Nice draft for the Victors! Hopefully we can win now and bring the cup to the midwest

1957 Draft Preview
This season’s draft is stacking up to be a big event. After a down year in talent, there is an injection of strong talent in this season. With the new teams in Indianapolis and Louisville, there are a plethora of young players taking their chances in the NAAF.  The top prospect this time around is a Michigan native DL William Sanderson. A great leader on the field with an ability to know what’s happening at all times on the field. While he is out of Michigan, his family is from Providence and he has remained a Gold Stars fan from that. Behind him is LB Sam Fitzroy. Fitzroy has a high football IQ much like Sanderson and can be a leader in the middle of the field. OL Harrison Ward is another strong pick for anyone’s line showing franchise level potential according to scout, Barry Williams. Everyone will have their eyes on Louisville with the first pick. Many are expecting one of the top 4 teams to reach and grab QB Leonidas Dumont, a Louisville native. The question will be is he worth missing out on the other talent for? He has a strong arm and his size makes him tough to bring down. Could certainly be a great QB. 

Outside of the draft picks, the league will be eying both LB Rusty McVee and QB Stanislav Ovechkin as top trade targets for several teams. McVee is likely to be dealt his year with a year left on his contract. His value will certainly be higher this year than next. Stanislav still might not move as the Raiders enjoy the stability he provides behind Lyle Painter, but his play in place of the injured Painter proved that he has starting ability and some teams will be interested to see what he can do. 

Top 25 Draft Board
1 - DL William Sanderson - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
2 - LB Sam Fitzroy - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
3 - OL Harrison Ward - Barry Williams - ZO82
4 - LB Wilson Rockwood-Barnes - Abigail Winters - MyTeamIsDr.Pepper
5 - WR Derek Cross - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
6 - S Neil Graham - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
7 - RB Kendall Morgan - Abigail Winters - MyTeamIsDr.Pepper
8 - QB Leonidas Dumont - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
9 - DL Mickey Daly - Jack Barkley - GoRedSox96
10 - DB Kelly Kirkland - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
11 - S Johnny Berger - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
12 - OL Graham Chambers - Barry Williams - ZO82
13 - WR Ben Roland - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
14 - RB Stavros Black - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
15 - WR Max Sutton - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
16 - DL Timmy Kerr - Jack Barkley - GoRedSox96
17 - OL Scott Harper - Barry Williams - ZO82
18 - QB Terry Bourbon - Ronald Wilke - ThisIsFine
19 - TE Christopher Gist - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
20 - DB Wesley Scott - Barry Williams - ZO82
21 - LB Felix Bender - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
22 - DL Remington Hart - Barry Williams - ZO82
23 - OL Don York - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
24 - DB Jackson Miles - Wally Flowers - Wallflower
25 - RB Eric Sydney - Brad Cumberland - DireBear 

Draft Order and Needs
1 - Louisville Thunder - Anything
Picks: 1, 11, 21, 31
2 - Indiana Thunder - Anything
Picks: 2, 12, 22, 32
3 - Boston Independents - RB, OL, QB, WR, DL
Picks: 3, 9, 13, 23, 33
4 - Montreal Rouge - WR, LB, OL, DL
Picks: 4, 8, 14, 34
5 - Long Island Raiders - DL, WR, OL
Picks: 5, 15, 25, 35
6 - Buffalo Blue Wings - DL, LB, RB, QB
Picks: 6, 26, 36
7 - Ontario Tigers - LB, DL, OL, WR
Picks: 7, 16, 17, 18, 27, 37
8 - Providence Gold Stars - LB, DB, WR, K, RB (MTL Owns Their 1st Round Pick)
Picks: 24, 28, 38
9 - Worcester Athletics - DL, DB, K, WR (BOS Owns Their 1st Round Pick)
Picks: 19, 29, 39
10 - Ottawa Royals - LB, DL, OL
Picks: 10, 20, 30, 40 

Who's going #1 and any mock drafts for the opening round?

