Welcome to sapp’s mock draft. People were complaining about the lack of mock drafts this year, so I will tell you exactly how the draft would go down in my head. Sorry, no trading. It would be a cluster if I started imagining the best trades and where they would happen, but it is not likely that most of those that I think would be beneficial would actually happen. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy this mock draft, and hopefully this inspires others to do their own mock before the actual draft on Wednesday, May 23rd at 7:00pm Central Time (best time). With all of that in mind, let’s get down to the picks.



Round 1:



:yeti:

William Harrison || S || Portland Pythons

The Yeti come into this draft after their 2nd consecutive “imperfect” season. They have a lot of their spots filled to this point with very young players, but one spot that has eluded them quite a bit was the Safety position. With Tillman playing CB for the year, Desta Danger still catching up to speed in the NSFL, and Bly having an off year, a rejuvenation is necessary for the Yeti secondary. Expect Harrison to make a big splash in the league after his 3 interception, 2 forced fumble season with the Pythons.



:secondline:

Childish Gambino || DE || Kansas City Coyotes

No one is talking about Mr. Gambino, and that’s why he will shock the league in his rookie season. He had a quiet 5 sack, 2 forced fumble performance this season, but has been the alpha dog on the very strong Kansas City Defensive front seven. No, he may not be the most talented player in the draft, but he does his job, and he does it very well. For a team that is on the up and coming, he will be making his name known, and I would not be surprised to see his name on multiple pro bowl rosters during his career.



:sabercats:

Brad Pennington || QB || Tijuana Luchadores

With the announcement of Orosz retiring, it seem like a no brainer that the Sabercats go in the direction of Pennington with their #3 pick. He was a great leader with the Luchadores, and hopes to bring that to the San Jose locker room that may be in need of a young leader presence. He is very raw, and seeing that he threw more interceptions than touchdowns in the DSFL, He will be a project, but his mechanics could not be smoother, and he is one of the smartest guys coming out of the draft. The Sabercats would be fools to pass on him here.



:hawks:

Rickey Ramero || LB || San Antonio Marshals

The big man of the Marshals falls far down the draft board, but he could not have landed in a better spot. The Hawks, who were a top 4 team this season, missed the playoffs due to how strong the NSFC is this season, and without making a big splash, could be sitting in the same position for years to come. With his DSFL performance with 9 sacks and 7 pass deflections, he is a versatile talent that will allow the Hawks to use him in many ways. He could be the next Winchester or Saint, but only time will tell. I do not see Ramero falling farther than 4, but he is, by my account, the most NSFL ready player in this draft.



:wraiths: (From Outlaws)

Omar Wrong || DT || Tijuana Luchadores

Omar Wrong did not have the season that he was hoping for. He worked hard in the trenches, but it did not show up on paper, recording 6 sacks and only 37 tackles through 14 games this season. What the Wraiths are hoping for is a guy with intangibles that can make the transition to the NSFL seamlessly. The Wraiths are in “WIN NOW” mode with acquisitions like Boss Tweed and Arbin Asipi Jr. in the past year, but falling in the Semifinals lost them a whole year to find their first Ultimus trophy. Time is ticking, but hopefully Omar can be the piece that puts them over the top for next season.



:wraiths:

Ben Horne || LB || Tijuana Luchadores

With a second consecutive pick, the Wraiths continue to bolster their defense. This time they go with a highly rated LB out of Rensselaer Polytechnic who played in the front seven with Omar. Ben played just as well as anyone in this draft, racking up 6 sacks and 8 pass deflections, but struggled in getting to the ball carrier first as he only recorded 45 tackles on the season. The Wraiths are hoping that he brings his play disruption abilities to the NSFL and helps to stop drives like he did with the Luchadores.



:liberty:

Viggo Squanch || WR || Tijuana Luchadores

The only WR in the draft makes his appearance at #7. Being the third straight player from Tijuana, as well as the 4th in the first round, we can easily say that the Luchador GMs did a very nice job of preparing their players for the NSFL. Despite not putting up fantastic stats such as Howard Miller and Mark Grau last year, Viggo did do his duty and helped the Luchadores into the playoffs, and find themselves facing off against the Pythons in the Ultimini. If Brad and Viggo can figure it out, there could be a shootout for the championship.



