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The 35-round inaugural USFL Player Draft kicked off on Tuesday night in Birmingham, Alabama with 12 rounds — each specific to a single position — completed.
First up were the quarterbacks and at No. 5 overall, former New York Giants backup Clayton Thorson got the nod. He is headed to the Houston Gamblers.
The 26-year-old Thorson was originally signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2019. The former Northwestern star then spent two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before joining the Giants in 2020.
Thorson spent two years with the Giants, but never appeared in a regular season game.
Two picks later at No. 7 overall, the Pittsburgh Maulers drafted ex-Giant Kyle Lauletta.
Lauletta was a fourth-round pick of the Giants in the 2018 NFL draft, but his career in East Rutherford was short-lived. He was waived as a part of final roster cuts in 2019 and went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars.
In two career games, both with the Giants, Lauletta went 0-for-5 passing and compiled -2 yards rushing (kneel down).
In addition to Thorson and Lauletta, former Giants quarterback Case Cookus (2020) was also selected by the Philadelphia Stars in Round 12.
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