Round 2 AFL Draft Analysis, by Timothy Strauss

Dated: March 14, 1990

1. Washington Braves select C Dick Steussie
Age: 22 (Rookie)
Cap Cost: $1.17M
Contract: 7 years $9.98M

Pros: Steussie is a young and gifted lineman. For now, he'll be above average at a great price and may blossom into the best line-anchor in the game before his contract runs out.

Cons: The pick doesn't fit very well at the 33 spot, which happens often in a serpent draft. Also, Steussie's not a wise choice at center. A player such as Scott Smith is ready to lead the line now, with a comparable contract ($2.76M/5 years).

Team impact: Steussie will be called upon to anchor the line as a rookie. Even someone with Dick's talent will find the task difficult in their first year, so don't expect Washington's line to gel immediately. This is a pick that definitely looks toward the future. If Washington RB J.T. Lipps can be re-signed, the duo may grow to be a formidable (and cheap) force for years to come. However, that's a big "if" and "may."


2. San Diego Express select WR Patrick Connell
Age: 30 (8 years experience)
Cap Cost: $12.31M
Contract: 1 year, $12.31M

Pros: Connell could be a top WR with one hand tied behind his back and blindfolded. An amazing talent and physical specimen.

Cons: This is simply a horrible contract, and the pick will be wasted if Connell can't be re-signed for a better amount. Gary Thompson, Andre Eisenhauer, Jason McCall, Trevor Loud, Jerome Raymer, and Bo Jackson will all provide similar production for better values. The best thing that can be said about the contract is that it's over soon. Also, at age 30, Patrick's best years are most likely behind him. He simply wasn't the best player available at his position.

Team impact: Patrick will easily be the #1 target for the Express, who are forming a supreme offensive line. With enough time to throw, it won't matter who'll be behind Center Robert Young for the Express, Patrick should be open and ready to catch anything thrown to him. However, the contract may limit future picks in the draft.


3. Michigan Panthers select DT Vince Beasley
Age: 27 (5 years experience)
Cap Cost: $3.245M
Contract: 6 years, $36.71M

Pros: Already a top DT in the league, Vince possesses room for even more growth. Vince rips right through centers and gets to quarterback, running back, or whatever's back there. Sources say he's been vigorously working on his speed off the snap, and his hitting technique. The next 6 years should be some of his most productive, and come at a very fair price.

Cons: Clueless on special teams, which is disappointing for such an amazing talent? And as good as he is, in terms of current ability, the top DT in the league is Tom Guman. However, the two are fairly equal, factoring in Vince's potential and contract.

Team impact: Beasley gives Michigan a force on the defensive line that will help them dominate the most important battle in football: the battle of the trenches. Vince is a very good building block for a franchise.


4. Chicago Fire select OLB Steve Vigorito
Age: 27 (5 years experience)
Cap Cost: $4.966M
Contract: 1 year, $4.97M

Pros: Steve is very similar to Michigan Panthers DT Vince Beasley: already one of the top players at his position, and only getting better. Steve simultaneously rushes the passer and defends the pass flawlessly.

Cons: With a 1 year contract, there's a risk of losing Steve. He also does not tackle or defend the run as well as you'd hope, but he's improving on that.

Team impact: Steve should man the outside linebacker position with amazing skill against the pass in this coming year. Whether he has more impact than that depends on his growth and his contract workings.


5. Minnesota Maulers select DE Mike Hector
Age: 23 (Rookie)
Cap Cost: $395K
Contract: 4 years, $2.03M

Pros: Plenty of unrealized potential, friendly contract.

Cons: That potential's still unrealized, and right now, Mike's an average player. If he does bloom into the player he can be, it'll come at the end of the contract.

Team impact: Mike should fill a hole on the defensive line nicely, but he's not a very good player to build a franchise around. It's a pick that looks to the future, but it's not the best one that could have been made with the goal in mind.


