1st Round
1 - Long Island Raiders - QB Lyle Painter - Cos Cob, CT
A can’t miss prospect goes off the board first overall. Despite having Lee Rogers, the Raiders couldn’t skip out again on the most talented player available. Painter will likely compete for the starting job with Lee Rogers from the get-go.
George Stefanakis Scouting Report:
Painter is the next big thing. A generational talent. He is super accurate and has a great football IQ. Painter is very aware of what is happening on the field and where everyone is. He rarely threw interceptions in college and was great at moving in the pocket and avoiding sacks. He does have average arm strength which will be a struggle to develop further, however, he more than makes up for it everywhere else.
2 - Providence Gold Stars - DL Calias McDonough - Brooklyn, NY
The Gold Stars finally add a huge piece to their D-line which has lacked any superstar ability. McDonough should immediately make an impact on the line in Providence’s mini-rebuild.
The Gains Report:
McDonough comes from a football family. All his siblings have been playing football since they were kids, being raised by their father who played for the Brooklyn Guardians in the NYFL back in the day. Calias is a speedy rusher who will cause lots of issues for QB’s in the NAAF. He’s a big guy and can use that alongside his agility. McDonough also has been known for his talk on the field and getting into the heads of his opponents.
TRADE ALERT:
Montreal hits the rebuild button, Tigers gear up for playoff push
It didn’t take long for the trades to start up, but the Tigers and Rouge made some waves early. The Rouge would move up to the 3rd overall pick by trading, the 5th overall pick, 34-year old WR John Rivera and 35-year old DL Napoléon Chevalier to the Tigers. They would also receive 25-year old S Jumon Cobb and a conditional 1956 4th Round Pick.
The Tigers grab the expiring contracts of veterans Rivera and Chevalier in hopes that they can sign them and boost their team next season, and they were willing to move down in the draft to do it. Montreal moves up to jump the Athletics who they believe would take the player they want, and they get a possible future S in Cobb who was a former 4th Round Pick in 1952. The conditional 1956 4th rounder will go to Montreal if Ontario signs both Rivera and Chevalier and makes the playoffs.
3 - Montreal Rouge (via Ontario) - DB Quentin Xavier - Dorchester. NY
The Rouge jump the Athletics to snag Xavier who will be a key piece for the Rouge to rebuild their secondary alongside DB Jontray Cox.
The Gains Report:
Xavier has had a troubled past in his life, but football was the thing that kept him going. He will often comment on how football saved his life several times. He is a hard worker and has become one of the best young DB’s in the country. Is great in a zone set up and has great height and wingspan that allows him to cover a big area.
4 - Worcester Athletics - OL Magnus Gunnersson - Bar Harbor, ME
With Xavier going off the board at 3, the Athletics make the smart move to protect Riley Kiernan with another top tier OL prospect.
The Gains Report:
Gunnerson is a former weightlifter, which immediately explains his unbelievable strength. He will be able to outmatch anyone in strength, but he does have some trouble with the more technical aspects of blocking which can lead him to be beaten by faster players. Don’t underestimate him though, especially in the run game.
5 - Ontario Tigers (via Montreal) - DL Olympus Heights - Oshawa, ON
The Tigers take the risky pick with Heights who had lots of questions surrounding him entering the draft. They say a lot of good in Heights and they felt like they couldn’t pass up on adding to the D-Line.
Roger Roy’s Scouting Report:
Ollie Heights has lots of potential to be a great DL. He is smart and can read the blocking schemes of the O-Line, but a big concern is his hesitation when coverages he hasn’t seen come into play which he will get a lot of in the NAAF. He is built more like a LB, but it allows him to have lots of speed on the line. Another plus for Heights is his character and ability to lead in the locker room which many former teammates have praised him for.
6 - Buffalo Blue Wings - DB Lou Lake - Hoboken, NY
The Blue Wings look to rebuild their aging secondary with Lou Lake. Since Oscar Patterson has left the team they have had a big hole to replace on the back end and Lake should be able to get into the starting lineup within the first year or two.
