2021 MFFL Draft Recap

Year 2 of the “slow” MFFL Draft was another success. And this year, there was more of it to love as the league expanded to four rounds.

Grading a draft class is a fruitless exercise in futility given that we won’t know how good or bad these players are for two or three years. But at least it makes for some barstool fodder and a way to pass the time until the regular season kicks off in a few weeks.

Here’s a look at my draft grades as well as some of my favorite picks from the 2021 MFFL Draft.

Draft Grades

Nagasaki Kamikazes — A
3 – Ja’Marr Chase, WR/CIN
4 – Kyle Pitts, TE/ATL
5 – Javonte Williams, RB/DEN
11 – Trey Sermon, RB/SF
13 – Trey Lance, QB/SF
26 – Javian Hawkins, RB/ATL
27 – Elijah Mitchell, RB/SF
29 – Gerrid Doaks, RB/MIA
36 – Larry Rountree III, RB/LAC
39 – Simi Fehoko, WR/DAL
42 – Cade Johnson, WR/SEA
47 – Austin Watkins Jr., WR/SF

The Kamikazes were on the clock for a ridiculous one-quarter of the 2021 draft — you would think teams would catch the hint and decide to keep some of their own picks. At a glance, one could look at the Kamikazes’ selections as a tale of two cities. If draft picks are “dart throws,” the first handful of picks look like they were tossed by a professional dart player from five feet away. The latter half appear to be darts slung by a blindfolded monkey from half a football field away. In fairness, if any of those later picks turn out to be hits, that monkey deserves a raise. But with five potential studs in the first 13 picks, it doesn’t matter if any of the rest of the players play a single down — the draft was a success.

Christmas Island Crabs — A-
8 – Rashod Bateman, WR/BAL
18 – Dyami Brown, WR/WAS
23 – Nico Collins, WR/HOU
24 – Kadarius Toney, WR/NYG
31 – D’Wayne Eskridge, WR/SEA
34 – Anthony Schwartz, WR/CLE
44 – Tylan Wallace, WR/BAL
45 – Tutu Atwell, WR/LAR

The Crabs are building for the future and they did themselves wonders with a strong slate of prospects. Christmas Island drafted eight wide receivers, some of them at tremendous value. There’s the headliner in Bateman, who has the talent and ability to excel as long as the quarterback gets him the ball. The underrated, under-the-radar sleepers in Brown and Collins. A trio of speedsters in Toney, Eskridge and Schwartz. And some dart throws late. The crew has to execute on the field, but the talent and upside is certainly prevalent.

Jamaica Jerks — A-
9 – Michael Carter, RB/NYJ
15 – Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR/DET
17 – Rondale Moore, WR/ARI
28 – Mac Jones, QB/NE
30 – Brevin Jordan, TE/HOU
41 – Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR/MIN

The Jerks got some good value at each of their draft slots. Whether or not Michael Carter has a better career than Trey Sermon — taken two picks later — remains to be seen. But he should be a fairly quick contributor. St. Brown figures to see a healthy dose of targets early in his career and Moore, whether he’s strictly a gadget player or something more, has “boom” upside. Jones could see action as early as this season, or by 2022 at the latest. Jordan could be a sleeper tight end and ISM is not a bad dart throw.

Russia Renegades — B+
1 – Najee Harris, RB/PIT
16 – Justin Fields, QB/CHI
19 – Pat Freiermuth, TE/PIT
25 – Kenneth Gainwell, RB/PHI
46 – Dez Fitzpatrick, WR/TEN

Harris alone ought to bring an immediate return on investment and could be a special back. Fields could be next in line among mobile quarterbacks who bring a lot of value with their legs. Freiermuth might start slow as a rookie tight end but has good long-term value. Gainwell probably won’t amount to much more than a pass-catching back and Fitzpatrick is a long-shot receiver who will start his career buried on the depth chart.

Switzerland Squirrels — B+
2 – Travis Etienne, RB/JAX
10 – Trevor Lawrence, QB/JAX
21 – Amari Rodgers, WR/GB
37 – Hunter Long, TE/MIA
38 – Dazz Newsome, WR/CHI

The Squirrels could easily vault into “A” territory if Etienne exceeds initial expectations. There are concerns about what his role will be, and if he’s relegated to primarily a pass-catching back, that could hurt the Squirrels’ draft class. Lawrence is a pro-ready quarterback who can sling it as well as pick up yards with his legs. Rodgers probably won’t see a ton of action as a rookie, nor will Newsome. Both have curious futures. Long is buried on the depth chart but is a nice pass-catching tight end.

San Juan Scorpions — B
12 – Terrace Marshall Jr., WR/CAR
22 – Zach Wilson, QB/NYJ
48 – Cornell Powell, WR/KC

I know the Scorpions were disappointed when Trey Sermon was taken one spot ahead of them in the first round. They had to settle for Marshall instead, who has a chance to be next in line among great LSU receivers. He’s got a couple other receivers he has to battle for playing time and targets, but he could be a strong player in the future. Wilson is the X-factor of this draft class for the Scorpions. He’s got a strong arm and moves well. If he turns out to be worth his draft capital, the Scorpions will have added a strong depth piece to the quarterback room. As Mr. Irrelevant, no one is expecting Powell to make a huge impact, but he has a sneaky good situation for the last pick in the draft.

