WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings and Analysis, Predictions for Week of Oct. 20

New beasts continue to invade the WWE NXT ecosystem.

Amid concerns of the developmental brand's depth after the slew of July call-ups, Wednesday's NXT welcomed a variety of fresh faces. Former Ring of Honor star Roderick Strong made his debut. Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight barreled into the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament.

Strong, a former ROH world champ, is the latest marquee signee from the indies. Dozovic and Knight, meanwhile, are beefy powerhouses who have learned the trade at the WWE Performance Center.

The initial glimpses at these grapplers suggest big things ahead.

But not all the species displayed on Wednesday's show were predators. Rookie prospect Danielle Kamela played the part of fodder again, not able to show off much of her talent.

Where do all these new arrivals stand in the NXT pecking order? Let's dive into the latest look at the race to be NXT's best. The prospects' look, gimmick, mic work, ring skills and charisma determined the rankings.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Shinsuke Nakamura	6'2", 229 lbs	Tremendous showman, elite ring worker, turns banal moments into electric ones.
2.	Samoa Joe	6'2", 279 lbs	Beastly presence, elite-level heel, excellent talker, strong ring work.
3.	Bobby Roode	6'0", 235 lbs	Charismatic, flourishing with current gimmick, experience in the ring shows.
4.	Scott Dawson	5'10", 224 lbs	Excellent bruiser, top-notch tag team work, delivers in big matches, growing as a talker.
5.	Hideo Itami	5'9", 182 lbs	Set to lose momentum after latest injury, skilled striker, excellent in the ring, highly athletic.
6.	Johnny Gargano	5'10", 190 lbs	Compelling as a babyface, smooth offense, strong ring work, good connection with fans.
7.	Eric Young	6'0", 224 lbs	Sanity gimmick is perfect fit, excellent storyteller, good showmanship, versatile in the ring.
8.	Roderick Strong	5'10", 211 lbs	Excellent overall in-ring performer, quick, strong, handsome.
9.	Austin Aries	5'9", 202 lbs	Excellent technician, experienced, dependable, lacks elite "it" factor.
10.	Tye Dillinger	6'3", 223 lbs	Maximizes gimmick, fun energy, solid in the ring, average talker.
11.	Tommaso Ciampa	5'11", 210 lbs	Aggressive, intense, excellent brawler, not magnetic on the mic.
12.	Andrade Almas	5'9", 222 lbs	Heel turn has boosted him, highly athletic, hasn't yet found groove in NXT.
13.	Dash Wilder	5'10", 222 lbs	Good brawler, excelling as tag team specialist, improved as a talker.
14.	Shane Thorne	6'1", 200 lbs	Star quality, good showmanship, athletic, smooth.
15.	Rezar	6'4", 308 lbs	Strong intensity, good striker, powerful, good acceleration, largely unproven overall.
16.	Tucker Knight	6'2", 282 lbs	Impressive power, good acceleration, plenty of intensity.
17.	No Way Jose	6'3", 245 lbs	Huge potential, unpolished in the ring, OK mic work, better off without comedy gimmick.
18.	Buddy Murphy	5'11", 227 lbs	Powerful, excellent acceleration, underwhelming charisma.
19.	Elias Samson	6'0", 217 lbs	Has shown flashes of compelling viciousness, lacking charisma, gimmick needs development.
20.	Alexander Wolfe	6'2", 231 lbs	Solid bruiser, good facial expressions, Sanity gimmick poised to propel him.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Nick Miller, Steve Cutler, Wesley Blake.

Enter Roderick Strong

Austin Aries had long teased that his mystery partner for the Dusty Classic would be someone huge. He was right. 

Strong showed up at Aries' side on Wednesday night, and the two ROH alumni advanced to the second round of the tournament by getting past Dozovic and Knight. 

The match wasn't spectacular and only showed a peek of Strong's skills. Still, his crispness in the ring was obvious. Everything from high-impact moves to everyday mat wrestling techniques look excellent in his hands.

