Cardale Jones, Connor Cook among ex-NFLers taken in XFL draft
Plenty of names familiar to NFL fans were announced during the XFL's player draft on Tuesday.
The rebooting football league assigned starting quarterbacks to its eight teams before a 10-round draft for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive linemen, and a defensive front seven took place. A 10-round draft for cornerbacks and safeties will be held Wednesday, followed by an open draft for the remaining players.
Here's how the QBs were dispersed:
Tuesday morning quarterbacks. #XFL pic.twitter.com/BcDnjDMYfo
— XFL (@xfl2020) October 15, 2019
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Landry Jones | Dallas Renegades |
| Cardale Jones | DC Defenders |
| Philip Walker | Houston Roughnecks |
| Luis Perez | Los Angeles Wildcats |
| Matt McGloin | New York Guardians |
| Jordan Ta'amu | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| Brandon Silvers | Seattle Dragons |
| Aaron Murray | Tampa Bay Vipers |
The eight pivots had 14 seasons and 12 starts combined in the NFL. They'll each get a chance to resurrect their careers when the XFL opens in 2020.
The following snake draft for skill position players featured a number of notable names.
Here's how Round 1 of the Skill Player #XFLDraft played out. pic.twitter.com/SRIx4Y5y6P
— XFL (@xfl2020) October 15, 2019
Wideout Rashard Davis was the first overall pick, but the most recognizable name is Connor Cook, a former fourth-round draft pick who started a playoff game for the Oakland Raiders in 2016. He hadn't appeared in a game - outside of the preseason - since.
Former Seattle Seahawks running back Christine Michael was the first running back off the board. He'll join the St. Louis Battlehawks after bouncing around the NFL for six seasons.
Here's how Round 2 of the Skill Player #XFLDraft played out. pic.twitter.com/q47rliHo3b
— XFL (@xfl2020) October 15, 2019
The second round was led off by Rashad Ross, who blossomed into a star in the short-lived AAF. TommyLee Lewis, who recorded 20 catches in three seasons with the New Orleans Saints, also went off the board to the Dallas Renegades.
Here's how Round 3 of the Skill Player #XFLDraft played out. pic.twitter.com/caSopje686
— XFL (@xfl2020) October 15, 2019
Sammie Coates and Cameron Artis-Payne enjoyed short careers in the NFL and will both head off to Texas franchises. Coates joins the Houston Roughnecks and Artis-Payne will be rushing for the Renegades.
Here's how Round 4 of the Skill Player #XFLDraft played out. pic.twitter.com/2TlvegpL2o
— XFL (@xfl2020) October 15, 2019
Jace Amaro, a former second-round draft pick, had 38 catches in his rookie season but only added three more for the rest of his NFL career. He was selected second in the XFL's fourth round by the Seattle Dragons.
Here's how Round 5 of the Skill Player #XFLDraft played out. pic.twitter.com/xz4uerJhPs
— XFL (@xfl2020) October 15, 2019
A couple of memorable college quarterbacks went in the fifth round. Quinton Flowers, formerly of South Florida, will restart his career as a running back for the Tampa Bay Vipers. Former Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds finished fifth in the 2015 Heisman voting but never threw a pass in the NFL. He joins the Dragons as a receiver.
One player not selected during the skill position portion was Trent Richardson. The NFL flameout scored 12 touchdowns in the AAF but averaged a paltry 2.8 yards per carry.
The XFL draft is currently ongoing and can be viewed here.