Maine State’s success over the last 2 seasons has been heavily impacted by LB Lewis Vander. Vander’s ability to play in any position defensively has allowed him to be all over the field. He has a great understanding of the defence due to his ability to play in different positions. In his senior year, he started to settle in at Linebacker, but has solid coverage skills which isn’t as common among linebackers in the NAAF at the moment. RISU’s Morgan King, is a really solid #2 option, having fantastic fundamentals. LB Yuri Dragunov is another interesting prospect, being a great linebacker with speed to cover the field, however, a major injury in his senior year dropped his stock a little after some thought he might be a top 5 pick going into the year. LB Zach Sexton, out of Louisville State, is also another solid option, though with a more punishing playstyle.
Teams looking to improve the secondary will look to the Martell twins out of WNY. Oswald is the smaller of the two, but is the more skilled player. He’s a pure ball hawk, that can be a QB’s nightmare. In contrast, Lawrence is more gritty and plays physically, being a slightly bigger guy with less speed. S Ian Outlaw will also turn a lot of heads, being a dangerous safety for UNE, able to shut down guys with great tackles, but also able to lock down deep threats in coverage. S Marcus Harris is also available as a well-rounded option, while S Chris Berger is a zone coverage option.
Shifting to the offence, many teams are going to be interested in RB Axel Vandal, who had a fantastic senior season. Vandel’s skill set is very balanced. He’s got solid speed, but also a strong base to be able to break off tacklers. He also flashes some great athleticism as well with his elusiveness. He’s a workhorseback that any team will be interested in. Teams may be looking to make a move up for Vandal as the next best guy in Howie Bowman out of Alberta Provincial, who isn’t expected to make as big of an immediate impact but could be a solid depth option.
Teams who are focused on the O-line may be able to wait a little with a few solid options projected to go later in the 1st round or early 2nd. The top guy is Jacob Szczepanski out of Indy Tech, who with one look you can tell that the 6’7” guy is probably going to be pretty good. As long as you don’t have a super short QB under centre, he should be a great defender with great strength. UEdmonton’s Callum Thomas is the top run blocker in the class, while OL Glenn Capson has lots of potential as a agile pass blocker. After those three, Dominic Bissonnette and Simon Northcott remain as other top prospects.
Heading out to WR, where it is a bit of a weaker class, at least at the top. Eric Norris is certainly expected to have a solid career as he showed that he was a big playmaker at UNE. He has great hands as well as a great IQ that allows him to read defences like a QB and pick out spots in the defence to get open. A talent that can’t always be taught. WR Oliver Shephard is a smaller pass catcher, but his strength is there and if he can get his hands on the ball, he can run like a RB out of the backfield. Team’s looking for a taller option, could wait a bit for WR Stu Weidemann, who isn’t all that fast, but can certainly win in a physical one-on-one.
Tight End is still a pretty weak position, but teams could look to either Douglas Northway or Serge Peterson if they are interested. Northway, out of Allegheny, will likely be favoured for his receiving ability as the position continues to shift towards using the TE more in the pass game. However, Peterson has some catching chops as well as a bit of stronger blocking game.
Finally, the Quarterbacks. Last year, Todd Sparrow and Henry Johnsson were the dominant two and easily the best prospects for their value in the draft. This year, Ryan Alexander and Mitchell Nash take those spots. However, they aren’t quite as impressive as Sparrow and Johnsson were coming out of college. Starting with Alexander, the UNE product has got a really solid base skill-wise. He’s got solid accuracy, arm strength, and poise. However, he doesn’t jump off of the page. He makes good throws, and follows the script, but that’s about it. Some worry that he may not handle higher pressure at the next level against better defences. QB Mitchell Nash is more impressive skill-wise, having a great arm that can get the ball down the field. However, he is more mistake-prone, throwing a lot more interceptions. However, after QB Buck Murphy won a title with Louisville while throwing for the 3rd most interceptions may leave teams willing to take a risk on the young QB. Ultimately, Alexander is the safe pick and Nash is the one you take a risk on with a little more arm talent. It is a bit of a drop until you get to the next QBs. Cameron Salahub out of Pacific Provincial has great accuracy and poise, but a smaller, thinner body has led to injury troubles and many batted balls. QB Shawn Jolly out of London has certainly impressed with getting that team into the playoffs, however, he is ultimately even more of a game manager than Ryan Alexander is. QB Vladimir Orlov is a more physically imposing QB with solid accuracy, however, has a weaker arm and a tendancy to fumble, which certainly has turned teams away. Beyond that, you have Roger Stump, Pete Herman, and Dallas Bowler who are all wild cards, with Stump being the most interesting of the bunch with a solid arm.
The last player to note is S Gunpei Koizumi. Koizumi is the first player to take the portal over to North America from Japan. After dominating in Yokohama, Koizumi was immediately on board with the option to take a shot at playing football in the NAAF. Koizumi has immense skill and probably could be ranked higher by pure skill alone, but some may be hesitant to take the player with language barriers and not knowing how the skill will translate to higher competition in North America compared to what he faced in Japan.
