1 - Halifax Mariners | S George Turner | Western New York - Buffalo, NY - Creator: Burmy87
The Mariners made the 1st overall pick for the 4th time in the team’s history. Most recently taking QB Todd Sparrow after trading up to the #1 pick in 1971. This time, they would be the first to take a Safety with the #1 pick, rolling with George Turner out of Western New York. It was a bit of a surprise when many viewed LB Corey Briggs as the top prospect. However, Turner is an excellent open-field tackler, making him a great last defence. He’s solid in coverage as well, making him one of the most complete safety prospects the league has seen. So, he is still a very strong player for the Mariners to take, and in a position of need.
TRADE ALERT
With Briggs still on the board after the first pick, a couple of teams were on the phone to talk to Winnipeg sitting at #2. The battle for the trade-up was between the Raiders and the Victors, as the former Raider Assistant GM and now Victors’ GM, Pete Laird, was in a bout with his former Boss in Owner/GM Wayne Tillman of the Raiders. In the end, the Victors were successful in making the deal with Winnipeg, getting the nice "one-up" on his former boss.
The full trade would see the Victors acquire Picks, 2 (WPG 1st) and 28 (LI 2nd) in exchange for picks 4 (IND 1st), 22 (IND 2nd), and 36 (PRO 2nd).
2 - Indiana Victors (from Winnipeg) | LB Corey Briggs | UHamilton - Hamilton, ON - Creator: Wallflower
The Victors jumped up to take Corey Briggs seconds after the trade was finalized with the league. Excitement was certainly on the face of GM Pete Laird as he got his defensive centrepiece. Briggs is a dominant LB who hits heavy and hard, stopping guys dead in their tracks. His instincts on the field are like a predator, he hunts down ballcarriers like a wolf. His tougher upbringing does lead him to be a little more emotional and aggressive which can lead him to get heated in a game. Though the emotion comes from passion as football was also the thing that kept him going throughout his childhood.
TRADE ALERT
After Indiana made their selection, the Wheat Kings were on the clock. However, just like their prairie rivals, the Wheat Kings would make a trade to move back. They would send the 3rd overall pick to the Montreal Rouge. The full deal saw the Rouge acquire pick 3 (REG 1st) in exchange for picks 6 (MTL 1st) and 24 (MTL 2nd). Despite Montreal having 2 first-rounders, the Wheat Kings elected to go for a 2nd rounder to avoid the higher-salary bumps for 1st round rookies.
3 - Montreal Rouge (from Regina) | WR Evan Moore | New England - Worcester, MA - Creator: idm
With the newly acquired pick, the Rouge would take a new offensive weapon for their new starting QB Tom Applewhite. WR Evan Moore was looked at as the top WR prospect in the class, being one of the most complete players. He’s got sticky hands, solid quickness, and great route running, you’d be crazy to ask for even more out of him. Moore should slot in nicely next to WR Antonio Villanueva in the young WR Corps.
4 - Winnipeg Falcons (from Indiana) | OL Noah Glassman | Haynes - New Haven, CT - Creator: Stickman
After trading back the Falcons would take the top O-line prospect in the class. Glassman is a tough, but durable O-lineman. Very disciplined on the line (at least from what the refs can see…) and great in both pass and run blocking. Winnipeg has been looking for sturdy O-linemen to boost one of the league’s worst protection units. Glassman should provide a reliable piece to that puzzle.
5 - Edmonton Rangers | QB Oscar Frost | UEdmonton - Edmonton, AB - Creator: Wallflower
With the 5th pick, very few were shocked to see the Edmonton Rangers go and get the local darling in QB Oscar Frost. The Rangers attempted to ride QB Ken Myers last season as their starter, but he struggled immensely in the role. They already added QB Mike Key who will likely play a bridge QB role until Frost is ready. Frost is a pure pocket passer. Makes good reads and decisions in the pocket, and has made some great accurate throws in college. He’s great when the pressure is off him in the pocket, but his negative is that he can become frantic if he takes some hits or feels pressure coming. If he can settle in the pocket, Edmonton should have a very strong QB to lead them into the future.