His ring work has long been his strength.

The biggest question mark regarding his future has always been his charisma. He will undoubtedly tear it up between the ropes, but will he able to separate himself from guys like Aries and Johnny Gargano? That's what WWE will be looking out for during his NXT tenure.

The growth of his personality and presence will be the key to him moving up the NXT ladder and onto the main roster.

Jose Has a Way to Go

No Way Jose's raw talent has to have WWE officials excited. He's big, quick, powerful and smooth in the ring.

But in his match tagging with Rich Swann against Tony Nese and Drew Gulak on Wednesday night, he was the least impressive performer on the canvas. The more experienced men outdid him.

Jose's offense looked forced at times. He seemed to be waiting around to get hit when he was on the defensive.

His big flurry was underwhelming. The moment required fiery energy, and Jose delivered lukewarm presence instead.

Officials shouldn't panic. He's only been at this since 2013. And Jose always complements his so-so moments with flashes of what he can be.

Hosses United

Knight, who only briefly appeared on NXT TV before, has been battling alongside Dozovic on the house-show circuit. The duo transferred the act to a bigger stage on Wednesday night in a clash with Strong and Aries.

Their chemistry stood out right away, as did their size.

Both men are meaty bruisers with surprising athleticism. They looked to be having fun playing wrecking balls. Knight's intensity made him the more compelling of the pair, at least for now.

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet wants to see more of these two in a hurry:

Knight and Dozovic will surely get more chances to perform in the spotlight. The tag team division is in need of more stars, and these two burly brutes look poised to get people talking.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Asuka	5'3"	Top-notch in-ring performer, excellent striker, great presence, limited English-language skills.
2.	Ember Moon	5'2"	Intense, athletic, experienced, gimmick has big potential.
3.	Nikki Cross	5'1"	New gimmick ups her ceiling, frenetic energy, intimidating presence.
4.	Peyton Royce	5'7"	Solid heel work, not electric in the ring, average mic skills.
5.	Aliyah	5'2"	Compelling energy, comfortable as a heel, improving in the ring, high ceiling.
6.	Billie Kay	5'8"	Doing well with new bully act, good showmanship, inconsistent in the ring.
7.	Mandy Rose	5'4"	Progressing in the ring, strong presence, has star quality.
8.	Liv Morgan	5'3"	Remains raw overall, good energy, high ceiling.
9.	Daria Berenato	5'7"	Unique gimmick, strong strikes, good intensity.
10.	Danielle Kamela	Not listed	Unproven, raw, solid selling.

Crazy Cross

The Sanity faction will be a launching pad for Nikki Cross. 

She has immediately taken to the role of a rabid dog pulling on her leash. In her beatdown of Kamela, she was vicious, frenetic and enthralling.

She smacked her own face, flicked her tongue out and slapped her own stablemate Eric Young in the kisser. Cross came off as a woman The Joker would love to have on his crew.

The character stood out in a big way. Zack Zimmerman of ProWrestling.net wrote, "I like Cross bringing something different as a character and attitude to the women's division."

That uniqueness alone will be a valuable asset. The division is brimming with sultry, cocky women with an attitude. Cross is the untamed bucking bronco among a team of show ponies. 

Predictions

Patrick Clark is doomed without a gimmick change.

He emerged during Shinsuke Nakamura's speech on Wednesday night, rocking a gimmick that is one part Jimi Hendrix, one part Adrian Street. The flamboyant act doesn't fit him in the least.

Clark will become a punchline if he keeps playing this role. Think Bull Dempsey's "Bull-Fit" shtick.

Andrade "Cien" Almas, on the other hand, has found the key to changing his fortunes. His recent heel turn has turned him into a far more interesting figure.

His brief backstage interview on Wednesday's NXT was proof of that.

This was the most engaging Almas has been since joining the brand. As Almas continues to embrace his villainy, he will be more and more entertaining. Look for him to engage in a career-boosting feud in the coming weeks, propelled by his newfound dark side.