Top 50 Prospects
1 - DL Sam Reinkemeyer - New England - Kingsfan11
2 - LB Lewis Vander - Maine State - Jayhawk
3 - RB Axel Vandal - St-Laurent - ZO82
4 - DL Robin Lucas - Toronto - QCS
5 - WR Eric Norris - New England - RaysUp
6 - QB Ryan Alexander - New England - Wallflower
7 - DB Oswald Martell - Western New York - ZO82
8 - LB Morgan King - Rhode Island State - Burmy87
9 - S Ian Outlaw - New England - DireBear
10 - OL Jacob Szczepanski - Indiana Tech* - Dan O’Mac
11 - QB Mitchell Nash - Haynes - MitchSwanson94
12 - LB Yuri Dragunov - Allegheny* - ZO82
13 - OL Callum Thomas - UEdmonton - Wallflower
14 - OL Glenn Capson - Maine State - idm
15 - S Marcus Harris - North Indiana* - vladee
16 - WR Oliver Shephard - Rhode Island State - Darknes
17 - LB Zach Sexton - Louisville State* - Darknes
18 - DB Lawrence Martell - Western New York - ZO82
19 - DL Graham de Veres - Pacific Provincial - Darknes
20 - OL Dominic Bissonnette - Majeure Montreal - ZO82
21 - RB Howie Bowman - Alberta Provincial - QCS
22 - OL Simon Northcott - Saskatchewan Provincial - Wallflower
23 - S Chris Berger - Upstate - RaysUp
24 - TE Douglas Northway - Allegheny* - ZO82
25 - WR Stu Weidemann - Cambridge of Boston - NoE38
26 - DB Dallas Daniels - UHamilton - MitchSwanson94
27 - TE Serge Peterson - Brooklyn Metro* - Stickman
28 - OL Bobby Finley - St. Paul* - DireBear
29 - DL Christopher Hearson - Haynes - ZO82
30 - DB Kevin Krane - North Indiana* - idm
31 - WR James Johnson - New England - Kingsfan11
32 - OL Martin Dashaw - Major Ohio* - Jayhawk
33 - RB Mark Waters - Maine State - idm
34 - WR Tyler Jackson - Rideau - Kingsfan11
35 - S Alex Spurrier - Toronto - Darknes
36 - LB Teddy Redmond - Rhode Island State - idm
37 - DL Alexis Daskalakis - Majeure Montreal - Kingsfan11
38 - WR Graham Spencer - Rockefeller* - MitchSwanson94
39 - RB Nelson Barker - St. George - ZO82
40 - OL Damien Brisebois - Mont Bellevue - Kingsfan11
41 - LB William Morrison - Toronto - Dan O’Mac
42- S Horace Treadaway - UHamilton - ZO82
43 - DB Jack Buswell - Saskatchewan Provincial - Wallflower
44 - WR Ray Brydges - UHamilton - Darknes
45 - LB Patrick Weidner - Rhode Island State - Wallflower
46 - OL Humphrey Hogarth - Rockefeller - TheEnigmaticOne
47 - OL Tom Pillsbury - Dominion - MitchSwanson94
48 - DL Bryan Starks - Central Ohio* - ZO82
49 - RB Buck Wilde - Major Wisconsin* - QCS
50 - RB Vincent Marsden II - Sudbury Provincial - Darknes
===================================================
58 - S Gunpei Koizumi - Yokohama** - QCS
64 - DB Hal Fredo - Upstate - Scratch
73 - RB Murdoch Washington - Nova Scotia - ThisIsFine
91 - WR Steve Greco - Indiana Tech* - TigersFan93
101 - DL Daniel Chung - Royal Gardens - JamHeronArk
QBs ===============================================
62 - QB Cameron Salahub - Pacific Provincial - Darknes
67 - QB Shawn Jolly - London - Kingsfan11
71 - QB Vladimir Orlov - Brooklyn Metro* - TheEnigmaticOne
75 - QB Roger Stump - Alberta Provincial - ThisIsFine
84 - QB Pete Herman - Allegheny* - idm
94 - QB Dallas Bowler - Rochester* - idm
Draft Order
1 - Toronto Steelheads - Picks (7): 1, 19, 35 (MTL), 37, 63 (BOS), 70 (MIN), 73
2 - Halifax Mariners - Picks (9): 2, 9 (BOS), 20, 36 (LOU), 38, 53 (MTL), 56, 78 (LDN), 85 (PRO)
3 - Regina Wheat Kings - Picks (5): 3, 21, 39, 57, 75
4 - Winnipeg Falcons - Picks (5): 4, 22, 40, 58, 76
5 - Calgary Predators - Picks (8): 5, 23, 41, 59, 65 (VAN), 72 (LOU), 77, 84 (OTT)
6 - London Tigers - Picks (6): 6, 24, 42, 60, 68 (PIT), 74 (HFX)
7 - Long Island Raiders - Picks (4): 7, 25, 43, 61
8 - Edmonton Rangers - Picks (5): 8, 26, 44, 62, 80
9 - Boston Independents - Picks (3): 27, 45, 81 - HFX Owns 1st Round Pick*
10 - Indiana Victors - Picks (6): 10, 28, 31 (PRO), 46, 48 (OTT), 64
11 - Vancouver Wolves - Picks (4): 11, 29, 47, 83
12 - Ottawa Royals - Picks (4): 12, 30, 66, 82 (IND)
13 - Providence Gold Stars - Picks (3): 13, 49, 67
14 - Pittsburgh Blacksmiths - Picks (4): 14, 32, 50, 86
15 - Buffalo Blue Wings - Picks (5): 15, 33, 51, 69, 87
16 - Minnesota Serpents - Picks (5): 16, 34, 52, 79 (LI), 88
17 - Montreal Rouge - Picks (4): 17, 55 (TOR), 71, 89
18 - Louisville Thunder - Picks (3): 18, 54, 90
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