2038 XFL ANNUAL 1ST ROUND DRAFT REVIEW
It's time!!!!
For the annual 1st round draft review in the 2038 XFL draft, the 21st draft in league history!!!
*disclaimer*
This draft review is based solely on my opinions based on my 4+ years of experience and meant to be informative and fun. Like Mel Kiper Jr. and others, it's entirely opinion based and not meant as to be a definitive statement or an attack on any owner. Please take the review in fun and hopefully nobodies feeling get hurt from a negative review. I've been right in the past and clearly wrong too as can be seen in the draft history thread.
https://xfl.myfootballnow.com/forums/1/453?page=4#22961.1
Atlanta
RG Anthony Dixon 35/92
Vol 10
6' 2" 326 lbs
San Jose State
Atlanta wasted no time in selecting the best all around offensive lineman in the draft. Dixon played on the interior line in college and was the 2037 Outland trophy winner but scouts see him moving to RT in the XFL where his fantastic combination of size, strength, speed and quickness make him an ideal candidate to move to tackle.
Grade A+
1.2
Daytona
CB Timothy Allen 31/88
Vol 14
5' 10" 191 lbs
Oklahoma
Daytona takes the concensus best lock-down corner in the draft. Allen was the Lott Trophy and Jim Thorpe winner in college and has elite speed and acceleration to go along with a complete set of coverage skills. This couple with his ability to rush the passer at times and sure tackling make him a complete CB and scouts believe he could reach ALLPRO level in the XFL.
Grade A+
1.3
Providence
WLB William Coronado 29/87
Vol 32
6' 0" 240 lbs
Notre Dame
Providence takes this Golden Domer and Butkis award winner with the 3rd pick and scouts ranked him the concensus best linebacker in the draft. His unique combination of speed and strength along with his skills at stopping the run or playing in coverage make him the total package at linebacker. He can play inside or outside backer and stay on the field on all 3 downs. Scouts love his skill set and if he has any weakness, it's his intelligence with may limit his ability to wear the red dot on defense his first few seasons.
Grade A+
1.4
Washington
CB Harry Parker 30/85
Vol 16
5' 10 184 lbs
Florida State
Parker was the runner-up for the Jim Thorpe award in college and scouts view him as a close 2nd best cornerback in the draft. This diminutive player had outstanding coverage skills along with great speed and quickness. What separated him from CB Allen was his lack of size and strength to play in the box but that takes nothing away from his ability to cover and affect the game.
Grade A
1.5
Pittsburgh
QB William Anderson 31/82
Vol 44
6' 1" 231 lbs
Georgia Tech
This draft didn't feature a deep quarterback class but Pittsburgh selects this Davey O'Brien award winner out of Georgia Tech with the 5th pick. Anderson and QB Robert Alvarez were considered the top 2 signal callers in the draft. Pittsburgh selected the more mobile of the 2 quarterbacks which should pay more dividends over the more stationary Alvarez. Anderson will compete with fellow Pittsburgh QBs Bruno Wallace and Alan Wyatt for the starting role as the team has drafted a quarterback in the last 3 drafts but this is the first 1st round selection used as Wallace was a 7th rounder while Wyatt was a 4th rounder.
Grade A-
1.6
New York Empire
TE Steve Finch 35/85
Vol 34
6' 4" 254 lbs
Missouri
Finch was rated the 2nd best tightend in the draft behind TE Michael Devries but off the field issues and concerns about Devries ability to translate to the XFL helped to drop his draft status. Finch has nice size and decent speed and his versatility make him a good pick. He can remain at TE or switch to either FB or RB if needed but the fact New York has no true TE means he likely stays put especially in this new era of XFL football where TEs become a bigger target.
Grade A
1.7
Memphis
RB Richard Billiot 37/88
Vol 62
5' 10" 220 lbs
Alcorn State
The first real gamble of the 1st round goes to Memphis who selects this RB out of a smaller college program. Despite coming out of a small program, scouts rated him as one of the best RB prospects in the draft. Billiot is known for having great hands and if he has trouble transitioning to RB at the next level, he still could make a big impact as a WR. Scouts do love his potential and if he can reach that potential then he has the chance to become a 3 down feature back in the XFL.
