TheEnigmaticOne wrote:

Its all good, just happy to have some of my players in the draft. 

Okay, good, just wanted to at least explain myself as a reminder to everyone because it has come up before. I have also officially changed the name to Max, a German name, so I hope that is good. 

Thehealthiestscratch wrote:

TheEnigmaticOne wrote:

Wallflower wrote:

Yea, it was just a change I felt like making. As QCS said, I just change them from time to time, but that one was one I was on the fence about and then decided to change after I had already posted about it. 

Well the fun of the name is that it was just Moscow, Russia, but it is your simulation and its up to you. Just saying though, I would prefer a German or Russian name, given the character is of Volga German (also known as Russian-Germans) descent.

 
Im not sure that any of my submissions have stayed fully intact. If it helps, I submit a serious name then call them by their nickname / preferred name after the fact. I’m pretty sure Rocco Peaks doesn’t go by Rocco when around fans and his team, but Rocco is the birth name I submitted for official league use.

 I assume he goes by twin?

1971 NAAF Draft

Round 1

1 - Halifax Mariners (from Calgary) | QB Todd Sparrow | Rockefeller* - Yorkville, IL - Creator: idm
Now holding the #1 selection, the Halifax Mariners would set up their future by drafting Todd Sparrow first overall. Sparrow has all the tools to be a great QB in the NAAF. Great decision-making ability with a solid, accurate arm. On the negatives, he does tend to try and make a throw overtaking a sack, which can be a positive to some extent, but negative in others. The Mariners are expected to still roll with QB Lyle Painter this season and give Sparrow a year to develop but expect Sparrow to step up sooner or later and be the face of the Mariners for years to come. 

2 - London Tigers | QB Henry Johnsson | Toronto - Toronto, ON - Creator: ThisIsFine
London had an easy decision to follow up the Sparrow pick. They would grab the other top QB in Henry Johnsson. GM Joseph Johnson felt very comfortable with the pick having spent more time scouting the Toronto QB. Johnsson has a lot of similarities to QB Riley Kiernan with the desire to make big plays happen and get the ball down the field. He also has a massive arm that is very accurate down the field. Of course, he has his shortcomings with forcing passes in high-risk areas, but hopefully, the Tigers can clean that up in his early years. 

3 - Regina Wheat Kings | DL Butcher Callahan | UHamilton - Hamilton, ON - Creator: Darknes
With both QBs off the board, the Regina Wheat Kings would look to improve their very weak D-line by taking UHamilton product, Butcher Callahan. Callahan has quite a passionate personality which breathes life into his football obsession. He’s got a lot of energy which he puts into his high motor, speed, and strength. He is tough to stop if he gets a good break on the snap and is ahead of the O-line, but he does have some missteps with penalty trouble in the past as he doesn’t use his head as much once the ball is snapped. 

4 - Calgary Predators (from London) | RB Rocco Peaks | Alberta Provincial** - Creator: Scratch
The Preds moved back to 4 and they would still reach way down The Gains Report, shocking everyone in the draft room by taking RB Rocco Peaks out of the local Alberta Provincial. The “Nature Boy” has sparked a lot of hype out of Western Canada over the last few years with his ability to find ways out of tackles. His elusiveness is on a level similar to that of RB Dareion Fields. In fact, another nickname is “Rocky Pike” as he often resembles a Northern Pike in the way he slips out of defenders’ hands. Peaks has had some issues with ball security in the past, but has reportedly been working on it by learning to hold fish, pikes to be exact. The Preds hope that the training has worked. Peaks should be a great addition to a Calgary offence that is looking for dangerous playmakers to add to the Wild West offence. 

5 - Montreal Rouge | RB Bo Frazier | Allegheny* - Harrisonburg, VA - Creator: RaysUp
The Rouge would make the second consecutive running back selection by taking the back that everyone thought would be off the board first, Bo Frazier. Frazier’s power running style has been tabbed as perfect for the NAAF, being able to pick up 5 yards almost guaranteed on any run. His strength and ability to overcome would-be-tacklers is something to marvel at. Frazier isn’t as strong in the passing game, but he can be a solid blocker with his strength. He’s also a strong leader with a great personality, something Montreal clearly likes in the young player. The future bodes well for Frazier as Montreal has a history of great running backs with two superstars in RB Élisée Marchal and RB Scott Mallard-White.

