XFL Annual 1st round draft review
I've been doing this for 17 seasons now and I tell everyone this draft review is meant to be fun with the opinions expressed being my honest opinion based on my player weights and how I see the game. Please don't take anything I express as a personal attack because if the check the draft history thread...I've been proven wrong just as much as I've been proven right.
Years ago, an owner quit after he selected a horrible FB with a top ten pick and I gave an honest evaluation of the pick. He quit because I was picking on him and that FB never played a down in the XFL.
Anyway, enough of this ****, let's get this party started
2037 1.1
Daytona
WLB Jamal Grubb 43/89
Vol 68
6' 1" 234 lbs
Southern California
Grubb is a solid linebacker with good speed, strength and intelligence with tackling and pass rush abilities slightly advanced and incredibly polished cover skills. He has the ability to play either inside or outside backer and in a worse case could transition to DB if he doesnt pan out at LB. If he blossoms, he could be special and his floor is solid.
Grade A+
2037 1.2
Arizona
TE Eric McFadden 45/83
Vol 32
6' 4" 241 lbs
Oregon State
Mcfadden is a cant miss pass catching talent who can play anywhere on the offense as a playmaker. He can stay at TE, has the size to become a FB or even a RB and could ultimately become a bigger WR. It's all about versatility and what plans Arizona has for him but the one constant is his golden sticky hands where he catches everything thrown to him.
Grade A+
2037 1.3
Washington
RT Wm Goff 23/96
Vol 34
6' 5" 324 lbs
Southern Mississippi
Goff is a mountain of a man with a tiny first name who can play either tackle or guard based on his combination of size, strength, speed and quickness along with his blocking abilities which are a little more advanced in pass protection. He is a safe pick which should pay dividends for the next decade.
Grade A
2037 1.4
Pittsburgh
CB Donald Anderson 43/88
Vol 92
6' 0" 180 lbs
Auburn
Pittsburgh takes a slight gamble on this smaller cornerback out of Auburn. The gamble is that his potential is thru the roof but can he learn to harness that potential? If he learns nothing and never reaches his potential, scouts still see him as someone that can play in the XFL at CB but if he develops, he could be an ALLPRO level talent.
Grade A
2037 1.5
Denver
WR Edward Zinn 49/83
Vol 62
5' 11" 208 lbs
Fresno State
This draft doesn't have a deep WR class but Denver takes one of the few that has pro talent potential. Zinn doesn't have elite high end speed but he has size, quickness, strength and great ability to catch the 50/50 ball. Scouts believe his potential as a WR is thru the roof plus his size affords him the chance to run the ball as well.
Grade A
2037 1.6
Memphis
SLB Donnie Huerta 38/77
Vol 66
6' 1" 245 lbs
Old Dominion
Memphis takes this physical specimen out of Old Dominion who scouts love his potential but debate exactly where he should play at the next level. His speed and quickness could make him a playmaker linebacker but some see him moving to defensive end where he could gain weight and be a dominant pass rusher. There are even some scouts who believe he could transition to safety with his speed and potential cover skills. It will be interesting to see what direction Memphis takes and how well Huerta transitions to that direction.
Grade A-
2037 1.7
Los Angeles
RDE Christopher Shoults 30/89
Vol 92
6' 3" 271 lbs
UMASS
The theme so far has been teams selecting raw talent players going for the homerun as only 2 picks out of 7 have been considered safer picks. Shoults is another raw talent out of a small school who has an amazing combination of size, speed and strength and if he can develop could become an ALLPRO talent. This draft so far is gonna make or break some teams because swinging for the fences can lead to striking out.
Grade A
2037 1.8
Miami
MLB Jimmie Hodgkinson 31/72
Vol 32
6' 1" 236 lbs
Michigan State
Every draft, we get a head scratcher in the first 10 picks and this is just that in the 2037 draft. Hodgkinson played LB at a big college program and has good size but scouts weren't impressed with his speed, strength or football IQ at the combine. Scouts saw him as quality depth at LB if he fully develops all his skills but there are questions about his tackling technique.
Grade C
2037 1.9
Gem City
RB John Douglas 40/85
Vol 58
5' 11" 206 lbs
Miami
This back out of Miami has a chance to be a starter in this league. Scouts love his speed and quickness and if he can develop at the next level, he could be a playmaker in both the run and pass game. Scouts love how he really goes up and attacks the football in the passing game.
Grade A
2037 1.10
Vancouver
SS Kevin Whiteman 37/77
Vol 42
6' 0" 203 lbs
California Lutheran
Vancouver takes this safety out of a small program who scouts love his elite speed. It's just a matter of how his coverage skills develop what level of play they get out of him but his speed plays at this level.
Grade A-