Grade A
Ole Mel Kiper Jr, on his 1st day off from work in 20 days was rangled into some Christmas shopping by Mrs. Kiper.....hence sorry for the delay but the draft review continues...
1.8
Arizona
SLB Ray Vickers 33/81
Vol 28
6' 1" 230 lbs
UCLA
Arizona takes the 2nd highest rated LB in the draft in vickers. He is slightly undersized for the position but that doesn't thwart his incredible strength and helps his great speed. He has the ability to play inside backer but his size and coverage skills lend him more to a coverage backer on the outside with decent pass rush ability.
Grade A
1.9
Philadelphia
FS Ronald Johnson 33/79
Vol 18
6' 0" 201 lbs
Texas Christian
Philadelphia takes one of the 10 defensive backs experts have ranked as either a 1st or early 2nd round talent. Despite being used as a FS in college, Johnson has the skills to play either CB or SS in the XFL. His combination of intelligence, strength, speed and quickness is all good but not great, however his ability to either play coverage or come down into the box to stop the run is great. Based on Philly already having an elite CB1 in Darryl Pugh, it makes sense for Johnson to play safety.
Grade A
1.10
Indiana
SS Erin Serrano 27/72
Vol 28
6' 0" 201 lbs
Hawaii
Serrano was one of the 10 DBs ranked high in this year's deep class. He has elite world class speed matched only by his incredible football IQ and intelligence. While scouts question his m2m cover skills, his speed and smarts make him an ideal FS in the XFL. If he is allowed the freedom of moving to FS, his lightning speed, ability to recognize plays and sure tackling could make him a playmaker at the next level.
Grade A
1.11
Seattle
LDE Leroy Ewing 32/78
Vol 22
6' 4" 276 lbs
Boston College
This year's draft class featured 3 legimate DEs with the size, strength and speed to be true pass rushers off the edge. Seattle takes Ewing out of Boston College who many experts see as the surest one of the 3 to become an elite pass rusher. While some experts viewed Fransico McRae as having the best potential, critics sited his work ethic and motor. Ewing is the more polished and therefore has less downside than McRae.
Grade A
1.12
Oakland
RG Michael Turner 36/86
Vol 24
6' 1" 328 lbs
Tulane
With RG Dixon going #1 overall, Turner was the best lineman left in the draft and Oakland wasted no time in making his the 12th overall selection. Oakland has missed the playoffs for 4 straight seasons after a run of 15 playoff appearances in the first 16 seasons of the XFL. With the selection of Turner, Oakland is looking to build up again in the trenches and return to past glory. Turner has the size and strength to play anywhere on the oline minus maybe center and he is considered a building block pick.
Grade A
1.13
Miami
SS Scott Conklin 30/80
Vol 56
5' 10" 189 lbs
Louisiana State
The run on the deep DB continues with Conklin who despite playing safety in college, many scouts believe he can transition to CB in the XFL due to his elite coverage potential. That creates an interesting problem in Miami as they have one of the best group of CBs in the league. With SS James Smith entering his 10th season and the CB trio of Garcia, Obryne and Stephens all approaching the big 30, Conklin has the chance to learn from some greats while splitting time between safety and corner.
Grade A
1.14
Texas
SS Ross Taylor 25/74
Vol 14
6' 1" 203 lbs
Arizona
Yet another DB from this deep draft class is selected and Taylor has the versatility to play either safety or corner. Texas lacks quality depth in both areas and Taylor should help strengthen that group no matter where he is used.
Grade A-
1.15
Zehlendorf
TE Michael Devries 34/89
Vol 90
6' 6" 269 lbs
Towson State
Devries is a tremendous physical specimen with a ton of versatility but scouts have questions about his drive and work ethic. If he can dedicate himself to football in the pros and reach his potential, he could be special at a number of positions including everything from offensive line down to wide receiver. The question is where does Zehlendorf plan to use him and will he boom or bust in camp? We all will be watching.
