*All ratings are the coach's recommended base ratings*
2018 IFC Pre Training Camp Draft Review
Tonawanda took a chance on WR Aaron Otero in round one but with a good training camp he could really solidify a solid receiving core. Otero was the top WR in the class and to play oppoisite of Shook should help him really excel. My favorite pick of their draft is second round DE Hubert Laing. He has a good set of skills that should translate well on the field. Picks 5-7 were basically wasted with three very slow runningbacks. Overall Grade: B-
Winterfell swung for the fences with their early picks. High risk could bring incredible rewards as Perna, McChesney and Olson are all risky acquisitions. If they hit then they all bring first round potential. McChesney is a converted TE that may take a good while to get his weight up to the place it needs to be. Olson is the key to this draft because he could be a huge coup in the third round and potentially become a franchise quarterback. Training camp will be huge for this class. Overall Grade: B
The Heat really needed to hit it out of the park in this draft if they want to return to a level of competitiveness in the North. I’m not quite sure they did just that with the players they brought in. They obviously tried to select some help on defense but none of the defensive backs really have game changing ability. They bring some good skills but no sizzle in my opinion. At the top of the second round I’m not sure George Thomas is a worthy selection. His pass blocking skills were barely average in college but with a good camp could improve. Adding 8 players will help the numbers for the Heat but nothing about this class really gets me excited. Overall Grade: C
Las Vegas went with the approach that more is better. They get the award for most picks in the draft with 15 players selected. They added a plethora of defensive lineman that included two very intriguing defensive ends in the second round. Both undersized should have production under the current code but might struggle down the line when size matters more. Four defensive tackles were taken and all look to share a common strength attribute. Third round RB is a convert that has very good traits but at 245 lbs might take a few years to really play at a high level. With so many players added Vegas is bound to see some guys really take off. Despite not having a first round pick they were able to strengthen the talent on defense. Overall Grade: C
Prior to the draft Cypress was very active in acquiring picks via trade. With 5 picks in the first 97 picks it was incredibly important for the team to inject some young talent into this team. In an aggressive trade to move up to the second pick in the draft the Bulldogs selected the future of the franchise. QB Edwin Baker has all the passing skills to excel in this league. He’s not the most mobile passer and is slightly small in stature. Despite all that he is as good a QB as we’ve seen in the last two drafts. Adding a potentially dominant center in round two will help the offensive line but it depends on how his training camp goes. With their second pick in the second round they added a classic space eater DT that will definitely help in the run game. Not sure how many of the late round picks will pan out but there definitely is some talent to push for roster spots. Overall Grade: A-
The Red Devils did a lot to improve their talent in this draft. They started off strong by nabbing one of the most talented offensive lineman in the last two years in Michael Flowers. He will solidify the offensive line and should be a homerun selection. With lots of mid round picks LA added speed and talent. Gandy is a WR with a 66 vol could be a homerun for a third round pick. There’s not too many head scratchers in this draft, the staff did a great job plucking value throughout the draft. Overall Grade: B+
Fort Worth countered division rival Cypress’s quarterback pick with one of their own. Michigan St.’s Ryan Inman is a very exciting prospect. He actually has just as much potential as Baker only with an added risk. His character and work ethic have been questioned and he will need to prove in training camp that he wants to be great. Great value at his part of the draft to get a player of his skill potential. Second round WR Dennis Schaefer is a classic possession receiver. He’s not the fastest or most elusive but he can catch and run good routes. He’s a safe not flashy pick on the heals of their flashy home run attempt in the round prior. In the third they added an interesting FB that has the blocking skills to play line and the running skills to move to half back. One of the better players at his position in the draft and good value at this point. Overall a few good prospects early and some uninspiring ones toward the end. Overall Grade: B+
In their first draft as a staff Amhaja seemed comfortable in their new setting. While their first round pick was a WR just like the previous staff did a year ago the player they selected isn’t a gamebreaker like Kingsbury. Young Medlin is solid across the board but lacks the necessary speed to really put fear in opponents. He should fit in well as a complimentary player and give newly acquired QB Randall Cunningham more targets. In the second round the team took a very good looking defensive lineman Vincent Allen. Allen will push for playing time early and has a bright future ahead of him. My favorite pick for this team was Thomas Moore. Moore was a prospect I was very high on and almost took in the second round. A well rounded defensive back, Moore has starter potential and should be a player the team can build around. The team found late round value and really hit the road scouting til the end. Good first draft for the new staff. Overall Grade: B+