George Stefanakis’ Scouting Report:
Lake is a hard-working player that gives it his all on and off the field. He has great instincts that allow him to know where the ball is going more times than not. While his instincts are great his athletic skill is a bit average. He isn’t the fastest and he also doesn’t have the best hands, but he can still break up a lot of play just don’t expect interceptions to be a common occurrence.
7 - Boston Independents - LB Marco Price - Hartford, CT
Boston goes with a LB in the first round for the second year in a row hoping to flesh out their big three in the middle with LB Brent Harper, LB Silas O’Brien, and now Marco Price.
Johnny Singleton’s Scouting Report:
Price is all about being quick off the snap, whether it is to go in on the blitz, get the RB early, or even go to cover a receiver. When he is right, Price creates a lot of issues, but he sometimes is too quick to think and over commits to a play. This can leave him out of position. He will be best utilized in blitz and backfield coverage, but with the right coach, he can become a great player in the NAAF.
8 - Ottawa Royals - WR Mackenzie Jones - Philadelphia, PA
The Royals once again go WR to possibly replace the aging Allen Atkins and WR Willard Brooks. With QB Jean Matieau in his prime, the Royals want to make sure he has the best weapons throughout his career, and Jones will pair up nicely with WR Chester Bennett who the Royals picked last year at 6th.
Johnny Singleton’s Scouting Report:
Mackenzie Jones is a great possession receiver. With hands like glue, Jones will be able to catch just about anything on the field. Pair that up with an excellent route-running ability, you have a guy that you can rely on to make the big catch to keep a drive alive. Jones, unfortunately, doesn’t have the explosive athleticism that teammates Allen Atkins or WR Chester Bennett have, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a great player in the NAAF. Just look at WR Ethan Walters and WR Travis Gallagher for example. The other concern is Jones loves to win and if that is not happening, he could be on the move quickly.
The Tigers grab the expiring contracts of veterans Rivera and Chevalier in hopes that they can sign them and boost their team next season, and they were willing to move down in the draft to do it. Montreal moves up to jump the Athletics who they believe would take the player they want, and they get a possible future S in Cobb who was a former 4th Round Pick in 1952. The conditional 1956 4th rounder will go to Montreal if Ontario signs both Rivera and Chevalier and makes the playoffs.
3 - Montreal Rouge (via Ontario) - DB Quentin Xavier - Dorchester. NY
The Rouge jump the Athletics to snag Xavier who will be a key piece for the Rouge to rebuild their secondary alongside DB Jontray Cox.
The Gains Report:
Xavier has had a troubled past in his life, but football was the thing that kept him going. He will often comment on how football saved his life several times. He is a hard worker and has become one of the best young DB’s in the country. Is great in a zone set up and has great height and wingspan that allows him to cover a big area.
4 - Worcester Athletics - OL Magnus Gunnersson - Bar Harbor, ME
With Xavier going off the board at 3, the Athletics make the smart move to protect Riley Kiernan with another top tier OL prospect.
The Gains Report:
Gunnerson is a former weightlifter, which immediately explains his unbelievable strength. He will be able to outmatch anyone in strength, but he does have some trouble with the more technical aspects of blocking which can lead him to be beaten by faster players. Don’t underestimate him though, especially in the run game.
5 - Ontario Tigers (via Montreal) - DL Olympus Heights - Oshawa, ON
The Tigers take the risky pick with Heights who had lots of questions surrounding him entering the draft. They say a lot of good in Heights and they felt like they couldn’t pass up on adding to the D-Line.
Roger Roy’s Scouting Report:
Ollie Heights has lots of potential to be a great DL. He is smart and can read the blocking schemes of the O-Line, but a big concern is his hesitation when coverages he hasn’t seen come into play which he will get a lot of in the NAAF. He is built more like a LB, but it allows him to have lots of speed on the line. Another plus for Heights is his character and ability to lead in the locker room which many former teammates have praised him for.