6 - Regina Wheat Kings (from Montreal) | WR Colt Robbins | Alberta Provincial - Calgary, AB - Creator: Kingsfan11
After Montreal took a WR from the pick they traded, the Wheat Kings would select a WR as well, taking Alberta Provincial’s Colt Robbins. Robbins has a lot of solid traits like Evan Moore, great hands and excellent route running, however, doesn’t quite have the athletic gifts that Moore has. Robbins is likely to be a high-reception/possession WR, who can find holes in coverage to pick up yardage. A good fit for Regina who needs a high-use target in the offence. Robbins’ personality also suits the team as Robbins loves to be challenged and sees Regina as an ultimate challenge.
7 - Toronto Steelheads | OL Owen Brightman | North Indiana - Indianapolis, IN - Creator: ZO82
This offseason and the last, GM Reginald McMahon has been trying to address the weak Steelheads’ O-line with veteran free agents, but now he turns to the draft to try and bring in some younger pieces. With pick 7, they would take the first Brightman twin, Owen. Owen Brightman’s strength is his run blocking, very physical on the line and loves to pancake defenders. Should be a great fit in the more run-heavy offence in Toronto.
8 - Calgary Predators | DL Michael Ellis | Brooklyn Metropolitan - Brooklyn, NY - Creator: joho42x
The Preds have been very focused on building their Wild West Offence over the past two seasons, but now they turn their focus over to the defence, drafting DL Michael Ellis. Ellis is one fast D-lineman, who has been able to beat offensive tackles off the line without being touched, causing a lot of issues in the backfield. The speed is great, but there are some concerns with his size, being a smaller player, and if his quickness will be able to so easily beat pro-level linemen. Off the field, Ellis is also a great personality to have, a hard-working leader who also looks out for his teammates.
9 - London Tigers | DB Oliver Benson | Toronto - Toronto, ON - Creator: Kingsfan11
The Tigers were certainly excited to see the 4th ranked prospect, DB Oliver Benson, fall to them at 9th overall. The Tigers haven’t exactly had a lot of luck when it comes to taking first-round DBs. They have done it 3 times since 1965 (Rob Risker, Bernard Wilkins, Tomik Vrana) and only Bernard Wilkins remains on the team as a serviceable starter. They are hoping that Benson’s strength in one-on-one coverage will allow the team to have a true #1 lockdown corner. He’s great at keeping up with most WRs which gives him a lot of potential to go up against some of the best in the NAAF.
TRADE ALERT
The 3rd trade of the draft would occur ahead of the 10th overall pick. Once again, Winnipeg was making a move. This time the Falcons are moving up to pick 10 (LI 1st) by trading picks 20 (WPG 2nd) and 22 (IND 2nd) to the Raiders. Seems like the Raiders were still willing to make deals with the Falcons despite GM David Eaton electing to take the Victors’ deal over the Raiders’ deal earlier in the round.
10 - Winnipeg Falcons (from Long Island) | RB Joshua Tomlinson | Toronto - Windsor, ON - Creator: ZO82
With the newly acquired pick, the Falcons would be the first team to snag one of the two top RBs, taking Toronto’s Joshua Tomlinson, as they look towards the future in the backfield behind the long-time star RB Joe Rivers. Tomlinson’s elusive style and ability to create holes for himself makes him a great fit for an offence with a struggling O-line. Tomlinson should still be able to make guys miss even if the O-line doesn’t hold up. He was the key to success for the Continental champion Toronto Dukes and can be a feature of an offence. The one drawback early on is he isn’t the strongest blocker and will likely need to work on his skills in the backfield.
11 - Buffalo Blue Wings | DL Stephen Marshall | Western New York - Hershey, PA - Creator: ZO82
Buffalo picked a player in the 1st Round for the first time since 1969 with the 11th overall pick, also the first defensive player they have picked in Round 1 since LB Randall Lambert in 1964. The team has struggled with depth in their front-7 for the past couple of seasons, which is why they focused on grabbing a top D-lineman in the draft. They would take Stephen Marshall out of local WNY. Marshall is a strong force on the line, using power and strength to get past the O-line. He is less agile due to strength and size, but he can still clog up running lanes with good positioning.
TRADE ALERT
The 4th trade of the first round would see the Victors make another move up as GM Pete Laird continues to get a kickstart on the team’s rebuild. The Victors would acquire the 12th overall pick from the Boston Independents in exchange for veteran OL Taylor Alexander, the 28th Overall pick (LI 2nd) and Indiana’s 5th Rounder in 1974. The Independents mainly get a solid veteran O-lineman in Alexander, who will still be a cheap option with some of his salary being retained by Indiana. Overall, Boston made the move, not seeing a strong O-line prospect at 12 and decided to get help for this season.