6 - Toronto Steelheads | DL Max Russland | Western New York - Hudson, NY - Creator: TheEnigmaticOne
Toronto’s attempt to move up the draft board did not pan out, so they changed course and would look to add to their young defence. Russland is a towering D-lineman who is great at creating problems in the backfield. He’s got a knack for forcing fumbles and getting in the QB’s face. While he’s not as strong against the run, he can also knock balls down at the line with his height. He’s got a lead-by-example mentality, as he is a fairly quiet person, but he can get quite turned up on the field.

TRADE ALERT
After the second defensive lineman was selected, the Ottawa Royals, who also wanted a D-lineman to add to their team, would make a trade-up to grab one. They would swap picks with the Edmonton Rangers, acquiring 7th overall and 43rd overall in exchange for 11th overall and 29th overall. 

7 - Ottawa Royals (from Edmonton) | DL Mathieu Tremblay | Majeure Montreal - Saguenay, QC - Creator: Kingsfan11
With their newly acquired pick, the Royals would take DL Mathieu Tremblay. Tremblay is another ultra-aggressive lineman that loves to get to the QB. He’s got a great first step off the snap, but his aggressiveness can be used against him. If you play him right, Tremblay can overshoot his target and end up way out of position. The good side is, Tremblay is still extremely talented and could easily grow into a strong 2nd punch in the Royals’ D-line that features a former DPOY DL Bernhard Hartmann. Also to note, Tremblay’s older brother Charles was drafted by Montreal in 1965 and is currently a free agent.

8 - Winnipeg Falcons | S Vernon Redgate | Toronto - Toronto, ON - Creator: ZO82
The Falcons ended up with a bit of a steal with the 8th overall pick. S Vernon Redgate slipped from being ranked 3rd in The Gains Report all the way down to 8th. Redgate is a great addition to the backend of the Falcons. He’s got the potential of being one of the greats at the position drawing comparisons to S Garet deVale with his ability to make big plays happen with great anticipation. Still, he can sometimes miss the bigger picture if he misses a player getting behind him. Redgate also has a good personality which fits in with Winnipeg, as Redgate is very protective of his friends and teammates and will stand up for his team when they need it, in a family sort of way. 

9 - Calgary Predators (from Boston via Halifax) | LB Marcus McGhee | Toronto - Ottawa, ON - Creator: Kingsfan11
With the shocking pick of RB Rocco Peaks at 4th overall, the Predators would shift focus to the defence by taking LB Marcus McGhee. McGhee is a very strong candidate to be a solid middle linebacker. His strongest skill is open-field tackling, being able to bring down all sorts of players with great strength and tackle technique. He should be a force in stopping the run up the gut, however, he’s not as good when he has to drop back in coverage. Either way, the Predators have a competitive player to add to the defence. 

10 - Louisville Thunder | OL Donovan Hodgekins | Louisville State* - Cincinnati, OH - Creator: Stickman
Finally, with the 10th overall pick, the first American team would make a selection, as Louisville would take the local kid, OL Donovan Hodgekins. Some were skeptical of Hodgekins coming into the draft as there had been many rumours surrounding his conduct off the field. Hodgekins has a pretty aggressive personality and does not take kindly to those that get in his way. He has blown up on the sideline multiple times during his college career and there are stories of more of the same off the field, allegedly being involved in fights. However, Hodgekins is still a heck of a player. He’s super athletic, being able to keep up with the quickest of D-linemen. His talent is easily worth being top of the draft board, but his personality is one that a team is going to take a risk on, and Louisville is willing to take it. They hope the local talent will be able to control his temper and turn the high-risk player into a high reward.

11 - Edmonton Rangers (from Ottawa) | WR Stanley McClendon | UEdmonton** - Edmonton, AB - Creator: TigersFan93
Edmonton would finally make their first NAAF selection and they would take WR Stanley McClendon. Much like RB Rocco Peaks earlier, no one expected McClendon to be the first off the board at his position. However, McClendon is still a solid prospect. He’s got speed, which is his biggest draw. If he can get some space, he is taking the ball places. He also can get down the field quickly for deep plays, which often turn into touchdowns. Edmonton may not use McClendon to his full potential immediately, being a run-heavy team, but maybe the future will be bright for McClendon to shine.