6 - Buffalo Blue Wings - DB Lou Lake - Hoboken, NY
The Blue Wings look to rebuild their aging secondary with Lou Lake. Since Oscar Patterson has left the team they have had a big hole to replace on the back end and Lake should be able to get into the starting lineup within the first year or two.
George Stefanakis’ Scouting Report:
Lake is a hard-working player that gives it his all on and off the field. He has great instincts that allow him to know where the ball is going more times than not. While his instincts are great his athletic skill is a bit average. He isn’t the fastest and he also doesn’t have the best hands, but he can still break up a lot of play just don’t expect interceptions to be a common occurrence.
7 - Boston Independents - LB Marco Price - Hartford, CT
Boston goes with a LB in the first round for the second year in a row hoping to flesh out their big three in the middle with LB Brent Harper, LB Silas O’Brien, and now Marco Price.
Johnny Singleton’s Scouting Report:
Price is all about being quick off the snap, whether it is to go in on the blitz, get the RB early, or even go to cover a receiver. When he is right, Price creates a lot of issues, but he sometimes is too quick to think and over commits to a play. This can leave him out of position. He will be best utilized in blitz and backfield coverage, but with the right coach, he can become a great player in the NAAF.
8 - Ottawa Royals - WR Mackenzie Jones - Philadelphia, PA
The Royals once again go WR to possibly replace the aging Allen Atkins and WR Willard Brooks. With QB Jean Matieau in his prime, the Royals want to make sure he has the best weapons throughout his career, and Jones will pair up nicely with WR Chester Bennett who the Royals picked last year at 6th.
Johnny Singleton’s Scouting Report:
Mackenzie Jones is a great possession receiver. With hands like glue, Jones will be able to catch just about anything on the field. Pair that up with an excellent route-running ability, you have a guy that you can rely on to make the big catch to keep a drive alive. Jones, unfortunately, doesn’t have the explosive athleticism that teammates Allen Atkins or WR Chester Bennett have, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a great player in the NAAF. Just look at WR Ethan Walters and WR Travis Gallagher for example. The other concern is Jones loves to win and if that is not happening, he could be on the move quickly.
The first 8 players are off the board, but many questions remain over the final 3 rounds of the draft.
1955 NAAF DRAFT
2nd Round
The second round began with the Long Island Raiders' second selection of the draft. They would snag a Safety for the future in S Johan Eckhart. The Gains Report spoke highly of his speed and ability to get on the ball quickly. Eckhart also has the ability to be as good as anyone in the first round.
Not long after the Raiders made their second selection another trade was announced. With QB Lyle Painter joining the Raiders, GM Wayne Tillman decided that he wanted to move on from the former 1st overall pick QB Lee Rogers. The surprise move has the young QB headed to Mount Royal to join the Rouge. He will also be joined by former 6th overall pick RB Pierre LeStrange. The Raiders would get 4 assets in return but some are not loving the return on Rogers and LeStrange. Long Island would grab the 13th Overall Pick, a 1956 3rd Rounder, QB Andrew Glover, and RB Tony Simmons. Glover is a McCallister Cup champion and will hopefully serve as a good mentor to Painter, but not a difference-maker, and Simmons was the 32nd pick in 1954 and has a long way to go in development. The draft picks will hopefully help. Montreal on the other hand grab a young and still quite talented Rogers who may fit much better in the Rouge offense.
Following the trade, Providence would take TE Micheal Bowman III to eventually replace the aging Marion Warren. Abigail Winter had her eye on Bowman throughout college and talks about a legit receiver level abilities catching the ball with a strong blocking ability to make for an all-around great TE. Ontario would grab a WR in Benedict Spencer with the 11th pick to help their future receiving core. Spencer has a similar play style to WR Mackenzie Jones with more of a possession style of play over downfield speed according to scout Barry Williams.
