2036 1st round draft review

Once again, it's time!!!!!



My annual 1st round draft review has become a staple in this league and helps feed the Draft History thread where you can see every teams 1st round pick and learn how they panned out even if you traded the pick.

A reminder that this is done for fun where all opinions are mine based on my personal evaluation of the player using my personal weights and where they fit on each team. It doesn't mean I'm right or wrong and I'm not doing it to attack anyone. I just give my honest judgment without filter and I've been wrong plenty...just check out the draft history thread to see how wrong I've been but I've also been right a bunch too....so take it all in fun and don't take it personal.

Multiple Picks

Memphis 3,26
Tampa Bay 4,12
Atlanta 5,23
Los Angeles 7,30
New England 25,32

No picks

Vancouver
Buffalo
Arizona
Vegas
Zehlendorf

Washinton
2036 1.1
QB Danny Sanchez 35/92
Vol 54
6' 0" 203 lbs
Pittsburgh

After much debate Washington finally selected this cornerback out of Pittsburgh. He is a physical specimen who excelled at the XFL combine. His combination of speed, strength and intelligence give him a solid base for his transition to the XFL. Scouts believe he can play slot corner now in the XFL and the only question is just how good will he become.

Grade A+

Brooklyn
2036 1.2
WLB Rex Boudreau 46/86
Vol 28
6' 1" 230 lbs
Ohio State

Many draft experts believed he would go #1 overall because he has the potential to become a complete linebacker in the XFL. Despite playing outside linebacker at Ohio State, his combination of speed, strength, intelligence, sure tackling, run stuffing and coverage skills make him an ideal candidate to play MLB in the XFL. It works out well for Brooklyn who already have Weisinger and Jameson who should start on the outside to move Boudreau to the inside where he will eventual wear the green dot on his helmet.

Grade A+

Memphis
2036 1.3
RG Richard Walker 38/97
Vol 78
6' 6" 310 lbs
Nebraska

Memphis came into the draft with only 6 offensive linemen on thier roster and they wasted no time taking Outland Trophy winner Walker. His raw talent makes him one of the best lineman on Memphis already and he has a unique combination of incredible strength, speed and quickness which means he can easily play guard or tackle in the XFL. Scouts do have some concerns about his drive and work ethic as questions about how hard he works in practice seemed to hurt his draft stock. Barring a tragedy, he will play and start in the XFL but if he works hard and focuses on his craft, he could be one of the alltime greats at whatever position he ends up playing.

Grade A

Tampa  Bay
2036 1.4
RB Brian Woods 41/84
Vol 82
5' 9" 232 lbs
Tulane

Woods is coming out of a smaller college program but his stock rose at the combine when he showed an incredible combination of speed, quickness and power along with a high football IQ to go along with someone who came across focused and disciplined. His powerful compact frame and solid fire hydrant type body may make him a problem for defenses in the XFL. He also showcased potential to be an excellent pass catching RB with good hands and route running skills. If Woods can make the transition to the XFL, he should help Tampa Bay improve their 28th ranked rushing attack from last season.

Grade A

Atlanta
2036 1.5
CB Tom Smith 42/78
Vol 28
6' 0" 205 lbs
Ohio State

The 2nd Buckeye to go in the top 5 picks was a little bit of a surprise since most scouts had Garry Wiese as the best DB left on the board. Scouts love Smith's quickness and all around coverage skills but he lacks the high-end speed to cover some of the faster WRs in the XFL. Atlanta definitely needed to address their secondary especially cornerback where they have just 2 CBs now after drafting Smith. Atlanta had the 26th ranked pass defense and 29th ranked defense overall.

Grade A-

Denver
2036 1.6
QB Taylor Rojas 22/94
Vol 62
6' 2" 213 lbs
Hawaii

Early mock drafts had Rojas going #1 overall based on his unlimited potential but after the combine, his stock took a dive as concerns over his true potential came into question. There are no questions about his intelligence, speed and arm strength as they are all XFL level but questions about just how accurate he will be finally slipped him down to 6th overall. Denver has 2 aging QBs on the roster and they drafted QB Harold Townsend 3rd overall last draft but the team isn't sold on his ability to be the heir apparent so they are rolling the dice once again in the 1st round. If Rojas can blossom in the XFL, he has the luxury of sitting behind QB Robert Newsome until he can take over. Best case scenario is Rojas booms and he becomes Denver's francise QB for the next dozen year...worst case scenario is Rojas bust hard and Denver wastes 2 consecutive top 6 picks on bad QBs.