12 - Providence Gold Stars | TE Kairos Knight | Western New York - New York City, NY - Creator: vladee
Kairos Knight was one of the more interesting prospects available in the draft class. Knight was the leading receiver at Western New York this past season as a tight end, a feat that is very rarely done. Knight has all the abilities of a solid WR but has the bulk to make him a great tight end. He’s a potential game-changer at the TE position if he continues what he did in college. However, there are some concerns about whether he can take advantage of holes in the defence at the same level in the NAAF. Some worry that he may not be as dominant if teams can get stronger coverage on him, but Providence is willing to take the risk, as Knight could be an x-factor if he does click at the next level.

TRADE ALERT
The Buffalo Blue Wings would look to move back from pick 13 in order to pick up some more picks and start to replenish their prospect pool. They would send pick 13 to the Montreal Rouge in exchange for pick 23 and pick 59 as well as WR Bruno Lemieux and S Gabriel Allerton. Buffalo ultimately flips one pick for 4 total prospects with the pick included.

13 - Montreal Rouge (from Buffalo) | WR Antonio Villanueva | Ben Franklin* - Wilmington, DE - Creator: Jayhawk
With their new pick, the Montreal Rouge would start to look for a Taylor Karis replacement and select WR Alberto Villanueva. As the draft neared, Villanueva’s stock rose as more saw his ability to play anywhere a team needed him. He has plenty of experience as a slot option in college but got the opportunity to spread his wings down the sidelines during his senior year. His experience in both positions makes him a great piece to add to an offence that may need his role to change as he grows. While he isn’t a master of either position, it's the versatility that ultimately led Montreal to select him at 13.

14 - Minnesota Serpents | OL Peter Palmerston | UHamilton - Guelph, ON - Creator: Jayhawk
The Serpents had conversations about trading pick 14 but ultimately decided to play it safe and add some depth to their O-line. Palmerston is nothing special, but he is at his best when creating holes for the run game. His pass protection is solid as well making him a solid overall prospect, even if he doesn’t jump off the page at first glance.

15 - Indiana Victors | WR Lew Wallendowski | New England - Boston, MA - Creator: JamHeronArk
With WR Silas Peyton calling it a career, the Victors needed to start thinking about the future at the position. WR Ed Edwards is nearing retirement as well and outside of WR Jake Abbredezzi, they didn’t have much else. So the addition of Wallendowski is a great move for the team. Wallendowski was ranked as the top WR going into the class, primarily because of his hands. He has the ability to make just about any catch, which he has to have since he is not the best at creating space between himself and defenders. He is often caught in one-on-ones, but he comes down with them a majority of the time. Wallendowski could step in as a slot option for the Victors, filling the shoes of the now-departed Silas Peyton.

16 - Pittsburgh Blacksmiths | OL Jeff Fedler | Western New York - Buffalo, NY - Creator: idm
Fedler is a solid pick for the Blacksmiths at 16. Fedler is another solid run blocker who will be able to push off the line. A good pick-up for a team that just signed RB Max Tracy and will see the run game become a larger part of the offence. Nothing much else to report on a pretty average guy from Buffalo, NY, he’s just got a milquetoast sort of personality.

17 - Vancouver Wolves | DB Apollo Duckworth | Cambridge of Boston - Berlin, NH - Creator: Dan O’Mac
The Wolves have been the least active team in the offseason thus far, so they needed to add some depth to positions at the draft. They would start by taking DB Apollo Duckworth. Duckworth is a very smart player, who can read the field well. His rich family allowed him to study at Cambridge of Boston which only enhanced his intelligence. However, he can get caught QB-watching but makes up for it with speed to catch just about anyone who manages to get a step on him. His speed served him well in college, however, there are some skeptics about his speed compared to pro-level players. 

18 - Long Island Raiders | DB Levi Woodrow | Haynes - Yonkers, NY - Creator: QCS
The Raiders would follow the Wolves in taking a corner, going with Levi Woodrow out of Haynes. Woodrow was much less fortunate than Duckworth was growing up. While Woodrow initially intended to follow in his dad’s footsteps in joining the military he was eventually turned onto football where he excelled. He worked harder than anyone and became a really solid corner in college. He’s especially great in man-to-man coverage. He’s overall a cheerful and goofy guy, but on the field he is as focused as ever and expects the same out of his team, certainly having the seeds to be a leader.

Last edited by Wallflower (12/20/2023 6:53 pm)

🐱‍👓🐦‍⬛#️⃣☝️

First time I think I’ve posted here, but great work as always. Still trying to figure out a team to root for (since DC doesn’t have a team, yet hopefully)