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Orlando: Grade A+
Pirates did a passable impression of Bill Belichick, trading down several times and grabbing great value along the way.
Orlando started out at 1.1 before trading that pick to Wichita for the 1.7, 1.11 and 2.6 picks.
Pirates hadn’t finished as he then shipped the 1.7 to Georgia in return for the 1.17 and DE Dean Trapp (70 rated / 5yr vet).
Ready to draft, Orlando then took highly rated OT Hickson with the 1.11 and OG Dahnke with the 1.17, in effect turning the first overall pick into DE Trapp, LT Hickson and OG Dahnke. A pretty good return by anyones standard.
By their own admission Orlando had lots of holes prior to the draft. Shrewdly, the Pirates played the market and ended up filling three starting slots rather than one. They also concentrated on reinforcing the trenches, again a wise move for a young roster taking shape.
Houston: Grade B+
The Renegades are quietly building a competitive roster down in Houston.
SteveB already has some important pieces in place and was probably one of several franchises disappointed with the wide receiver class this draft. Providing star QB Surratt with weapons would have been a high priority and with the paucity of top level WR talent, Houston decided to turn to the TE position. No problem with that decision.
At 1.13, Thurman Levine became the first TE drafted and he looks like a future starter.
Trouble is just one pick later Fresno drafted arguably the better TE.
Terrell Sperg is bigger, has better endurance and is more developed. Pre training camp he looks the better prospect despite slightly inferior combine scores in comparison to Levine.
Throughout their careers, these two will forever be compared. Time will tell but I’d have taken Sperg and for that reason, Houston’s grade drops to a B rather than B+.*
* Edit: Apologies to Houston.
The Voice has belatedly noticed that SteveB also made a move to grab the 1.25 pick after trading two 2nd rounders and a 4th to Georgia.
With that pick Houston drafted OT Gino Wilcox, the third tackle taken in the 1st round.
Wilcox is a little undersized but had good combines and bars.
He looks to be a very nice selection this late in the 1st and the trade and his acquisition brings the Renegades grade back up to a B+.
Which Tight End would you go for?
Fresno: Grade B+
The Warthogs were in almost the same predicament as Houston - having a star quarterback but needing targets.
As we’ve seen with SteveB, Kobeck also decided to grab a TE, drafting Sperg at 1.14.
As we’ve discussed, Kobeck’s guy looks the more pro ready.
Schwartz will be the happier of the two QB’s hence the B+.
Vancouver: Grade C
The Killer Whales were another team that wanted receiver talent, although unlike many of the other franchises sifting through the WR class Vancouver doesn’t have a top QB in place. 55 rated - 13yr vet Winston Scott is their best guy.
Undetered, MarkC decided to go after WR Al Wormeck and he became the first receiver drafted at 1.16.
I could almost understand this pick if Vancouver had someone to throw the ball but on several levels I’m left scratching my head.
There are quite a few starters on this team that are staring retirement full in the face and I’d have thought it would have made more sense to bring in a DT (Llewellyn or Lang?) or even take one of the stud OG’s (Dahnke or Escamilla?) with a view to a switch to Center.
If you absolutely want a wideout, why not go after Winston Stuart?
Stuart was drafted by Oakland a few picks later and has far better endurance and much safer hands and pre camp looks a much better player.
Yeah, Wormeck will start and may even be the best target on the roster, but for me this pick would have been better spent elsewhere.
Iowa City: Grade B+
Iowa have a deep roster forming up and look to be getting younger. The Snipe Hunters may have hoped to pick up a top skill player in the middle of the round, but to be frank the talent was thin at this point.
Unlike some other GM’s, Sidewinder resisted temptation to force a pick and stuck with the talent.
OG Broderick Escamilla is a beast and will be a lynchpin on a good looking O-line for years.
A perfect example of the merits of drafting BPA rather than by need.
Oakland: Grade B
Oakland made a surprise move back into the round, trading TE Lofton (81 rated 6yr vet) to Chicago for the rights to the 1.19 berth.
The trade left the team very thin at TE but Jave obviously saw someone he wanted badly.
WR Winston Stuart was the target and as the best receiver in this draft he immediately gives Donovan a legitimate threat and further increases the potency of the Assassin’s spread offense.
A nice player to take at that spot, but man look at that hole at TE!
Jave’s grade drops as he gave to Donovan with one hand but took away with the other.
