WWE NXT: Updated Prospect Rankings, Analysis, Predictions for Week of April 13

The WWE NXT talent carousel continued with the official arrival of Drew McIntyre on the night of Shinsuke Nakamura's official farewell.

McIntyre is poised to be one of the brand's marquee stars, replacing The King of Strong Style as a draw and title contender. Moments into his first NXT match on Wednesday night, The Chosen One looked plenty ready to thrive in that role.

The NXT landscape shifted elsewhere on Wednesday's show, as well.

Recent addition Ruby Riot outlasted her competition. The debuting Dylan Miley plowed through his own tag team partner.  

The following is a look at how those wrestlers and their peers stack up against each other as potential stars on the main roster. The prospects' mic skills, ring work, look, gimmick and charisma determined the rankings.

Male Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height/Weight	Notes
1.	Drew McIntyre	6'5", 254 lbs	Hard-hitting offense, strong presence, great intensity, improved physique.
2.	Johnny Gargano	5'10", 190 lbs	Fast, fluid offense, strong babyface work, excellent seller.
3.	Bobby Roode	6'0", 235 lbs	Excels as heel, highly experienced, great entrance, employs methodical style.
4.	Aleister Black	5'11", 211 lbs	Magnetic aura, unique look, great striker.
5.	Andrade "Cien" Almas	5'9", 222 lbs	On fire in the ring of late, fast, great striker, heel role suiting him well.
6.	Kassius Ohno	6'5", 255 lbs	Works well against a variety of foes, excellent in the ring, likable on the mic.
7.	Eric Young	6'0", 224 lbs	Vicious, compelling aggressiveness, strong storyteller in the ring, Sanity gimmick a great fit.
8.	Tommaso Ciampa	5'11", 210 lbs	Strong striker, intense, average mic work.
9.	Hideo Itami	5'9", 182 lbs	Has to regain momentum after latest injury, skilled striker, excellent in the ring, highly athletic.
10.	Roderick Strong	5'10", 211 lbs	Beautiful ring work, varied move set, charisma remains issue.
11.	Shane Thorne	6'1", 200 lbs	Injury will stall momentum, athletic, good presence, marketable look, not yet an elite babyface.
12.	Oney Lorcan	6'1", 190 lbs	Thrives in slugfests, strong ring work, underwhelming talker.
13.	No Way Jose	6'3", 245 lbs	Goofy gimmick holding him back, inconsistent striker, gifted athlete, high ceiling.
14.	Tucker Knight	6'2", 282 lbs	Good acceleration, impressive power, fun energy.
15.	Killian Dain	6'4", 322 lbs	Impressive movement for his size, intimidating, big potential.
16.	Rezar	6'4", 308 lbs	Strong intensity, impressive power, solid presence.
17.	Dylan Miley	6'3", 284 lbs	Great power, intimidating, monstrous aura.
18.	Alexander Wolfe	6'2", 231 lbs	Good bruiser, solid striking, Sanity gimmick working well.
19.	Akam	6'3", 290 lbs	Plenty of power, solid presence, improved selling, still green overall.
20.	Otis Dozovic	5'10", 330 lbs	Great power, solid agility for size, good intensity.

Prospects just outside the top 20: Nick Miller, Buddy Murphy, Wesley Blake

A Monster Appears

NXT's newest behemoth stepped into the spotlight on Wednesday's night. Fans got their first glimpse of Miley during a tag team bout.

The big man teamed up with Michael Blais against Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano.

His power is mighty impressive. Miley ran over his competition. He lifted his foes well over his head. He played the monster heel role to a tee.

Miley, who looks a lot like '40s wrestling star "The French Angel" Maurice Tillet, came off as vicious and intimidating. He boasts an intimidating aura.

The Late Shift host Steven Bell summed it up perfectly:

While he's no finished product, Miley didn't look as raw as one might expect at this stage in his career. We'll have to see more of him to get a better gauge on his ceiling, but he made a good first impression.

The Chosen One 2.0

When McIntyre left WWE in 2014, he played a faux rock star in a bottom-of-the-barrel faction. The Scotsman has since been thriving as a hard-hitting gladiator on Impact Wrestling and in the United Kingdom.

In his first match since returning, he made it clear how much has changed in his absence. As Total Wrestling magazine pointed out, this isn't the 3MB version of McIntyre:

For one, he looks to be in the best shape of his life. He's bulkier with a more defined frame.

And from even before the opening bell rang, there was a different energy surrounding him. His presence shone as he glared at Oney Lorcan from across the ring.

McIntyre proceeded to slug it out with Lorcan.

A lightning-fast suplex, hammering boots and displays of power comprised the bout. Both he and Lorcan had the crowd chanting "This is awesome!" by the end of it.

The Chosen One had been delivering like this outside of WWE, and he clearly has maintained that momentum. Taking on the likes of Andrade "Cien" Almas and Bobby Roode only promises even better in-ring production.

NXT's top tier is set to be a comfortable place for him.

Female Wrestlers

Rank	Wrestler	Height	Notes
1.	Asuka	5'3"	Elite in-ring performer, great presence, top-notch striker, limited English-language skills.
2.	Ember Moon	5'2"	Great all-around athlete, excellent showmanship, good presence, character still in progress.
3.	Nikki Cross	5'2"	Skilled brawler, great energy, standing out in Sanity faction.
4.	Peyton Royce	5'7"	Continues to blossom as heel, solid in the ring, good showmanship.
5.	Ruby Riot	5'4"	Good seller, fluid ring work, quality brawler.
6.	Billie Kay	5'8"	Plays a heel well, flamboyant, good energy, sometimes awkward in the ring.
7.	Kimberly Frankele	5'3"	Powerful, good striker, lots of experience on the indies.
8.	Aliyah	5'2"	Inconsistent overall, strong striker, ample energy, high ceiling.
9.	Mandy Rose	5'4"	Has progressed to a degree in the ring, strong presence, star quality.
10.	Daria Berenato	5'7"	Inconsistent ring work, learning to harness gimmick, good intensity.

More Riot, Please

In a short outing against Kimberly Frankele, Riot flashed more of her talent. We haven't seen a ton of her at NXT thus far, but the tattooed bruiser promises to be a major player in the women's division moving forward.

Riot dramatically sold a punch from Frankele. She whipped around the ring in fluid fashion. There was an ease and grace to her offense.

Her presence hasn't been as big as Asuka or Ember Moon's at this point, but it feels as if she's just getting warmed up.

Nikki Cross stalked her during the bout, suggesting a continuation of their feud. That will be great for both women, providing a means for each to showcase what they can do.

Predictions

Ember Moon showed some real emotion in a video where she wandered around an empty Amway Center after TakeOver: Orlando.

It looks as if NXT is looking to develop her character and help her generate pathos. The more WWE shows her vulnerability like this, the better.

Expect her to round out her persona significantly in a hurry as she continues to chase down Asuka.

The treatment Aleister Black has received this far suggests big things await him. Look for him to go on a lengthy winning streak, a la Baron Corbin.