Worcester would make a big pick with LB Harrison Bennett who had been a wildcard for a first-round selection but was passed on because of his reportedly not so great character. Despite the character issues, Barry Williams says that his game is on point with lots of solid LB’s with great field vision and a knack for stopping the run. Could be a great steal or a risky bust for the Athletics.
With the recently acquired 13th pick the Raiders would go LB as well with Gene Bensen. Johnny Singleton has placed the title of one of the best coverage Linebackers he has ever seen and will be an issue for QB’s in the middle of the field, but he warned against some issues with tackling especially in the open field and 1-on-1 situations, which would explain his drop to 13.
Following the 13th pick, there was a bit of a longer delay leading into the 14th pick. After the clock had stopped halting the draft it was announced that a big trade had been made. Buffalo and Providence, oh, and Long Island had come together on a monster 9-piece, 3-way trade to shake up the league.
6 players would be moved in the deal with Gold Star DB Ollie Guy going to Buffalo along with Raiders WR Nathan Green. Providence would take on a pair of younger players in Buffalo S Marvin Tillman and former Raiders 2nd Round Pick DB Will Atkinson. Finally, the Raiders would get veteran Blue Wings WR Travis Gallagher and Gold Star prospect RB Conner Riley. 3 draft picks would be exchanged with the 14th pick going from Buffalo to Providence and the 19th pick going to Buffalo from Long Island. The final pick would be Buffalo’s 4th rounder from 1956 going to Long Island.
The Blue Wings grab a strong DB in Ollie Guy who has been a part of the Lee Wolfe, Victor Bean lead secondary for many years in Providence. WR Nathan Green is only 25 and has some potential to grow still in a new system.
Providence sets up for a younger future with S Marvin Tillman who had some starting time before S Frazier Brooks took over in Buffalo. They also grab the struggling DB Will Atkinson who will still pair up well with Wolfe and Bean as a 3rd or 4th DB.
Long Island gets a great veteran WR to help QB Lyle Painter and the younger WR Darrel Duke. Conner Riley was a 4th round pick a couple of seasons ago but has shown lots of growth and will be a great backup to RB Gene Fischer.
Providence would carry on the draft with DL Kenny Evans, a good run-defender in the middle of the line that will be a good fit next to Calias McDonough. Johnny Singleton will warm about his below-average strength. Boston would go OL with Sal Valcano at 15, to help rebuild the line. Finally, Ottawa would build on the defense with hard-hitting LB Alister Henry.
2nd Round
The second round began with the Long Island Raiders' second selection of the draft. They would snag a Safety for the future in S Johan Eckhart. The Gains Report spoke highly of his speed and ability to get on the ball quickly. Eckhart also has the ability to be as good as anyone in the first round.
Not long after the Raiders made their second selection another trade was announced. With QB Lyle Painter joining the Raiders, GM Wayne Tillman decided that he wanted to move on from the former 1st overall pick QB Lee Rogers. The surprise move has the young QB headed to Mount Royal to join the Rouge. He will also be joined by former 6th overall pick RB Pierre LeStrange. The Raiders would get 4 assets in return but some are not loving the return on Rogers and LeStrange. Long Island would grab the 13th Overall Pick, a 1956 3rd Rounder, QB Andrew Glover, and RB Tony Simmons. Glover is a McCallister Cup champion and will hopefully serve as a good mentor to Painter, but not a difference-maker, and Simmons was the 32nd pick in 1954 and has a long way to go in development. The draft picks will hopefully help. Montreal on the other hand grab a young and still quite talented Rogers who may fit much better in the Rouge offense.
Worcester would make a big pick with LB Harrison Bennett who had been a wildcard for a first-round selection but was passed on because of his reportedly not so great character. Despite the character issues, Barry Williams says that his game is on point with lots of solid LB’s with great field vision and a knack for stopping the run. Could be a great steal or a risky bust for the Athletics.