Grade A

Los Angeles
2036 1.7
C Alfred Marcello 39/95
Vol 18
6' 3" 283 lbs
Lewis and Clark

The Dave Rimington Trophy winner for best college football center falls into the laps of the Los Angeles Challengers. Normally this would be a no-brainer but LA selected C Odell Brannon who was the Dave Rimington Trophy winner in the last year draft. Something has to give and scouts view Marcello as an even better center then Brannon but Marcello can play anywhere on the offensive line at a higher level then Brannon. IMO, they should make Marcello the LT and move starting LT Graham to LG or move RT Adams to LT, move LT Graham to RG and make C Marcello the LG.

Grade A+

Daytona
2036 1.8
QB Hector Cruz 24/90
Vol 4
6' 1" 213 lbs
Coastal Carolina

Just like QB Rojas, early mock drafts had Cruz going as high as #1 overall but over time his height and slight size were questioned and him coming out of a smaller football program became an issue. Concerns over his mobility came into question and he dropped down to #8 overall. Scouts have no questions about his intelligence, arm strength and vision as they are all ranked above average and if his accuracy and ability to look off defenses reach their potential then Cruz can become Daytona's franchise QB. Daytona only has QB Joseph Defalco on the roster as they haven't resigned last seasons starter Luis Barrie so Cruz has every opportunity to become the starter day 1.

Grade A

Providence
2036 1.9
TE Terrance Jackson 43/81
Vol 78
6' 2" 250 lbs
Notre Dame

Jackson is the John Mackey award winner for the best college tightend in the only season he ever played the position. He got a scholarship to Notre Dame to play LB but after 3 subpar seasons, the coaching staff moved him to TE where he took to the position change like a natural. He has all the potential in the world at TE but questions remain how he will take the jump to the XFL after just one season at the position. Providence have 3 TEs on the roster but all of them are slow and aging so Jackson has a real shot to become the starter.

Grade A-

Miami
2036 1.10
RB Brandon Boston 38/80
Vol 88
5' 9" 211 lbs
Nebraska

The 2nd Cornhusker goes in the top ten as Miami selects RB Boston. This pick was a shocker as Boston was projected to go late in the 1st or 2nd round. Scouts are concerned about his height and weight handling the workload of a running back. His draft stock dropped at the combine when his speed was determined to be average at best. The hope for Miami is the sum of the parts is more then the individual parts alone. Only time will tell how Boston handles the jump to the XFL and what roll he will take on with Miami.

Grade B

Carolina
2036 1.11
CB Garry Wiese 43/87
Vol 42
5' 10" 194 lbs
Miami

Carolina traded the 25th and 32nd pick to New England to trade up and get this defensive back out of Miami who has dropped to 11th in the 1st round. Scouts and mock drafts had him the 2nd best defensive back in the draft and he was considered a top 5 pick so when he fell to 11th, Carolina couldn't pass up the opportunity to move up and grab him. Carolina's secondary is an aging group that lacks speed and Wiese brings youth and speed to the group.

Grade A+

Tampa Bay
2036 1.12
FS Ronny Oneill 44/81
Vol 70
6' 0" 216 lbs
Penn State

Tampa Bay uses their 2nd 1st round pick on the defense selected this hard hitting safety from Penn State. There are questions about his maturity and off the field issues but there are no questions about his speed and quickness and how he plays football like his hair is on fire. His potential is through the roof but his floor could be very low as well so it's a big question if he will be a role player or a future ALLPRO.

Grade A-

Cincinnati
2036 1.13
MLB Daniel Gregory 34/77
Vol 6
6' 1" 252 lbs
Louisiana State

Scouts believe Gregory is a solid, safe pick for a MLB in the XFL. He won't be the greatest linebacker in the league but he will be a starter for Cincinnati for many seasons to come. He has the size you look for to play MLB but he just lacks the elite speed to be special. What he lacks in speed, he makes up for it with his tackling, run stuffing and coverage skills.

Grade B+

Kansas City
2036 1.14
WLB Roger Deems 39/72
Vol 28
5' 11" 218 lbs
Florida State

Deems played linebacker in college but he lacks the size to play at that position in the XFL. Scouts believe he could easily transition to safety in the XFL where his speed with pay dividends. Kansas City may keep him at linebacker since they lack depth at that position.

