2067 Las Vegas Rounders Draft Review
1-25 (25)
Jaylen Donaldson CB North Carolina
5'11" 190 lbs
Las Vegas' secondary has been showing its age since its last championship and it was time to infuse young blood behind the developing front seven. Donaldson's record-tying 20 career interceptions seems impressive considering Dre Bly's record has stood for almost 70 years, but this 20-year-old did it in just 2 seasons. After notching 10 interceptions each of the past 2 seasons, Donaldson fell short of matching Bly's single-season record but inserted his name next to Bly's in the career record book. Questions remain about his ability to provide enough run support at the next level but his ability to generate turnovers is hard to ignore behind Vegas' pass rush threat.
2069 Update: Donaldson had 2 starts his rookie year before moving into a full-time starting role in 2068. Tackles, assists, and passes defended were an obvious increase moving into the starting role but Jaylen only managed 1 pick with the extra reps. He also continued punt return duties and tallied his first punt return TD while reducing his fumbles from 3 in his rookie season (36 attempts) to just 1 last season (52 attempts).
2-25 (57)
Willie Covington S Georgia Tech
6'0" 204 lbs
What do 2067 1st-round WR's Lukas Cecrle and Bart Anagnostis have in common? Both were shut down by Covington. Georgia Tech doubled Cecrle relentlessly in their blowout win on the road last fall, but it was Covington on the back side of the bracket coverage that made all of the big plays, denying Cecrle on contested balls he was known for converting. In Miami's embarrassing homecoming loss, it was Covington who was deployed in press coverage all day against Anagnostis, limiting him to just 4 catches on 15 targets in Anagnostis' worst performance of the season. It will be interesting to see how Vegas manages to get the Yellow Jacket into the mix amid the crowd they've accumulated at Safety.
2069 Update: Covington saw limited action during his rookie season and saw an increase in snaps in 2068. Willie is still trying to find opportunities and 2069 may be his opportunity with Watkins nearing the end of his career. The play of return man Grimes has cut into Covington's reps, but 2069 may be his prove-it year.
3-25 (89)
Jonah Thomason QB Syracuse
6'3" 222 lbs
It's another 3rd round and another QB drafted by the Rounders. The only difference this year is Harvey McKnight is not leading the quarterback room. That honor goes to last year's 3rd rounder, Dustin Roush. The club named Roush their starter at the end of the press conference announcing McKnight's retirement. It was hardly a vote of confidence since he was the only QB on the roster. Many have proclaimed this class as one of the weakest the CFL has seen in decades, so expectations are not high for any of the 2067 signal callers. Thomason was productive the last 2 seasons as the Orange's starter, but as a 5th year senior his composure was expected. The main concern is Thomason's inclination to run when his first two reads don't pan out. He will need to learn to make all of his reads, as he simply doesn't have the speed to run away from defenders like he grew accustomed to in college.
2069 Update: No longer on roster.
5-08 (136)
Ed Hutton C Buffalo
6'2" 288 lbs
TurfToe seemed excited to land Hutton in the 5th round and much like Hutton's transition from high school to college, his size likely had a lot to do with it. Despite starting in the high school All-American Bowl, it was Buffalo who gave Hutton a chance where he was able to add some weight to his 6'2" frame. Hutton was also an alternate for the East-West Shrine Bowl last season yet he was never really in the discussion with the top-rated Centers in this draft. Hutton stands a good chance of seeing significant 1st team reps this season, which is not typical for most 5th round selections.
2069 Update: Hutton played well enough in his rookie year to send veteran Soltis packing. Unfortunately, a man named Mason Gillespie was drafted last season and stole Hutton's starting job. Hutton's 11-18 KRB and no sacks at Center in 2067 didn't exactly translate to his performance in limited opportunities at Guard last season, where he was 1-8 KRB with 2 sacks allowed. Hutton is a good player that will be fighting for opportunities on the Rounders' roster.
5-25 (153)
Charlie Bills WR Marshall
6'0" 197 lbs
Bills is a raw prospect from Marshall where he showed natural ability to extend routes with yards after the catch. He's a raw athlete that has good hands and decent speed that could develop into a special talent at the next level given the time to develop and good coaching. Bills should be good enough to make the Rounders' 53-man roster but he will have to earn each and every snap on Sundays.
2069 Update: No longer on roster.
6-25 (185)
Lionel Kaitola ILB Temple
6'0" 228 lbs
Kaitola was a one-man wrecking crew for the Owl's last season. Despite his smallish frame, he captained his team's defense from the middle linebacker position. His athleticism and high energy allowed him to lead his team in both tackles and pass defenses. The Rounders' staff watched Kaitola work out as an inside linebacker at Temple's pro day but saw a safety running LB drills. Whether it was Kaitola skipping the combine or low attendance by CFL scouts at Temple's pro day, Vegas was excited to see Kaitola last until the 6th round, where they think they found a CFL safety. Time will tell.
2069 Update: No longer on roster.
7-23 (215)
Abel Beckner RB Iowa
5'9" 208 lbs
The Rounders' 2066 rushing attack featured 2 thousand yard rushers and with McKnight's retirement, there's unlikely to be a move away from the running game. One thing the Rounders rushing attack lacked was speed to the outside. Despite the war room's affinity for runners Joel Sallee (long gone at 1.25) and John Shannon (considered at 1.25), nothing really piqued their interest until the 7th round, when Iowa workhorse, Abel Beckner, was still available. Beckner grades out as borderline 3rd string/practice squad guy, but he will get a chance in Vegas due to his ability to find an extra gear outside and his ability to find the hole in a zone rushing offense. His competition will be undrafted free agents and not incumbents Finley and Gredzinski. If he does well he will earn the right to suit up ion Sundays, but not much more.
2069 Update: No longer on roster.
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ROF Division Champions: 2039 - 2043, 2045, 2047, 2054, 2056 - 2060, 2063, 2066-2067
WFC Conference Champions: 2018, 2041, 2042, 2057-2058, 2060, 2062-2063
CFL Champions: 2018, 2041, 2057-2058, 2060, 2062
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