Orlando: Grade A+
Pirates did a passable impression of Bill Belichick, trading down several times and grabbing great value along the way.
Orlando started out at 1.1 before trading that pick to Wichita for the 1.7, 1.11 and 2.6 picks.
Pirates hadn’t finished as he then shipped the 1.7 to Georgia in return for the 1.17 and DE Dean Trapp (70 rated / 5yr vet).
Ready to draft, Orlando then took highly rated OT Hickson with the 1.11 and OG Dahnke with the 1.17, in effect turning the first overall pick into DE Trapp, LT Hickson and OG Dahnke. A pretty good return by anyones standard.
By their own admission Orlando had lots of holes prior to the draft. Shrewdly, the Pirates played the market and ended up filling three starting slots rather than one. They also concentrated on reinforcing the trenches, again a wise move for a young roster taking shape.
Houston: Grade B+
The Renegades are quietly building a competitive roster down in Houston.
SteveB already has some important pieces in place and was probably one of several franchises disappointed with the wide receiver class this draft. Providing star QB Surratt with weapons would have been a high priority and with the paucity of top level WR talent, Houston decided to turn to the TE position. No problem with that decision.
At 1.13, Thurman Levine became the first TE drafted and he looks like a future starter.
Trouble is just one pick later Fresno drafted arguably the better TE.
Terrell Sperg is bigger, has better endurance and is more developed. Pre training camp he looks the better prospect despite slightly inferior combine scores in comparison to Levine.
Throughout their careers, these two will forever be compared. Time will tell but I’d have taken Sperg and for that reason, Houston’s grade drops to a B rather than B+.*
* Edit: Apologies to Houston.
The Voice has belatedly noticed that SteveB also made a move to grab the 1.25 pick after trading two 2nd rounders and a 4th to Georgia.
With that pick Houston drafted OT Gino Wilcox, the third tackle taken in the 1st round.
Wilcox is a little undersized but had good combines and bars.
He looks to be a very nice selection this late in the 1st and the trade and his acquisition brings the Renegades grade back up to a B+.
Which Tight End would you go for?
Fresno: Grade B+
The Warthogs were in almost the same predicament as Houston - having a star quarterback but needing targets.
As we’ve seen with SteveB, Kobeck also decided to grab a TE, drafting Sperg at 1.14.
As we’ve discussed, Kobeck’s guy looks the more pro ready.
Schwartz will be the happier of the two QB’s hence the B+.
Vancouver: Grade C
The Killer Whales were another team that wanted receiver talent, although unlike many of the other franchises sifting through the WR class Vancouver doesn’t have a top QB in place. 55 rated - 13yr vet Winston Scott is their best guy.
Undetered, MarkC decided to go after WR Al Wormeck and he became the first receiver drafted at 1.16.
I could almost understand this pick if Vancouver had someone to throw the ball but on several levels I’m left scratching my head.
There are quite a few starters on this team that are staring retirement full in the face and I’d have thought it would have made more sense to bring in a DT (Llewellyn or Lang?) or even take one of the stud OG’s (Dahnke or Escamilla?) with a view to a switch to Center.
If you absolutely want a wideout, why not go after Winston Stuart?
Stuart was drafted by Oakland a few picks later and has far better endurance and much safer hands and pre camp looks a much better player.
Yeah, Wormeck will start and may even be the best target on the roster, but for me this pick would have been better spent elsewhere.
Iowa City: Grade B+
Iowa have a deep roster forming up and look to be getting younger. The Snipe Hunters may have hoped to pick up a top skill player in the middle of the round, but to be frank the talent was thin at this point.
Unlike some other GM’s, Sidewinder resisted temptation to force a pick and stuck with the talent.
OG Broderick Escamilla is a beast and will be a lynchpin on a good looking O-line for years.
A perfect example of the merits of drafting BPA rather than by need.
Oakland: Grade B
Oakland made a surprise move back into the round, trading TE Lofton (81 rated 6yr vet) to Chicago for the rights to the 1.19 berth.
The trade left the team very thin at TE but Jave obviously saw someone he wanted badly.
WR Winston Stuart was the target and as the best receiver in this draft he immediately gives Donovan a legitimate threat and further increases the potency of the Assassin’s spread offense.
A nice player to take at that spot, but man look at that hole at TE!
Jave’s grade drops as he gave to Donovan with one hand but took away with the other.
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