Bangkok Blitz — B
14 – Elijah Moore, WR/NYJ
35 – Rhamondre Stevenson, RB/NE
40 – Josh Palmer, WR/LAC

The Blitz had just three picks, but found good value with each one of them. Moore could be a sneaky sleeper. A diminutive player, he plays much larger than his size. Stevenson has often been compared to Derrick Henry because of his size, but he might take a while to carve out a role, if at all. Palmer has good upside. He’s got the draft capital on his side, has a big frame for eventual red zone usage, and is not bad for a fourth-round choice.

Ecuador Ewoks — B
6 – DeVonta Smith, WR/PHI
32 – Khalil Herbert, RB/CHI

The Ewoks really need Smith to step up and contribute the way they’re hoping he can. The former Heisman Trophy winner has a slight frame but ought to be a focal point of the offense. He’s already started his rookie career with an injury but if he stays healthy, this was a great pickup. Herbert is kind of a dart throw. He’ll begin his career on special teams but has a chance to work his way into the primary backup role. From there, one injury could give him some meaningful reps.

Ukraine Grainers — B-
7 – Jaylen Waddle, WR/MIA

Other people like Waddle a lot more than I do. He’s got a better overall skill set than Henry Ruggs, but I fear the small, shifty receivers whose games are predicated on speed. If Waddle hits — and I give him an above average chance to do so, which is why he’s above the average “C” grade — then the Grainers have a chance to walk away with a great one-player draft class. Until then, we’ll take the cautious, wait-and-see approach.

Egypt Pharaohs — C
20 – Chuba Hubbard, RB/CAR
33 – Kellen Mond, QB/MIN
43 – Jacob Harris, TE/LAR

I really liked Hubbard coming out of college, but I fear his landing spot couldn’t have been much worse. Now, in fairness, Christian McCaffrey did miss a lot of time last year. But presuming health, Hubbard doesn’t appear to have a great return on investment. I also really like Mond, but he’ll be a backup for at least a year or two, if not longer. Harris has good sleeper potential, but he’s a longshot at the moment.

Turkey Jerky — Incomplete
The Jerky did not have one single draft pick in the 2021 draft class. Let that sink in.

Wake Island Wookiees — Incomplete
Ditto above. Hard to fathom.

Favorite Picks

Pick 5: Javonte Williams, RB/DEN (Nagasaki Kamikazes)
All the hype since the NFL Draft has been focused on Najee Harris and Travis Etienne, the two first rounders. But the running back who has flown under the radar and has quickly picked up steam is Williams. It’s just a matter of time before Williams becomes the workhorse and provides the Kamikazes with tremendous upside.

Pick 10: Michael Carter, RB/NYJ (Jamaica Jerks)
I like Trey Sermon, too, but I particularly like Carter’s ability as a receiver and his quicker path to usage. He may not ever project to be a workhorse back, but he could be an immediate and lasting contributor.

Pick 14: Elijah Moore, WR/NYJ (Bangkok Blitz)
Not normally a fan of the short receivers, I can make an exception with Moore. He was a savvy college receiver and could get a lot of volume at the next level. He might have to wait his turn in a crowded receiving corps, but he should eventually bump his competition and have some success.

Pick 23: Nico Collins, WR/HOU (Christmas Island Crabs)
Sure, Collins winds up in a disastrous offense and he wasn’t the most productive college receiver around. But he has great size and has an opportunity to step into a meaningful role if he can seize it.

Pick 31: D’Wayne Eskridge, WR/SEA (Christmas Island Crabs)
The Seahawks had three draft picks and used one on Eskridge. That counts for something. He’s a burner and will likely excel from a short passing attack. Yes, he is lower in the pecking order to two good receivers, but he’s receiving passes from a great quarterback.

Pick 38: Dazz Newsome, WR/CHI (Switzerland Squirrels)
The Bears already jettisoned Anthony Miller and they have signed two veteran receivers to just one-year deals. With Allen Robinson on the franchise tag, this offense could be wide open by 2022 and Newsome could capitalize.

Pick 40: Josh Palmer, WR/LAC (Bangkok Blitz)
Palmer was not the most productive college receiver and that turned off a lot of owners. But he’s an intriguing prospect with great size who could work his way into the lineup and possibly be a good red zone threat.

Pick 48: Cornell Powell, WR/KC (San Juan Scorpions)
With the 48th pick in the draft, the best you can hope for is an opportunity and that’s what Powell has. He is playing for the best offense in football. He wouldn’t be the first, second or even third option. But there’s enough volume in the passing attack to warrant long-term consideration.