led by QB Michael Preston but he is entering his 15th season so Shadrick will have a chance to sit behind him for at least a season and develop. Scouts love his arm and his speed and quickness in the pocket. His accuracy should be good enough to play in the XFL but the concerns center around his vision and staying down receivers.

Grade A

2042 1.25
Providence
DT Joseph Taylor 30/84
Vol 38
6' 2" 318 lbs
Wisconsin

Providence adds a DT along with the DE they picked 4 selections ago. Taylor has the rare combination of size, strength and speed to be a force in the middle of the defensive front. Clearly, Providence had a plan coming into the draft to solidify their defense up front.

Grade A

2042 1.26
Michigan
DT Glen Freund 28/86
Vol 40
6' 3" 287 lbs
Texas

The 6th defensive lineman comes off the board at pick #26. Freund is the last of the defensive lineman with a 1st round grade and Michigan took no time in running his name up to the podium. Michigan has 2 solid DEs plus DT Fox who was selected in the 2040 draft in the 1st round. It appears Michigan plans on using plenty of 4-3 formations next season.

Grade A

2042 1.27
Philadelphia
WR Paul Gillard 34/79
Vol 30
5' 10" 204 lbs
Syracuse

Gillard is the 5th and final WR taken in the 1st round. Scouts had 5 WRs rated as 1st round picks but the separation between 1-5 was very thin allow Scott led most draft boards despite concerns about his weight. Gillard is solid across the board but doesn't flash any elite potential. Philly is known as a run first team so the addition of Gillard is an attempt to become more balanced.

Grade A

2042 1.28
Vancouver
MLB Marvin Torrey 29/76
Vol 42
6' 0" 251 lbs
Washington

Vancouver continues to address their defense which ranked 31st last season. After selecting a CB with the 2nd overall pick, they take this solid MLB with their 2nd 1st round pick late. Scouts love his football IQ and ability to lead a defense plus he is strong with great cover skills but he lacks elite or even solid speed. The hope is his intangibles will make up for his lack of speed.

Grade B+

2042 1.29
Toronto
RB Frank Skinner 23/73
Vol 14
5' 11" 197 lbs
Florida State

Toronto made a surprise run in the postseason last year and they select this RB with elite speed. Toronto has 2 running backs with 1,000 yards last season but Skinner is a smaller back with elite speed which will add a new dimension to their 9th ranked rushing offense.

Grade A

2042 1.30
Gem City
C Francis Huckabee 36/87
Vol 34
6' 3" 276 lbs
Notre Dame

Huckabee becomes Gem City's Huckleberry at pick #30. He was the runner up for the Rimington Trophy in college and this Golden Domer will attempt to fill the shoes of 7x ALLPRO and Hall of Fame Center Bobby Munson who retired in 2039. C Jesse Brown has done a great job since Munson retired but he is entering season 10 and Huckabee is the heir apparent.

Grade A

2042 1.31
Brooklyn
TE William King 36/82
Vol 32
6' 1" 254 lbs
Southern Methodist

Brooklyn went defense with their early pick so they go offense with their late 1st round pick. King is a very solid and very complete TE. He lacks the elite speed of the great TEs but he still has good speed to go along with complete receiving skills and run blocking skills.

Grade A

2042 1.32
Atlanta
CB David Bakken 26/69
Vol 66
5' 11" 218 lbs
Adams State

The defending Champs dig deep with their scouting department to find what they hope is a hidden gem from obscure division II program, Adams State. He wasn't even invites to the combine but scouts say he has elite speed. His is a big CB at 218 pounds but time will tell if he can transition to the XFL or not. If he does make the roster, I can already see the "Bend it like Bakken" t-shirts being sold at the stadium.

Grade A-