2022 XFL Draft: 19 Mountain West Players Selected On Day One
The newly revived XFL held the biggest part of its draft on Wednesday, featuring 19 former Mountain West athletes.
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Can you smell what the revamped league is cooking?
After its brief revival got curtailed by financial problems and the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, the XFL is back in action for a third time, under new leadership, and held the most extensive part of its inaugural draft on Wednesday.
XFL Chairwoman and Owner @DanyGarciaCo and Owner @TheRock kicked off the 2023 inaugural #XFLDraft, presented by @ZipRecruiter.
This is the build out of the XFL.
This day is a dream come true. pic.twitter.com/H6pE1Q7VXI
— XFL (@XFL2023) November 16, 2022
The newest version of the football league, first debuted by Vince McMahon back in 2001 and brought back in 2018 before Dwayne Johnson took the reins in August 2020, will feature eight teams whose roster constructions began yesterday with their quarterback selections and continued today with a four-part selection process. As with the revived USFL earlier this year, the Mountain West was well-represented with 19 overall selections who played at nine different schools.
Former Hawaii running back Calvin Turner Jr. was the first former player from the conference to be selected, taken in the second round by the San Antonio Brahmas from the offensive skill pool with the 14th overall pick. The Brahmas also selected the first former Mountain West star out of the subsequent defensive backs pool, as well, taking San Diego State cornerback Luq Barcoo with the second overall pick there.
Among the defensive front seven pool, former Boise State defensive end Curtis Weaver got the conference’s first call from the Seattle Sea Dragons. They picked the all-time Mountain West sack leader in the third round at pick #18.
In the offensive line pool, however, the Houston Roughnecks used the first overall pick to select former San Jose State offensive tackle Jack Snyder, who holds the school record for career starts and was a key contributor on the Spartans’ conference championship team in 2020.
Of the eight XFL teams, the St. Louis Battlehawks led the way with five Mountain West selections in all and every team but the Orlando Guardians had at least one pick from the conference. As far as which Mountain West schools had the most draft picks, the Hawaii Warriors can now boast of five: Turner Jr., Cedric Byrd, Cortez Davis, Rojesterman Ferris, and Kohl Levao. San Diego State had four picks, while Boise State, Fresno State, and Wyoming had two each.
Arlington Renegades
- Josh Watson, LB, Colorado State — defensive front seven pool — round 10, overall pick #78
- Jake Stetz, OL, Boise State — offensive line pool — round 7, overall pick #50
D.C. Defenders
- Cortez Davis, DB, Hawaii — defensive backs pool — round 6, overall pick #45
- Anthoula Kelly, CB, Fresno State — defensive backs pool — round 3, overall pick #20
- Kahale Warring, TE, San Diego State — offensive skill pool — round 10, overall pick #80
Houston Roughnecks
- Cedric Byrd, WR, Hawaii — offensive skill pool — round 3, overall pick #24
- Jack Snyder, OL, San Jose State — offensive line pool — round 1, overall pick #1
St. Louis Battlehawks
- Kevin Atkins, DL, Fresno State — defensive front seven pool — round 5, overall pick #38
- Daishawn Dixon, OL, San Diego State — offensive line pool — round 7, overall pick #55
- Youhanna Ghaifan, DL, Wyoming — defensive front seven pool — round 4, overall pick #26
- Brian Hill, RB, Wyoming — offensive skill pool — round 6, overall pick #24
- D’Angelo Ross, DB, New Mexico — defensive backs pool — round 8, overall pick #62
San Antonio Brahmas
- Luq Barcoo, CB, San Diego State — defensive backs pool — round 11, overall pick #2
- Kohl Levao, OL, Hawaii — offensive line pool — round 8, overall pick #59
- Calvin Turner Jr., RB, Hawaii — offensive skill pool — round 2, overall pick #14
Seattle Sea Dragons
- Jacob Capra, OL, San Diego State — offensive line pool — round 3, overall pick #19
- Rojesterman Ferris, DB, Hawaii — defensive backs pool — round 8, overall pick #58
- Curtis Weaver, DL, Boise State — defensive front seven pool — round 3, overall pick #18
Vegas Vipers
- Clayton Bradley, OL, UNLV — offensive line pool — round 5, overall pick #36