:otters:

D.J. Riddick || RB || San Antonio Marshals

The Otters decide to go with a runningback despite having both Jordan Yates and Erlich Burnsman paving the way, but insider talks say that Yates is on the move and they need a replacement. DJ was not the best traditional back in the DSFL this season, but He did show his versatility in the passing game, which is something the Otters plan on utilizing a lot as they wait for the dreadful day of Mike Boss’ Retirement Announcement. If DJ does get drafted by the Otters, expect a decent production from him his rookie season and look to snag him as a flex option in your fantasy pools.



Round 2:



:liberty: (From Yeti)

Brock Weathers || LB || San Antonio Marshals

Moving onto the second round, the Liberty look to add to the defense after securing their offense for the next couple of years. Brock comes in as a top 10 tackle leader and top 15 in sacks. He also grab an interception, recovered a fumble, and batted down 3 passes. Sure, not any one of these numbers leads the DSFL, but he is very consistent and very versatile, and can be used in many situations. The Liberty need this as they are hoping to make it three straight trips to the Ultimus next season. With the ability to move him all over the field, they do not have to be so picky with any of the Free Agents or future draft picks that may be coming to Philadelphia.



:sabercats: (From Second Line)

Chad Pennington || LB || Tijuana Luchadores

The League leader in tackles winds up playing on the same team as his brother once again. After having a phenomenal season that should see him making the DSFL probowl, He recorded 130 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles, 9 sacks, 3 pass deflections, and an interception. The Sabercats need help on defense after they stripped their team clean and had one of their traded pieces retire on them, but they are looking to be in a good position after this draft.



:sabercats:

Thad Pennington || S || Tijuana Luchadores

Grabbing the FIFTH Luchador in 11 picks as well as the third Pennington brother, the Sabercats continue their restructuring of their defense. Although he did not post the stats that his brother Chad did, Thad had a very good season, finishing 3rd for safeties in tackles at 77, forcing a fumble, recording a sack, and coming down with an interception, along with 2 pass deflections. That is nothing to sneeze at, and having all three brothers together will definitely keep their spirits high during the long haul of the season.



:hawks:

Ramadan Steve || DT || Kansas City Coyotes

Ramadan Steve, despite playing in all 14 games, he only recorded 38 tackles and 4 sacks. In what was considered one of the best D-Lines in the NSFL, he did not perform as well as most had hoped, and that may be the cause of the slide here. Hopefully by joining the Hawks, Ramadan can make a comeback and show the league what his true strength is.



:outlaws:

Balthazar Crindy || TE || Tijuana Luchadores

Balthazar joined the league a little late; something about forgetting to unfreeze him or something of that nature. But what he was able to do in his short time in the league has been huge for the luchadores. Catching 33 passes in 6 games as well as 2 touchdowns definitely helped the Luchadores get into the playoffs and force their way into the finals against Portland. It will take Balthazar quite a bit to catch up to speed in the NSFL, but once he does, he will be difficult to stop. With the outlaws in need of younger talent, grabbing this project player is not a bad idea as their alternative would be a more NSFL ready player, but they may not turn out as well as Balthazar. He is one of the most raw prospects, and the outlaws are quite happy that he thawed out.



:wraiths:

Hammer Jack || CB || Portland Pythons

The Wraiths are a pretty set team, so grabbing a player for the future is no problem for them. Going with Hammer Jack here gives them options at the DB position going forward. He can slide into the nickel back position from time to time, but ultimately is here to take the spot of Philippe Carter as he seems to be heading towards retirement in the next couple of seasons. Hopefully Hammer can stay positive while sitting as the #3 CB, but if everything works as it should, it will be a smooth transition that will benefit the Wraiths greatly.



:sabercats: (From Liberty)

James Brown || DT || Portland Pythons

Sabercats go defense once again, this time fixing the hole left by Sandoval on their line, and what better way to do that than to use the pick the yeti gave them? With a very deep draft for D-linemen, they know there will be some talent this late in the draft and will work to fit him into their scheme. If everything goes as planned, the San Jose Defense will once again be a threat in a couple years, but will need to work towards that goal together.