6. Cincinnati Royals select TE Hopalong Van Dyke
Age: 23 (Rookie)
Cap Cost: $525K
Contract: 2 years, $1.05M

Pros: Young, cheap, and the top tight end in the league. Hopalong doesn't have much more room to grow, if only because he's already so good.

Cons: Hopalong's still just a tight end. Plus, his contract is short; Cincinnati should work on extending him as soon as possible.

Team impact: Hopalong won't be called upon to be the sole playmaker on the Royals, as they've already got a stud wide receiver. Cincy's building up their offense nicely, and Hopalong will fit in perfectly for at least 2 years.


7. Nashville Nightmare select ILB Justin Strong
Age: 29 (7 years experience)
Cap Cost: $2.821M
Contract: 6 years, $34.12M

Pros: A top ILB, reasonable contract that extends largely into the future.

Cons: Justin's not a very strong special teamer. He also could stand to brush up on his pass defense.

Team impact: Justin should provide Nashville with a spectacular middle linebacker for the next 6 years, and at the same time, allow flexibility down the line in the draft.


8. St. Louis Pioneers select OG Mike McAlister
Age: 23 (Rookie)
Cap Cost: $1.116M
Contract: 5 years, $7.02M

Pros: Young, cheap, good run blocker, nice upside.

Cons: Probably a reach, not a very good pass blocker or special teamer.

Team impact: Mike will provide St. Louis with an above average, possibly great lineman for years to come. However, he was far from the best future oriented player available, and Guard isn't such an important position that you take a rookie with the 40th pick.


9. New Orleans Knights select DT Tom Guman
Age: 31 (9 years experience)
Cap Cost: $4.296M
Contract: 3 years, $17.84M

Pros: Currently, the top DT in the league. Does everything well, from terrorizing offensive players to terrorizing special teamers.

Cons: At 31, he's not going to be getting any better. His contract only runs for 3 more years, and at that time, he simply may not be the defensive force he is at the time.

Team impact: Tom Guman will routinely be double-teamed letting the other defensive linemen and
standout ILB Jeff Miller roam free. Expect an outstanding year from the linebacker.


10. Oakland Immortals select RB Johnny Plunkett
Age: 28 (6 years experience)
Cap Cost: $5.329M
Contract: 3 years, $17.88M

Pros: Plunkett's a top running back. His services come at a fair price, and come at a great place in the draft. Johnny does everything exceptionally well, running any which way, bulldozing defenders and catching most of what's thrown to him.

Cons: Johnny simply isn't the leader one would hope to have in the centerpiece of your offense, and one would wish his contract would be longer. That aside, there aren't many negative things you can say about Plunkett.

Team impact: Johnny's going to earn every penny Oakland pays him this year. The Immortals are looking to build through defense, and Plunkett will be the main weapon. He also likely won't have competent linemen in front of him, forcing him to take matters into his own hands and knock linemen over himself. It shouldn't matter.


11. New York Empire select FB Jake Brown
Age: 26 (3 years experience)
Cap Cost: $1.462M
Contract: 6 years, $11.56M

Pros: If Jesus was a fullback, he would be Jake Brown. Great out of the backfield on passes and in run blocking. He'll be around for years at a great price.

Cons: If Jesus was a fullback, he would still be just a fullback. With other playmakers one the board, it's hard to see why New York selects a fullback here.

Team impact: Whoever New York sticks in the backfield will definitely love Jake. Look for him to catch plenty of balls out of the flats and be a potent offensive weapon.


12. San Francisco Generals select FS John White
Age: 28 (5 years experience)
Cap Cost: $6.411M
Contract: 2 years, $13.73M

Pros: John's the best safety in the league. He's largely flexible: blitzing, run support, and pass defense come naturally to White.

Cons: It's rare that someone gets by John, but if he does, he's not going to catch up to the guy.
The contract's hefty for a safety, and ends all too soon for San Francisco.

Team impact: White gives San Francisco a vicious pass defense. Look for teams to be largely one dimensional when they play the Generals: run, run, run. If the Generals can get pressure on the Quarterback, look for a large number of interceptions.


