XFL Draft 2019: Format, Teams, Top Players and Schedule
With the XFL's inaugural season set to kick off in February, the league will hold its first draft Tuesday, and the event will continue into Wednesday.
The structure of the draft differs significantly from its counterparts in other sports leagues.
The XFL will assign one quarterback apiece to the eight teams. From there, the draft is broken down into five phases, four of which are based on positional groupings. Each of the first four phases will have 80 picks before the final phase in which teams work through the remaining player pool until they've filled out their rosters.
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The XFL's website will announce each of the picks.
Here's the full order for the phases and some of the notable players in the draft pool.
XFL Draft Order
Phase 1 (QB, RB, WR, TE)
1. DC Defenders
2. Houston Roughnecks
3. New York Guardians
4. Dallas Renegades
5. Tampa Bay Vipers
6. St. Louis BattleHawks
7. Seattle Dragons
8. Los Angeles Wildcats
Phase 2 (OT, OG, C)
1. Los Angeles Wildcats
2. Seattle Dragons
3. St. Louis BattleHawks
4. Tampa Bay Vipers
5. Dallas Renegades
6. New York Guardians
7. Houston Roughnecks
8. DC Defenders
Phase 3 (DL, LB)
1. Tampa Bay Vipers
2. St. Louis BattleHawks
3. Seattle Dragons
4. Los Angeles Wildcats
5. DC Defenders
6. Houston Roughnecks
7. New York Guardians
8. Dallas Renegades
Phase 4 (CB, NB, SS, FS)
1. Dallas Renegades
2. New York Guardians
3. Houston Roughnecks
4. DC Defenders
5. Los Angeles Wildcats
6. Seattle Dragons
7. St. Louis BattleHawks
8. Tampa Bay Vipers
Phase 5 (Open)
1. St. Louis BattleHawks
2. New York Guardians
3. Seattle Dragons
4. Los Angeles Wildcats
5. Tampa Bay Vipers
6. Houston Roughnecks
7. DC Defenders
8. Dallas Renegades
Notable Players
Jalen Rowell, WR, Air Force
Jalen Rowell caught 120 passes for 2,697 yards and 18 touchdowns in four years at Air Force. He was a second-team All-Mountain West receiver as a senior in 2016.
Rowell almost certainly would have been selected in the 2017 draft had the Air Force not ruled he'd have to serve at least two years of active duty before he could pursue a football career. As a result, he had to put his professional aspirations on hold.
With the end of his two-year commitment near, Rowell told the Associated Press' Arnie Stapleton in April he was hopeful of getting back on the field.
"Heck, if you need me to put my hand in the ground and play tackle, I'm fine with that," he said. "My goal is just getting a shot."
Rowell is likely to be one of the first receivers off the board.
Roberto Aguayo, K, Florida State
Most football fans know Roberto Aguayo's story by now.
A three-time All-American at Florida State, Aguayo was 69-of-78 on field goals and made all 198 of his extra points during his Seminoles career.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded up to select him 59th overall in the 2016 draft and then waived him in August 2017. He went 22-of-31 on field goals, including 4-of-10 between 40 and 49 yards.
Aguayo had brief spells with the Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Chargers but hasn't appeared in a regular-season game since 2016.
"I know I can get back," he said in a May interview with Bleacher Report's Mirin Fader. "People are probably like: 'Oh, he's done. He can't do it anymore.' No. I did it at a high level in college. I never got a chance to show it again. I know I can. I'm hitting the ball well now. At the end of the day, it's a matter of opportunity."
The XFL can be Aguayo's shot at redemption.
Arthur Brown, LB, Kansas State
After two nondescript years at Miami, Arthur Brown transferred to Kansas State, where he blossomed into the 2012 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Brown finished that season with 100 total tackles, seven tackles for loss and two interceptions.
The Baltimore Ravens selected him with the 56th overall pick in the 2013 draft. In his final big board, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked Brown as the No. 24 player overall and No. 3 outside linebacker.
Perhaps the former Wildcats star was doomed to fail because he was one of the players tasked with replacing Ray Lewis. The Ravens released him in September 2016 after he appeared in 34 games but failed to make a single start.
Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU
Unfortunately for Zach Mettenberger, his supporting cast in the XFL won't match what he had at LSU.
As a senior for the Tigers in 2013, Mettenberger threw for 3,082 yards and 22 touchdowns in an offense that included Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and Jeremy Hill.
A sixth-round draft pick in 2014, Mettenberger carries the stigma that comes with an 0-10 record as a starting quarterback in the NFL. An injury to Jake Locker pressed him into starting duty as a rookie and then he briefly led the Tennessee Titans offense again in 2015 with Marcus Mariota unavailable.
In two years, Mettenberger threw for 2,347 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while completing 60.3 percent of his passes.
Given the scarcity of QB options in the NFL, the 28-year-old might convince a general manager to give him one more shot with a strong year in the XFL.
Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Trent Richardson's football journey is well known to fans.
The No. 3 overall draft pick in the 2012 draft, Richardson didn't last two full years with the Cleveland Browns before they traded him to the Indianapolis Colts for a 2014 first-rounder. The deal proved to be a steal as he ran for 977 yards and six touchdowns in 29 games for Indianapolis.
The Oakland Raiders and Ravens took a flier on Richardson but didn't keep him on the roster through the regular season.
Richardson joined the AAF, a move that might have proved counterproductive. He averaged 2.9 yards per carry in eight appearances for the Birmingham Iron.
Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo
Tyree Jackson made a strong impression at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine after running a 4.59-second 40-yard dash. He also showed off his throwing arm to such an extent Steve Smith told him to dial it back a bit.
The Buffalo Bills signed Jackson after he went undrafted in the spring, but he failed to make the final cut when they trimmed their roster for the regular season. He went 30-of-57 for 315 yards, one touchdown and an interception in four preseason appearances.
Playing in the XFL is the exact kind of move Jackson needed to make. Still only 21, the former Buffalo Bulls star can potentially play his way into another NFL deal. Teams are bound to take notice if the 6'7" signal-caller shows out, even if it's against weaker competition.
Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri
Through two years in the NFL, Kony Ealy had nine sacks and eight tackles for loss in 31 appearances. He appeared to be on the verge of a breakout after getting three sacks, forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass in the Carolina Panthers' Super Bowl 50 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Ealy didn't move the needle too much in 2016 before Panthers traded him to the New England Patriots. The warning signs came when the Patriots cut him in August 2017, mere months after sending Carolina a second-round pick in order to land the former Missouri star and a third-rounder.
Ealy has played 18 games since his trade from the Panthers.
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