:secondline: (From Otters)

Beat Meoff || K || Kansas City Coyotes

With trading Peg Leg back and forth with the Yeti now stopped due to the rise of Mr. Perfect himself, Micycle McCormick, The New Orleans Second Line need to settle down on an active kicker, and Mr. Meoff may be the guy to hopefully bring a perfect kicking season to Nola. Despite his poor extra Point Kicking, Beat was the best FG kicker in the league percentage wise, and will be a great asset for the Second Line if he falls to the #16 pick in the draft.



Round 3:



:yeti:

Maxwell Macbeth || TE || Portland Pythons

The yeti go Tight End here after trading away their #1 pick from season 5 for some pieces to recuperate the value bound to be lost when he tests free agency this offseason. Besides Mark Grau, Macbeth was the best receiving option for the Pythons, recording 52 receptions for 388 yards and 3 touchdowns. He will have to compete with Alvin Chipmunk for that starting role, but hopefully the competition will bring out the best in both of them.



:secondline:

Fonz Nuno || DE || Kansas City Coyotes

Fonz was another product that came out of the stellar Coyote Defensive line. Despite his lack of sacks (1) and tackles (29), he made up for it in tackles for loss, recording a staggering 15 Tackles for a loss! He was 1 shy of the leader in the DSFL, but was by far the most efficient tackler by getting to that number in 13 less tackles. The secondline would love a run stopper like this guy, and hopefully can fine tune him to get those backfield tackles on passing plays too.



:sabercats:

Vance Sachs || DE || Tijuana Luchadores

Sabercats once again bolster their defense. At this point, it really should not be a surprise who I think the Sabes go with. Vance put up decent numbers. Nothing too flashy, but he did his part for the Luchadores. He recorded 22 tackles with 7 tackles for a loss and 4 sacks. He may just be a role player right now, but in the right situation, he could thrive. Hopefully he can be an active part of their defensive rebuild.



:liberty: (From Hawks)

Nick Sharper || S || Portland Pythons

Nick Sharper did a lot as a safety in the DSFL. He was more of a backfield enforcer than a coverage man, but many teams are looking for someone who can put pressure on QBs from both the secondary as well as the backfield. He recorded 9 sacks, an interception, 60 tackles, and a forced fumble. By going to the liberty, he may need to step up early to take care of the retiring Kevin Cushing void that he is leaving. I don’t see the Liberty going in a different direction other than DB here, and it would be a toss up between him and Balzac.



:outlaws:

Harry Balzac || S || Tijuana Luchadores

The outlaws go with Harry Balzac for 2 reasons. For one, they are in need of a overhaul for their whole team. Fixing the secondary now will help, and with the players remaining, they just don’t fit the scheme as well as Balzac. The second part, is the memes. Come on, who doesn’t want someone named Harry Balzac on their team? It’s not like a Poopyface Tomatonose walks through the draft each season, so you gotta grab them when they are available. If he is an active player with the outlaws, he will be the talk around the city, league, and the nation and will have sponsors lining up at his door just to sniff the same air as Harry Balzac.



:wraiths:

Mark David || DT || San Antonio Marshals

Mark David will help round out the Wraiths D-line, but he will need to put in a lot of work to get to where he needs to be. He is a definite project player, but could make his way to the NSFL before season 9. Hard work definitely will pay off, but until then, I don’t see him rising above 22 overall.



:hawks: (From Liberty)

Klaus DerFisch || K || Tijuana Luchadores

The hawks know Turk will either retire or keel over at some point, so might as well start working backups for that inevitable day. Klaus should fit in well, but Turk has to let go of his reigns first, so it might take a few decades. Only Turk knows the true answer to when he no longer be the Hawk’s kicker.



:otters:

Alexander Overholt || QB || San Antonio Marshals

The otters know that Boss isn’t going to have the longest career, but they are trying to milk as much as they can before he decides to retire. Grabbing a QB here as a failsafe incase Cole McCoy doesn’t pan out is a smart bet, especially seeing as this is the second to last pick of the draft. If Alexander can focus on his training, he may be able to become the starter before boss announces his final year.



Round 4:



:yeti:

Justin Davis || K || Portland Pythons

With the last pick in the draft, the Yeti’s selection of Mr. Irrelevant brings Justin Davis to Colorado. Micycle has been a phenomenal Kicker these past two seasons, but has struggled in the punting department. If Justin can come in and be a consistent threat, the Yeti may have the new best special teams duo in the league.

This post has been edited by bovovovo: May 25 2018, 07:43 PM