The Gorillas decided to build their team by trading draft choices and it definitely helped them as they improved by 7 games over the previous season. In the long run this strategy might have consequences as they didn’t pick a player until the 144th pick. The guy they got offensive lineman Robert Bush doesn’t offer starting ability even if he booms with his 100 volatility. He’s not that strong and may at best, offer depth. Overall Grade: F
Lacking a first round pick is damaging to a team looking to rebuild after a tumultuous offseason. The Goodfellas did select twice in the second round but either player is that exciting. WLB James Sanchez is a player that offers some quality skills but is lacking a balance overall to make him star. He has above average speed and is incredibly smart. He’s a volatile player that can’t cover man 2 man and isn’t very strong at the point of attack. He does offer zone potential if that’s what the Goodfellas hope to employ. With the last pick of the second round they took a lineman that is light on his feet and very adept to pass blocking. He, like Sanchez, isn’t very strong and will have to get by on technique. The rest of the picks aren’t very likely to add much to the team even with good camps. Overall Grade: D
For the second year in a row the Ambushers were severely lacking quality draft picks. In a similar fashion to their last draft they didn’t do themselves any favors. Slow players across the board with nothing that jumps out as potential. They selected Donald Casados in the early third and he offers some skills but is very slow for an edge rusher. They took a slow wr that can’t catch and a punter that has no accuracy or power. Overall a very lackluster class for a team that needed some talent after completely melting down last season. Overall Grade: F
The Stompers weren’t able to attend the draft and the trades allowed them to acquire future picks. The only pick really work talking about is their first round selection of LB Nathaniel Johnson. Johnson is a game changer that might turn out to be one of the better players in this draft if he takes to coaching and grows into his potential. His potential is very high in most attributes so with an 84 volatility he could be the IFC’s big hit, or miss, prospect. Overall Draft Grade: C-
The two time champs are starting to see some of their talent get older and the draft will play a huge roll in the level of play remaining so strong. This class isn’t as clearly talented as the one they got last season but they were able to add a very good looking tight end at the end of the first round. Jose Moore gives the Dragons a legit top level tight end that can block and catch the ball. This is something they haven’t had the last two seasons. In the second round they traded all the way up to the second pick to take a promising center out of Humboldt St. Tomas Griffin. Griffin isn’t the strongest blockers but he’s strong enough and talented enough to be the starter. He will need have a good camp to fulfill the capital and draft slot he was selected but still should be productive if he doesn’t hit. After the top two picks I’m still trying to figure out the strategy behind the rest of the draft. I do understand how weak this draft was in the later rounds but there’s nothing in the final four picks that make me think they will even make the roster. Hard to argue with a team that has had so much success but I don’t think this draft class will be one of their best. Overall Grade: C+
The Lions let it be known they are in a complete rebuild yet their draft didn’t scream of value. I do like their first round center who currently is listed as a starter in three different positions. Frank Kelsey is a stud and is a player the team can build around for the future. After not picking again until the 5th round the team basically punted the rest of the picks as they should not contribute much in the short term. The Lions have a tough hill to climb to right their ship especially in a very tough division. Overall Grade: C-
The staff in Ann Arbor had a very good day filling some needs and adding some talent. SS Roger McGee is a balanced safety that could really make an impact from day one. The two lb’s added are strong picks and will give the team many options at the position going forward. The Aardvarks took a step in the right direction this last season and this draft might propel them to the next level. Overall Grade: B+
This was a big offseason for the Firestorm franchise. They were dealt three losses to their division rival Dragons and instead of taking it on the chin they decided to come out swinging. The biggest move of the offseason saw them trading a boat load of draft capital to San Antonio for the first pick of the draft. With that pick they drafted superstar Heisman trophy winner DE Clayton Smith. Smith is a surefire talent that will add another dimension to an improving defense. Smith is the second Michigan alum the Firestorm have selected in the last two drafts. His teammate Matthew Esposito was a candidate for rookie of the year last season and the two Michigan products should be players the team can build around. While Smith was the cream of the crop the Firestorm had to sit on their hands and watch the clock until they picked again in the late 5th round. They snatched up a punter and a kicker late in hopes of injecting some youth into their aging special teams units. While the draft doesn’t look that strong outside of Smith you can’t help but get excited about adding a player of his talents to a team that is already playoff caliber. Overall Grade: B+