1957 NAAF Draft
Before the draft could get underway, Commissioner Ryan Jameson came to the front to announce a trade had been made between Ontario and Boston. The Independents had acquired underperforming WR David Burrows from the Tigers in exchange for DB Clifton Powers who Boston had only acquired in the last offseason. It was an interesting trade considering Burrows hasn’t been able to stay in the starting lineup in Ontario. There were rumours last season that Burrows might get dealt to Boston, but it took until this year to happen. Clifton Powers, heading to Kitchener, adds depth to the Tigers’ completely rebuilt secondary.

1st Round

1 - Louisville Thunder - QB Leonidas Dumont - Louisville, KY
When Louisville finally got to make the first pick they went for the hometown QB. While they might be skipping out on top tier talent, they felt the QB position is the hardest and most important piece to fill. Dumont will likely challenge Ollie Rogers for the starting job but won't be the automatic starter day one.

The Gains Report
Leo is a great human being. The pure definition of a gentleman. While he’s nice in terms of personality, he can burn you on the field with his rocket arm. A guy who is comparable with Lee Rogers and Duane Logan in terms of the deep ball. His size also makes him a big threat being a tough guy to bring down and can extend plays within the pocket. He mainly needs work on his decision making and a bit of accuracy but will be someone who should be able to adapt quickly. 

2 - Indiana Victors - DL William Sanderson - Ann Arbor, MI
Indiana followed up Louisville’s pick with taking the top prospect in the class in Sanderson. Should be a key cornerstone for the future of the Victors, but can also contribute right out of the gate and make this team even more competitive.  

George Stefanakis’ Scouting Report
A leader on the field, Sanderson has the makings of a franchise player. He has an amazing football IQ which allows him to figure out where the play is going all the time. He loves getting after the quarterback and is very good at it. The Victors have an anchor on their line that will likely be compared to Sean Bowen and Olaf Viktorsson in his career.  

TRADE ALERT
Before Boston’s GM George Hanson could make the Independents' pick, Jameson returned to the stage to announce the second trade of the evening. This one was a big one. LB Rusty McVee had found a new home. Several teams were making their case for the LB throughout the day before the draft. Buffalo, Ottawa, and Providence were all in the mix, but in the end, Long Island would be the ones acquiring the former Rookie of the Year.  Montreal would get a big return for McVee including the other highly sought after player in QB Stanislav Ovechkin. They would also get the 5th overall pick and a 3rd Round Pick (25th). Now Long Island would also bring back QB Rigobert St-Hilaire and OL Shavon Coleman to compensate.  Overall, a strong deal for both teams as Long Island now looks like a threat in the West division and Montreal has their new QB as well as another 1st round pick. 

3 - Boston Independents - RB Kendall Morgan - Frankfort, KY
After all the havoc Boston would bring in their future RB in Kendall Morgan. After the team had passed on Rookie of the Year RB Clifford Russell. They decided they needed a replacement for Joel Bonner who could retire at any time. Morgan is a bit of a reach, but RB is an important position and he wasn’t likely dropping to 9.  

Abigail Winters’ Scouting Report
Morgan is an energetic player and gets really into the game. Morgan has great big-play abilities and can see the field well to find opportunities. He has great elusiveness that allows him to find open space however his weakness is taking too many risks. He loves making the big play and can get caught trying to do too much. He’ll certainly have to bulk up a bit as well as learning when to take the risks.  

4 - Montreal Rouge - LB Sam Fitzroy - Loudon, NH
Montreal would follow up grabbing their McVee replacement in LB Sam Fitzroy. Fitzroy was looked at as the top LB in the draft and the Rouge has a new anchor in the middle of the defence. 

Brad Cumberland’s Scouting Report
Fitzroy is a calm and collected player that will automatically bring a level of leadership to any team. He has a high football IQ that allows him to see through tricks and know where the play may go. He has lots of strength and is a good tackler, however, he is not the most agile and making lateral movements are a bit of a challenge. 

