2072 Las Vegas Rounders Draft Review
Draft Review Video Summary
Rounders' Marketing Team Silas Wassick Teaser
1-26
Silas Wassick DE Auburn
6'2" 285 lbs
Heading into the 2072 draft, the talk of the town was Defense as usual in Las Vegas. Would the Rounders move up to grab a premiere MLB to replace Buddy Hargreaves or can Adrian Diaz carry the load? If not an MLB, what about a runner to backfill the aging Finley/Gredzinski backfield? As has been the script the past few years in Vegas, TurfToe didn't move up, but instead patiently waited to see what gem would fall to the 26th spot on Day 1 and this year it was the 2071 Ted Hendricks Award winner from Auburn's championship team, Silas Wassick. Wassick has all the measurables with miles of tape to back them up. Some think he has middling speed for a premier pass rusher, but his burst is obvious on tape and he has the production to suggest a timed 40-yard dash is not the end-all-be-all metric for edge rushers. Wassick is a top-12 pick in most drafts but found his way to Las Vegas as the 26th pick in the 2072 CFL draft.
Camp Notes: Wassick looked the part in training camp and was the obvious Day 1 starter opposite Tristan Coles. The hype was real, and fans showed huge support for the late first-rounder in camp.
Training Camp:
+5/0
Judgment Day:
-1/
-5
2-27
Barry Kyle LB Tulane
6'0" 227 lbs
Inside linebacker was a position many expected Vegas to fill in the 1st or even move up to address in the 2nd round, but after the likes of Dukes and Briggs were off the board it wasn't looking good. Enter Tulane star, Barry Kyle. He's not the fastest they said, but he was 5th fastest among ILB's. He's not the smartest they said, but he outscored most of the Big 10 offerings. No one had anything to say about his strength, agility, explosiveness, or linebacking skills because there were none better at this year's combine. Most of the talk was about that 'combine kid' at ILB and whether it will translate to the field. Vegas happily welcomed Barry "The Combine Kid" Kyle to the CFL at pick 2.27.
Camp Notes: Kyle is the gym rat everyone expected and even though he was usually lifting with the linemen, he couldn't seem to put on any weight. The Combine Kid quickly became a fan favorite at camp and might have stolen some of Wassick's thunder as camp wrapped up.
Training Camp:
+6/
+4
Judgment Day:
+2/
+6
3-26
Jeremy Hellerstedt WR Tusculum
6'0" 192 lbs
Many Vegas faithful, including starting QB David Kaesviharn, were expecting to see Vegas grab a receiver early in this draft, especially with the thinning ranks of the current WR corps. Although Vegas didn't find a spot to secure a receiver in the first two rounds, the third round brought D2 standout Jeremy Hellerstedt to Vegas. Hellerstedt didn't win a championship, collegiate accolades, or even stand out in the measurables, but he did show off his polished route running and special teams skills. This may be a reach in the late third, but many were happy to see any wideout finally selected by Vegas.
Camp Notes: Hellerstedt blended in with the mediocre WR corps during camp and that's not good news. This group has some playmakers but there is no alpha in Vegas. Hellerstedt will easily make this roster, but his impact is still a concern.
Training Camp:
+2/
-3
Judgment Day: 0/
-3
4-11
Antonio Raffo RB Tennessee
6'1" 226 lbs
What appeared to some as a little buyer's remorse in Round 3, Vegas traded into the 4th round and took a flier on Tennessee's RB understudy, Antonio Raffo. Las Vegas interviewed Tennessee's standout RBs Cristian Hager (1.10) and Kennedy Mayes (1.14) at the combine but Raffo supposedly caught their eye at Tennessee's pro day where Raffo was running drills with his highly decorated backfield mates. One Vegas scout was on record as saying, "We weren't necessarily looking at Antonio, but we couldn't help but notice how patient he was to the hole and what happened after he hit it. If tacklers don't get a good fit, this kid can score from anywhere. We really liked Cristian and Kennedy but we didn't have a shot at them - we liked what we saw at their pro day and it's clear these guys were all coached well at Tennessee."
Camp Notes: This kid shows signs of greatness along with signs of being a 4th round selection. His value will be measured on the field in pre-season.
Training Camp:
+1/
-1
Judgment Day: 0/
-2
6-27
Noah Vaughn ILB Wisconsin
6'2" 256 lbs
Vegas can't help but look for pass rushers wherever they find themselves. Wisconsin's SILB Noah Vaughn was a passing down specialist who projects to a 34 SLB in the CFL. Enter Las Vegas who loves to convert these types of guys to DE in their 43 Over defense. Depending on how camp goes for Vaughn, many expect him to slide into the inside linebacker or defensive end rotations depending on which way the training staff can get this kid's build to go. If his time in the weight room translates to size, expect to see Vaughn with his hand in the dirt in 2072; otherwise, he may continue to roam the middle of the field on passing downs.
Camp Notes: Vaughn is another fan favorite that will be fun to watch. The Badger spent time with both the defensive ends and outside linebackers throughout camp and it is still unknown as to where he'll line up on game day.
Training Camp:
+11/0
Judgment Day:
+1/
-5
7-25
Alejandro Cox G New Haven
6' 2" 310 lbs
Cox was the starting left tackle at Division II New Haven for the past 4 seasons. Cox went D2 to pursue his passion of playing Tackle at the collegiate level where his size would not allow him to play in D1. Vegas hopes he is committed to the change to Guard and embraces his opportunity to shine at the pro level.
Camp Notes: Cox's lack of experience going against elite talent was obvious in camp and despite him making strides as camp went along, there are concerns about whether he can compete at the next level.
Training Camp:
+2/
-3
Judgment Day: 0/
-4
7-26
Xavier Dubroff K Colorado
5' 11" 192 lbs
Xavier Dubroff is no Tito Sweeney, but who in this draft is? Is Tito Sweeney even Tito Sweeney post-Judgement Day? If you don't know who these guys are, you've already read too much of this review. Kickers are kickers, not football players, so it probably doesn't matter. Move along, there's nothing to see here but confused soccer players.
Camp Notes: Dubroff continued to shine in camp, making the same kicks as Rhoden and outperforming him on kickoffs, which was one of the reasons Vegas felt comfortable in moving Rhoden.
Training Camp:
+8/
-1
Judgment Day: 0/
-3_________________
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CFL Champions: 2018, 2041, 2057-2058, 2060, 2062
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