13. Cleveland Blues select QB Aaron Willard
Age: 30 (8 years experience)
Cap Cost: $1.626M
Contract: 5 years, $13.59M

Pros: Aaron possesses a great arm and a great pair of legs. He can escape the pocket and gain some yards, and he rarely misses his spot when throwing the ball. His contract comes at a fair price.

Cons: Aaron doesn't possess a great brain. While he rarely misses his spot, he rarely throws it to the right spot, and as a result, turns the ball over frequently. He doesn't disguise play action very well. Aaron's 30, and not likely to get any better physically.

Team impact: Aaron's one of many older, above average QBs in the draft. He won't win games for
Cleveland often, but he'll perform nice enough.


14. Iowa Barnstormers select CB Duane Casey
Age: 24 (2 years experience)
Cap Cost: $1.742M
Contract: 5 years, $9.11M

Pros: Duane's fairly good at everything defensively. He's young and cheap, and has potential. He's best in run support or blitzing. He's a ballhawk with nice catchup speed. Monster on special teams coverage.

Cons: He's not a great cover man or tackler, but he gets the job done.

Team impact: Duane gives Iowa's defense a second young stud, and should help shut down one side of the corn fields for years to come.


15. Louisville Colonels select DE Gordon Rehberg
Age: 22 (Rookie)
Cap Cost: $1.327M
Contract: 6 yrs, $9.82M

Pros: Gordon has a great arsenal of pass rushing moves that'll leave behind many offensive linemen. The contract is very easy on the wallet.

Cons: Gordon isn't very quick off the line, but that may improve. However, Gordon's fairly one dimensional in that he's only a (very effective) pass rusher.

Team impact: Gordon should stay penciled in as one of the team's defensive


16. Pittsburgh Pride select RB Drew Anderson
Age: 25 (2 years experience)
Cap Cost: $1.725M
Contract: 4 years, $7.38M

Pros: I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, since most of the players selected fall into the same category: young, cheap, with potential. Drew's no exception. He's talented and still growing, can break some tackles, run inside, and break a long one.

Cons: Drew needs to improve his route running. He doesn't do anything especially well.

Team impact: Drew should be plugged into the backfield for a while. He's not capable of the full offensive workload, and if he's depended upon as such, Pittsburgh's in trouble.


17. Baltimore Colts select ILB Jeff Kunz
Age: 27 (5 years experience)
Cap Cost: $2.511M
Contract: 3 years, $12.28M

Pros: Jeff's a great ILB, good at rushing the passer and coming up in run support.

Cons: Kunz's weakness is his pass defense, where he's mediocre.

Team impact: Kunz is a great ILB as long as he's not relied upon to drop back into coverage. Plant a capable safety or OLB next to him, and let him roam the line plugging up holes, or send him right through it for a sack.


18. Portland Breakers select OLB Mike Kosier
Age: 26 (4 years experience)
Cap Cost: $1.806M
Contract: 5 years, $18.48M

Pros: Mike's one of the best man-to-man cover OLBs in the league. He's got all the tools to be a dominant linebacker, but hasn't reached that level yet. Mike's locked up for 5 years, and it's always nice to have a stable presence.

Cons: Aside from man coverage, Mike's simply not much more than an average OLB.

Team impact: Opposing tight ends beware: you're not going to get much going against Portland, if
Mike Kosier has anything to say about it. If Mike fulfills the potential most scouts thing he has, he's going to be a scary defensive player for years.

19. Philadelphia Shamrocks select QB Michael Armstead
Age: 28 (6 years experience)
Cap Cost: $5.29M
Contract: 1 year, $5.29M

Pros: Michael was blessed with a howitzer attached to his right shoulder. He can get out of the pocket a little bit.

Cons: Armstead's struggled to live up to the hype he had coming out of college. He's got great physical tools, but hasn't put it together yet. His most lacking area is that of reading defenses. He can be exposed by a smart coordinator who'll throw a few tricky schemes at him.