12 - Indiana Victors (from Boston) | DB Alexandre Gagon | Majeure Montreal - Brossard, QC - Creator: Kingsfan11
With the next pick, Indiana would continue to build the defence, drafting DB Alexandre Gagon out of Majeure Montreal. The ball-hawking corner tends to make big plays when it counts. He isn’t a physically imposing player, but his quickness and ability to break on the ball make him a threat on every play. This pick also marks the 3rd time in 4 years the Victors have taken a DB in the first round.
13 - Halifax Mariners (from Louisville) | DL Jack Davis | New England - Boston, MA - Creator: Kingsfan11
With a desperate need on the D-line, the Mariners would reach back a little to take the next best D-lineman available in Jack Davis. Davis is another very athletic D-lineman. Using speed and agility to get past blockers. He’s also got some hops being able to get his hand on passes at the line. He could very well also slide back to play LB if necessary. However, he is not the strongest player and will likely struggle against the stronger O-linemen at the next level.
TRADE ALERT
There would still be one last trade in the first round to set the mark for most trades during the first round ever in NAAF history at 5 trades. The final trade would see the Vancouver Wolves make a move up, trading with the Montreal Rouge. The Wolves would acquire picks 14 (MIN 1st) and 78 (MTL 5th) in exchange for pick 17 (VAN 1st) and WR Graham Spencer. Spencer was a 3rd round pick last season, but with Vancouver already having plenty of depth at the position they could move the WR to go after a different prospect.
14 - Vancouver Wolves (from Minnesota via Montreal) | RB Chavez Arrington | Amon Carter (TX) - Abilene, TX - Creator: RaysUp
The Wolves would pounce on the opportunity to take the 2nd of the top RBs in the draft, taking Chavez Arrington with the 14th pick. Arrington has some great speed when he can get into open space, and he’s decently sized to be able to power through tackles at the line. He’s not as slippery as Joshua Tomlinson, but he’s still got the ability to break open a play with his power and speed. Like Winnipeg, the pick is a move for the future as veteran RB Jeremiah Morrow enters the twilight of his career.
15 - Ottawa Royals | LB Isaac Snyder | Minneapolis* - Minneapolis, MN - ZO82
The Royals had their eyes on Arrington ahead of the Wolves’ last pick, but since he was taken, the team shifted focus to adding depth in the LB corps. With consistent injuries among their LBs, grabbing a LB in the first round should provide more immediate depth. Snyder is one of the strongest coverage LBs coming out of college. He has great anticipation to keep up with slot WRs and TEs. He also still has a great ability to tackle and get after RBs. His speed isn’t his best trait, but his positioning and intelligence help him stay ahead of the play.
16 - Pittsburgh Blacksmiths | WR John Jackson | North Indiana - Indianapolis, IN - Creator: Kingsfan11
The last-1st round WR Pittsburgh took, Edward Washington, was a bit of a disappointing prospect for the Blacksmiths. They were ready to move on to the next one, grabbing WR John Jackson at 16. Jackson had a fantastic season at North Indiana, showcasing his amazing ability to catch just about anything thrown his way. He’s also got solid speed and athleticism that allows him to beat his man. However, his fundamentals are a work in progress, as he doesn’t have the best route-running ability, often being slightly off the mark on some plays.
17 - Montreal Rouge (from Vancouver) | OL Liam May | Rhode Island State - Warwick, RI - Creator: Burmy87
After trading back the Rouge would reach back quite a distance to take OL Liam May out of RISU, despite a couple of other O-linemen (Dennis Gould and Bill Portsmouth) still being on the board. May’s strength is his pass-blocking ability, something that Montreal expects to come in handy with their new gunslinging QB Tom Applewhite. However, some may view him as a bit more of a project to get him up to speed and strength at the next level.
18 - Providence Gold Stars | S Todd Collingwood | Pacific Provincial - Kamloops, BC - Creator: QCS
With the final pick of the first round, the champions would take a safety to set up a replacement for the departing S Paul Christopher and veteran S Tom Parrish. Collingwood, out of Pacific Provincial, has great anticipation and ability to sniff out the ball down the field. He led his team in interceptions in both of the last two seasons. He can struggle a little more coming downhill to tackle if the play is underneath him. However, he is a very coachable player and with a great defensive mind in HC Tommie Warner, he should be a good fit for the champs.
