All Access Football Report: Sunday, May 14, 2023
Welcome to the All Access Football Report for Sunday, May 14th, 2023. Today’s post is brought to you by The C.O.O.L Clinic (Coaches of Offensive Line) presented by Bob Wylie. The three-day online event will be held on May 18-20th, featuring guest speakers Joe Thomas, Dante Scarnecchia and many more! For more information on how to register, visit the website here.
The NFL Draft dust has settled and we continue to dissect each selection with our ‘Rookie Impact’ series. More recaps and projections will roll out this week but we wanted to update you on some of the latest numbers from the 2023 NFL Draft. Plus, we provide some noteworthy highlights from this past week:
NFL Draft By The Numbers: The SEC once again led the Power 5 conferences with 62 players drafted (Alabama and Georgia led all schools with 10 players apiece) in 2023. Next up was the Big Ten with 55, followed by the ACC with 32, the Big 12 with 30 and the Pac-12 with 27. This was also the first time in the common draft era that every selection of the first round was from a major conference. The AAC led all mid-major conferences with 10 players selected. There were also 10 players chosen from the FCS level. One area where significant improvement was made was in the underclassmen department. We saw a remarkable 73-of-82 underclassmen selected (89%), for various reasons explained here. The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which the NFL Draft Bible is proud to partner with, produced 16 NFL Draft picks and saw an additional 79 players sign as undrafted free agents immediately following the draft. Onto 2024…
NFL Films First-Ever NFL Draft Documentary: For the first time ever, NFL Films went behind the scenes of the NFL Draft and it will be coming to your viewing screen soon on the new Roku NFL Channel. The documentary feature was shot throughout all three days of the 2023 NFL Draft weekend in Kansas City and features four teams; The Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars. The NFL Channel will also feature hundreds of hours of curated, official programming from NFL Films and NFL Media, including classic game replays, documentaries and originals. Stay tuned.
XFL Makes History: Congratulations to the XFL for completing a full entire spring league season! The Arlington Renegades took home the 2023 Championship, led by GM Rick Mueller and HC Bob Stoops. A savvy in-season trade for star QB Luis Perez catapulted the four-win team into the playoffs and guided them to an upset victory over the dominant 9-1 DC Defenders. The DC leadership team of GM Von Hutchins and HC Reggie Barlow should also be commended for the team they constructed. At last count, 57 players from this past XFL season have already been invited to NFL minicamps. While The Rock and Danny Garcia receive most of the limelight, we would like to shine the spotlight on some of the key XFL executives for their commitment to excellence. Kudos to Doug Whaley, Russ Brandon, David Dykeman and their dedicated staff for seeing the mission through.
No Offseason For Pro Game Action: We now have professional football across the entire calendar year for the first time ever in the history of North America. With the NFL season running from September through February, the XFL playing February through May, the USFL set to host their championship on July 1st and the CFL preseason getting underway at the end of the month, you can now watch live football 52 weekends of the year!
Shane Ray Takes Next Step In Comeback SZN: Former 2015 first round draft pick Shane Ray has signed with the Buffalo Bills after a tryout with the team. He spent the 2022 season with the Toronto Argonauts, registering six sacks in 18 games, helping guide the team to a Grey Cup Championship. It was an honor to help Ray jumpstart the comeback trail in November of 2020 at the HUB Football CAMP, which led to his signing in the CFL. You can watch my conversation with the much more mature and humbled Ray here. Buckle up!
Upcoming Street Free Agent Alert: Are you a recent undrafted rookie in search of an opportunity? Maybe you are a veteran player bouncing back from an injury, or an overlooked prospect seeking additional options for getting on the pro radar? Please understand the journey will be difficult and even frustrating at times but please stay persistent in the pursuit of your dreams! Since the COVID-19 pandemic, All Access Football has helped hundreds of players sign with pro teams. While no dates have been set yet, there will be upcoming showcases in 2023 for those interested. Be on the lookout for updates in our newsletter, or contact HUB Football SVP Tom Goodhines: thgooodhines@gmail.com
NFL Draft Bible Consulting: Formed by Ric Serritella and Vayner Sports co-founder Mook Williams, NFL Draft Bible Consulting has helped leagues, teams, executives, agents, players and many other industry professionals expedite their business plan. If you would like a free consultation to see how NFL Draft Bible Consulting can help you, contact us at: ric@nfldraftbible.com
*Stay in the loop with our year-round NFL Draft coverage on Sports Illustrated at: www.si.com/nfl/draft and follow us @NFLDraftBible