Grade A
1.16
Montana
RDE Fransico McRae 35/82
Vol 94
6' 3" 283 lbs
San Diego State
McRae like the previous pick Devries is his own worst enemy as off the field issues plus questionable work ethic have dropped their draft status. Scouts marvel at the incredible combination of size, herculean strength, speed and quickness that McRae possesses but the question remains can he dedicate himself to football and harness all that potential? If the answer is yes, McRae is a steal at 16th and quarterbacks will suffer at his hands for years to come. If the answer is no, he may show flashes of brilliance but frustrate both the team and fans as he wastes his potential.
Grade A
1.17
Kansas City
WR Martin Moore 31/79
Vol 52
6' 0" 193 lbs
Southern Methodist
The first wide receiver doesn't go until the 17th pick of the 1st round. Typically this position is drafted early and often but actually before the first WR went 5th last draft, the first WR in the 2036 draft didn't come off the board until 20th overall. Moore has elite speed, good size and a knack for going across the middle without flinching. Scouts believe he has the skills to be a WR1 or WR2 in this league with his low end being a WR3.
Grade A
1.18
Carolina
CB Paul Parker 29/73
Vol 50
5' 10" 207 lbs
Auburn
Parker is the 7th DB selected in the first 18 selections and scouts view this college CB as an ideal FS in the XFL. He has great speed and intelligence to go along with a hard hitting style but lacks great m2m cover skills. Carolina is loaded at CB with Philson, Weise and Vasques plus they have veteran Peter Chen at SS so Parker moving to FS makes sense.
Grade A-
1.19
Houston
TE Joseph McCasland 33/80
Vol 18
6' 4" 242 lbs
Mississippi
While the debate over Finch or Devries being the top TE in the draft were raging, some scouts and draft experts loved McCasland and argued he belonged in that top group. McCasland is slightly undersized at TE but his versatility make him an option at FB or RB as well. His makeup was graded high and he could end up having the best career of the big 3 TEs.
Grade A+
1.20
Michigan
FS Gerry Covington 29/71
Vol 34
5' 11" 201 lbs
California
The run on DBs continues as Covington is another college safety who scouts believe has the speed and coverage skills to play CB in the XFL. Michigan has Branstetter and McCullough starting at safety plus Moye and Bowie at CB but Bowie will be playing his 11th season at 32 years old so Covington could move to the slot and become Bowie's eventual replacement.
Grade A-
1.21
Los Angeles
WR Bob Martin 29/79
Vol 38
5' 9" 212 lbs
Alabama
Los Angeles made it to the NXC Conference Championship game last season behind the 5th ranked defense and 5th ranked rushing offense but look to improve their 17th ranked pass offense with this WR out of XFL factory Alabama. Martin is a stocky wide receiver and scouts see him possibly playing some in the backfield where he can run the ball some to go along with his pass catching ability. Solid, versatile pick.
Grade A
1.22
Vancouver
RB Arthur Shively 28/74
Vol 50
5' 10" 211 lbs
Tennessee
Vancouver selects this college RB who many draft experts believe will make a better WR in the XFL. Shively had a propensity to fumble in college but his hands in the passing game were great. If he moves to WR, he could still get a few carries per game.
Grade A-
1.23
New England
RG Jack Durgin 34/92
Vol 98
6' 5" 306
Army
This draft had 3 olinemen graded as 1st round talents. Dixon went #1 overall as a cant miss prospect while Turner went 12th as the next best lineman. New England takes Durgin with the 23rd pick and scouts love his potential and their is no denying he has great physical skills but questions about his eligibility to play in the XFL due to his military commitments dropped his draft status.
Grade A
1.24
Vegas
RB Scott Clark 24/65
Vol 78
6' 1" 185 lbs
Texas A&M - Kingsville
Vegas makes the ole "AL Davis" 1st round pick in Clark who turned heads at the combine based on his pure speed and quickness. He is severely underweight to remain a full-time RB in the XFL and he has questionable hands in the passing game plus ball security was also an issue but he is a homerun threat everytime he touches the ball so its all about how Vegas uses him.