Grade B

New York
2036 1.15
MLB Morgan Elliott 41/79
Vol 80
6' 2" 250 lbs
Ohio State

The 3rd Buckeye comes off the board in the top 15 players in the draft. Elliott was the captain of the National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes defense and scouts view him as a complete all around MLB. He has the size and strength along with good not great speed to stop the run, play coverage and even rush the quarterback. The question scouts have is that he played beside #2 overall pick Bordeaux and will he transition to the XFL without him beside him. The good news is he will have veteran LB Crabtree to play beside him in New York so only time will tell.

Grade B+

Michigan
2036 1.16
DT Howard Ross 43/73
Vol 38
6' 2" 290 lbs
Tulsa

Ross played DT in college at Tulsa out of necessity but scouts love him as a DE in the XFL where if he can lose around 20 pounds in camp, his speed should make a him a high level pass rusher. Michigan has an aging defensive line room and Ross brings youth and speed to the group. He has a chance to start day 1 if he can make the transition to the XFL.

Grade B+

Seattle
2036 1.17
RB John Pine 40/80
Vol 36
5' 9" 223 lbs
Duke

Pine joins a Seattle backfield that has RB Broughton who set a career high with 900 yards rushing last season and RB Cady who rushed for 666 yards in his rookie season but lost RB Taylor to retirement. Pine has the potential to fill a role in Seattle's running back by committee system. Pine has a complete set of skills to become a good running back but simply lacks elite speed.

Grade B+

Oakland
2036 1.18
RB John Love 43/80
Vol 46
5' 10" 230 lbs
Arizona State

Love is the 4th RB to go in the 1st round as the new rule changes being instituted in the XFL this season  favor teams with legimate backs to carry the rock. Mock drafts had him going in front of Pine and Boston so Oakland had to be ecstatic he fell to them. Oakland has 2x ALLPRO back Hamlett who has rushed for at least 1,000 yards the past 3 seasons and Love will ease into the rotation as Hamlett gets older.

Grade A

Gem City
2036 1.19
FS Chad Romo 45/84
Vol 36
5' 11" 200 lbs
Ohio State

Romo is the 4th Buckeye to go in the 1st round and played on the dominate defense that helped Ohio State win the National Championship. Romo is a speedy hard hitting defensive back that should help the once proud Gem City Gangsters return to prominence after 3 straight seasons missing the playoffs and 5 of the last 6 seasons. It's not that Gem City has been horrible as they have missed the playoffs with records of 12-4, 10-6, 10-6 and 2 8-8 seasons but their division has been a nightmare as Zehlendorf went on a fantastic run along with Saint Paul plus Montana actually made the playoffs for the 1st time in team history last season. Romo adds much needed speed to an aging defensive backfield in Gem City.

Grade A

Toronto
2036 1.20
WR James Benningfield 47/80
Vol 12
6' 0" 200 lbs
North Carolina

Toronto selects this WR out of North Carolina as they add yet another playmaker to their offense. Toronto finished 10-5-1 last season, just missing the playoffs and it was the 1st time in their 18 year history they finished above five hundred. They used the 9th ranked offense and 8th ranked passing attack to get there and they just added another piece to that puzzle. Will they finally make the playoffs for the 1st time this upcoming season? Time will tell.

Grade B+

Montana
2036 1.21
DT Christopher Howland 38/67
Vol 98
6' 1" 299 lbs
Ball State

Montana made the playoffs for the 1st time in 18 seasons last season behind a run defense that ranked 3rd in stopping the run. 7 of the 11 front four on defense are entering their 10th season or later and they needed to add some youth to their strength. Howland is a typical run stopping DT that Montana has build their defense around.

Grade B

Philadelphia
2036 1.22
WR Claurence Goins 47/79
Vol 42
5' 11" 188 lbs
Florida State

Philly adds a playmaker on an offense that ranked 19th in passing and 19th overall last season. Since winning the XFL Title in 2028, the team has slowly slid backwards missing the playoffs 3 of the last 5 seasons. Goins will hopefully give them another weapon in an attempt to start climbing back towards contention. Goins has great speed and his catching skills should land him in the top 3 receivers plus he brings the element of a returner to the team.