Team impact: Despite his faults, Michael's an above-average QB who's got the ability to make something happen. Philadelphia now has playmakers in 3 key areas (QB, RB, DB), and are off to a good franchise start.


20. Arizona Rattlers select CB Glenn Thomas
Age: 22 (Rookie)
Cap Cost: $682K
Contract: 4 years, $3.04M

Pros: File another one under the "young and cheap" category. Glenn's best in man to man coverage, though he can blitz and come up to the line in run support as well. His best asset is his
ballhawking ability, as he creates plenty of turnovers.

Cons: In man defense, Glenn has problems with jamming his man. Glenn struggles a little bit in zone coverage, and if a receiver gets behind him, he lacks sufficient catchup speed to follow through. His biggest problem, however, is his tackling, which is downright bad.

Team impact: Glenn's still one of the top 15 or so cornerbacks, and is a nice pick here. He should be intercepting passes for a few years in an Arizona uniform.


21. Dallas Outlaws select DE Emile Zimmerman
Age: 27 (5 years experience)
Cap Cost: $3.78M
Contract: 3 years, $16.82M

Pros: A very good DE, Emile plays both the run and the pass very well.

Cons: Emile isn't very good at jarring loose the ball from carriers.

Team impact: Emile will give Dallas a force on one side of the defensive line for a few years, and becomes the third member of what's shaping up to be a very strong defense.


22. Denver Stallions select DE James Barber
Age: 21 (Rookie)
Cap Cost: $402K
Contract: 4 years, $2.06M

Pros: Young, cheap, has plenty of potential. James has a good rip move, and can play the run pretty well.

Cons: Not a very good tackler, or fast off the line. James doesn't do anything exceptionally well.

Team impact: This is a value picks. James isn't as good as someone such as, say, John Croom, but he'll be around longer and for less than John. Whether that's a prime strategy or not is yet to be seen.


23. Kansas City Gamblers select CB Travis Barnett
Age: 21 (Rookie)
Cap Cost: $726K
Contract: 4 years, $.24M

Pros: Travis is another young and cheap one. He's best dropping back into a zone, but he can hold his own man-to-man. Even if someone gets behind, he's got sufficient catchup speed to drag them down.

Cons: Travis lacks in run support, and is useless on special teams. You'd like to see him capitalize more on mistakes and snatch more interceptions.

Team impact: Staying true to their name, KC takes a risk here with the young CB. If he can blossom, they'll have hit the jackpot with a great CB.


24. Carolina Cougars select QB Rob Gilmore
Age: 23 (Rookie)
Cap Cost: $314K
Contract: 3 years, $1.17M

Pros: Rob can scramble effectively, has decent arm strength, and can throw it fairly well on short-medium routes.

Cons: Rob is not someone you want starting for you, especially picking him up this early. While the franchise quarterbacks were all taken off the board early, those who wait until their 2nd or 3rd pick to take a quarterback should take a risk on an older, more experience quarterback.

Team impact: If Rob is thrusted into the starting role, Carolina's offense will struggle. Rob needs to grow before he can lead a team adequately.


25. Atlanta Locomotives select CB Quincy Johnson
Age: 25 (3 years experience)
Cap Cost: $2.288M
Contract: 5 years, $20.79M

Pros: Almost the definitive shutdown corner, excels in either man or zone defense. The few receivers who do get by him won't get very far. He also has his hand in many turnovers.

Cons: Quincy's fairly one dimensional. He won't do very much for you in run support, or blitzing, and his tackling technique could stand to use some work.

Team impact: This was a safer pick than someone like Travis Barnett. With Quincy, you know what you get, and that's an excellent defensive CB who lacks in other areas of his game. He's also fairly cheap for a great corner.


26. Boston Minutemen select DT Tommy Dale
Age: 25 (2 years experience)
Cap Cost: $2.655M
Contract: 5 years, $13.85M

Pros: Tommy possesses good moves off the line. He's a great tackler, and is good and jarring loose the football.

