Favorite players from the XFL Summer Showcases

[LeoNY]

This post is inspired by Greg Parks recent two part player profile articles.

Out of the 865 players who worked out. Who are some of your favorite players from the showcases?

On offense and defense. I like Ryan Mallett, Christine Michael, Taivon Jacobs, Hakeem Nicks, Nick Truesdell, Kirk Barron, TJ Barnes, Hau’loi Kikaha, Antonio Morrison, Elijah Campbell and Tyson Graham.

On special teams. I like Nick Novak and the “Large Adult Punter” Jonathan Hernandez. I hope that Jacoby Ford has still got it as a return man and long snapper Tanner Carew is a great story.

[2lit]

Vincent Hobbs

[MikeMitchell]

Good topic idea. My post would have probably been very long, so yours was very short and concise. That's not a bad thing. There are so many different types of players that worked out for the XFL. It's hard to pick favorites. I tend to look at players who I feel, could and should be in the NFL. There are a lot of them that worked out at the Showcases.

There are two undrafted rookie wide receivers who are very intriguing. Receivers Taivon Jacobs from Maryland and KaVontae Turpin from TCU. Both with separate issues. Jacobs spent 6 years in college due to injuries. He recently ran a 4.34 in the 40 at the DC Showcase. Turpin has game breaking potential but has off the field issues.

Greg Parks did a great job shining a light on some of the undrafted prospects like Wingate Edge Rusher Cardell Rawlings. He has star potential. I really like Purdue Center Kirk Barron and BYU Quarterback Tanner Mangum.

[GDAWG]

Good topic idea. My post would have probably been very long, so yours was very short and concise. That's not a bad thing. There are so many different types of players that worked out for the XFL. It's hard to pick favorites. I tend to look at players who I feel, could and should be in the NFL. There are a lot of them that worked out at the Showcases.

There are two undrafted rookie wide receivers who are very intriguing. Receivers Taivon Jacobs from Maryland and KaVontae Turpin from TCU. Both with separate issues. Jacobs spent 6 years in college due to injuries. He recently ran a 4.34 in the 40 at the DC Showcase. Turpin has game breaking potential but has off the field issues.

Greg Parks did a great job shining a light on some of the undrafted prospects like Wingate Edge Rusher Cardell Rawlings. He has star potential. I really like Purdue Center Kirk Barron and BYU Quarterback Tanner Mangum.

Turpin needs to stay out of trouble.

[Tank55]

Definitely Matt Jones. Hopefully he lands with XFL DC.

[MikeMitchell]

Definitely Matt Jones. Hopefully he lands with XFL DC.

I really like the group of backs that worked out. Matt Jones being one of the players, I had my fingers crossed on getting and accepting an invite. Christine Michael being the other. Those two are very talented. I also like Ja'Quan Gardner quite a bit. I am a real fan of his game. The 5'7 Division II star out of Humboldt State in California. That program discontinued it's football program after the 2018 season. He's got a bit of Barry Sanders/MJD to his running style. He's an explosive runner with juke ability and a strong lower body. He ended his AAF season on injured reserve with a right shoulder injury, that required surgery. Recovery time was 4 to 6 months. He actually was invited to the LA Summer Showcase. He interviewed but couldn't work out. The XFL's football operations department thought highly enough of him to extend the invitation. He's another one of the players that is on the XFL's radar, that I feel are NFL caliber players.

Like Brandon Silvers, who I feel was the best QB in the AAF. Gardner was the best runner, I saw. Both these two are low profile and mostly unknown. The marquee gets Manziel and Richardson but Silvers and Gardner are better players.

[LeoNY]

Vincent Hobbs

I Like Hobbs. He didn’t run a great 40 time (4.85) coming out. He played at a small school (TAMC) and doesn’t have prototypical NFL TE height (6’2). So that’s why he was overlooked. He was very good in college. He has a basketball background, so he is good in space, tracking the football in air and out boxing defenders.