1958 Draft Preview

1958 Draft Preview 

Throughout the NAAF world, the talk was focused around an up and coming star QB. Gene Bishop out of South Portland, ME has been lighting it up in college and looks to be another fantastic QB. Throughout his career, he has started on every team he’s been on since he picked up a football. Bishop has a rocket of an arm which makes for a great ability to make big plays, and still remains strong with short passes as well. Some will compare him to Lee Rogers, but with better decision making. Behind Bishop is a pair of running backs in Rodney “Hot Rod” Clark and Baltimore native, Dareion Fields. Clark has got some speed about him mixed with power, hence his name of Hot Rod. Fields is a little more agile, similar to Volkov, with an ability to escape really bad situations and make something out of nothing. WR Cedric Peterson is the other offensive star at the top with good speed and great hands. The Ottawa native grew up idolizing Allen Atkins and seems to be a slightly shorter version of the former MVP. 

As for defence, DB Jayden Mills is at the top of the board and has fantastic hands and hops which make him an interception machine. He might be outsized by some of the WRs but he can make up for it in athleticism. DL Dexter Barbarcos is the other top juggernaut. A punishing interior lineman that will clog up the running lane in an instant. On the outside looking in for the first round is LB Douglas McDougall and DL Richard Blunt who can be key building blocks for some of the top teams in the league.  

Of course, there is lots of great talent and with Louisville at the top of the draft board, there is uncertainty on who will be going off the board first. Reports are saying Louisville might even be willing to move the pick and take advantage of some teams wanting to bring in Gene Bishop since they are committed to Leonidas Dumont. However, the story got a whole lot more interesting during a press conference for Bishop a couple weeks before the draft.  

Bishop had been meeting with teams over the weeks leading up to the draft. He was just finishing up a training session in Boston when he sat down on a radio show. It was a simple interview, but the host would ask Bishop a very shocking question: “Now you have been the projected top QB in the draft from the start of the season, how does it feel knowing you have some competition in the form of Nathaniel Braddock?” Bishop was very confused at first but then shocked as he realized one of the top QB prospects in the country had flipped the football world on its head by declaring for the NAAF instead of the expected ACFL.  

Nathaniel Braddock is the famous son of the legendary Pittsburgh Hammers QB, William Braddock. William had played his entire career with the Hammers. During his time the team won 3 titles and would go on to set most of the records for the team. If it had not been for the war, his stats would’ve been even higher. Of course, his son Nathaniel, grew up in Pittsburgh as his dad played. He too loved football and always wanted to be like his dad. However, as he grew up he started to find himself being directed by everyone around him. The story that he would eventually be the saviour of Pittsburgh who had struggled since William retired and his successor, Angelo Medina, had left for the NAAF in 1950. The Hammers are lined up with the first pick this season in the ACFL draft and would no doubt take the QB.  

Nathaniel was tired of the talk of “William’s son” and always being in that shadow with the expectation that he would follow his dad’s footsteps in Pittsburgh. He still was likely going to go to the ACFL regardless, but a conversation with a famed NAAF scout changed his mind. Lawrence Gainsborough would meet with Nathaniel and without much more than a friendly conversation, had Nathaniel considering the NAAF. A few days after they first met, Nathaniel called Gainsborough to know more and by the time the draft declaration period was closing, Nathaniel committed to the NAAF. He hopes that he can get out of his father’s shadow and paint his own picture.  

Of course, this did not sit well with Gene Bishop, who had pretty much every opportunity handed to him. While he wouldn’t show it directly, he was very uneasy when asked about Braddock for the next few weeks.  

With two QB’s at the top of the board, the trade talks have spiked with a number of the teams at the top of the board. Several teams hope to snag one of the two QBs or the RBs. Boston, Indiana, and Worcester seem to be the most in talks with London and Buffalo being rumoured as well. The Braddock-Bishop sweepstakes have begun and the draft is not that far away.  

Projected Draft Order
1 - QB Nathaniel Braddock - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
2 - QB Gene Bishop - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
3 - RB Rodney Clark - Dewey Thomas - Rugrat
4 - RB Dareion Fields - Wally Flowers - Wallflower
5 - DB Jayden Mills - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
6 - DL Dexter Barbarcos - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
7 - WR Cedric Peterson - Wally Flowers - Wallflower
8 - TE Emmanuel Hines - Brad Cumberland - DireBear
9 - LB Douglas MacDougall - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
10 - DL Richard Blunt - Roger Roy - Thehealthiestscratch
11 - OL Bernhard Altermann - Barry Williams - Z082
12 - S Randall Green - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
13 - LB Sam Wynn - Dewey Thomas - Rugrat
14 - OL Stanley Witt - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
15 - OL Nicholas Waller - George Stefanakis - Dan O’Mac
16 - WR Paul Franklin - Johnny Singleton - Captain Mort 3D
17 - DL Martin Garfield - Brad Cumberland - Dire Bear
18 - DB Elvin Waters - Dewey Thomas - Rugrat
19 - QB Stanley Troyer - Allen Cohn - Tigersfan93
20 - LB Sebastian Andrews - Perry Matthews - Sevsdast
21 - TE Tanner Tint - Roger Roy -  Thehealthiestscratch
22 - OL Ivan Zamora - Barry Williams - Z082
23 - RB Tobias Graves - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes
24 - WR Tony Albano - Dewey Thomas - Rugrat
25 - DL Theo Conte - Lawrence Gainsborough - Darknes 

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