Grade B+

Atlanta
2036 1.23
MLB Alex Appleton 35/75
Vol 90
6' 1" 246
Appalachian State

Atlanta takes a gamble on this MLB from a small school and hope his well rounded attributes translate to the XFL. He has elite skills all around in college except his speed and quickness which is below average. Atlanta has used both 1st round picks on defense as the once proud francise tries to pull itself out of a 7 year tailspin.

Grade C

Houston
2036 1.24
WR Lee McCourt 52/87
Vol 18
6' 1" 195 lbs
Kansas

Houston is a team on the rise as they have reached the playoffs the 3 of the last 4 seasons after an 8 year drought. They had the #2 ranked offense last season and the 5th ranked passing attack so they add another playmaker to a loaded group of receivers. McCourt has elite level speed and quickness and should have a real chance to Crack the top 3 receivers on the roster. It will be interesting to see who becomes RBs and who remains WRs on the Houston roster to comply with the leagues new rules.

Grade A+

New England
2036 1.25
CB Jon Wright 46/86
Vol 100
5' 10" 198 lbs
Virginia Tech

Wright has the speed and coverage skill potential to make it in the XFL but off the field allegations may sidetrack him from meeting his full potential. If he can clear up the off the field nonsense and he can focus on his craft, he could become a dominant player in the league. Time will tell if he booms or is another bust.

Grade B+

Memphis
2036 1.26
RT David Duncan 40/86
Vol 58
6' 5" 310 lbs
Stanford

The 3rd offensive lineman taken in the 1st round goes to Memphis who took the 1st offensive lineman at #3 overall. Memphis clearly went into this draft with reworking the offensive line number one on their agenda. With the addition of Walker and Duncan, they have taken a giant step in rebuilding possibly one side of the line. While scouts viewed Duncan one of the best of the 2nd tier of offensive linemen in the draft, it's not a big drop-off from the top 2 and the next 3-4 linemen.

Grade A-

Pittsburgh
2036 1.27
SLB Joseph Timmons 27/56
Vol 48
6' 0" 252 lbs
Washington

We made it all the way to the 27th overall pick before we had a ***! moment. The francise is in Flux as the owner is facing charges on embezzlement and obstruction of judgement in some sort of real estate ponzie scheme. With the owner in Flux, and the general manager stepping down the team is being run by a bunch of front office assistents and an analytics group in some sort of committee. The committee was in a heated debate as the clock was winding down and the teams receptionists turned in the pick just before the clock expired while the committee continued to argue. It was discovered later that she picked the player because he had the same last name of the main character in the current romance novel she was reading and she thought it was destiny. Scouts had the player being drafted somewhere in the 4th or 5th round.

Grade F

Texas
2036 1.28
SS Ted Schmidt 46/78
Vol 40
5 ' 11" 206 lbs
Iowa

Texas selects this safety known for being a hard hitting player with good speed and quickness. Texas is a team that has arrived in recent years winning double digit games the last 6 seasons, making the playoffs 5 of the last 6 seasons and a constant challenge to the perennial playoff team in Dakota including winning it all in 2033.

Grade A-

Dakota
2036 1.29
FB Ice Inveins 44/80
Vol 36
5' 10" 243 lbs
Penn State

Dakota takes this FB outta Penn State who they plan on making into a RB who should gain some speed and gain more snaps as RBs Williams, Levi and Smith age out or retire.

Grade A

Los Angeles
2036 1.30
C James Rasmussen 42/87
Vol 46
Texas El paso

The 2nd best center is still on the board so of course Los Angeles who has taken the last 2 Dave Rimington award winners for best center in college takes another center. Hopefully LA has a plan for all 3 of these premium centers.

Grade B

Saint Paul
2036 1.31
RT Robert Epps 41/88
Vol 26
6' 5" 320 lbs
Texas Tech

Saint Paul is coming off an appearance in the Title game and their 1st Conference Championship so they are drafting 31st which means all the best players are gone right??? Nope, the rich get richer as they select this RT who scouts have ranked as one of the top 4 O-lineman in the draft who is considered a sure thing and has the versatility to play all 5 positions on the line.

Grade A+

New England
2036 1.32
MLB Ryan Levey 37/79
Vol 40
6' 0" 240 lbs
Washington State

With the new rules emphasizing LB play, New England takes this solid LB who can play either inside or outside and has elite cover skills with speed just below elite level.

Grade A-