Post by MGB01 on Jul 5, 2006 22:11:07 GMT -5
Ah, nothing like the first time, ain't it? After some test runs in the spring, the XFL held its first draft. Five years later's a good a time as any to review who did what, and who won what.
It should also be noted that in this draft both R.J. Bowers and Steve Smith predated Jimmy Wilkerson by two years in refusing to sign with his XFL club and instead jumped to the NFL, but Smith was merely the Washington Glory's third round selection while the Hitmen took Bowers a round earlier. Wilkerson, Bowers, and Smith are the only three XFL draftees to have bypassed the league entirely.
A good bragging point: While the first round of the 2001 NFL draft is littered with busts and dropouts, we can proudly say that all eight of the 2001 XFL first rounders are still in the league, then again to be fair we're talking eight teams versus 31.
1. Washington-Dyshod Carter, CB, Kansas State: Only injuries have been able to slow Carter down thus far. Carter is one of the XFL's top shutdown corners, and finished tied for the league in INTs three straight times (2002-2004).
2. New York-Brian Natkin, TE, UTEP: Was always among the team's top pass catchers in his five seasons with the club, moved to Washington in free agency, where he's second on the club with 25 receptions.
3. Las Vegas-Hodges Mitchell, RB, Texas: Mitchell's injury problems that dogged him at Texas may be beginning to catch back up with him now, but he was a rock for the Outlaws ever since becoming the team's starting halfback midway through the 2001 season.
4. Memphis-Bart Hendricks, QB, Boise State: The Glory and Demons, who both have promising young quarterbacks--both of which are struggling, would be well-served to follow the Maniax' example: Hendricks spent the 2001 season mostly as a spectator, watching Jim Druckenmiller and Marcus Crandell, then was eased in as the starter when things began to go south. The years definitely weren't smooth, but with Hendricks being among the top QBs in the XFL currently it seems to have paid off from that standpoint.
5. Chicago-Tarlos Thomas, OT, Florida State: The Enforcers have had a revolving door at quarterback since 2001: Kevin McDougal, Tim Lester, Ryan Leaf (yes, that one), David Rivers, Jamie Martin, and Ricky Ray. But they've all had a constant: Thomas, another in a long line of great former Seminoles who have gone on to star in either the XFL or NFL, was protecting them.
6. Orlando-Clevan Thomas, CB, Florida State: The run on Seminoles continues as the Rage picked up the Seminoles' other Thomas--no relation, who was ranked ahead of Carter at cornerback on a few boards. Thomas has been a stopper for the Rage since day one as well.
7. San Francisco-David Warren, DE, Florida State: While much of the buzz was about the Seminoles' two other defensive ends on their national championship-contesting team, Jamal Reynolds and Roland Seymour, Warren was the more consistent playmaker, and he continues to be, along with Demons DT Abdul-Salam Noah, the heart of the Demons defense, while Reynolds and Seymour are both long removed from football.
8. Los Angeles-Ennis Davis, DT, USC: The rest of this draft was very forgettable for the Xtreme, with names like DeAngelo Evans, Saul Patu, and Cleveland Pinkney filling the landscape. But they hit a home run here with Davis, who both a run-stuffing and a pass-rushing machine. Beset with the "lazy" label during his career with the hometown Trojans, Davis saw valuable time for the 2001 X-Bowl champion Xtreme and has been a force at defensive tackle ever since.
It should also be noted that in this draft both R.J. Bowers and Steve Smith predated Jimmy Wilkerson by two years in refusing to sign with his XFL club and instead jumped to the NFL, but Smith was merely the Washington Glory's third round selection while the Hitmen took Bowers a round earlier. Wilkerson, Bowers, and Smith are the only three XFL draftees to have bypassed the league entirely.
A good bragging point: While the first round of the 2001 NFL draft is littered with busts and dropouts, we can proudly say that all eight of the 2001 XFL first rounders are still in the league, then again to be fair we're talking eight teams versus 31.
1. Washington-Dyshod Carter, CB, Kansas State: Only injuries have been able to slow Carter down thus far. Carter is one of the XFL's top shutdown corners, and finished tied for the league in INTs three straight times (2002-2004).
2. New York-Brian Natkin, TE, UTEP: Was always among the team's top pass catchers in his five seasons with the club, moved to Washington in free agency, where he's second on the club with 25 receptions.
3. Las Vegas-Hodges Mitchell, RB, Texas: Mitchell's injury problems that dogged him at Texas may be beginning to catch back up with him now, but he was a rock for the Outlaws ever since becoming the team's starting halfback midway through the 2001 season.
4. Memphis-Bart Hendricks, QB, Boise State: The Glory and Demons, who both have promising young quarterbacks--both of which are struggling, would be well-served to follow the Maniax' example: Hendricks spent the 2001 season mostly as a spectator, watching Jim Druckenmiller and Marcus Crandell, then was eased in as the starter when things began to go south. The years definitely weren't smooth, but with Hendricks being among the top QBs in the XFL currently it seems to have paid off from that standpoint.
5. Chicago-Tarlos Thomas, OT, Florida State: The Enforcers have had a revolving door at quarterback since 2001: Kevin McDougal, Tim Lester, Ryan Leaf (yes, that one), David Rivers, Jamie Martin, and Ricky Ray. But they've all had a constant: Thomas, another in a long line of great former Seminoles who have gone on to star in either the XFL or NFL, was protecting them.
6. Orlando-Clevan Thomas, CB, Florida State: The run on Seminoles continues as the Rage picked up the Seminoles' other Thomas--no relation, who was ranked ahead of Carter at cornerback on a few boards. Thomas has been a stopper for the Rage since day one as well.
7. San Francisco-David Warren, DE, Florida State: While much of the buzz was about the Seminoles' two other defensive ends on their national championship-contesting team, Jamal Reynolds and Roland Seymour, Warren was the more consistent playmaker, and he continues to be, along with Demons DT Abdul-Salam Noah, the heart of the Demons defense, while Reynolds and Seymour are both long removed from football.
8. Los Angeles-Ennis Davis, DT, USC: The rest of this draft was very forgettable for the Xtreme, with names like DeAngelo Evans, Saul Patu, and Cleveland Pinkney filling the landscape. But they hit a home run here with Davis, who both a run-stuffing and a pass-rushing machine. Beset with the "lazy" label during his career with the hometown Trojans, Davis saw valuable time for the 2001 X-Bowl champion Xtreme and has been a force at defensive tackle ever since.