Inaugural 2022 USFL Draft: Quarterbacks Come Off The Board In Round 1
The team names have been announced. The uniforms have been unveiled. Now, it's time to draft some players. The inaugural two-day 2022 USFL Draft kicks off Tuesday night in Birmingham, Alabama, the site of every regular-season game.
The Michigan Panthers won the lottery last Thursday and received the first overall pick in the draft, in which Round 1 will strictly be quarterbacks coming off the board.
Day 1 will proceed by position, beginning with quarterbacks in Round 1, followed by edge rushers and defensive ends in Rounds 2-4, offensive tackles in Rounds 5-7, cornerbacks in Rounds 8-11 and back to quarterbacks in Round 12.
ROUND 1 (Quarterbacks)
The Panthers didn't have to look far to find their franchise quarterback, selecting the former Michigan standout Patterson with the first overall pick in the draft. The former five-star recruit passed for 8,800 yards and 68 touchdowns for the Wolverines under Jim Harbaugh.
2. Tampa Bay Bandits: QB Jordan Ta'amu (Ole Miss)
The Bandits go with Ta'amu with the second overall pick, who made a name for himself in the XFL with the St. Louis BattleHawks in 2020. Before that, Ta'amu shined for two seasons at Ole Miss, passing for 5,600 yards and 30 touchdowns.
3. Philadelphia Stars: QB Bryan Scott (Occidental College)
The stars take a chance with the third overall pick, selecting Bryan Scott, who earned the moniker as the "Aaron Rodgers of Division III," while at Occidental College. Scott was highly-productive at the Division III level, passing for 9,073 yards and 77 touchdowns in 33 games.
4. New Jersey Generals: QB Ben Holmes (Tarleton State)
The Generals dip into the Division I FCS ranks with the fourth overall pick, selecting Ben Holmes out of Tarleton State. Holmes led the Texans to their first outright Lone Star Conference Championship and left with a 23-2 record as starting quarterback.
5. Houston Gamblers: QB Clayton Thorson (Northwestern)
Thorson goes to the Gamblers with the fifth overall pick, set for his first starting gig in professional football. Thorson led Northwestern to a 36-17 record during his tenure, throwing for 10,731 yards and 61 touchdowns, with 27 more scores coming on the ground.
6. Birmingham Stallions: QB Alex McGough (Florida International)
McGough will be heading to Birmingham with the sixth overall selection, four years removed from leaving Florida International as the school's all-time leading passer. McGough set school records by passing for 9,091 yards and 65 touchdowns.
7. Pittsburgh Maulers: QB Kyle Lauletta (Richmond)
The Steel City selects Lauletta with the seventh overall pick, who starred at Richmond and was named the MVP of the 2018 Senior Bowl. Lauletta threw for 10,465 yards and 73 touchdowns at Richmond and has spent time with five NFL organizations.
8. New Orleans Breakers: QB Kyle Sloter (Northern Colorado)
With the eighth and final selection of Round 1, New Orleans drafts Sloter out of Northern Colorado. Sloter passed for 2,656 yards and 29 touchdowns at Northern Colorado and has spent time with six NFL organizations.
Day 1 of the 2022 USFL Draft will continue through Round 12. Day 2 will get underway on Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET and follow a similar format to Day 1.
From Rounds 13-23, teams will have 90 seconds per pick, and the positional order will be wide receivers in Rounds 13-17, safeties in Rounds 18-19, center in Round 20, inside linebacker in Round 21, and guards in Rounds 22-23.
Teams will have one minute to make selections in Rounds 23-35, which will consist of defensive tackles and nose tackles in Rounds 24-26, running backs and fullbacks in Rounds 27-28, outside linebackers in Rounds 29-31, kickers in Round 32, punters in Round 33, tight ends and H-backs in Round 34, and long-snappers in Round 35. At least one player must be drafted from each position group.
Complete coverage of the 2022 USFL Draft can be found here.
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