Cons: Tommy lacks speed off the snap, and isn't wonderful defending the run. His long, light contract is very easy on the wallet.

Team impact: Tommy should be a strong force on the Boston defensive line for years to come.


27. Miami Blitz select RB Ahmad Davis
Age: 31 (8 years experience)
Cap Cost: $4.553M
Contract: 1 year, $4.55M

Pros: Ahmad runs up the middle very well, and adequately off tackle. He stays back and blocks very well. His soft hands come in handy for catching, and he's not easy to take down.

Cons: Ahmad isn't very agile and can't dance around you. He's an average route-runner, and will fumble the ball more than a few times. At age 31, he should enter his decline phase soon. His contract is short, and needs to be tended to immediately.

Team impact: Ahmad's a good back and will be very good for Miami for at least one year. If he's re-signed, this pick becomes better.

28. Los Angeles Marshalls select TE Lenvil White
Age: 23 (Rookie)
Cap Cost: $385K
Contract: 4 years, $1.99M

Pros: Young, cheap, and an amazing talent, Lenvil White is just about everything you'd want in a tight end. He catches what's thrown to him, runs relatively fast, and blocks linemen with ease. What's more, he's a great long-snapper, something unusual for a tight end.

Cons: Lenvil needs to work on his route-running and his ball-carrying technique.

Team impact: Lenvil gives Los Angeles a portent third offensive weapon. Normally, a WR would take priority here, but the impact WRs all come with hefty price tags.


29. Seattle Tritons select DE John Croom
Age: 29 (6 years experience)
Cap Cost: $7.412M
Contract: 1 year, $7.41M

Pros: John Croom can anchor any defense. He'll tear through blockers and rip off the ball-handler's head. The best defensive end in the league. The only question is: why did he fall so far?

Cons: The contract is the only thing that's off putting about Croom is his contract.

Team impact: Croom will terrorize offenses for years to come. Hopefully for Seattle, he'll be on their side for more than one year.


30. Houston Oilers select DT Guy Davis
Age: 27 (5 years experience)
Cap Cost: $4.282M
Contract: 3 years, $17.99M

Pros: Guy excels in run defense and knocking footballs loose. He's got the tools to grow into a pass-rushing force.

Cons: Average on the pass rush, and not a great tackler.

Team impact: Guy, even if he doesn't improve, is excellent against the run and should be plugging holes opposing linemen open up for the next 3 years.


31. Indianapolis Monarchs select WR D.D. Downing
Age: 25 (3 years experience)
Cap Cost: $716K
Contract: 2 years, $1.69M

Pros: D.D. is another one of those young, cheap guys with potential. Already, D.D. catches anything thrown to him. He's a monster on kickoff coverage, and he rarely loses control of the ball.

Cons: Unfortunately for Indianapolis, most of D.D.'s potential is unrealized. He runs routes sloppily, doesn't get good starts off of the line of scrimmage.

Team impact: The drafting of D.D. makes sense only if he can be re-signed. Otherwise, he may blossom too late for Indianapolis to reap the rewards.


32. Tampa Blazers select FB Randy Barton
Age: 27 (5 years experience)
Cap Cost: $2.759M
Contract: 1 year, $2.76M

Pros: The #2 FB in the league. Runs inside very well, catches anything thrown in the area, and has surprisingly good moves for a fullback. Good in pass support, and holds on to the ball well.

Cons: See comments on Jake Brown. Barton doesn't run well to the outside.

Team impact: A good fullback is a valuable commodity, but not good enough to warrant a selection here.


Best Picks
1. Seattle Tritons select DT John Croom
2. Michigan Panthers select DE Vince Beasley
3. Oakland Immortals select RB Johnny Plunkett

Worst Picks
1. Washington Braves select C Dick Steussie
2. Carolina Cougars select QB Rob Gilmore
3. Minnesota Maulers select DE Mike Hector