With the recently acquired 13th pick the Raiders would go LB as well with Gene Bensen. Johnny Singleton has placed the title of one of the best coverage Linebackers he has ever seen and will be an issue for QB’s in the middle of the field, but he warned against some issues with tackling especially in the open field and 1-on-1 situations, which would explain his drop to 13.
Following the 13th pick, there was a bit of a longer delay leading into the 14th pick. After the clock had stopped halting the draft it was announced that a big trade had been made. Buffalo and Providence, oh, and Long Island had come together on a monster 9-piece, 3-way trade to shake up the league.
6 players would be moved in the deal with Gold Star DB Ollie Guy going to Buffalo along with Raiders WR Nathan Green. Providence would take on a pair of younger players in Buffalo S Marvin Tillman and former Raiders 2nd Round Pick DB Will Atkinson. Finally, the Raiders would get veteran Blue Wings WR Travis Gallagher and Gold Star prospect RB Conner Riley. 3 draft picks would be exchanged with the 14th pick going from Buffalo to Providence and the 19th pick going to Buffalo from Long Island. The final pick would be Buffalo’s 4th rounder from 1956 going to Long Island.
The Blue Wings grab a strong DB in Ollie Guy who has been a part of the Lee Wolfe, Victor Bean lead secondary for many years in Providence. WR Nathan Green is only 25 and has some potential to grow still in a new system.
Providence sets up for a younger future with S Marvin Tillman who had some starting time before S Frazier Brooks took over in Buffalo. They also grab the struggling DB Will Atkinson who will still pair up well with Wolfe and Bean as a 3rd or 4th DB.
Long Island gets a great veteran WR to help QB Lyle Painter and the younger WR Darrel Duke. Conner Riley was a 4th round pick a couple of seasons ago but has shown lots of growth and will be a great backup to RB Gene Fischer.
3rd Round
The 3rd round kicked off with 3 straight DB’s going off the board. The Raiders took Johnny Singleton prospect DB Clinton Gates, Providence went with the instinctual Brazilian DB Ricardo Salvador, and Buffalo with their recently acquired pick went with the fiery DB Jared Francis from a first-year scout Joseph Brewer.
Following the 3 picks the final trade on draft day would occur between the Boston area teams. Boston would acquire the 20th pick from Worcester for aging OL James Chambers. The Athletics look to build their OL quicker with the trade here.
Boston would take RB Eddie Thompson with the pick, which is an interesting get, as Thompson has lots of range as a receiving back. He has speed but lacks physical aspects which would explain his drop.
The remainder of the 3rd round was pretty relaxed with Montreal going defense as usual with DL Angus McTavish. The Raiders would go with RB Armondo Amaro, who was a QB at one point which could create some interesting situations, which scout Roger Roy was very excited about when Long Island picked him. Boston would add on the DL with Wesley Highgate and Ottawa would look for a backup in the backfield with RB Iyannough Moreland.
4th Round
The final round of the draft had very little to recap. Long Island opened it up with a pretty average OL Allen Boyd. Providence would follow it up with WR Ronald Macquire to add to the receiving core in a couple of years. Tigers would go with TE Paul McDowell after missing out on Micheal Bowman III earlier on. Worcester would go with shifty RB Leo Ravelli before Montreal would go with Maxence Castex on the O-Line. Buffalo would have the most interesting pick of the round with QB Randy Sellers who was looked at as going undrafted, but Buffalo liked his similar style to that of Medina specifically with running the ball. Finally, Boston would go S with Marc-Antoine Marchand before Ottawa would go DB Dustin Wind to be the first non-running back picked at 32.
Undrafted Players
K Henderson Schumacher
RB Sam Snell Jr.
QB Tony Malcolm
TE Phineas Vanderlangenberg
LB Phillip Murphy
LB Bastiano Cerutti
WR Tomas Skoglund
LB Patrick Lynch
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