5 - Montreal Rouge (via Long Island) - WR Derek Cross - South Bend, IN
With their second pick in a row, Montreal would get their new QB a weapon in WR Derek Cross. Montreal has always struggled in the receiving core, and a lot of that has to do with only having drafted 1 in the past four years.  

The Gains Report
Cross is easily described as “Big Game, Big Mouth, Big Energy”. Sure he’s a talker, but he has the game to back it up with electrifying speed, incredible hands, and top-notch route running. His biggest downside would be size, being a little short, but mainly a very thin receiver. It could make it tough entering the next level but if he finds his groove, Cross is a dangerous receiver.  

6 - Buffalo Blue Wings - DL Mickey Daly - Buffalo, NY
Buffalo goes with local prospect Mickey Daly. Adding on the DL was going to be important for the Blue Wings who have lost several key pieces in that position. Daly will need some development, but will certainly help out for the future of the Blue Wings. 

Jack Barkley’s Scouting Report
Daly is a bit of a reach at #6, but he is a big playmaker on the line. He makes it tough for the O-line throughout a game, as he just doesn’t let up. He often wins battles as the game comes to a close after tiring out the O-line over the earlier part of the game. It only makes it tougher to block based on his rough style of play. Off the field, however, Daly is a great fit in Buffalo already being a community-based player that loves to help out.

7 - Ontario Tigers - LB Wilson Rockwood-Barnes - Brooklyn, NY
It was a bit of surprise to see Rockwood-Barnes slip to the Tigers, but here he is. Aengus Lynch remains the top force in the Tigers defence, but WRB will only make the LB core stronger.  

Abigail Winters’ Scouting Report
WRB hasn’t had the best past. As a kid, he was very shy and struggled a lot in school. He was often bullied and called “Meathead”, however, he was able to turn things around for himself. Through football he would show off his skill and then with time he had better grades, was more outgoing, and has now owned his nickname as a motivation to continue to prove people wrong. He is a strong player on the field with solid tackling abilities and great team play. He still isn't the most agile but he makes up for it in strength. 

8 - Montreal Rouge (via Providence) - OL Harrison Ward - Syracuse, NY
Montreal took a gamble and managed to snag Harrison Ward at #8. Ward came in as the 4th rated prospect but teams kept passing on him. Montreal needs loads of help on the O-Line and Ward should be a perfect fit.  

Barry Williams’ Scouting Report
Ward is a perfect OL prospect, with good agility and quickness to react to oncoming defenders. He is a little smaller than the typical O-lineman which makes him into a more agile player, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t a strong player who can win any fight on the line. There is a high ceiling for Ward, and Montreal is hoping for the best. 

9 - Boston Independents (via Worcester) - OL Graham Chambers - Moncton, NB
Boston would follow suit with Montreal by grabbing an OL. Chambers is looked at as an early 2nd rounder, but Boston didn’t want to take any chances on missing out on him. 

Barry Williams’ Scouting Report
A Leader on the line, Chambers is able to call out and understand different defensive setups well. Works well with his linemates and can be a tough player to get past. Though he will still struggle against the best of them like Scotty Williams or Sean Bowen. A solid building block for Boston. 

10 - Ottawa Royals - WR Ben Roland - Williamsport, PA
Ottawa would ultimately go with another WR. With Atkins retiring, they felt like continuing to build the WR core would be the best decision.  

Brad Cumberland’s Scouting Report
Roland has a crazy amount of natural talent. He was a star in track and baseball alongside football. He has fantastic speed and catching ability as well as being in top physical shape. However, the biggest issues may come from his personality. He wants to be a star and he believes he can be one. He can brash and might run into issues with players that may get into his way in his opinion. Could be a risk on a Royals team with loads of depth and stars.  


That was the first round of the draft, any surprises? The rest is out tomorrow.  
 

Let the Red draft begin

A couple interesting picks and trades in the first round made this an interesting start off to the draft. LI getting a huge boost with the Rusty trade which definitely makes them a playoff contender at the start of the season.