Grade B+
1.25
Brooklyn
TE Anthony Meyer 29/73
Vol 24
6' 3" 267 lbs
Fresno State
Meyer was lost in the wash when it cane to debating the best TEs in the draft but he has great blocking skills, good size and showed in college he could hold his own in the passing game. Scouts believe he will make a solid 3 down TE with his run blocking and ability to make plays in the passing game.
Grade B+
1.26
Cincinnati
WR Michael Eberhardt 30/74
Vol 26
5' 10" 206 lbs
Penn State
Eberhardt has great speed and quickness but scouts view his WR skills as average across the board with the exception of his route running. He does bring kick return abilities to the table and he is a great run blocker out wide which both may pay dividends as the XFL enters a new era.
Grade B+
1.27
Toronto
LDE William Power 29/73
Vol 30
6' 1" 262 lbs
North Dakota State
Power was the 3rd rated pass rusher in the draft where he has great size, speed and strength but scouts question his willingness to set the edge on run plays. If he doesn't show the ability to stop the run then he may become a pass rush specialist instead of a 3 down DE. Still players will this size, strength and speed are hard to pass up especially for a Toronto team which make the playoffs despite a 17th ranked defense.
Grade A-
1.28
Tampa Bay
WR Randolph Rosas 35/74
Vol 22
6' 1" 184 lbs
Ohio (Miami)
With WRs not that deep in this draft, Rosas has great speed and quickness coupled with a decent set of reciever attributes that could help Tampa Bay who broke a 15 year absence from the playoffs behind their 9th ranked defense. Tampa had the 25th ranked passing offense and Rosas could help them improve in that area.
Grade B
1.29
Indiana
FS Mark Blevins 34/70
Vol 32
5' 9" 195 lbs
Richmond
Indiana which moved from Denver in the off-season uses their 2nd of 2 1st rounders for another DB. Indiana is looking to build something on defense after their move because the francise has missed the playoffs for 6 sttaight seasons and only had 3 postseason appearances in 20 seasons in Denver. The elongated slump helped erode the fan base and disputes over a new stadium in Denver ended up forcing the move to Indiana where they built a 77,000 seat outdoor stadium named LF Memorial Fiel. Blevins along with fellow 1st rounder Serrano bring world class speed to Indiana's defense with Blevins more of a pass rusher and run stuffing safety due to poor m2m cover skills.
Grade B+
1.30
Vancouver
TE Daniel McComas 28/70
Vol 10
6' 4" 246 lbs
Mississippi
McComas wasn't considered a 1st round talent according to most draft experts. He is slightly undersized for TE and scouts question his run blocking abilities. He has good speed and excellent quickness and he has nice route running, ability to make contested catches and avoid the jam but experts question his hand, both in pass catching and ball security.
Grade C
1.31
Saint Paul
WLB Christopher Cram 28/74
Vol 32
6' 1" 225 lbs
Clemson
Cram is a tweener with great speed and pass rush ability but he lacks the size and strength to play DE. He could be used as a blitzing LB who can play the edge on obvious passing downs. Their wasn't much available at LB in the draft for true 3 down LBers but Cram can be useful and has enough skills in other areas to not get embarrassed. If used correctly, he could be a difference maker on defense.
Grade B+
1.32
Dakota
QB Robert Alvarez 29/81
Vol 50
6' 0" 231 lbs
Penn State
Dakota has a long tradition of great quarterback play from Hall of Famer QB Randal Cunningham to 3x MVP and defending Champion QB Jason Matson that when they select a QB in the 1st round, the league pays attention. Matson is entering his 13th season and faced a benching when Dakota used QB Eastman for 7 games before Matson took over and shut up any critics by going on a playoff run and winning his 1st title. Alvarez has hugh shoes to fill but he is incredibly smart with solid arm strength and a quick release. If he can reach his potential he could continue the great QB tradition in Dakota. He will have the added benefit of being able to sit, watch and learn from a true pro.
Grade A
